19 May 2006
Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia Founder Discusses Freedom of Speech
USINFO Webchat transcript, May 19
Jimmy Wales, founder of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, discussed freedom of speech and the benefits of open public dialogue in a May 19 webchat.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript
Freedom of Speech Through Wikipedia
Guest: Jimmy Wales
Date: May 19, 2006
Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT)
USINFO WEBCHAT MODERATOR: Join Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, to discuss the benefits of open public dialogue and debate in a May 19 webchat at 1600 GMT (noon EDT).
Question [Ronald]: I don't know what "wikipedia" is. Could you explain it to me?
Answer [Jimmy Wales]: Wikipedia is a freely licensed encyclopedia written by thousands of volunteers all over the world in many languages.
Q [IRC Cairo]: What do you think on what is going in Egypt now concerning the freedom of speech? Thank you.
A: Restrictions on the freedom of speech are always unhealthy for societies. Strong dissent, even when mistaken, is never as great a threat as suppression of the free flow of information. With Internet technologies, it is also no longer really practical to erase the flow of information... All that can be done is to intimidate and persecute certain individuals.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: How successful so far, has been the wikimedia that had emerged from the wikipedia in the sphere of distributing information in different languages?
How do you assess the wikimedia's contribution to the informational human society, as agreed at the UN information society summit at Tunis?
A: Wikipedia has been very successful in our multilingual efforts. Less than 1/3 of our total work is in English. The fact that all of our work is freely licensed means that the impact of our work is only beginning to be felt, because as our work grows, other people can build on it and modify to make new and better things from it.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: What's the difference between wikipedia and other Internet blogging web sites in terms of freedom of speech?
A: They serve different purposes, but both are expressions of the freedom of speech. Blogs are good for commentary, analysis, and opinion. Wikipedia is good for basic factual matters.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: Could you enlighten us further about the difference between wikipedia, wikimedia, and nupedia? How would you define these terms? How are they related?
A: Wikipedia is the encyclopedia project managed by the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Nupedia is an older project I founded to create an encyclopedia, a project which failed.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: What is the distinctive differentiation between wikipedia and for example, the British Encyclopedia or else the World Book Encyclopedia?
A: The most important differentiations are that Wikipedia is written by thousands of volunteers using an open collaborative editing process, and that Wikipedia is freely licensed.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: Where from was the concept of the word "wiki" originated? I couldn't find it in the dictionaries?
A: Wiki is from a Hawaaian word "wikiwiki" meaning quick. The term refers to our software, which allows for quick editing and collaboration. Wikis have existed since 1995, and were invented by Ward Cunningham.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: Is it academically, accurate to perceive wikipedia, wikimedia, and nupedia as blogs and blogging? If not, what's the difference between both terms?
A: No, Wikipedia is not a blog. It is an encyclopedia written by volunteers.
Q [Rick]: Do you agree with Google's recent decision to censor its search results in China in order to increase its market share? Would Wikipedia ever go this route to expand its brand?
A: No, I do not agree with it, but I think it is unfortunate that Google has been so heavily criticized. Many other countries do many worse things, and they should all be criticized for it.
Q [Zubedah]: In most third world countries, where democracy is in its infant stages, there aren’t that many avenues for fostering public dialogue and free debate, especially with constraints like low technological advancement and inadequate internet access. What suggestions can you make to improve this situation as the continent comes to terms with increasing demand for internet access? (Uganda)
A: It does not take a lot of technology to foster open dialog and debate. Even the simplest technologies like mailing lists, wikis, blogs can help a lot. What is needed mostly, I think, is more content in local languages, and support from people around the world to help others join in the global conversation.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: To which extent was your 'school of thought' later in your life, education and career influenced by the Montessori method that significantly, had a profound impact upon your mother's and grandmother's private school's educational philosophy during your early days at primary school?
A: I think I was very strongly influenced by my upbringing. There was always a strong attitude in my early years that it is a good thing to learn about the world, it is a good thing to have a wide range of resources so that I could learn about whatever suited my interests.
Q [Josip]: What is your opinion of the actions taken by u.s. search engines with reagrds to China ... to me it looks like they caved in and traded freedom of speech and freedom of information for profit.
Is there a wikipedia in China? If not, do you think it could ever exist given the "great fire wall"?
A: Wikipedia does exist in the Chinese language, and it is one of our very successful projects. The Chinese blocking is unfortunate, but will not stop our work. Many people from mainland China access Wikipedia every day... the firewall does not really work to stop people from participating.
