[Wikipedia-l] Look Who's Using Wikipedia

[Mark Williamson]

I was thinking he meant subject areas, but you are right here.

The worst of all is that anyone who mentions the increasingly
hierarchial structure of our communities and the virtual impunity
afforded to certain persons (especially admins in medium-sized Wikis,
who often rule like dictators), they are instantly perceived as
anti-Wiki and/or paranoid.

The simple fact is, there _is_ a cabal now. In fact, there are
multiple cabals. They just call themselves different things. The
Board, Arbcom, etc. etc. etc., the number of admins now is so great
that it really is almost like real life, where people are divided by
class. Will people inherit admin accounts from their parents?
(kidding... mostly)

Ever since I joined, the community has been moving more and more in
this direction. I did not take things totally seriously here until it
was suggested in a serious tone that if I were just a couple of years
older, I should be _killed_ for the whole Zlatiborian fracas and that
it was "people like me" who were responsible for the turbulent recent
history of Southeast Europe.

Our community has faced several major trials, and we have pulled
through all but (an early) one of them almost completely intact.
However, I am afraid that will not always be the case. Although we're
growing larger, it doesn't seem to me that we're growing much smarter,
and I think we will end up with mass exoduses and large portions of
our community breaking off and forming similarly-sized competing
projects. I do not think this future is in the best interests of the
movement, it does not fit our aims, surely divided we shall fall.

And I know most of you will blow this off as utter nonsense, you will
say it's not going to happen, but if we continue on our present course
I promise you it will for the wicked are among us and it is only a
matter of time before the Wiki-empire falls into tiny pieces. Mark my
words, in two months, six months, two years, however long it takes for
us to crumble, if anyone remembers this e-mail they will know that I
was right.

Mark

On 06/03/07, Steve <subsume at gmail.com> wrote:
> Strong: revolutionary format. collaboration gone right. very decent
> end products. FREE.
>
> Weak: Entrenched in committess and committees and committees.
> Overemphasis on Western and internet culture. Emergent 'Elite Class'
> of editors and admins who not only know the ropes, but create the
> ropes.
>
> -S
>
> On 3/7/07, Frederick Noronha <fred at bytesforall.org> wrote:
> > Could someone hazard a guess on which areas the Wikipedia is strong
> > in, and which areas it is still lacking? FN
> >
> > > On 3/6/07, Mark Williamson <node.ue at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > I really don't think "we" all in agreement on what "we" want.
> > > >
> > > > I do not have a problem with people using Wikipedia as a primary
> > > > source for information. When it comes to certain topics, I would
> > > > encourage it because I have confidence in our accuracy and wide
> > > > coverage.
> > > >
> > > > However, I would not encourage people to stake their fortune or their
> > > > health on Wikipedia at all, and there are certain topics that I would
> > > > discourage people from using Wikipedia as a primary source or in some
> > > > cases even a secondary source for (pretty much anything related to
> > > > Eastern Europe, all of which is still definitely a Work In Progress
> > > > when it comes to POV).
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> >
> >
> > --
> > FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1300IST please)
> > http://fn.goa-india.org  http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
> > What bloggers are saying about Goa: http://planet.goa-india.org/
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Wikipedia-l mailing list
> > Wikipedia-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> > http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikipedia-l
> >
>
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