Comments on: The Future of Wikipedia (my take), part 1 http://ragesoss.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-future-of-wikipedia-my-take-part-1/ assorted blogging by Sage Ross Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:26:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steven Fruitsmaak http://ragesoss.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-future-of-wikipedia-my-take-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Steven Fruitsmaak Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:48:00 +0000 http://ragesoss.com/blog/?p=112#comment-74 Ross,<br/><br/>Of course community reporting is not something that sets Wikinews apart: look at Indymedia, OhMyNews, NowPublic, ... Wikinews can bring NPOV and collaborative editing to grassroots journalism.<br/><br/>You correctly notice that Wikipedia only covers major stories; one of the things newcomers at Wikinews like is the fact that even their local city council meeting can get an article. That's unthinkable for Wikipedia, and it would lose out on a huge market -local news is becoming more important than ever, because world news and interest from the general public in news in general is declining.<br/><br/>You're also right when you realise that news comments are important: we allow and welcome comments on Wikinews (via the comments tab), but a specific MediaWiki extension would be welcome.<br/><br/>But I agree that we need to redefine our goals to change the current twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-to-twin_transfusion_syndrome) into a symbiosis. Where Wikipedia is completely overlapping Wikinews is in Portal:Current events. Wikinews linker bot is a first and important step ahead in cross-project collaboration.<br/><br/>Most importantly, I would ask all Wikipedians and other Wikimedians to stop bashing Wikinews: of course it cannot compare to Wikipedia, but compared to some other Citizen Journalism sites, it's not half bad. We should combine a positive attitude with fresh ideas about our futures. Ross,

Of course community reporting is not something that sets Wikinews apart: look at Indymedia, OhMyNews, NowPublic, … Wikinews can bring NPOV and collaborative editing to grassroots journalism.

You correctly notice that Wikipedia only covers major stories; one of the things newcomers at Wikinews like is the fact that even their local city council meeting can get an article. That’s unthinkable for Wikipedia, and it would lose out on a huge market -local news is becoming more important than ever, because world news and interest from the general public in news in general is declining.

You’re also right when you realise that news comments are important: we allow and welcome comments on Wikinews (via the comments tab), but a specific MediaWiki extension would be welcome.

But I agree that we need to redefine our goals to change the current twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-to-twin_transfusion_syndrome) into a symbiosis. Where Wikipedia is completely overlapping Wikinews is in Portal:Current events. Wikinews linker bot is a first and important step ahead in cross-project collaboration.

Most importantly, I would ask all Wikipedians and other Wikimedians to stop bashing Wikinews: of course it cannot compare to Wikipedia, but compared to some other Citizen Journalism sites, it’s not half bad. We should combine a positive attitude with fresh ideas about our futures.

]]> By: Jason Safoutin http://ragesoss.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-future-of-wikipedia-my-take-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Jason Safoutin Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:01:00 +0000 http://ragesoss.com/blog/?p=112#comment-73 Its comments like that which make people stay on Wikipedia. regardless of OR or not, Wikipedia is NOT news and the quicker they realize that the better. We are here to work together not against each other. Wikipedia is NOT the only wiki and if you want to have Wikinews with more OR then send those who want to write NEWS to Wikinews. Don't publicize something about Wikipedia that WP is not. Its comments like that which make people stay on Wikipedia. regardless of OR or not, Wikipedia is NOT news and the quicker they realize that the better. We are here to work together not against each other. Wikipedia is NOT the only wiki and if you want to have Wikinews with more OR then send those who want to write NEWS to Wikinews. Don’t publicize something about Wikipedia that WP is not.

]]> By: Sage http://ragesoss.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-future-of-wikipedia-my-take-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Sage Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:06:00 +0000 http://ragesoss.com/blog/?p=112#comment-72 Jason,<br/><br/>Wikinews only has one thing that sets it apart from any other news site: original reporting by the community. (NPOV sets it apart from some news outlets, but frankly I have a lot more faith in the neutrality of a New York Times article or an AP article than a Wikinews article culled from coverage elsewhere.)<br/><br/>One of the reasons Wikipedia has a reputation for its news coverage (while Wikinews has little reputation at all) is because Wikipedia's news-centered articles are continually-updated, synoptic articles. This blurs the line between encyclopedia and news, but there is also clearly a market for this hybrid genre.<br/><br/>Wikinews, in my view, should be retooled to focus exclusively on original reporting. I have some ideas, which I'll blog up soon, about how we could really get high-volume original reporting off the ground. Jason,

Wikinews only has one thing that sets it apart from any other news site: original reporting by the community. (NPOV sets it apart from some news outlets, but frankly I have a lot more faith in the neutrality of a New York Times article or an AP article than a Wikinews article culled from coverage elsewhere.)

One of the reasons Wikipedia has a reputation for its news coverage (while Wikinews has little reputation at all) is because Wikipedia’s news-centered articles are continually-updated, synoptic articles. This blurs the line between encyclopedia and news, but there is also clearly a market for this hybrid genre.

Wikinews, in my view, should be retooled to focus exclusively on original reporting. I have some ideas, which I’ll blog up soon, about how we could really get high-volume original reporting off the ground.

]]> By: Jason Safoutin http://ragesoss.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-future-of-wikipedia-my-take-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Jason Safoutin Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:45:00 +0000 http://ragesoss.com/blog/?p=112#comment-71 Ridicullous. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Not a news site. If Wikipedia would acknowledge the existence of Wikinews then the people who want to write news can go to Wikinews. Its up to Wikipedia to do their part and realize that they are not the only Wiki on the planet. Ridicullous. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Not a news site. If Wikipedia would acknowledge the existence of Wikinews then the people who want to write news can go to Wikinews. Its up to Wikipedia to do their part and realize that they are not the only Wiki on the planet.

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