[Wikipedia-l] Re: The role of a wikipedia for a language like Hopi

[Henry Tan-Tenn]

Gerard Meijssen ti 2005/3/10 EP 05:22 sia-kong:

> What we have to consider when we talk about our wikipedias, is that no 
> two projects have the same content. Translations exist, but the majority 
> of the articles written contain info that makes it particular to the 
> language and reflects a culture. 

I'd like to interpret the part about "reflecting a culture" along a 
specific line:  "reflecting the encyclopedia needs of the particular 
readership."  For example, the English article on "area" would surely 
mention the SI units but also Imperial units now outdated in many 
places.  The equivalent Southern Min article would also deal at length 
with the SI units but be less interested in Imperial units.  It might 
note, for example, the decline of their use in most Anglo-influenced 
countries and ex-colonies -- but without presenting a lengthy and 
largely irrelevant table on interconversions.  It would also mention 
which empire we are talking about when we say "the Imperial units" (the 
Mongolians?).  More to the point it would also mention other types of 
units used in Southern Min-speaking regions, notably the "kah" (used in 
Taiwan) and the "pheng" (Taiwan and some other places).  Both of these 
would be unlikely to be mentioned at all in the English article (whose 
editors are not likely to be familiar with such local units).  (Of 
course now that I have mentioned them, someone might well add them in 
English, but maybe not.)  In short we always emphasize certain facets of 
knowledge and de-emphasize others, and cultural considerations are among 
the criteria used to decide which way to go.  More radically, one might 
even argue that cultural factors limit the range of what we know we can 
emphasize or de-emphasize.

One reason why the idea of "One English Encyclopedia to Rule Them All" 
(a la Tokien) is deeply flawed.