On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 22:16:40 -0500, Michael Becker <wikimb(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Wikipedia is a wiki community foremost and an
encyclopedia second.
I wonder if how many people would agree with this sentiment. I have
read statements by some "important people" that would at least cast
some doubt as to which is foremost: the community or the encyclopedia.
I have always seen Wikipedia as an effort to create a free
multi-lingual unbiased encyclopedia that is as available as possible
to everyone everywhere. That's one of the reasons that a print version
is an important part of the whole project -- because many people will
not be able to access it via computer.
The Wiki community is a means to that end. A wonderfully (and somewhat
surprisingly) successful means, but only a means. I cannot imagine any
other means that is likely to achieve the end.
So, as I see it, the encyclopedia comes first, the community second.
But the community is essential to the encyclopedia.
-Rich Holton
en.wikipedia:User:Rholton