[Wikipedia-l] Wikipedia v. Britannica

[Ray Saintonge]

Jimmy Wales wrote:

>Michael Becker wrote:
>
>>How about we call it "Wikipedia:  The People's Encyclopedia".
>>
>
>Well, lots of people call us that.  I'm a little uncomfortable with
>the 'communist' ring to it.  Traditionally "The People's Republic"
>means "A system under which the people are benefitted by being told
>exactly what to do under penalty of law".  :-) Not exactly the Wiki
>philosophy of openness and freedom.
>
>On the other hand, I do sort of like it as a playful subversion of
>that older meaning.
>
My principal objection to using "The People's Encyclopedia" is its lack 
of imagination.  Others have used the expression before.  Using the term 
"people's encyclopedia" (lower case) is good publicity.

I suppose that your comments above could apply to any country that 
styles its legal criminal actions as "The People vs. ..."

The older meaning to be subverted was there long before "communists" 
usurped the word.   :-)

Ec