On Mon, 2002-11-18 at 00:18, Anthere wrote:
Bridget [name omitted for privacy reasons] lapollutionestsimauvaise@yahoo.com wrote: we should refer to spacecraft from the USSR according to their Russian name-not according to the English name.
I read the argument on that issue. Meanwhile, I had a foolish thought.
Say, it is maybe not entirely clear in my mind...but is wikipedia intended only for those readers who are share english as their mother langage ?
Or what is not also meant to be a deep-broad-reliable-extensive-neutral-wonderful encyclopedia, which could be a great resource for the whole world (i.e., any person who could more or less read english well enough to benefit from that great tool) ?
Wikipedia in every language is intended for everyone who can understand that language. Or are you planning to kick me off the French wiki? ;)
If the latter, would not that make sense from time to time maybe, to actually use the most widely used name for an "object" which is not english, or the most widely used "name" for a non-english person, rather than the name which is most widely known by native-english-people ?
In general we should use the form that's most widely used in the language we're writing in; that's just plain sensible. Where alternate forms exist (eg the form in the language(s) native to or used by or in or near or with or in conjunction with the person, place or thing described), they can and should be noted (and usually are!), and if possible available as redirects.
-- brion vibber (brion @ pobox.com)