[Foundation-l] Wikipedia and Wikimedia Software Prompt Solution to Problem Posed in 2000 by David Brin?

Sun Jul 30 06:52:01 UTC 2006

Gerard Meijssen wrote:

>Hoi,
>Two things:
>* Wikipedia needs publicity badly. As long as many of our projects do 
>not cover encyclopaedic and other information well, there are MANY 
>projects that are in a genuine need for more contributors and also 
>readers. I am sure that the Neapolitan wikipedia would be thrilled to 
>bits to have 5 more regular contributors. It would grow the content a 
>lot and this in turn would increase the exposure of Neapolitan to many 
>people.
>* Coding is done on LiquidThreads. This may help make a proposal like 
>yours interesting and relevant.. The publicity we could have: "hey guys, 
>we can still innovate".
>Thanks,
>    GerardM
>
>Michael R. Irwin wrote:
>  
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>Some of you might find this article by David Brin (P,hd in Space Physics 
>>& SciFi Author) interesting:  
>>http://www.davidbrin.com/disputationarticle1.html
>>
>>He outlines a top down design to try to use the Internet as a 
>>collaborative discussion and thinking tool.
>>
>>It seems to me that the Wikimedia software and various projects 
>>utilizing some simple rules (NPOV, only one 32K article per subject or 
>>title, comprehensive history of revision, and the ever evolving 
>>community guidelines) allowed solutions meeting his basic criteria and 
>>goals to self organize.
>>
>>As a publicity drive or stunt we might consider inviting him to evaluate 
>>how well Wikipedia or some other Wikimedia project meets his proposed 
>>requirements for useful Internet sites on his website for his fans.
>>
>>Perhaps a good time (considering that Wikipedia hardly needs publicity 
>>drives considering its current success and maturity) would be after a 
>>few months of Wikiversity's authorized operation makes it clear that 
>>good ideas or material tends to float or stay on the current page of 
>>learning/study activities there; just like the best material and 
>>presentations drift to the current article or definition on Wikipedia 
>>and Wiktionary.
>>
>>I would be very interested in reactions or opinions why or why not 
>>Wikipedia currently meets or does not meet his stated goals or criteria 
>>for a "Disputation Arena".
>>
>>regards,
>>lazyquasar
>>    
>>
>
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>  
>
I might be able to arrange some anouncements from several tribes. These 
would be a BIG deal and get the
attention of the Federal Government and Congress (though after the 
Congressional Scandal and the abyssmal handling
of the whole congressional aide editing crap, I am not certain Congress 
attention will be a good thing).

Wikipedia supporting Language Preservation programs is a huge deal.

Jeff