[Foundation-l] Closer look at Nature's results: Average article size for Wikipedia: 6.80 KB; Britannica: 2.60 KB. Number of errors per 2KB for Wikipedia: 1; Britannica: 6.5

Fri Dec 16 20:12:12 UTC 2005

Ray Saintonge wrote:

> Sentiment makes me agree with you, and this noble idea.  I wonder if
> Britannica can even survive.  That's sad for an institution that's been
> around for 250 years.  They were built on the model of a bulky
> multi-volume set of books.  Who's going to buy that if one can find so
> much more information at no cost?  At present Wikipedia is well ahead of
> Britannica in quantity, and almost equal in quality.  Recent events have
> forced us to look at quality, and there is certainly incentive to do
> something about it.  Where does that leave them when the only asset they
> have left is an established name?

Brockhaus is pretty much the German equivalent of Britannica in quality
and respectability. They don't seem to be panicking at Wikipedia's
popularity and de:'s market-ready level of quality.

> If one can depend on Alexa ratings they show that we are at that part of
> the pyramid where the air is thin.  How we managed to get there has
> probably left most of us puzzled.  When you're that big it's hard to
> roll over in bed without crushing the one beside you.  What are the
> ethical implications of being where we are?  Maybe as a group we need to
> address some of these issues in Boston.

It is extremely important that we NOT be spooked by our silly levels of
popularity. They indicate that we fill a real need, even if those of us
inside the project are painfully aware of its defects.

I think being honest about what we are and where we are will be enough.
"It's not a finished product, it's the raw materials for one. But an
outside company helped polish up the German one and released it on a DVD
for a few Euros, and we're working on getting the others up to that
standard. It's a work in progress."

> Can I start pushing the POV that Wikimania 2007 should be in Africa?

You're going to move there and become a local organiser? :-D

- d.