Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Nupedia

[Bob Dodd]

Looking at Nupedia, it looks a whole lot *different* to this project...

Nupedia:
--------

" IV. CHOOSING ARTICLE TOPICS.
The editor of a category must approve of all topics to be assigned, or
else assign this responsibility to one or more trusted specialists on
particular subtopics. "

Our project:
-----------

"If the free encyclopedia is a success, it will become so ubiquitous
and important that we dare not allow any organization to decide what
counts as part of it. This organization would have too much power;
people would seek to politicize or corrupt it, and could easily
succeed. 

The only solution to that problem is not to have any such organization,
and reject the idea of centralized quality control. Instead, we should
let everyone decide. If a web page is about a suitable topic, and meets
the criteria for an article, then we can consider it an article. If a
page meets the criteria for a course, then we can consider it a course.
"

In itself, that difference is enough to justify two separate projects.
In fact I would go as far as to say that I wouldn't wish to work on
Nupedia, since the whole principal of intellectual/academic freedom to
write on any subject, and then to allow our peers to comment (i.e. rate
the material), is replaced by small panel of people "who know best".
You have the possibility int he Nupedia organisation of editors
selecting their friends, and/or writers they "respect" as experts,
without other voices being given the opportunity to be heard.

Benevolent dictators are still dictators.








__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. 
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/