‘I clicked on “Edit” and I wrote “Hello World” and that was the beginning.’
That's a great soundbite. I know it's just a standard term used in testing a new program, but I prefer to take Hello world as the motto of Wikipedia.
Everything we know about the world, presented in a form the entire world can read and extend. It's an Incredibly ambitious project--ten years ago it was plainly nuts. But look how far we've come towards that goal!
Hello world!
+1 to that. Motto of Wikipedia indeed. :)
On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 11:23 PM, Tony Sidaway tonysidaway@gmail.comwrote:
‘I clicked on “Edit” and I wrote “Hello World” and that was the beginning.’
That's a great soundbite. I know it's just a standard term used in testing a new program, but I prefer to take Hello world as the motto of Wikipedia.
Everything we know about the world, presented in a form the entire world can read and extend. It's an Incredibly ambitious project--ten years ago it was plainly nuts. But look how far we've come towards that goal!
Hello world!
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So Jimmy's claim that the first edit was "Hello world!" isn't to be taken literally?
It is simply a totem. If you want to be cruel you call it a sound-bite which takes liberty with reality, if you want to be kind you call it a "foundation-myth which serves to encapsulate the ethos and meaning of Wikipedia, rather than to record boring history"
In any case, it looks like it will eternally be {{citation needed}} - maybe like all the best foundation myths. Believers will revere its wisdom and profundity, unbelievers will call it a lie and deception.
Wikipedia becomes more like religion every day.
Scott