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Has Wikipedia “Gone All Dmoz”?

Nicolas Carr writes:

“Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that “anyone can edit,” was a nice experiment in the “democratization” of publishing, but it didn’t quite work out. Wikipedia is dead. It died the way the pure products of idealism always do, slowly and quietly and largely in secret, through the corrosive process of compromise”

Heh. Provocative post title, however I don’t think Wikipedia has died. I think the idealistic notion that free-for-all publishing results in “quality” has died, which is the real point I think Carr is making.

Sounds a lot like DMOZ, eh. Hopefully Wikipedia will find ways to reign in the bureaucratic editorial control, which really will kill Wikipedia if left unchecked, while still keeping quality levels high. A tall ask, of course.

For the record, I like Wikipedia. I find it more useful that not. Good enough.

2 Comments


  1. DarrenC
    May 24, 2006

    Wikipedia isn’t dead. It’s still a great resource – personally, I find the travel wikipedia to be one of the best resources on the internet, so I for one hope that they don’t go crazy and stop the editorial process that has made Wikipedia, successful and popular.


  2. Ferre
    May 27, 2006

    Wikipedia is not dead at all, they just need to find a solution for the spamming spree they are suffering.

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