[WikiEN-l] Game-playing on Wikipedia

Sat Jul 2 12:21:08 UTC 2005

The purpose of Wikipedia is to create an encyclopedia. Period. Everything  
else is tangential to that. We have been fortunate in seeing that a strong  
community has emerged as a result of this common goal, but that is precisely the  
point. The community emerged because a bunch of people around the world are  
trying to create something together. People who are not interested in that goal 
 have all the rights in the world not to be involved in it. 

Nevertheless, we have recently seen quite a bit of game-playing on  
Wikipedia. If it is not stopped now, it will continue to grow. We already have  chess, 
checkers, hangman, N degrees of separation, and I am sure that there  will be 
more to come. 

Not only does this clog up an already overburdened Recent Changes page. It  
is an insult to the many people who have given of their time and money so that  
Wikipedia can become the world's greatest encyclopedia. It detracts from the  
serious nature of the project, and has the potential to turn it into yet 
another  gaming site. As for referring to the people who oppose these games and  
tournaments as "killjoys," this is a very upsetting ad hominem attack. In  
essence it means that the people who keep Wikipedia's goals in mind are  
"killjoys." I hardly see how that helps Wikipedia. 

Jimbo has offered a place on Wikicities for people to play. He has even  
suggested on mIRC that it might be ad-free. I hope that these games are moved  
their immediately. I am still astounded that this is even a matter for a  vote. 

Danny