[Foundation-l] Fwd: NYTimes.com: African Languages Grow as a Wikipedia Pr...

Mon Aug 28 17:01:54 UTC 2006

Alphax (Wikipedia email) wrote:

>Ray Saintonge wrote:
>  
>
>>Alphax (Wikipedia email) wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Unfortunately the people who are likely to know these languages are
>>>unlikely to want to contribute to Wikipedia, because they'd probably see
>>>it as a waste of time/doomed to fail/whatever. Still, I can ask people...
>>>      
>>>
>>It would be wrong to impute motives to any of the speakers whose 
>>language is not represented by a strong Wikipedia community.
>>    
>>
>Ok, perhaps I should clarify something here. I'm not talking about
>native speakers, I'm talking about people who have some knowledge and
>have access to native speakers when they go back to wherever they're
>taking a break from...
>
Nevertheless, it is the native speakers who will make or break the 
Wikipedia in any given language.  The outsiders should be primarily 
there in a supporting role.

>>Many of these languages were pre-literate until waves of Christian 
>>missionaries went in and translated the Bible for them.  Talk about 
>>paternalistic! 
>>    
>>
>... and they're Christian missionaries from various aid organisations.
>
>NOW do you see why people have no desire to contribute? Attitudes like
>yours, buddy.
>
Christian aid organizations come with strings attached, like using help 
as a vehicle for spreading Christian propaganda.  So if my attitude 
results in preventing Christian POV pushing it's well placed.

A native language is more than just a language.  There is also an entire 
culture wrapped up in the language.

Ec