On 04/07/11 11:37 AM, Sarah wrote:
One of the key skills that Jimbo brought to Wikipedia
was knowing when
to be hands on, and when not. If you look through the early mailing
lists -- not just the very early ones, but the first few years --
that's the thing that shines through again and again. If I had to
point to one issue that made Wikipedia successful it was this ability
to steer without micromanaging.
This is an important observation. It contrasts with some of his later
efforts at wading into controversial issues. These have often seemed as
drive-by efforts by someone who was not completely up-to-date with the
matter at hand. These would generate more controversy in an already
dirfficult issue that just needed time to be worked through.
Ec