Q [Taran]: Hello, Jimmy - Taran Rampersad here. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the fork of the Wikipedia in China, where the government has the capacity to (and reportedly does) censor anything related to the Chinese Government? While the Wikipedia has had it's onslaught of U.S. government issues, this remains an interesting chapter in the history of freedom of speech and I would like to hear your thoughts.
A: We have had no issues with the US government, actually. Since our work is freely licensed, we are happy for Baidu to reuse our work... so long as they comply with the terms of the license.
Q [Azat Myradov]: Dear Jimmy, this question comes from a student in Turkmenistan. By the way, Wikipedia is very popular here. In what circumstances did the idea come to you? What inspired you? Thank you.
A: I was inspired mostly by the growth and success of the free software movement. To learn more about it, visit http://www.fsf.org/
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: Was the success of the multiple languages' wikipedia, wikimedia and nupedia made possible without the emergence of the internet?
A: None of this would be possible without the Internet.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: How much of impact had the World Book Encyclopedia made upon your establishments and running of the Wikkies; Wikipedia, and Wikimedia, and Nupedia.
A: Other than inspiring me as a child, there was no impact.
WEBCHAT MODERATOR: As Internet activity expands every month worldwide, the effects of Internet filtering in the United States and globally have become far-reaching. Most nations censor Internet communication in some fashion.
For more information on censorship on the Internet, see [the related article, “Censorship and Online Filtering on the Internet.”]
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: What is lacking in the British Encyclopedia, and the World Book Encyclopedia that is not lacking in the wikipedia, wikimedia, and nupedia?
A: Wikipedia is much broader than those. Wikipedia allows for public participation. Wikipedia is much more up to date. Wikipedia is freely licensed.
Of course, traditional encyclopedias may still be better than Wikipedia in many important ways.
Q [Dr. Ali Al-Hail]: Is there any influence, positive or negative that goes both ways between wikipedia, wikimedia, and nupedia and the satllite media, in particular?
A: Yes. Many reporters now report that they use Wikipedia for background information.
Q [Richard]: Do you have any issues with Baidu and Baidupedia with regards to self-censorship in China.
A: As long as they follow the license, I am happy.
Q [Mdowns]: Does the Wikipedia site make money? I do not see advertisements. If not, has there been talk of using this model to generate funds for business?
A: We are funded by donations from the general public. My new company, http://www.wikia.com/ is a for-profit which uses the same software and social model, but enabling communities to do more and different things than just an encyclopedia, and earns money from advertising.
Q [Mark]: Mr. Wales, how has your wiki been received by the "library establishment"? wiki puts users in the driver's seat so the information comes from everyone instead of "authoritative" sources. I think this is changing the whole concept of what "authoritative source" means.
A: The library establishment has mixed reactions. Many librarians find Wikipedia to be very useful in assisting their clients, and can serve as a starting point for background knowledge to empower people to make better use of traditional sources.
Q [Bernard]: Who edits the material? Or, more exactly, what prevents the site from being inundated with inaccurate junk entries? Buck
A: The community self-policies, using tools such as recent changes, personalized watchlist, article histories, etc. It is a complex social process.
WEBCHAT MODERATOR: As the greatest purveyor of news and information in history, the Internet transcends borders, unites people and empowers the spread of democracy, said Ambassador David A. Gross.
But, he added, some countries are attempting to use technology to suppress dissent. [See related article, “State Department Official Says Internet Aids Spread of Democracy.”]
Q [MDowns]: How many in-house editors does Wikipedia have? If there is a glaring error, how long does it take to correct?
A: We do not have in-house editors. Most glaring errors will be reverted within minutes. More subtle errors of course may take longer to correct... as in any traditional source.
Q [Christian]: What do you make of the Goggle/Microsoft efforts to get into the Chinese market?
A: I think it is important than when companies do business anywhere in the world, they do so while paying very careful attention to ethics, and to making sure that they are not supporting aspects of those societies which infringe upon human rights.
WEBCHAT MODERATOR: We would like to thank Mr. Wales and everyone who participated in today's chat on Wikipedia and freedom of speech on the Internet.
The growth of Wikipedia has been nothing short of astonishing. A description of this discussion will be available soon on our webpage.
While guests are chosen for their expertise, the views expressed by the guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State." It's the same language seen in the log in screen.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
