[WikiEN-l] Re: How to bring back people who don't want to bother?

Fri Jan 13 06:49:07 UTC 2006

Andrew Gray wrote:

>On 12/01/06, Michael Snow <wikipedia at earthlink.net> wrote:
>  
>
>>But the size of the community is definitely making the adjustment
>>process more chaotic and dysfunctional. A couple months ago, I estimated
>>that the functional size of the English Wikipedia community was
>>equivalent to a town of 15,000 people. It might be as much as 20,000
>>now, though due to the change in procedure for the Arbitration Committee
>>elections, I'm unable to update my method of estimating this.
>>    
>>
>Incidentally, 20,000 is a largish university. It may be a better
>analogy than a town, in many ways... but on the other hand, it's far
>past the level at which an informal collegiate system works.
>  
>
Indeed, colleges and universities are far more rigid and structured even 
when small in size. But that's partly because their workflow and product 
requires it - imagine if the curriculum and awarding of degrees 
proceeded as haphazardly as Wikipedia article development.

In terms of mission, I agree that we might have more in common with a 
university than a town. But my focus was more on the social and 
political aspects, and there I still think the town is a stronger 
analogy. Though there is no denying that politics happens at colleges 
and universities, too.

--Michael Snow