Hello all,
I might sound totally blasphemous so be patient. Wikipedia and wiki concept is really great but the WWW is a global Wikipedia without the end-user editing facility. Aren't we in a cul-de-sac ? WWW is full of brilliant pages and sites entangled in a sea of rubbish. I doubt that we can outdo most sites, commercial or personal. Wouldn't it be better to do a critical review of the whole web with some additions of our own ?
Another point worth discussing is the role of a wikipedian. In my opinion he/she is a 21st century counterpart of an 18th encyclopedist. A knowledgeable, open-minded, rational, impartial person (not a scientist) whose mission is to gather knowledge. Wikipedia should be a global knowledge base rather than a collection of personal essays on subject one can find in a normal encyclopedia.
Editorial board. Are we for a democracy or freedom/anarchy ? At some point when Wikipedia reaches a critical mass there should be some democratic Editorial Board. It could even freeze some pages for some time. If you say no to the Editorial Board some democratic rules should be set in stone.
End point. Can someone please tell me what's the end point/goal of Wikipedia ? Don't tell there no end-point and this is eternal task ;-)
RDF Wikipedia - patchy with some articles for students, some for laymen and some for university professors ? Or branch out into Kid's Wikipedia, Regular Wikipedia, Highbrow Wikipedia.
I am really enthusiastic about Wikipedia - I contribute regularly and am determined to to so in future. These are just my thoughts. Please bear in mind I have _no_ intention to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) about Wikipedia's functioning and goals. I hope Wikipedia will flourish.
Best regards, kpj.