[WikiEN-l] Offline submissions?

Sun Jun 25 22:08:35 UTC 2006

On 6/25/06, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> For that purpose, I would like to start a project where people without
> access to computers (or people who voluntarily choose not to use them)
> can -write- their own Wikipedia entries and mail them in. The first
> phase of this plan, of course, would be spreading the word. The least

IMHO, there are so many people out there with so much to contribute
who fall outside our other key demographics but *do* have access to
email that deliberately targeting the most difficult hurdle for us is
just making extra work. Simply targeting the right people (retired
academics stand out as ideal: intelligent, educated, experts in
obscure fields, and with time on their hands) and motivating them to
write an article would already reap benefits. Why pick out the few
people left who have zero access to the internet (not even 10 minutes
a week, not even sending an email on their grandkid's computer)? And
how is such a person going to write an article anyway? Writing it by
hand? On a typewriter? It seems a little bit fanciful...

I know I sound like a wet blanket, but I really do believe in
expanding our reach, and deliberately advertising for new
contributors. Aiming for those without email access sounds like making
life difficult for ourselves though.

Steve