[Python-Dev] Moving the developer docs?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:42:03 am Martin v. Löwis wrote:

> By nature (quick-quick), information is unorganized in a Wiki. This
> is what wiki advocates cite as its main feature, and wiki opponents
> as its main flaw.

I've never heard wiki advocates say that, and even a cursory glace at 
wikis like Wikipedia disprove the idea that wikis are necessarily 
disorganised. "Quick" does not mean unstructured, disorganised or 
unorganised.

Do you mean that the *contributors* to the wiki are disorganised, rather 
than the wiki itself? If so, perhaps, but again Wikipedia demonstrates 
that this is not necessarily the case. Wikipedia has a hierarchy of 
contributors. In reverse order:

- anonymous editors
- editors with accounts
- administrators
- Wikimedia Foundation, which is responsible for policy
- BDFL Jimmy Wales who is ultimately responsible for setting policy

One of the criticisms of Wikipedia is that it has diverged from its 
official aim to be the encyclopedia that anyone can edit to one where 
contributions from insiders, particularly "the Cabal", are preferred to 
those of new anonymous editors.

Other wikis have other policies: Citizendium and Scholarpedia are 
notable examples that attempt to increase the (real or perceived) 
reliability and accountability of their articles by prohibiting 
anonymous edits altogether. Despite the influence of Wikipedia, "wiki" 
does not mean "open to everyone to edit without supervision".


-- 
Steven D'Aprano