[Foundation-l] Sigh, problems with non-Latin usernames again

Tue Jan 30 10:07:51 UTC 2007

Gerard Meijssen wrote:
> Delirium schreef:
>   
>> Anders Wegge Jakobsen wrote:
>>     
>>>  Tough for you then. Grow up and learn coping with the globalized
>>> world.
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>> But this is directly contrary to the spirit of Wikipedia, which is to 
>> give everyone knowledge in *their own language*.  A user of [language x] 
>> should only have to be familiar with [language x] in order to contribute 
>> to their local Wikipedia, not also familiar with all other languages.  
>> Usually English is the worst offender in this regard (people should 
>> *not* have to know English, or even necessarily be familiar with Latin 
>> script, in order to contribute to a non-English Wikipedia), but it's no 
>> better when it goes the other way either.
>>
>> -Mark
>>     
> Hoi,
> With people using their own script for their user name, it does not 
> detract a thing from the information being in English on the English 
> language Wikipedia.
>   

No, but it detracts from people who only speak English being able to 
productively work on the English-language Wikipedia.

I see this as pretty much common courtesy.  I currently use a 
Latin-alphabet name on the Greek Wikipedia, because I wasn't really 
thinking much when I chose it.  In retrospect, I should have chosen a 
Greek-alphabet name.  I'll probably keep my current name via inertia if 
nobody complains, but if it did cause problems for a significant portion 
of the community, and they asked me to change it to a Greek-alphabet 
name, I would of course do so.  Why wouldn't I?  What possible 
justification would there be for forcing a foreign script upon them?  
Would it really be defensible to be a jackass and tell them, "Tough for 
you then. Grow up and learn coping with the globalized world."?

-Mark