[WikiEN-l] Frank Ahrens mass-reply

[Mathias Schindler]

In response to responses to
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/08/AR2006070800135.html

"Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and write.

Apologies for the mass e-mail but, as you may have guessed, I got
plenty of feedback.

In case you are interested in knowing, it broke down approximately like
this:

- 65 percent: You don't get that Wikipedia is not designed to break
news, you idiot.
- 10 percent: You and the rest of your dead-tree Luddite friends just
don't get it, you idiot.
- 10 percent: You're the best! Thank you for exposing Wikipedia for
the unreliable tar pit it is! (These primarily came from .edu
addresses.)
- 10 percent: You raise some good points. For an idiot.
- 5 percent: I can tell from your writing that you are a masculine and
virile male specimen and that greatly arouses me. (Typically, that's
about 30 percent of my e-mail, FYI.)

Just to clarify: My point was NOT that Wikipedia is a place to go for
breaking news. Everyone knows that. My point was that this breaking
news EXPOSED the weakness of Wikipedia, which is that anyone can go in
and
write anything. I realize such rantings/inaccuracies may only last
minutes or hours, but then again, they may not. Because there is no
expert peer-review, single editor or board of editors and experts who
approve or
discard entries, it can be a Wild West.

I acknowledged that this is Wiki's greatest strength, as well. It is
dynamic and vibrant and draws from expertise and points of view far
beyond that which could be assembled on any editorial board. In many
ways,
Wiki approaches the ultimate editorial board. But it is still board by
gang, subject to the currents and eddies of political bias and
inaccuracy.

To recapitulate: I like Wikipedia. I just want it to be better. And it
will become so. I have no desire or ability to stop Wikipedia; I enjoy
it, find it entertaining and a useful first-dive for information.

Finally, to the one wittily sarcastic e-mailer: No, it has not escaped
mynotice that I write about TECHNOLOGY for a NEWSPAPER. Soon, however,
The Post will be a Web site with a newspaper attached, not the other
way
around, if that hasn't already happened.

Thanks much and please keep reading. You may feel free to post this on any
and all forums. (fora?)

Best,

Frank Ahrens"