[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia Leadership (was NY Times article on gender gap in Wikipedia contributors}

[Andreas Kolbe]

> The key to avoid decision-making on Wikipedia being taken
> over by
> single-interest groups is to ensure wide-ranging and
> continued
> participation by a reasonable number of independent editors
> with new
> voices being added to the mix to avoid ossification
> stagnation. At
> various times, one or the other person will drive an
> initiative, and
> some will voice concerns about short-term and long-term
> issues, but
> overall, as long as the atmosphere doesn't drive people
> away, things
> will get done. If things aren't getting done, they should
> be
> identified and something done about them, but problems
> won't get
> solved if people walk away from them.
> 
> Carcharoth


Any culture is a function of the people participating in that culture, and 
the only way to change the culture is to change the people in it. We need a 
critical mass of mature, knowledgeable editors; people who participate 
because they are knowledgeable, and not because they have strong opinions.

The next ten years of Wikipedia should be about multiplying the number of 
real-life scholars and experts participating. The Ambassadors program is a 
good start. Once the demographics change, the rest will follow; and until 
the demographics change, all the talking will avail nothing.

Andreas (Jayen466)