--- Erik Moeller <erik_moeller@gmx.de> wrote:
> > No. I'm not going to implement that and I'm strongly against such
> > feature. http://test.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_we_can't_just_use_LaTeX
>
> I tend to agree here, let's stick with the current solution until we
> find a problem we cannot solve otherwise. This addition was primarily
> intended for mathematics,
Well, if so, it might have been a good idea to involve more of the
people who are actually active in Wikipedia's math area. Right now,
Toby and I have both stated that we are not too fond of the texvc
approach.
> Do we really *want* people to draw
> diagrams etc. in LaTeX? Or shouldn't they just upload them as images?
Or why not upload formulas as images, and be done with the whole
debate?
No, people should definitely be able to create math formulas, chess
diagrams, chemical structure diagrams, music scores and flow charts in
LaTeX, because that's the wiki way: these graphics can then be modified
by directly editing the source code, while uploaded images can only be
redrawn from scratch or pixel edited. Granted, the TeX syntax is often
obscure, but change a little bit here, preview, change a bit there,
preview, and you figure it out. And unlike texvc, it's widely used and
there are tutorials all over the place.
Arguably, the GFDL requires that if I create a graphic with some
scriptable software such as gnuplot, latex, ChemSketch or gimp, I am
required to make available the modifiable source code used to produce
the picture. Legalities aside, it is always a good idea to do so; what
better way than to simply upload *only* the source code and let
Wikipedia deal with the compilation and presentation.
> it's just gibberish, and I'm afraid people might start using it as a
> replacement for things that are currently not supported by our wiki-
> syntax. One of these things is a powerful table and image layout
> syntax.
Image layout and table support is currently available on Wikipedia with
HTML syntax, simpler and more powerful than TeX's gibberish table
support. I don't see how this makes an argument against TeX. What other
examples did you have in mind?
Axel
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