Wikipedia: Wikipedia commentary/Responses to How to Build Wikipedia, Avoid Cabals

Setting up hierarchies is always a temptation, and is why anarchism never works.

Wikipedia is a noble attempt at a limited anarchistic society, and we must remain vigilant.

: First, let me say that I agree with this sentiment at least: we must not create a hierarchies. Not because we love anarchy (which we might or might not; I kinda do like it myself) but because we want to create an encyclopedia to which people generally feel free to contribute.

: Now, that being said, I want to make a clarification. What Wikipedia is, is an open content wiki-based encyclopedia project. Nobody nobly attempted to set up an anarchistic society (I didn't, anyway, and neither did Jimbo). What we did was try to set up the best way to produce an encyclopedia that is open to the public at large. If what resulted is an anarchistic "society" that seems to work, that's grand! I'm very happy! But the purpose of Wikipedia is not to test the theory of anarchism. It's to create an encyclopedia.

: The GPL and GFDL are explicitly political documents, and are designed to promote certain forms of societies. It seems that you essentially agree with Stallman's goals, which I like. In fact, I'm operating under that assumption, which is why I use such language. --TheCunctator

: Well, GPL and GFDL are licenses. Stallman's essays about them are explicitly political documents. --LMS

: Do you think we can come up with a common language to properly discuss the social dynamics of the Wikipedia project? Or perhaps we need a good entry on "society" which makes clear what the differences and commonalities between a full-bodied society and the Wikipedian society are. --TheCunctator