Slashdot Mirror
Ask Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales About Online Collaboration
Back in 2001 we did a "double" Slashdot Interview with Michael Hart of Project Gutenberg and Jimmy Wales of the then-brand-new Nupedia, which has since become the amazingly useful Wikipedia. This is a perfect time to catch up with Jimbo (as friends call him), and learn not only how he managed to make Wikipedia work and grow so well, but what we can do to help -- and what future plans he has for this outstanding Web resource. (10 of your highest-moderated questions will be sent to Jimbo by email. We'll post his answers as soon as we get them back.)
When are they gonna come out with the "Hitchhiker's Guide" handheld version of the database? ipods are already smaller than the prop used for the Guide in the 80's tv series, and the total text data is only what like 17 gigs or something? And I could put as much "Yankees Sucks" vandalism in it as i wanted.
Sure. Just start your reply with "MOD PARENT DOWN", then copy the post and apply edits;)
Is Wikipedia basically becoming the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
Proverbs 21:19
If the experts don't correct those bad articles then they are frickin' useless members of the human race.
Are you saying that people who don't read Wikipedia are useless? Because frankly most experts don't bother with it.
Dr. Jones: "So what you are doing this weekend Dr. Smith?"
Dr. Smith: "I'm going to be spending two whole glorious days reviewing Wikipedia for technical accuracy in the field of nuclear physics."
Dr. Jones: "Good Heavens! Why would you want to do that?"
Dr. Smith: "Some anonymous coward at Slashdot said it was my duty as a responsible member of the human race..."
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
Please be very careful when you use the Wikipedia random page as your home page... and you also sometimes use your computer to give presentations to large groups of clients. The following is a true story that happened Wednesday last week.
I was connected to the projector demoing some software, and had to bring up my browser to search for something. Firefox started up, along with the wonderful random Wikipedia article ready to teach me a new interesting fact for the day. The interesting fact for today was...'Penile inversion'.
Try 'splainin that to your colleagues... :]