Marc Riddell schreef:
My fundamental question was, is, and will remain: who
is actively overseeing
the day-to-day growth of this organism with the wisdom, judgment, expertise
and, yes, authority, to keep it in check?
Basically: we are. There are a few formal structures, like the ArbCom,
but they are too small to have any direct influence on Wikipedia. So the
day-to-day running of Wikipedia is done by us all, the editors.
Without such active oversight,
this growth will develop into a jungle - beautiful to observe, but
impossible to navigate without a very sharp instrument.
That is a very good description of Wikipedia.
PS: About a month or so ago, I proposed on this List
to change the WP handle
from "The encyclopedia anyone can edit"
to "Wikipedia: The Living
Encyclopedia". The post got absolutely no
responses.
I don't like it. Why should we change a phrase which we have grown
accustomed to, to a bland metaphore?
Eugene