User:Ilya (usurped)/Wikimania
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(my very random thoughts about Wikimania)
What is Wikipedia?
- dream about free knowledge
- society's board for archieving consensus
Thesis:
- we are in the state of transition from encyclopedia as a sum of existing knowledge to the new space that will create new knowlegde. Goal for WM'06: to create a link between 'persons' (editors of wp) and 'society' (formal structures)
Projects for Wikimania 2006:
- ecology board
- scientific circle
- future society discussion event
Motto - Edit the World
Why Boston?
- US, MA, Boston, Harvard, MIT share same fundamental values - symbolic
- possibility of strong scientific programme (lots of people can talk, although need to prove to them that it's worth that)
Some points:
- I've heard that many people don't like politics of the US - but you should separate between government and people (not liking government would be a very strange reason to refrain from going to a wiki conf); moreover, Commonwealth of MA is often labeled 'free' state and in that respect is very like Wikipedia!
- crimes in Cambridge do occur, but you should take common sense precautions (don't walk in the night alone)
- housing is a hard problem, but we have nearly a year for planning!