[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia is a public toilet - says Jimbo?

[doc]

Jimmy Wales wrote:
> doc wrote:
>> Jimbo: "It is very similar to, well as odd as the analogy might be, this 
>> idea of a public restroom, it really is that you have no idea who just 
>> cleaned the toilet [something inaudible about the "fancy hotel" for the 
>> interview?] but, you know what, I'm sure it's clean, right, because the 
>> hotel has a good reputation I don't need the name of the person who did 
>> it, right, I know there's processes in place and it seems perfectly fine"
>> ....[interviewer is astonished at the bold comparison].....
>>
>> Jimbo "It's a good clean public toilet"
>>
>> Not sure how wise the self-depreciating humour is. It didn't exactly 
>> work out for [[Gerald Ratner]]....?
> 
> Hmm, I thought it went over pretty well. :)  I am not the originator of 
> the concept of that response, but I don't know who said it first.
> 
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I've seen seasoned politicians made to look like dithering idiots in 
that particular interview format - it's a dragon's den.

So, I'd say appearing on it was bold, and you came through pretty 
intact, better than many professional media people would have, and 
certainly better than any other advocate of wikipeia would have. All 
credit for that.

However, self-deprecating humour, particularly with a soundbite 
("Wikipedia is a toilet - says founder") isn't always a good idea. There 
was this guy by the name of [[Gerald Ratner]].....

Doc