[WikiEN-l] Hello world! (was "Hello world?")

[wiki]

I don't think it helps to characterise any simple questioning of the leader
as a "deranged vendetta". Are you suggesting all criticism is a mark of
either hatred or insanity - or both? That line of defending leaders against
criticism has a somewhat unsavoury history.

What happened here is that someone noted that the archives that have emerged
didn't record Jimmy's "hello world" as the fist edit. That type of attention
to detail is hardly surprising when Wikipedians are so keen to document
their own history, and culturally sensitive to looking for verification of
any claims.

Now, it is quite possible that the archives omit "hello world" because they
are incomplete. It is also possible (as I suggested) that the story may be
more pictorial than literal: Jimmy began the thing: once Wikipedia was not,
then Jimmy said hello to the world. To that degree it is a useful myth whose
literal accuracy (or our ability to verify such) may be thought irrelevant. 

It is, of course, quite proper to say "it doesn't matter". However, in that
case it neither matters to denounce Jimmy (even if he were misremembering)
nor to defend him (even if he were literally correct about his edits).

Those who don't care, don't want to know. Anyone who does care, probably
will never know anyway.

Scott


Oh, I use 'myth' in the technical sense - not in the untruth sense - but
therein lies another whole debate.




-----Original Message-----
From: wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:wikien-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Tony Sidaway
Sent: 16 January 2011 23:27
To: English Wikipedia
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Hello world! (was "Hello world?")

Does every thread referring to Jimmy Wales really have to become a
venue for some deranged vendetta? How does this help us to write an
encyclopedia?

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