[WikiEN-l] Do experts have a moral obligation to contribute to Wikipedia?

[Ben Kovitz]

Charles Matthews wrote:

> How about the simpler comment that if you have expertise in an area of
> public interest, you should consider writing something freely licensed
> and putting it on the Web where someone can find it and help aggregate
> it?

This is a really good point.

Subject-matter expertise is one thing.

Skill with writing is another.

Skill with editing Wikipedia is yet another.

Wikipedia-editing is pretty far removed from subject-matter  
expertise.  It's more about searching and summarizing and  
collaborating.  It's closer to being a librarian than any other  
occupation.  Saying, "Subject-matter experts are morally obliged to  
edit Wikipedia" is not too far from saying, "Subject-matter experts  
are morally obliged to volunteer at library help-desks."

Ben