[WEB4LIB] Re: Co-founder of Wikipedia talks about problems

[Andrew Mutch]

Lars,

I don't want to tackle all of the points that you highlighted but I did want
to ask what prompted you to say this:

"Wikipedia is primarily for Internet users, not for traditional users of
encyclopedias."

What's the distinction between the two groups and on what basis do you make
that claim?

It implies that people who use encyclopedias in the library won't get online
to use a similar resource. If so, I would be interested in seeing anything
that shows that to be true. It also seems to imply that the use of
encyclopedia-style resources online is somehow different than the use of the
print version. From my viewpoint, the only real distinction between the
print and the electronic version is that most people will have an
expectation that the electronic version will have more current information.
But I expect the use of the two resources will be the same, at least from
the patron viewpoint.

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI


Lars Aronsson wrote:

> K.G. Schneider wrote:
> > I blogged about Sanger's post this weekend, myself. The problems with
> > Wikipedia are endemic to its design.
>
> Your conclusion is that "Good encyclopedias already exist.  Wikipedia
> is fixing a problem that isn't there".  This criticism goes far
> beyond Larry Sanger's, and I think you both miss your target. (In your
> blog you might want to correct the spelling of his name.)
> -- snip --

>
>   Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
>   Project Runeberg - free Nordic literature - http://runeberg.org/