Wikipedia Founder Introduces Wiki Magazine Sites

KingJawa writes "Wikipedia blew away Encyclopedia Brittanica, but can the model be used to upset the magazine industry? Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, thinks so. His company, Wikia, today announced three open-source magazine-style sites where users can write about news, opinion and gossip — one magazine wiki each for politics, entertainment, and local interests. Each open-source magazine hands total editorial control to the readers, allowing them to read, write, edit, and dictate the editorial feel for each topic."

Comments

Can? Check. Worms? Check.

[Rob T Firefly]

The Politics Community ( http://politics.wikia.com/ ), which features national, state and local sections where users are able to search and contribute by state and/or zip code. Contributors can share and discuss their political opinions, build out historical resources and voter guides, or simply just read and comment on the others thoughts and learn about political issues.

And as we all know, user-postable websites are the absolute best, most pristine resource for calm, mature, intelligent political discourse.

Re:Politics: "Anne Nicole Smith dead" !?

[Rob T Firefly]

Clicking through the politics wikimag I was surprised to see (announced as breaking news, no less) the story Anna Nicole Smith 1967-2007 DEAD. And that's politics?

You're obviously blissfully unaware of the fact that Anna Nicole's implants were actually a pair of manifestations of a gestalt alien intelligence which was secretly running the world through a complex network of shadow governments and puppet regimes for a complex reality show called "Earth" which was a big hit with the unwashed masses on their own planet. Anna Nicole herself was humanity's bravest freedom fighter, as she had figured out that the creatures' only weakness was massive amounts of alcohol ingested slowly over time.

great idea!

[teslar]

Each open-source magazine hands total editorial control to the readers, allowing them to read, write, edit, and dictate the editorial feel for each topic.

What a fantastic idea. I'm looking forward to seeing the evolution of an article through time:

Original:
A recent study further supports the theory of Darwinian Evolution [...]

Edit 1:
A recent study further contradicts the theory of Darwinian Evolution [...]

Edit 2:
A recent study further supports (sod off creationists) the theory of Darwinian Evolution [...]

Edit 3:
A recent study further contradicts (f*ck U & UR ape mother, evolutionist!!) the theory of Darwinian Evolution [...]

Edit 4:
A recent study further -CHEAP VIAGRA, call 0800 LURV ACTION now!!!!- the theory of Darwinian Evolution [...]

People can have very strong feelings when it comes to opinions and allowing them to edit opinion pieces is just asking for a flamefest.

Moo

[Chacham]

Wiki magazines?

First edit: And the man of the year award goes to: Bill Clinton
Second edit: And the woman of the year award goes to: Hillary Clinton
Third Edit: And the woman of the year award goes to: Boy George
Fourth Edit: And the woman of the year award goes to: George Dubya
Fifth Edit: And the person of the year award goes to: George Dubya
Sixth Edit: And the person of the year award goes to: Bill Clinton
Moderator Message: Stop playing with it, we're locking it down for 48 hours.

Time Edit: (pushes clock ahead two days)

Seventh Edit: And the person of the millenium award goes to: Bill Clinton

Moderator Message: Stop playing with it, we're locking it down for 9999999 hours.

Eight Edit: Moderator Message: Stop playing with it, we're locking it down for 0 hours.
Ninth Edit: And the person of the millenium award goes to: Me

Oh yeah?

[crazyvas]

I'll be looking out for when Wiki-Playboy starts up along with its "open-source" models (wink, wink).