[WikiEN-l] Scott McCloud on Wikipedia

[Philip Sandifer]

On Feb 25, 2007, at 8:00 PM, Stan Shebs wrote:

> Philip Sandifer wrote:
>> There is no good mechanism to have an encyclopedia written by idiots.
>>
> I would looove to see that reminder posted on every edit page!
>
> But practically speaking, one of the problems I see is that idiots are
> not usually self-aware, and they will vociferously defend the extreme
> cultural importance of the not-yet-in-production "Amazing Lost  
> American
> Idol Race" show or whatever. (If I've learned anything from WP, it's
> that there are way more lame TV shows out there than I ever imagined.
> :-) ) How do you get would-be editors to realize when they don't have
> anything of value to add?

I find that most editors can be educated effectively with  
[[Special:Blockip]].

Seriously. We cannot have an encyclopedia written by people who are  
too stupid to write an encyclopedia. We have to either educate them  
or dissuade them from contributing - not write a set of rules  
designed primarily to polish turds.

-Phil