http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_is_a_work_in_progress
Great essay by User:Qxz. "So, if you rely on Wikipedia in its current state, that's your problem. We're not done with it, and we never said it would be any good – we only said it would be free. If you aren't satisfied with it now, help improve it, or come back in another six years and take a look then. It'll be better. We promise."
- d.
I tried to help improve it, and got attacked.
I'm still deciding whether or not I really want to continue and risk that again. At the moment, I'm leaning towards not. It doesn't make sense to do so when people who have the power to cause me so much pain are apparently completely disrespectful of honest contributors and of the rules that I was expected to follow.
There are some good and honest people here, there were some very helpful people who helped me fix things and learn to edit earlier. It's sad that there are also real jerks who appear to be running wikipedia.
If there is not a level playing field between administrators and normal users, then there is no point in trying to contribute, and that statement should be updated to reflect this. I don't think if this is the case that it will necessarily be better in 6 years, or 60 years, or 600 years either, no matter what promises someone makes.
[[user:One Elephant went out to play...]]
On 3/15/07, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_is_a_work_in_progress
Great essay by User:Qxz. "So, if you rely on Wikipedia in its current state, that's your problem. We're not done with it, and we never said it would be any good – we only said it would be free. If you aren't satisfied with it now, help improve it, or come back in another six years and take a look then. It'll be better. We promise."
- d.
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On 3/15/07, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_is_a_work_in_progress
Great essay by User:Qxz. "So, if you rely on Wikipedia in its current state, that's your problem. We're not done with it, and we never said it would be any good – we only said it would be free. If you aren't satisfied with it now, help improve it, or come back in another six years and take a look then. It'll be better. We promise."
I agree, great essay. Wikipedia is not in itself primarily a project to put an encyclopedia up on the web - it's a project to CREATE one. Lots of things are imperfect.
Only thing is, one of the best ways to get contributors is to attract readers. If we get readers, we do have to be a little careful about a few things - libellous howlers in biographies of living people, for instance - but not overall paranoia about hiding the mess under the bed.
-Matt