Wikipedia and Responsibility (Weinstein, RISKS-24.72)

[Joe Bednorz]

* Immediate irresponsible editing, hugely magnified by Google, drives
  Wikipedia.

* Wikipedia survives through advanced blame-shifting.  (Credit Seth
  Finkelstein for that insight.)

Changing either would destroy Wikipedia.

Why that won't happen:

* "One character who's laughing all the way to the bank, though, is Wales
  himself."9

* "Almost all of Wikipedia's 1,000-odd "administrators" receive no pay for
  their hard work other than the pleasure of power tripping - seeing nothing
  of the $14m of VC money Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has banked."2

1. "Wikipedia defends Reality", from The Register.
   <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/02/colbert_wikipedia_reality/>

2. "Farewell, Wikipedia?", The Register
   <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/06/wikipedia_crisis/page3.html>

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