http://blog.jimmywales.com Free knowledge for free minds Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:56:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 Today at Wikia [1] we have released our social networking features for MediaWiki under the GNU GPL 2.0. The best place to see this running live is at Halopedia [2], our Halo site. I am excited about all the stuff going on in this space. With google's open social initiative, our work in social search and social networking for mediawiki, I think the whole wiki/free culture space is about to get a whole lot more interesting. [1] http://www.wikia.com/ [2] http://halo.wikia.com http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2008/02/28/free-software-and-social-networking/ Daniel F. Gass [1], who signs his emails "15 year old conquering the web" already conquered a part of it since last night, creating a Wikia search plugin for Firefox [2]! Awesome! Thanks, Daniel!Now I wonder what open source toolbars out there might support more functionality... [1] http://daniel.4usgass.net/ [2] http://mycroft.mozdev.org/download.html?name=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.wikia.com%2F&category=20&country=all&language=all&submitform=Search&sherlock=yes&opensearch=yes&skipcache=yes http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2008/01/07/wikia-search-plugin-for-firefox/ I am participating in this fabulous and hopefully historic meeting [1] and realized that I have now met Melissa Hagemann on 5 different continents. I think we both travel too much. [1] http://opened.shuttleworthfoundation.org/index.php http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2007/09/14/oer-meeting-and-5-continents/ So, I notified Britannica about what my birth certificate and driver's license says, but they refused to change their article unless I was willing to send them copies of the actual documentation! Naturally, I refused to do so. Fortunately, an enterpising reporter did his homework and so now for the first time [1] the world has a proper source. I will, nevertheless, still continue to celebrate my birthday as I please. :) [1] http://blog.oregonlive.com/siliconforest/2007/07/on_wikipedia_and_its_founders.html http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2007/08/08/my-birthdate/ Director Nic Hill is making what looks to be a fabulous film about Wikipedia and Wikipedians worldwide. Truth in Numbers [1] has a wiki at Wikia, and Nic has posted his demo trailer and also his first "vodcast" from the road on his current trip. He just finished up in China and is headed for Korea. After that he will be meeting me for a week's travel in India, and then when I am off to Japan he is headed to... well, I forgot. But I am sure you can find out soon enough from the wiki. Wikipedians may want to bookmark the site and check back often, because Nic and his team are very open to ideas for the film. Just edit the wiki to give ideas. :) [1] http://wikidocumentary.wikia.com/ http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2007/02/16/truth-in-numbers/ Guess whose books these are! [1] It is pretty easy, actually. [1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbo_wales/301343215/ http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2006/11/21/guess-whose/ I advise the world to relax a notch or two. :-) We are not considering advertising on Wikipedia.Visit World Wikia [1] (travel), Campaigns Wikia [2] (reforming politics), and Star Wars Wikia, a.k.a. Wookieepedia [3]. For some types of communities, advertising to support the infrastructure is a good thing, and I fully support it. But not for Wikipedia.As seems to be his special gift, Jason Calacanis has set off a bit of a blog storm with his report [4] of having dinner with me a few months ago. The storm seems to mostly be of people responding with one of two viewpoints: (a) evil Jason Calacanis wanting Wikipedia to "monetize" versus virtuous Jimbo Wales nobly refusing OR (b) sensible Jason Calacanis wanting Wikipedia to do good with the money we could raise versus crazy idealist Jimbo Wales insanely refusing. The real story, though, is much more interesting...First, I don't agree with people who seem to be contrasting "wanting to make money" with "being principled". I rather think that both are possible. I like making money, and I think there are honorable ways to do it. I think we in the free culture movement should strongly embrace companies who are doing it.My own company Wikia [5] is doing this by offering community building support while using licenses which mean that if we serve communities poorly, they can leave. If you are looking to support something you can believe in, then support a company from people with a track record of doing something good, with integrity.But regarding this dinner with Jason, well, I am told that I did have dinner with him. This was at Wikimania this past summer, and I barely even remember him... we were at a large table and there were some very much more interesting people at the dinner. :-) Apparently, he got that much right in his post.As to the rest of what he says he told me, and what I said in response, all I can say is, gee. My position on ads in Wikipedia was and is the same as it has ever been. The decision needs to come from the community, and not from me. I am personally opposed to advertising in Wikipedia, but we need to make the decision to turn down ads in a responsible and serious manner. The amount of money that could be made is significant and growing all the time, and the money could be used to do significant good in the world. No question about that.But the Wikimedia Foundation is not in any kind of condition right now to do a good job of that, and there are many other more interesting revenue opportunities that would not involve slapping ads on Wikipedia. We have a strong brand that is only going to get stronger in the coming years as we continue to have a reputation for integrity and charity. We can make money to further our charitable goals (which go far beyond having a most most excellent website, as most people who read this will understand) in a lot of other ways by leveraging our brand into radio, television, games, etc.There is nothing inherently wrong with advertising. But it is not right for Wikipedia.As for the specific discussion in our dinner, I have no idea what a leaderboard is, and I certainly would never say that "Wikipedia will never have ads". What I would have said is what I always say: we will continue to make that decision within the community in a responsible and serious way.Finally, some in the blogosphere and media are connecting Jason Calacanis' fantastical report to my Dream a little... [6] mailing list post. There is absolutely no connection between the two. There is and was no offer on the table from AOL to put a leaderboard on Wikipedia, and it does not occur to me that this would be in any sense something I would think of as a good idea in any way at all. There are good people in the world, creative people, who are thinking hard about ways to build a sustainable free culture in ways that are much more creative than simply slapping advertisements on anything popular.Do me a favor and Please Digg this story [7] so at least as many people will see my response as saw Jason's original post. [1] http://world.wikia.com [2] http://campaigns.wikia.com/ [3] http://starwars.wikia.com/ [4] http://www.calacanis.com/2006/10/28/wikipedia-leaves-100m-on-the-table-or-please-jimbo-reconsider/ [5] http://www.wikia.com/ [6] http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2006-October/045481.html [7] http://digg.com/tech_news/Jimmy_Jimbo_Wales_responds_to_Jason_Calacanis http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2006/10/31/advertising-and-wikipedia/ Two years ago I made a Wikipedia Jack O' Lantern. It rocked. This year my daughter Kira came up with a brilliant idea: a Creative Commons Jack O' Lantern [1]. So we worked together and made it.I love Halloween [2]. [1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbo_wales/sets/72157594352924728/detail/ [2] http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Halloween http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2006/10/30/creative-commons-jack-o-lantern-from-jimmy-wales-and-kira-wales/ I am so excited and terrified. Lost Wikia [1] is shaping up to be really great this year. We've got Lynnette Porter [2], co-author of the fabulous book "Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide" contributing. A ton of great users from last year are coming back. 30 minutes from the Season Premiere. I am so excited and terrified. Why did I ever let myself get addicted to this show? :-) [1] http://lost.wikia.com/ [2] http://lost.wikia.com/wiki/User:Lynnette_Porter http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2006/10/04/lost-is-coming/ Campaigns Wikia [1] is something I have been dreaming about for the last few months. Today it launches. Please go read about it, and join the mailing list [2]. And blog about it! :) I don't have the answers to the problems of broadcast politics, but I think we can work together to do something useful and, quite possibly, if we throw enough heartfelt energy and passion into it, something more than useful. Something astonishing. [1] http://campaigns.wikia.com/wiki/Mission_Statement [2] http://lists.wikia.com/mailman/listinfo/campaigns-l http://blog.jimmywales.com/index.php/archives/2006/07/05/campaigns-wikia/