Tim Starling wrote:
This comes from a thread on wikitech-l, I'm cross-posting it to wikipedia-l. Please reply on one list only.
Gerard Meijssen wrote:
Hoi, When developers aren't interested in working on functionality for the various projects of the foundation, we should find developers that are.
Who is "we"? I joined Wikipedia well before the Foundation was formed, I've watched it develop. I can't help but feel that myself and those who share my views are underrepresented. I've argued for focus but I've been ignored. Wikipedia has grown but has barely matured, the date for "Wikipedia 1.0" keeps being pushed back with virtually no progress made. Instead, any enthusiastic newcomer with an idea for a word we can prepend "wiki" to is greeted with open arms, especially if they come bearing money.
I can't comment on the money aspect, but apart from that there is much to what you say. I find Gerard's comment somewhat increditible, and totally failing to understand people. Imagine firing all the developers who do not jump to bring out someone's pet project! :-D I wonder what his next trick would be. I don't have the zeal for a lot of gadgety features, I very much prefer a solid system that works with a high degree of predictability. I see Gerard trumpeting his Ultimate Wiktionary, yet he disclaims ability to programme this project. I agree with you about the 1.0 but I see the problems there as being more social than technical. ... and that just brings us back to the question of leadership.
It would be all very well if Wikipedia could manage itself, but I don't think it can, I think it lacks strong leadership. I don't think it's any surprise that the German Wikipedia, with enthusiastic leadership largely independent of the Foundation, has had more success with distribution and quality control than the English Wikipedia.
The projects long ago passed the point where one person could maintain leadership over everything. Some of the democracy that I've seen around has only served to strengthen my faith in dictatorship. Sometimes leadership a question of decisiveness when the need to take action becomes stronger than being right or wrong. We are attractive to those who on a mass scale would recreate their ersatz world of diletantes and poetasters with a historical perspective as deep as the latest video game. Policy discussions go around in circles with no-one knowing how, or having the courage to escape from the circle.
Ec