Friday, September 24, 2010

It really is worthwhile.

I've been on WP nearly five years, and I remember how much I struggled when I first arrived not to spend too much time here. Editors would joke about how easy it was to get sucked into this world, and how one could even end up editing even while sitting on the toilet.

I avoided the obsession, though I had a few weeks where I checked my watchlist more often than I should have. But I wonder if it was really right to have avoided the obsession. What I mean is, if I had given in to the obsession, what would that have done to me? I would have known a lot more, about many topics, than I know now. I would have had a lot more encounters with a diverse crowd of people (more diverse than those I meet in the real world), who would have exposed themselves more fully than most people I meet in the real world. In other words, I would have lived more fully.

This place really is worthwhile.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Real Estate

Wikipedia is an old, upscale neighborhood, and everyone wants in. When I look at the quality of the editors on topics that formerly languished, such as Race and Intelligence, I'm amazed--these are very well-read people, with good judgment, and with the determination to fight back against those who disagree with them.

I think this shows WP's maturity. Previously, political correctness was enough for articles such as Race and Intelligence, but now something more is required--a sensitivity to the arguments from all sides, an ability to discern who is making the most cogent arguments, and a willingness to let the other side express itself even when one fully disagrees.

The change is most likely due to a change in personnel. WP has become so solid and well-established that it has attracted some very solid and well-established people. Some of these are probably academics, but most are intelligent dilettantes. Bien venidos!!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

My students use WP more than ever, and their presentations/papers are much better than they were three years ago. When I look at WP articles that I haven't edited, I am almost always struck by the high quality of those articles. Of course, when I look at articles where I've fought over content, I'm always disappointed. Allowing for my personal biases, I have to concede that progress has occurred. To the whole WP team (or maybe "swarm" would be the better word): keep it up!