[Foundation-l] Has Wikipedia changed since 2005?

[Peter Damian]

Risker >>In 2005, the English Wikipedia had less than half the number of 
articles it has now.

Hs anyone made a serious study of what these articles actually contain?

>>Only a tiny number of articles were considered of high enough quality to 
>>be
"featured" in 2005; that number has grown exponentially at the same time as
quality standards for featured content has become more rigorous.

I think the featured articles are generally of merit.  I would never deny 
that.

>>Can the content of all our projects be improved?  Of course it can; even 
>>our
highest quality content benefits from periodic review and improvement.

My point was rather that the content in certain areas is abysmal and easily 
improved.  Linguistics, economics, sociology and of course philosophy are in 
a terrible state.

>>I'd suggest, however, that the progress of only a handful of the 12 
>>million
articles and files across the WMF group is probably not the best way to
assess the overall quality of the project.

Well featured articles are a handful of the 12 million articles aren't they?
The only way to deal with this issue is methodically.  Take any humanities 
subject, and compare the quality and proportionality of the treatment with 
any standard reference work on the same subject.  My strong sense, in my own 
area of specialisation, is that Wikipedia is very poor.

Nathan >>You are, and have been, committed to several conclusions about
Wikipedia - that the idea of an editable encyclopedia itself is
fatally flawed, that it is unduly oriented to topics of interest to
"the masses", and that the community and its bureaucracy are [sic] hopefully
corrupt and ineffective.

I don't see an argument here.  I don't think that Wikipedia is fatally 
flawed, by any means.  I have pointed out areas of weakness. On the point 
about 'the masses', surely you agree there is a balance to strike between 
appealing to the popular, and 'education'.  Education by definition is 
allowing people to acquire knowledge, stuff they wouldn't have got for 
themselves without help.  I have been a teacher, and I am strongly committed 
to that ideal.

And there is strong evidence of corruption, but as I was banned for pointing 
that out, it is unfair of you to bring it up, I think.