Argh! I was gonna include teen admins, I forgot in my rush.
On Feb 3, 2008 5:49 PM, <gwern0(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On 2008.02.03 14:38:53 -0800, Steven Walling
<steven.walling(a)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/magazin…
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
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