on 5/27/07 1:38 PM, Ray Saintonge at saintonge(a)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