Thryduulf added a subscriber: Thryduulf.
Thryduulf added a comment.

Speaking as someone who typical updates entries that are not scientific in 
nature, defaulting to any level of precision other than ±0 is incorrect and 
infuriating. When I enter a numerical value for something I want the displayed 
and stored data to match the input I give exactly. e.g. when I say the number 
of trains on a particular funicular railway is 2, assuming I mean 2±1 is 
incorrect. When I input the length of the Sheffield Supertram system as 29km, 
assuming I mean 29±1km is incorrect - I assume it's actually 29±0.5km but the 
source does not say. When I enter the width for 2134mm track gauge as 7ft, 
assuming I mean 7±1 ft is incorrect - the gauge is defined as a nominal 7ft 
exactly, with different actual spacing and different tolerances in specific 
applications.

The simplest way around this from an end users point of view that I can think 
is to have a qualifier associated with all numerical values that is used to 
record the uncertainty. If this qualifier is not present then assume the 
uncertainty is unknown. In all cases where the entry is currently ±1 or ±0.5 we 
will have to assume the uncertainty is unknown - this will be correct in far 
more cases than it is not.


TASK DETAIL
  https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T105623

EMAIL PREFERENCES
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To: Thryduulf
Cc: Thryduulf, Mike_Peel, Jc3s5h, thiemowmde, kaldari, daniel, Stryn, 
Lydia_Pintscher, Liuxinyu970226, Snipre, Event, Ash_Crow, mgrabovsky, Micru, 
Denny, He7d3r, Bene, Wikidata-bugs, Ricordisamoa, Kelson, MSGJ, Klortho, 
Wolfvoll, Aklapper, aude



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