[okfn-labs] Crowdcrafting + reference lists = crowdsource lists of stuff?

Fri Feb 22 08:53:41 UTC 2013

Hey,

On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 8:48 AM, Daniel Lombraña González <
teleyinex at gmail.com> wrote:

> In any case, let me share my thoughts on regarding what you have
> said. Friedrich raised the point that he preferred a "one neat
> authoritative source" rather than "everyone's opinion", which in several
> cases is desirable but that could lead to some "problems" obviously
> regarding the nature of the project but just to discuss a real case:
> compare Nupedia, more recently Knol and Wikipedia. The two first ones tried
> the approach of "authoritative source" and in both cases the projects
> failed, while Wikipedia stills here :-) Obviously, while this is not a
> "law" it is something to think about why some projects do not actually take
> off when you need to involve only experts or when you allow several people
> working together.
>

Please don't misinterpret me: I'm all for crowdsourcing, collaboration,
etc. I believe that the Wikipedia model is awesome and that creating
Twitter lists via PyBossa is a fantastic idea.

All I meant is that there is some foundational reference data where your
systems rely on it to a degree that you may not want to have it a subject
to permanent collaboration. The canonical example: I don't want my database
to have to manage the uncertainty of whether the Republic of China is a
true country or part of the People's Republic of China, whether South
Ossetia, Transnistria or Somaliland are free people oppressed by evil
overlords. I support the struggle of freedom fighters everywhere, *but not
in my database schema*.

Anyhow - let's get a concrete example and get started?

- Friedrich
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