[Wikipedia-l] Re: Sanger's memoirs

[Anthere]

Jack Lutz a écrit:
> 
> wiki pedista wrote:
> 
> 
>>Talking about the Spanish fork, Larrys letter
>>announcing he was no longer an employee was the spark
>>for it, but that is another long story.
>> 
>>
> 
> Can you elaborate on that? There is not much information that I see, in
> English, about the Spanish fork.


Recently, to help with the Wikipedia Retro topic on meta, I asked 
Astronomer to give us his view on what happened during the spanish fork.

He declined, saying it was still too early, which I understand quite 
well. I hope Astronomer will long stay with us, and one day the topic is 
not quite painful to discuss.

I have fragmental memories of this event... I only know that it is this 
event, followed by the little heat up triggered one or two months later 
by the french wikipedia adopting a different logo from the rest of the 
project (a white and green dove), which led me to somehow decide to get 
involved so that wikipedia becomes an international project... which it 
was NOT in spring 2002.

I am very thankful of Astronomo of his report on year 2001...

I tend to consider Larry as a co-foundator of the project myself, but 
not being there in 2001, it is just a personal assumption from what I 
heard and read; I think he was essential for the project to start, just 
as Jimbo was essential as well. Coining a name or a concept does not 
only define what a foundator is. And for what the project is today, just 
for existing, for helping a lot setting up the base of what Wikipedia is 
today. I would like to thank you Larry and hope he stops having so many 
hard feelings.

Now, I must say... I think a project of such a type can only work 
*without* a strong authority. It is important to let people built their 
own organisation. Jimbo has this very powerful strength, in this that he 
lets most of the organisation be a self-organisation. For those who know 
a bit about leadership, it is a rather rare occurence. For the sake of 
wikipedia, and to let all the international projects grow up (without a 
strong hand to lead them), it was important that the role of the editor 
in chief disappear.

ant