Avoiding Problems by Avoiding Decisions

[Adriaan de Groot]

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On Friday 14 May 2004 08:50, Andras Mantia wrote:
> This is because you can't avoid a conflict in such cases. You must make
> a decision, be it following the ISO or following some other rule (but
> be it a rule), like choosing the name from how the citizens of the
> country call the country themselves. 

I think this has been the request from the very start - what is the rule?

> After seeing what's in the ISO 
> list I said that better choose the second version as KDE's primary
> purpose is to serve the users, and in this case the users of that
> country find their country most easily by the name they are using.

Don't be too hasty to dismiss that list on the basis of two entries that you 
may find objectionable. What if there are duplicates? What if California 
decides to secede and call itself "TheUSSucksRocks.com"?

>  Anyway, the point is: just make out a rule and follow it. Or if it's
> already such a rule (and there might be), publish it somewhere. 

Aye - that's been asked several times in this thread, and not followed up on.

> Yes, 
> this will be a political decision, but choosing the ISO list would be a
> political decision as well.

Absolutely. Anything other than a purely textual characterization - remember 
we're still talking about the English names here - will be political. (By 
purely textual I mean something like a rule that says "In the case of 
disputes, the md5 sum of each name will be computed and the hash which is 
greatest lexicographically will be accepted.") We can also _not_ take the 
decision, and let the storm brew elsewhere, but that's just asking for repeat 
engagements elsewhere.

- -- 
   "On top of that [watching KDE CVS] is interesting in a perverse 
    way, like watching sausage get made. By very smart people." - dkite
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