I recently posted a draft that folks might be interested in:
http://reagle.org/joseph/2004/agree/wikip-agree.html [[[ A Case of Mutual Aid: Wikipedia, Politeness, and Perspective Taking ... This paper explores the character of “mutual aid” and interdependent decision making within the Wikipedia. I provide a brief introduction to Wikipedia, the key terms associated with group decision making, and the Wikipedia dispute resolution process. I then focus on the cultural norms within Wikipedia that frame participation as a cooperative endeavor. I conclude by identifying some notions from negotiation literature that may be inappropriate or require adaptation to the Wikipedia case. ]]]
I would be interested in any feedback, including corrections of my characterization of Wikipedia and any pointers to historical archives that shed light on both the "epistemological stance" and norms of politeness. I expect the former came from Larry Sanger and was present in the Nupedia as well, and the latter is part of Jimbo Wales's personality. Regardless of this that this week on questions of expertise, I find these two variables to be rather complementary as I discuss further in the paper.