MEDIA

Significant staff energy was spent developing responses to various media
and blog coverage (Marsden/Wool/Merkey). The Los Angeles Times and the
New York Times covered Wikimedia's fundraising plans, resulting in a
brief spike of public support. We identified and announced the 10
millionth Wikipedia article, a biography of English painter Nicholas
Hilliard from the Hungarian Wikipedia. Preparations were made for the
launch of an official Wikimedia Foundation blog.

MEDIA

Significant staff energy was spent developing responses to various media
and blog coverage (Marsden/Wool/Merkey).

Here's Sue Gardner's report to the WMF board. (Gardner is Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation).

Report-to-the-Board-(March)

Here she describes how the WMF tried to spin away the tide of anti-Wikipedia activity last month...

Does anyone else get the feeling that developing responsesâ„¢ means "inviting a lot of young and starving mostly-SF-based e-journalists to lunch and/or luau and hypnotizing them with martini-laced mantras about the wunnerful world missionary positions of Wikipedia"?

Jon

Give Jimbo Wales credit where credit is due. He did identify a fool-proof way for a living person to have their Wiki biography corrected in double quick time*

*providing that the subject is female, has her own teeth and is still breathing.

(Status of breath and teeth optional)

Wirhout the invective, I am distinctly gaining the impression that Jimbo is no longer a significant element of "the project". On that basis, I would not sweat it.

Developing what responses? ... They didn't spend time developing shit.

Wirhout the invective, I am distinctly gaining the impression that Jimbo is no longer a significant element of "the project". On that basis, I would not sweat it.

He can still be a significant element by continuing to be obstructionist to the institution of mechanisms which would help fix the project. I don't care if never comes up with another a single new idea: he does quite enough damage by opposing those who do.

He can still be a significant element by continuing to be obstructionist to the institution of mechanisms which would help fix the project. I don't care if never comes up with another a single new idea: he does quite enough damage by opposing those who do.

So what did they spend the rest of their time doing? Playing FreeCell and going out for cappucinos? (I mean, that's certainly what I'd be doing...)

One essential reason why the WMF has not (and probably will not) hire a Chief Content Officer or the equivalent, is that this would run smack up against the Section 230 protections that the WMF enjoys, precisely thanks to the maintainance of an environment of non-responsiblity for the content on Wikipedia!

running a quick SQL query to find which article ended up being no. 10,000,000

The process could well have been "We need something to distract people - how many articles are there? 10,123,210? Ok, 10M is a nice round number close to that, let's pick an article created about however long ago it's likely to have passed that mark and call that the 10-millionth - get a list of candidates and we'll pick whichever one works best from a PR standpoint"

Weasel
Genera and species: Mustela nivalis
Collective Term: A sneak of weasels

Description
Weasel personalities are closely related to badgers and skunks, and are suave and disarmingly charming. With their quick minds and lithe physiques, they might appear to be promising companions, but are notorious for the Machiavellian streak that underscores their personalities. Their behavior is motivated by the fact that it is one of the world's smallest carnivores, and while lions and wolves may be able to afford a direct approach in acquiring resources, the smaller personality of the weasel requires more devious tactics. Its survival strategy is based on the manipulation of others and it uses its charm as its chief weapon.

Weasels lack the emotional and spiritual maturity found in the larger carnivores. They are masters of chaos and their above average intelligence allows them to think quite well on their feet. Weasels are attracted to unorthodox environments. Their quick minds are able to take advantage of rapidly changing situations and they'll always emerge with more than their fair share of the booty. They share the same ambitious streak as their cousins the beaver, but their distaste for hard work has them behaving more like their skunk relatives who also resort to chicanery.

They have an uncanny knack of sensing weakness in others and they'll often team up with more successful animal personalities, gaining their trust and then milking them for all they're worth. These relationships are completely one sided. Taking what they need, they soon scuttle off to prey on their next victim. As lawyers, they are the essence of what is wrong with the justice system. Interested only in filling their own pockets, they can be seen on late night TV touting their personal injury services.

Sex is an escape for the weasel that frequently indulges in quick wild fixes, and although it has no shortage of willing partners, it favors connections with its favorite targets: badgers, prairie dogs, and wild cats. The weasel lover is earnest and attentive, with an uncanny ability to make its partner feel as though he or she was the only person in the world. Its appealing shyness and disarming vulnerability heightens the illusion. But, since honesty is an obstacle to its quest for sex, most partners remain unaware of this rascal's true intentions until they've met its wife and kids.

It's impossible to get a straight answer out of a weasel for it simply does not have the inclination to deal with difficult issues, sidestepping them with typical weasel agility. Occasionally though -- in a rush of blood -- it will reveal a fleeting insight into its heart. But out of fear of exposing its true motives, it quickly clams up and regains control.

Careers and Hobbies

Paparazzi
Reporter
Politician
Lawyer
Fine clothes
Music
Adventure films
Photography

Famous Weasels
Mark Fuhrman, Manuel Noriega.

Random, you must have switched to the blue pill this morning!

Um, in The Matrix, if that's what you're referencing the blue one was the one that made you forget everything and go back to being a prisoner in the matrix - a common mistake, though.

Um, in The Matrix, if that's what you're referencing the blue one was the one that made you forget everything and go back to being a prisoner in the matrix - a common mistake, though.

...anyway...

It hardly takes a genius to see that when finding the 10 millionth article is characterized as a "response" to media coverage, that the purpose of "identifying" it was to distract people.

Though - I'd actually be inclined to doubt that there's just one 10 millionth article. That is, I bet there were at least five articles such that, at the time immediately preceding their creation, there were 9,999,999 articles.