[WikiEN-l] Naming convention: popularity vs. correctness

Mon Feb 10 18:48:44 UTC 2003

Axel Boldt wrote:

>--- Erik Moeller <erik_moeller at gmx.de> wrote:
>
>>I think we need to change our naming convention to use the more
>>
>correct  
>
>>article title if everybody who knows the history of the term in
>>
>question  
>
>>agrees that it is correct; that is, if everybody who has a coherent
>>
>POV on the matter shares the same opinion. In other words, we should
>use  
>
>>academically correct titles, not those which Google prefers.
>>
>
>I agree. Two reasons:
>
>* The text of our articles always aims for correctness as recognized by
>those who know what they're talking about, not for "correctness" as
>recognized by the majority of the people. The same should apply to
>article titles.
>
>* We're here to educate, not to provide people with the warm and fuzzy
>feeling that comes from reading something familiar. For retaining
>memory, there's nothing better than a healthy shock. You follow a link
>to X and end up on page Y, how is that possible? Shock! Confusion!
>Immediately you investigate and the article gives the answer, right
>there in the second paragraph. You're not going to forget that one
>easily.
>
I share those sentiments.  Still, inconvenient as it may be, it does end 
up on a case by case basis.  

Of the two specific proposals by Erik I happen to agree with one and 
disagree with the other.  

I agree with Ockham because it is English and he was English.  There are 
apparently two such villages in England with no certainty about which of 
them produced old Bill.  If we're going to use a Latinized version why 
not go all the way and refer to him as [[Gulielmus Occamensis]]?

I disagree about [[Pennsylvania Dutch]].  That term is not just about 
language, but about three centuries of cultural life.  That term has 
developed a large range of connotations that go well beyond what the 
term "Dutch" may mean by itself.  As the popular saying goes: "The whole 
is bigger than the sum of its parts."  There is still room for 
[[Pennsylvania German]], but it seems to me that this would have a more 
restrictive sense that deals with linguistic aspects of German in 
Pennsylvania including in areas that are not familiarly considered to be 
"Pennsylvania Dutch".

Eclecticology