[WikiEN-l] Webypedia - another doomed alternative to Wikipedia

[David Gerard]

On 30 August 2010 00:58, Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:
> Ian Woollard wrote:
>> On 27/08/2010, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:

>>> Wikipedia needs competitors.

>> Realistically, the space that Wikipedia occupies seems to be a more or
>> less a natural monopoly.

> What makes any monopoly "natural"?


This is a term of art in economics. As such, I understand there is a
popular online encyclopedia with a reasonable article on "natural
monopoly", which would answer your question.

In this case, I'd guess first-mover advantage and network effects.


>> And Wikipedia doesn't even make money per se, so why would anyone even
>> want to be a competitor to it? There's no market. A market is where
>> people pay for stuff.

> That seems to reflect the fundamental error of economists: that anything
> that cannot be monetized is by definition worthless.


Economics is not quite physics, but it's not entirely composed of
balderdash; ask Mugabe about Zimbabwean fiscal policy.

In this case the market is attention and reputation. You know full
well there are a lot of people tearing their hair out that a charity
site that doesn't run advertising is #5 in the world and has a
stupendous Google page rank with no actual effort towards such.


- d.