Phil Sandifer wrote:
[...] If Larry wants an encyclopedia free of its
biases, he should
work on one. But he shouldn't call it an encyclopedia run by experts
if he's going to dismiss the experts.
There are plenty of experts going at each other with knives on WP;
expertise is simply a fund of knowledge, and does not magically confer
diplomatic, communication, or collaboration skills. In fact, great
knowledge tends to breed arrogance, making conflict more likely, not
less so. CZ adds real names and attributions to the mix, raising the
stakes even further by introducing the possibility of effect on one's
careers. The organizer would need the superior political skills of an
Ivy League dean to make it all work, but Larry's forum postings don't
evidence much improvement at diplomacy since the times he was angering
editors on WP.
Perhaps the difference is reflected in the analogy of WP as a bar-fight
beside CZ as genteel sanctioned combat in a professional wrestling ring.
:-)
Ec