May 8, 2006
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MONDAY READINGWikipedia
I couldn’t resist buying the Time 100 Special Issue that came out
today. It breaks the winners down into 5 categories:
Leaders & Revolutionaries, Scientists & Thinkers, Heroes &
Pioneers, Builders & Titans, and Artists & Entertainers.
The first one I came to on the list that seemed to exemplify reading is
a name I never heard before – Jimmy Donal “Jimbo” Wales. But I
sure have heard of Wikipedia. This
is another one of those young entrepreneurs who came up with a great
idea that caught on – like Google and Craigslist and Amazon.com.
Jimmy Wales will turn 40 this summer, born in Alabama, taught by his
mother and grandmother in a small private school using Montessori type
methods of following your interests in what you study. Eventually
he went all the way to PhD in finance and became an options trader in
Chicago earning major bucks. Around 1999, he decided to reinvent
the encyclopedia for the internet age – free, up to date, available to
everybody. He started by commissioning articles and doing peer
reviews, but realized it would take centuries to get anywhere that
way. Then the Big Quantum Leap Idea – using a software called
“wiki” to create an “edit this page” button, it was now possible to
enter and track changes by readers. Wikipedia was born. It
now has more than a million articles – and best of all, because so many
users protect and nurture it, any hackers or vandalizations are quickly
fixed. In other words, it’s OUR encyclopedia. We can add to
it or change it, and we can keep it accurate and true. It’s like
one big giant group conscience. What a deal and what a
guy. Here’s
Wikipedia on Jimmy Wales.
Deep Thought:
You know how to paint a room real fast? Just put paint rollers on your
feet and somehow figure out how to skate up the walls and across the
ceiling.
Today I am grateful for: Jars.
Guess the Movie:
“Somebody asked me today, “Phil, if you could be anywhere in the world,
where would you like to be?” And I said to him, “Prob’ly right here -
Elko, Nevada, our nation’s high at 79 today.” Out in California,
they’re gonna have some warm weather tomorrow, gang wars, and some
*very* overpriced real estate. Up in the Pacific Northwest, as you can
see, they’re gonna have some very, very tall trees.” Answer: Groundhog Day, 1993.
Winner: Eliminate_the_Impossible.
Lookin’ for a Leader’
by Neil Young
Lookin’ for a leader
To bring our country home
Re-unite the red white and blue
Before it turns to stone (Rest of song here.)
Comments (30)
Thanks for sharing this. I add his web on to my favorite
Have a great evening hugs
I picked up that issue of Time in the dentist’s waiting room today, but only got to read a few profiles. It was interesting to see who wrote them. Ralph Nader, for instance, profiled John McCain.
Wale’s bio (autobiog?) in Wikipedia already lists the 5/8 Time profile.
Why that sounds like Groundhog Day, one of my favorite comedies.
And Wikipedia has become a fundamental research tool for my papers, always manages to point me in the right direction.
I love Wikipeida. It is one of my favorite tools. I didn’t realize he was from Alabama. That’s cool.
Have an excellent day!
Groundhog Day wins!
Oh man, if I’m so smart, why haven’t I done something like this by my 40th!!!???!!! @#$%
Smart man, indeed!
I love hearing success stories about people with alternative educations. Wikipedia is definitely part of my daily diet and I value it highly. Thanks for highlighting it’s creator.
For you (RYC): http://www.artpool.hu/Ray/RJ_title.html
And http://www.art2mail.com/
Thanks for visiting my site.
I have a love hate relationship with Wikipedia. I enjoy it but hate it when students use it as a citation.
My cats are on automatic feeders and waters so they get food whether I am up or not. I do the sleep thing when I haven’t slept much in days and days. Usually go on about 4 hours sleep. Judi
Ugh… I sneezed just as I was clicking the link from my comments to come here, hit the ‘delete’ link instead so your most recent comment on my blog is gone. Oops.
RYC: Thanks for mentioning policosanol — I’d never heard of it before. If you’re still looking at options, niacin therapy works wonders, better than statins, and without the dangerous side effects. AFAIK, it’s the only cholesterol lowering agent known that has actually been shown to reduce overall mortality. (Statins, for example, reduce cholesterol but increase overall mortality. Yikes!)
I’m a big fan of wikipedia. I don’t trust it to be authoritative, but it’s a great place to start. It’s too bad that the Wal-Martians and their ilk are trying to turn it into a free PR avenue. Good with the bad, and all that happy stuff…
Be well!
Great blog today. I’ve heard of Wikipedia, but never visited much. Love the idea behind it.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, MOM
Now THAT is amazing! I didn’t know that before…thanks!
Most of us are too busy on life’s path to think of it often, Judi
Hey, thanks for all the links! Very nice. I especially love Eva’s work. So did Jean drop Eva for Niki? Just curious. At USCD, we had a big Niki sculpture on campus. It was a big, colorful bird. I like Eva’s work better.
I agree, weird ducks.
Interesting post. I have definitely heard of Wikipedia, but never the man behind the scenes.
Tricia
You’re totally welcome mom! Happy Mother’s day.
Happy Mother’s Day , Judi
Happy Mother’s Day to you!
I wondered the same think when I posted that.
I hope you had a great day!
hoping you had a wonderful day…i really liked this read…huggs…sassy
thank you
Hope you had a nice Mothers day. Judi
RYC: I’m with you on the cell phone issue. I can’t tell you how many times it has come in handy. I’d hope that we’ll never need it for a problem but knowing that Erik has one makes me feel more comfortable.
Nice to hear from you.
Dear Lionne,
I’m visiting the sites of some of my subsciptions that I haven’t been around to visit in a while. You don’t seem to post as often as you once did. I hope this missive finds you well.
I haven’t heard Neil Young’s song about Bush, but I did read that he “waited” for some younger artist to pen an anti war song and when it didn’t happen, he released “Let’s Impeach the President”. I’ll check the link you provided, but since I’m writing this on the 16th, it’s probably already been disabled.
I’ll wait for the DVD to see Tommy Lee Jone’s movie. I have seen exactly two movies this year so far in theaters. Spike Lee’s “The Inside Man” and Wolfgang Peterson’s “Posiedon” (which holds up nicely even though I’m a big fan of the original.)
Lastly, thank you for this informative article about Wales. I know Wikipedia, but didn’t know anything about the guy who started it. Once I happened to look up “Albert Einstein ” and actually read a hacked article proclaiming he was in reality a woman. It wasn’t online long, but it was sort of weird reading a doctored article on the site.
I had a nice visit.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
RYC: Thank you!
It has been a long time since I visited your site. It is beautifully organized. Each blog is a keeper…the poem..a few back…”this may be the last spring for someone I know”…is that original? It is so wonderful. (I went to a funeral today….she loved spring flowers)