The lack of social network aspects at Wikipedia are often cited as something it needs, but attempts to start stuff like that have frequently crashed and burned. Whenever “we need to do something” springs up, that’s a frequent option for “this is something, therefore we must do this.” (Current “we need to do something” this is being mooted as the magical answer for: decline in editor numbers.)
That said, there is still a strong community feel … and it particularly applies when we meet other Wikipedians in person. This carries back over to dealing with Wikipedians we’ve only met online, and leads to anticipation of future meetups being good experiences. And all this does in fact appear to further writing an encyclopedia, which is the original point.
So for LessWrong, this suggests: more meetups in more places.
This is fine for those who live close enough to actually have meetups. Far from everyone does.
Also, LW is much smaller and agile than wikipedia, and we have a leader figure that can order people around if it turns out that’s needed. Several other factors that differ between the situations as well makes me think it’s in fact not very relevant at all.
Also, LW is much smaller and agile than wikipedia, and we have a leader figure that can order people around if it turns out that’s needed.
The leader figure does not want to order anyone around in part because he and his organization cannot afford the reputational hit. Consider the very long discussion and controversy that followed the leader figure’s unpublishing of one post here.
The comparison is a group whose aim is not socialising in itself, but something else. In that sense I think it does compare. Particularly the Wikipedia of 2004-2005, when meeting other Wikipedians just started taking off. Though meeting up in 2011 is still going great guns and proving very productive.
I see from your comment that you were thinking entirely in terms of on-site possibilities. Have you been to either a Wikipedia or LessWrong meetup? Having been to both, I think the social aspects of a not inherently social site invoked by them are highly comparable.
To compare to another group:
The lack of social network aspects at Wikipedia are often cited as something it needs, but attempts to start stuff like that have frequently crashed and burned. Whenever “we need to do something” springs up, that’s a frequent option for “this is something, therefore we must do this.” (Current “we need to do something” this is being mooted as the magical answer for: decline in editor numbers.)
That said, there is still a strong community feel … and it particularly applies when we meet other Wikipedians in person. This carries back over to dealing with Wikipedians we’ve only met online, and leads to anticipation of future meetups being good experiences. And all this does in fact appear to further writing an encyclopedia, which is the original point.
So for LessWrong, this suggests: more meetups in more places.
This is fine for those who live close enough to actually have meetups. Far from everyone does.
Also, LW is much smaller and agile than wikipedia, and we have a leader figure that can order people around if it turns out that’s needed. Several other factors that differ between the situations as well makes me think it’s in fact not very relevant at all.
The leader figure does not want to order anyone around in part because he and his organization cannot afford the reputational hit. Consider the very long discussion and controversy that followed the leader figure’s unpublishing of one post here.
The comparison is a group whose aim is not socialising in itself, but something else. In that sense I think it does compare. Particularly the Wikipedia of 2004-2005, when meeting other Wikipedians just started taking off. Though meeting up in 2011 is still going great guns and proving very productive.
I see from your comment that you were thinking entirely in terms of on-site possibilities. Have you been to either a Wikipedia or LessWrong meetup? Having been to both, I think the social aspects of a not inherently social site invoked by them are highly comparable.
Except LW IS an inherently social site, only restricted to a specific subject matter.
Where do you live? Have you tried to organize a meet up in your area?
Sweden. I’m sure enough there aren’t even close to enough rationalists nearby to even bother asking.