[Foundation-l] Possibility of a git-based fully distributed Wikipedia

[mingli yuan]

Recently a git based wiki system git-wiki(
http://github.com/sr/git-wiki/tree/master ) was published on GitHub.
This triggered my thoughts on a fully distributed Wikipedia clone.

Git( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_%28software%29 ) is a
distributed revision control project created by Linus Torvalds,
initially for the Linux kernel development. Just as mentioned by
apenwarr in the article "Git is the next Unix" (
http://www.advogato.org/person/apenwarr/diary/371.html ), git can be
used as a distributed platform potentially. He also pointed out a git
based wiki system.

By my understanding, one of the key points for these kind of possible
Wikipedia clone is the changing of current collaboration model.

Currently Wikipedia is based on a centered wiki site fully shared
(readable and writable) by everyone, a group of trusted users monitor
recent changes to avoid trolls and vandalism, and also conflict
resolving method is needed. As an user of Wikipedia projects, I know
the heavy load for some administrators to fight with the trolls and
vandalism, and full of conflicts in the community.

My friends, Isaac Mao, have pointed out: a layer of trustness is
missing in the design of current Wikipedia software system.

Then how about a fully distributed Wikipedia based on git?

Everybody have their own clone of the whole project, and maybe part of them.

A contributor pull/push changes from/to people they trusted.

Some hub will formed to receive changes by many ones, and will share
their revision to many ones.

A hub network will formed, and maybe the Foundation will own some
nodes of the network, and declare them as official nodes.

The hub network is based on the trustiness among different groups of people.

This is just my imagination. The relationship between the new
collaboration model and the core value of Wikimedia Foundation (
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Values )is still a question.

Thanks.

User:Mountain