Talk:List of space travelers by nationality

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[edit] Criteria for inclusion

Since it would be confusing to readers to have different criteria for two versions of the same list, one sorted by name and one sorted by nationality, I updated this list to use the same altitude definition used by other lists and articles on space travel. See the article Astronaut for an example. Rillian (talk) 17:00, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

How is it confusing when the list clearly states (as lists are supposed to do) the criteria at the top? In any case, the confusion is caused by the other articles that confuse brief jaunts into the thermosphere with orbital flights, a completely different kind of animal. This is moreover not a list of astronauts but of space travelers -- being above 100 km for a minute is hardly the same as travel in space. The 100km definition is moreover entirely arbitrary, while the orbital definition is natural and easy.

With regard to the numbers of countries involved, the criteria for that is also stated, much more clearly than it is in other articles. Persistent errors remain in the other articles, and your inclusion of data from them has resulted in an internal contradiction:

"a total of 477 humans from 38 countries have gone into space"

"Hitherto representatives of 39 countries have flown in space"

That's not acceptable, and contradicts the numbers in the table immediately below as well. RandomCritic (talk) 20:00, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

Confusing because a reader sees that on the Astronaut article 477 people have traveled in space and would expect to find a total of 477 on a list sorted by name and a total of 477 on a list sorted by nationality. They are both a list of the same set, just sorted differently. Consequently, unless renamed "List of space travelers who entered orbit by nationality", the two lists should use the same definition. If you disagree with the definition used on the other lists and on Astronaut of what constitutes space travel, let's get consensus on changing all the relevant articles to match. I certainly agree that the articles should be in sync on this point. Rillian (talk) 23:48, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

The most recent edits address, I believe, all the issues and corrects the errors, and allows readers to choose which lists and criteria they wish to utilize. RandomCritic (talk) 20:31, 19 April 2008 (UTC)