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Wikipedia: Fad?

Submitted by Jim Brown on October 12, 2007 - 10:19am.

Here's an interesting take on wikipedia: Was it just a fad?

The article says that Wikipedia action is declining: fewer accounts being established, fewer edits happening, etc. Maybe this is a plateau of sorts? The thing has to top out at some point, right? Though, I don't think this means it qualifies as a "fad." Here's another possibility:

"The problems with Wikipedia could also come down to an increasingly large schism in the site's community, with two groups at odds over what information should and should not be included.

Those known as the "deletionists" seem quick with the delete key and have high standards for "notability." However "inclusionists" disagree, saying that articles shouldn't be deleted quickly because they may be expanded later, pointing out many articles are written over several edits."

This debate seems to define Wikipedia. That is, it's not a problem to be gotten over - it's the thing (aporia?) that creates the text. It's the source of all that is interesting on Wikipedia.

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"The atoms, as their own weight bears them down plumb through the void, at scarce determined times, in scarce determined places, from their course decline a little- call it, so to speak, mere changed trend. For were it not their wont thuswise to swerve, down would they fall, each one, like drops of rain, through the unbottomed void; and then collisions ne'er could be nor blows among the primal elements; and thus nature would never have created aught."

-Lucretius, Of The Nature of Things

About Me

My name is Jim Brown and I'm a Ph.D. Candidate in Rhetoric at the University of Texas. I teach courses in Rhetoric, Literature, and New Media. This blog mostly focuses on my academic work, but you'll also find occasional posts about music or baseball. I also maintain two other blogs, and you can see all of my blog writings by viewing this RSS feed. I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. This lets you know that I'm kind of a masochist and explains the name of my dog.

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