http://www.profy.com/2007/03/12/wales-interview
Interview: Jimmy Wales - Artist of Web Community
March 11, 2007 - Profy got a rare opportunity today to talk with Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, Wikimedia (non-profit foundation), Co-Founder of Wikia Inc., and more recently innovator of Wikia-Search which we have covered on other occasions.
I caught up with Mr. Wales in Japan, where he is interviewing applicants for a position on the Wikia staff as Japan Community Manager. We talked briefly about some topics of interest to everyone and about a few that were either suggested by Profy, Web 2.0 innovators or my own personal inquiries.
The first thing I noticed about Wales was that he is a very friendly person. I paid him a compliment to which he said: "Many people tell me nice things, but I am only willing to accept that I am nice, I am always nice no matter what." This reveals a great deal about Wales' work and success I believe, he is a person first, and everything else second. I think this short Q and A will help our readers see another side of success.
Profy: We appreciate you devoting some of your valuable time to talk to us Mr. Wales.
Jimmy Wales: My pleasure.
Profy: I know you just arrived in Japan from India, will you tell us the purpose of your visit to India?
Jimmy Wales: Yes, of course. I went there to speak at our first WikiCamp in India at Chennai. From there we took a short vacation at the Holy City of Varanasi, a very special and fascinating place! Then we headed to Delhi to visit some of the squatter communities there. We were particularly interested in the schools and how we might be able to be of help there.
Profy: I understand that you are in Japan to interview applicants for the Wikia position you had posted on the site. How is that going?
Jimmy Wales: Very well thanks, and I am interviewing still more today.
Profy: Are job interview trips a common thing for you these days?
Jimmy Wales: Yes very, we do "lots" of them.
Profy: I read your biography at Wikipedia noting that your philosophy is very much in line with Ann Rand's. Given this , do you look on Wikia and your other ventures as works of art?
Jimmy Wales: Why yes, I like to think of creation as an artistic process and Wikia is a reflection or result of what I love to do. First and foremost what I do is interact with people, that is how Wikipedia started. I think that people should do what they love first and everything else will flow as it should, I love what I do. Money is great and I won't turn any down, but I believe you devote yourself to what you care about and money and other rewards follow.
Profy: I talked recently with Marty Wells of the startup community Tangler. I asked him what he would ask you if he had the chance and his reply was: "Since Wikia is for profit, do you think that the community spirit that powered Wikipedia will be effected?"
Jimmy Wales: I don't think Wikia is effected either positively or negatively by the profitability issue. The people at Wikipedia are all volunteers, while Wikia obviously has paid people doing a lot of work, but I don't see any change in commitment either. They are really completely separate communities.
Profy: Would you consider the viability of Wikia-Search in collaboration with other search engine developments in an effort to achieve essentially the "perfect search engine"?
Jimmy Wales: Definitely! In fact collaboration between second tier engines is the ideal way to develop a more perfect search engine. Once people realize that search is a commodity, revenue models can be formulated, vertical markets studied and etc. Unlike the way the big players approach search, this is more the way search (or news and information services) were intended to be. Take the local newspaper, a person buys this service to find out local news and information and then has to do other searches for global or national news etc. The perfect search engine gives people both these options in one place, and that is the way newspapers and networks were intended to be.
Profy: Thanks so much for your time Mr. Wales, I know you have appointments. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Jimmy Wales: My pleasure.
I have a special interest in new search engine development, as I know we can do much better than what has been done. We are all familiar with Wikipedia, and I personally use it at least once a day. I knew the answer to the question about collaboration before I asked it, as collaboration is the only way to achieve near perfection. The piece of art I see when I think about a search engine is a human work, not just effective but beautiful in its logic, simplicity and results. Wikipedia, Wikia and even the fledgling Wikia-Search already look like that; simple, effective, elegant and human.
Jimmy Wales is one of those people that we have all seen in our lives, one who dislays confidence without a hint of concietedness. I had coaches and teachers like that, people willing to sacrifice anything to achieve something meaningful without losing their humanity. Like our parents used to say: "You can tell the nature of a tree by the fruit it bears." The next time you go to a web site think about what it is really saying to you. Jimmy Wales' sites say community and user generated effort in a way that exemplifies Web 2.0. What more can be said?
Video from Jimmy's India visit showing more of his personality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuevxiInEeg
Photo credit: Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment