[WikiEN-l] What is happening to the community

[Oldak Quill]

On 06/03/2008, Relata Refero <refero.relata at gmail.com> wrote:
> Why? We shouldn't care that much about the "community". Caring about such
>  nebulous things as the "community" and its "ideals" is one of the reasons
>  why the social-networking side of WP gets in the way of improving the
>  encyclopaedia. I personally try never to use the word "community". "Project"
>  is more correct. If you think about the difference between those words,
>  you'll realise why your concerns are almost certainly irrelevant.

I don't think you can dismiss the community (as a thing or as an idea)
that easily. I've always thought of "project" to be inclusive of the
encyclopaedia and the community. The encyclopaedia and the community
cannot be separated - they intimately rely on each other. Most of the
things that increase community cohesion and support the social aspects
of Wikipedia have a positive effect on the encyclopaedia. The most
important reason for this is that people will contribute to something
more often and more regularly if they feel part of a community and
feel that they are furthering the aims of that community.

This is why I never understood the big deal over userboxes. As a thing
which improves social-aspects of Wikipedia and turns a User: into a
person, it is bound to have a positive effect on the encyclopaedia.

-- 
Oldak Quill (oldakquill at gmail.com)