Template talk:User en-4

The current redirected form of this template indicates that we are resisting the move, evident on the English Wikipedia, to have six possible levels of competency in particular languages: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and native.

Originally it was considered here (where the whole idea arose) that three were enough, with level 3 being "native or near enough".

The "0" level was introduced so that users of a site could make it crystal-clear that the lack of a "1" "2" or "3" did really mean that they could not make much of the site's language and was not just an oversight.

The "native" category was added, without proper consultation here. Users who had given themselves a "3" then had to decide which way to go. Some of them said that their native tongue, because of upbringing and education and other factors, wasn't actually the one they were most competent in. So more time-wasting took place in arguing and deciding. And no doubt some of the people who had called themselves "2" because of not being "native or near enough" then had to decide whether they were really "3" in the new scheme.

Now the "en" WP people want to make it even more difficult to decide.

For heavens' sake! The scheme is meant to give a rough guide as to which languages a user should try to use for best communication with another user. I think the original three "grades" were enough. We at "Commons" are not adding a "4" (though the "0" and "native" seem to have been accepted).

Robin Patterson 03:16, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

"Current redirected form"? I made this template redirect to Template:User en in September, but it was reverted two days later. dbenbenn | talk 03:48, 9 October 2005 (UTC)