on 5/27/07 1:38 PM, Ray Saintonge at saintonge@telus.net wrote:
I don't understand why you make it about "winning". I don't think that either Andrew or I were approaching it in that spirit. Being dismissive from the beginning of possible solutions doesn't solve anything either. Both ideas being presented are possibilities, and no-one is treating them as certainties.
Wanting people to use your encyclopedia is an underlying theme in the same way that any author would want the public to read his book. Sure we want people to use Wikipedia, and showing up in search engines will enhance the possibility of that happening. Nevertheless that should not be the driving force behind the way we do things. Having a good product is far more important than marketing that product. Wikipedia did not get where it is by developing a marketing strategy. We don't need to engage in grandstanding to develop an audience.
We don't want people to look ONLY at Wikipedia. We want our readers to find alternatives, and must support teachers who downgrade student papers when those students use Wikipedia as the only source for significant facts in that paper. We are not the Borg.
All very well said, Ray.
Marc Riddell