I just sent this to the NYT Magazine Letters to the Editor. I doubt it will be published, but it's a discussion I'd like to have, so here it is:
In response to: Virginia Heffernan's *My Wired Youth* http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/magazine/03wwln-medium-t.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26refQ3Dmagazine&OP=cc19fd9Q2FQ22dSQ3AQ22rHRCeHHv5Q225Q7CQ7CfQ22Q7C5Q22Q7CJQ22i,_,yQ25tSQ22Q7CJddWtNiSrQ25%29iNvFMviW in the Sunday, Feb 3rd edition of the magazine.
Virginia Heffernan's response to the PBS Documentary "Growing Up Online" immediately made me consider the impact of the community surrounding the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. On Wikipedia, unlike so much of the web, youth are simultaneously welcomed, protected and encouraged to contribute in equal measure with adults. The accounts of predatory adults are blocked indefinitely and without question. The site's founder, Jimmy Wales, has been quoted as saying,"I don't care if they're a high school kid or a Harvard professor; it's the work that matters." In contributing content, the voices of minors are given equal weight with adults, and age discrimination is considered inappropriate. This is exactly the kind of "growing up online" that needs to be recognized as wholly beneficial. It amazes me that whenever the media speaks on child participation in online communities, they neglect one that is 75,000 members strong.
- VanTucky
On 2008.02.03 14:38:53 -0800, Steven Walling steven.walling@gmail.com scribbled 1.4K characters:
I just sent this to the NYT Magazine Letters to the Editor. I doubt it will be published, but it's a discussion I'd like to have, so here it is:
In response to: Virginia Heffernan's *My Wired Youth* http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/magazine/03wwln-medium-t.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26refQ3Dmagazine&OP=cc19fd9Q2FQ22dSQ3AQ22rHRCeHHv5Q225Q7CQ7CfQ22Q7C5Q22Q7CJQ22i,_,yQ25tSQ22Q7CJddWtNiSrQ25%29iNvFMviW in the Sunday, Feb 3rd edition of the magazine.
Virginia Heffernan's response to the PBS Documentary "Growing Up Online" immediately made me consider the impact of the community surrounding the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. On Wikipedia, unlike so much of the web, youth are simultaneously welcomed, protected and encouraged to contribute in equal measure with adults. The accounts of predatory adults are blocked indefinitely and without question. The site's founder, Jimmy Wales, has been quoted as saying,"I don't care if they're a high school kid or a Harvard professor; it's the work that matters." In contributing content, the voices of minors are given equal weight with adults, and age discrimination is considered inappropriate. This is exactly the kind of "growing up online" that needs to be recognized as wholly beneficial. It amazes me that whenever the media speaks on child participation in online communities, they neglect one that is 75,000 members strong.
- VanTucky
Personally, I would've put more emphasis on youngsters in leadership positions eg. Ilyanep becoming bureaucrat at 11 (right?), all the teenaged admins, the FA writers, and so on. Show, don't tell.
-- gwern security ISEP DRA Bugs Samford jya. 170kt enigma Asset ISSC
Argh! I was gonna include teen admins, I forgot in my rush.
On Feb 3, 2008 5:49 PM, gwern0@gmail.com wrote:
On 2008.02.03 14:38:53 -0800, Steven Walling steven.walling@gmail.com scribbled 1.4K characters:
I just sent this to the NYT Magazine Letters to the Editor. I doubt it
will
be published, but it's a discussion I'd like to have, so here it is:
In response to: Virginia Heffernan's *My Wired Youth* <
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/magazine...
in the Sunday, Feb 3rd edition of the magazine.
Virginia Heffernan's response to the PBS Documentary "Growing Up Online" immediately made me consider the impact of the community surrounding the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. On Wikipedia, unlike so much of the web, youth are simultaneously welcomed, protected and encouraged to
contribute in
equal measure with adults. The accounts of predatory adults are blocked indefinitely and without question. The site's founder, Jimmy Wales, has
been
quoted as saying,"I don't care if they're a high school kid or a Harvard professor; it's the work that matters." In contributing content, the
voices
of minors are given equal weight with adults, and age discrimination is considered inappropriate. This is exactly the kind of "growing up
online"
that needs to be recognized as wholly beneficial. It amazes me that
whenever
the media speaks on child participation in online communities, they
neglect
one that is 75,000 members strong.
- VanTucky
Personally, I would've put more emphasis on youngsters in leadership positions eg. Ilyanep becoming bureaucrat at 11 (right?), all the teenaged admins, the FA writers, and so on. Show, don't tell.
-- gwern security ISEP DRA Bugs Samford jya. 170kt enigma Asset ISSC
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
On 04/02/2008, gwern0@gmail.com gwern0@gmail.com wrote:
On 2008.02.03 14:38:53 -0800, Steven Walling steven.walling@gmail.com scribbled 1.4K characters:
I just sent this to the NYT Magazine Letters to the Editor. I doubt it
will
be published, but it's a discussion I'd like to have, so here it is:
In response to: Virginia Heffernan's *My Wired Youth* <
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/magazine...
in the Sunday, Feb 3rd edition of the magazine.
Virginia Heffernan's response to the PBS Documentary "Growing Up Online" immediately made me consider the impact of the community surrounding the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. On Wikipedia, unlike so much of the web, youth are simultaneously welcomed, protected and encouraged to
contribute in
equal measure with adults. The accounts of predatory adults are blocked indefinitely and without question. The site's founder, Jimmy Wales, has
been
quoted as saying,"I don't care if they're a high school kid or a Harvard professor; it's the work that matters." In contributing content, the
voices
of minors are given equal weight with adults, and age discrimination is considered inappropriate. This is exactly the kind of "growing up
online"
that needs to be recognized as wholly beneficial. It amazes me that
whenever
the media speaks on child participation in online communities, they
neglect
one that is 75,000 members strong.
- VanTucky
Personally, I would've put more emphasis on youngsters in leadership positions eg. Ilyanep becoming bureaucrat at 11 (right?), all the teenaged admins, the FA writers, and so on. Show, don't tell.
-- gwern security ISEP DRA Bugs Samford jya. 170kt enigma Asset ISSC
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
Ilya became a bcrat age 12. There's so many great under age admins out there: the worst kind of admins I find are usually the older ones.