Jimmy Wales wrote:
Daniel Ehrenberg wrote:
I think a built-in category system would be very
useful for other purposes, too. But I still think that
we would benefit from having a seperate domain where
certain things were by-default blocked.
I'm starting to come around to this conclusion, too.
Well, I remember someone starting a free, peer-reviewed encyclopedia.
The same guy started an "all-you-can-edit"-encyclopedia just for fun,
just to see how it turns out.
In the same spirit, the same guy could start a peer-reviewed sifter copy
of that latter encyclopedia that was successful beyond belief. You know,
just for fun. Might turn out to be the answer to all the problems that
flooded the mailing lists for the past weeks. Might turn out to be a
complete waste of time. Who knows.
Also, there could be categories added to that existing encyclopedia.
Emphasis on *added*. You would like to categorize all mathematical
topics? Go right ahead. You don't care? Just as well. Want to filter all
articles that say "no-no" in your belief system? It's just a few clicks
away. Otherwise, things will continue exactly as they are for you. Maybe
you'll find a "categories" link on the article pages. I hope that
doesn't scare you away.
What I'm trying to say here is: Upgrade the software so it *can* offer a
category system, and a sifter "user rights management". Turn it on and
see what happens. If it works (=acceptance, usability, etc), great,
we'll keep it. If not, we'll change it. Or turn it off right away.
We'll never know for sure unless we try. And there's nothing we could
lose trying. Maybe a little of our time.
But we're wikipedians. We're used to that...
Magnus