[Wikipedia-l] The 100,000 articles goal

[Robert Graham Merkel]

On Sat, 14 Sep 2002 09:25:20 Ray Saintonge wrote:
> Axel Boldt wrote:
> 
>> Currently, the introductory sentences on the main page read
>> 
>> Welcome to Wikipedia, a collaborative project to produce a complete
>> encyclopedia from scratch. We started in January 2001 and already
>> have 43165 articles. We want to make over 100,000 complete articles,
>> so let's get to work!
>> 
>> I find the 100,000 article sentence out of place:
>> 
>> * The goal is to create a complete, high-quality and free
>>  encyclopedia. Nobody knows whether that requires 80,000 or 800,000
>>  articles. Nor should anybody care.
>> 
>> * The "100,000 article goal" fosters an unhealthy obsession with
>>  statistics, and I'm afraid it can lead people to create stubs, just
>>  to help bring the project "closer to this goal", which is of course
>>  not its goal at all.
>> 
>> I vote for simply removing this "100,000 article" sentence.
>> 
> 
> I can see your point, but I don't see it as much of a concern.  Building 
> bulk is fine as a short term goal.  If the projections that I made a few 
> days ago are at all meaningful we should reach that 100,000 early in 
> 2003.  Let's leave it in until we reach that goal then not replace it 
> with any new numerical goal at that time.


The 100,000 article goal (or perhaps marker) will be an interesting point,
because that point will provide an excellent place to look around and
see how the 'Pedia is progressing.

Not that I'm harbouring any delusions that it'll be "complete" that that
stage, but it will a) be cause for a celebration, and might b) give some
indication of the asymptotic size of the project.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Merkel	                           rgmerk at mira.net

Node FLY on Melbourne Wireless : http://www.wireless.org.au
------------------------------------------------------------