Five Discussions at Wikipedia
Work continues on one of the hardest problems in computer science: naming things
These are the highlights of the currently open [[WP:RM]] discussions on Wikipedia.
As a reminder: while you are allowed1 to participate in these discussions after reading about them in the Newslettr, you are not allowed to mention the Newslettr.
Also: if you don’t already have an established Wikipedia account, please do not participate in any of these discussions. Hopefully in July we will have a post on “creating a Wikipedia account”.
Malaysian language
discussion at Talk:Malaysian language
The pluricentric language known as Malay (Bahasa Melayu) has several national registers. In Indonesia, it is Bahasa Indonesia, also known in English as Indonesian. In Malaysia, it is Bahasa Malaysia.
While “bahasa” is the word for “language” in a variety of Southeast Asian languages, it is not an English word. Or is it well-known enough to be used in the title of the article in the English-language encyclopedia?
Ruby Ridge
discussion at Talk:Ruby Ridge
In 1992, a standoff between a Mr. Weaver and US federal agents led to the deaths of three men. In the 1990s political vernacular, the was commonly referred to by geographical synecdoche - Ruby Ridge.
With 30 years of history behind us, the article name “Ruby Ridge” is too vague. The article should be re-titled to make clear it is about an event and not a place. But what should the new title be?
Rameshbabu Praggnanandha
discussion at Talk:Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
One of the top junior chess players in the world today is Rameshbabu Praggnanandha. For several reasons, he is generally referred to by a shorter version of his name:
For certain display locations, the full name is simply too long.
When discussing a minor, there is a presumption to avoid a full name.
Initialisms in names are common in Tamil Nadu.
Should a shorter version of his name be used as the title of the Wikipedia article?
Bongbong Marcos
discussion at Talk:Bongbong Marcos
In the most recent edition of the week’s news, we commented about the awkwardness of the name “Bongbong” in certain registers of English:
Various English-language news outlets are also unsure of the name for Mr. Marcos. Many use the more formal “Ferdinand Marcos Jr.” for those reasons.
the Newslettr is partisan on this issue. Mr. Marcos’ name is Bongbong. If he announces a new English regnal name, the Wikipedia article should move. Otherwise, the people at the various East Asian Global Affairs news desks should just get used to the name.
Concerned
discussion at Talk:Concerned
There is a tendency for crap to end up with an article title that is a short and common phrase. For example, the word “concerned” might be used in a sentence: “Are you concerned about the convention?”
Nobody ever uses the word concerned to refer to: “Concerned: The Half-Life and Death of Gordon Frohman is a webcomic by Christopher C. Livingston that parodies the first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2.”
Yet one cannot simply move an article; one must move it to somewhere. What should2 the new title be?
A lot of people in the community say a lot of things about canvassing. Some of them might even be true.
Nobody should get any wise ideas and nominate that article for deletion while the move discussion is going on. One debate at a time, please.