Jimmy Wales responds to Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly wrote:

What is the role of individual experts? Will real world-class experts
gravitate to Wikipedia and join in the hive? Have any so far? Will their
expertise even be tolerated? Can experts find a way to sustain their
expertise? (For example right now Roger Ebert is trying to find a direct
subscription model for his expertise in movie reviews.)

Wikipedia depends critically on expertise and to fail to understand this is to fail to understand the phenomenon of Wikipedia completely. Wikipedians insist on "reliable sources" not as a magical incantation but because reliable sources matter, really really matter, if we are to be engaged in a project devoted to the passionate pursuit of truth.

The question of whether or not "real world-class experts" will or should participate in Wikipedia is a complete red herring. They are welcome to do so, and in fact, the community - in general - not only tolerates but celebrates the participation of genuine domain experts. (Although, it must be said, that quite properly merely being a genuine domain expert doesn't give one a free pass in Wikipedia - nor should it.)

I don't expect to see, and I don't want to see, path-breaking research in physics being originally published in Wikipedia. The very idea is a bit demented. We do not have, and do not intend to build, the social structures to support and validate original research in specialist domains. The academic institutions (including journals) which are designed for that are designed quite well and doing a reasonable job. (This is not to say that they are not in need of change, and that their changes can and should be informed by the possibilities of collaboration inherent in new technologies.)

--Jimbo