Erik wrote:
One way to do that is to create a safe vector of entry on the regular Wikipedia, and to promote it prominently as such. What is now just an inconspicuous link on the Main Page -- Brilliant Prose -- could eventually be developed into its own navigational structure within Wikipedia, a structure which allows people to easily absorb the wiki experience while alleviating their initial fears.
Sounds vague (again back to marketing and use-specialization). But go ahead and prove me wrong. :) If an internal stable version does not work then we can try an external one at Nupedia.org.
IMO, my idea has a greater chance of succeeding in a big way and fast but it also has a greater chance of causing some harm to Wikipedia by reducing direct traffic (but no more harm than already occurs from other websites legally hosting our material - see below). Your idea, again IMO, has less of a chance of succeeding but also less of a chance of harming Wikipedia (other than wasting a whole bunch of time by many people if it fails).
But even if we do go with your idea Erik, there will be nothing to stop anybody from having exactly what I proposed except we would not be the one's controlling it (thinking of all the third party users of our database).
I still say that the best idea is to use the Nupedia name and domain for this. But I am willing to abstain from blocking your effort Erik. At the very least the remains of such an effort could be reformed into a queue for articles Wikipedians deem good enough for Nupedia.
-- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)