[Wikipedia-l] Re: what to do with the money?

Walter Vermeir walter at wikipedia.be
Fri Dec 26 22:25:09 UTC 2003


Chuck Smith wrote:


> I think we should hire full-time editors especially
> for the non-English Wikipedias.  The English Wikipedia
> had a full-time Larry Sanger to help jump-start the
> Wikipedia, but the other languages (to my knowledge)
> never had such luxuries.  As I said before, I would

What is the hurry?

A lot of the Wikipedias who have now a active comunity and many articles 
have started very slow whit only 1 or 2 members.

I remember the very early period of the Dutch Wikipedia, it looks now so 
long ago... Very few people. Every new vistor used to be a real event. 
The first 100 articles...  Trying to find out how to be a Wikipedia, a 
real one, not just a copy of the Mother of all Wikipedias, the English.

Yes, it takes time. But you need it. It creates a social structure and a 
history. Whit hired full-time editors you do the opposite of the 
Wikipedia way. Wikipedia is a encyclopedia by the people for people. If 
the people of a language are not interested to create a wikipedia the do 
not get a wikipedia.

Look at the Frysk Wikipedia. The first version is from +/- september 
2002. Many months almost no activity. Now it is a very small but active 
Wikipedia. The change from a usemod Wikipedia to the MediaWiki version, 
that can give a jump to a wikipedia.

I know there are not enough Brion's to do all the work. But faster 
technical support and reponds to requests from small Wikipedias is 
important.

-- 
Contact: walter AT wikipedia DOT be
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