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Difference between revisions of "Jimmy Wales"

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==Biography==
 
==Biography==
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Jimmy Wales was born on August 7, 1966<ref name=BritannicaOnline/> in Huntsville, Alabama. His father was an employee in a grocery store and his mother and grandmother ran a small private school called the House of Learning,<ref name=TheAge>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/facts-and-friction/2007/04/21/1176697155451.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Facts and friction: Wikipedia's quest for credibility] ''The Age''</ref> in the tradition of the one-room schoolhouse,<ref name=A&E>[http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=201187 Jimmy Wales Biography] A&E Television Networks</ref> where Wales received his early education.<ref name=TheAge/> He later attended the Randolph School, a private school in Huntsville.<ref name=A&E/> He earned a bachelor's degree in finance (B.S.) from Auburn University and a master's degree (M.S.) from the University of Alabama. From 1994 to 2000, Wales was an options trader in the American city Chicago and earned enough money which allowed him to start his own internet business. In March 2000, he founded ''Nupedia'', a free online encyclopaedia<ref name=BritannicaOnline/> which was later closed down.<ref name=BriannicaOnlineWikipedia/> On January 15, 2001, he co-founded Wikipedia with Larry Sanger.
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Jimmy Wales was born on August 7, 1966<ref name=BritannicaOnline/> in Huntsville, Alabama. His father was an employee in a grocery store and his mother and grandmother ran a small private school called the House of Learning,<ref name=TheAge>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/facts-and-friction/2007/04/21/1176697155451.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Facts and friction: Wikipedia's quest for credibility] ''The Age''</ref> in the tradition of the one-room schoolhouse,<ref name=A&E>[http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=201187 Jimmy Wales Biography] A&E Television Networks</ref> where Wales received his early education.<ref name=TheAge/> He later attended the Randolph School, a private school in Huntsville.<ref name=A&E/> He earned a bachelor's degree in finance (B.S.) from Auburn University and a master's degree (M.S.) from the University of Alabama. From 1994 to 2000, Wales was an options trader in the American city Chicago and earned enough money which allowed him to start his own internet business. In March 2000, he founded ''Nupedia'', a free online encyclopaedia<ref name=BritannicaOnline/> which was later closed down.<ref name=BriannicaOnlineWikipedia/> On January 15, 2001, he co-founded Wikipedia along with Larry Sanger.
  
 
==Controversies==
 
==Controversies==

Revision as of 15:38, 9 October 2008

Jimmy Donal Wales is an American[1] Internet pornography entrepreneur[2][3] and bond trader[4] who along with philosophy professor Larry Sanger founded the open-source online encyclopedia Wikipedia in 2001. He openly acknowledges of being an Objectivist,[5] which is a philosophy that holds laizzes-faire capitalism as the only morally legitimate political/economic system. Before founding Wikipedia, he along with Tim Shell founded the online pornography portal Bomis in 1996.[6] Besides founding Wikipedia, which is officially a non-profit entity, Jimmy Wales also founded the for-profit Wikia, a web hosting service. Wales is the de facto head of Wikipedia.[7]

Biography

Jimmy Wales was born on August 7, 1966[1] in Huntsville, Alabama. His father was an employee in a grocery store and his mother and grandmother ran a small private school called the House of Learning,[8] in the tradition of the one-room schoolhouse,[9] where Wales received his early education.[8] He later attended the Randolph School, a private school in Huntsville.[9] He earned a bachelor's degree in finance (B.S.) from Auburn University and a master's degree (M.S.) from the University of Alabama. From 1994 to 2000, Wales was an options trader in the American city Chicago and earned enough money which allowed him to start his own internet business. In March 2000, he founded Nupedia, a free online encyclopaedia[1] which was later closed down.[4] On January 15, 2001, he co-founded Wikipedia along with Larry Sanger.

Controversies

Attempt to erase Sanger's contribution

Jimmy Wales tried to erase the role of Larry Sanger as co-founder of Wikipedia. On October 28, 2005, Wales edited his own biography article on Wikipedia. In this regard, American blogger, computer book author and web publisher Rogers Cadenhead drew attention to logs showing that Wales had removed phrases describing former Wikipedia employee Larry Sanger as a co-founder of the site.[10][11] Sanger said that "having seen edits like this, it does seem that Jimmy is attempting to rewrite history. But this is a futile process because in our brave new world of transparent activity and maximum communication, the truth will be out".[6][10][12]

Insertion of inaccurate information

Wales was also caught to have changed references to Bomis in Wikipedia in a way which downplayed the sexual nature of some of his company's products. Cadenhead said that Bomis Babes was described as "soft-core pornography" by other Wikipedia editors, but Wales changed it to "adult content section" on September 4, and later twice removed references to pornography, instead describing it as "Bomis Babes blog based on Slashcode."[6] An article in the July 31, 2006, issue of The New Yorker magazine reported this matter, stating that Wales was "sensitive about references to the porn traffic on his Web portal".[13]

In these both cases, Wales claimed his alterations were intended to improve the accuracy of the articles. He apologized for editing his own biography, a practice generally disapproved at Wikipedia. Wales, in the interview with the Wired News, said, "People should not do it, including me. I wish I had not done it".[6]

Rachel Marsden

Another controversy associated with Jimmy Wales is the way in which he reported to have ended his relationship with conservative political columnist and television commentator Rachel Marsden.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jimmy Wales Britannica Online
  2. ↑ Chip Berlet, SlimVirgin, and Wikipedia Geocities.com
  3. ↑ Wikipedia founder 'shot by friend of Siegenthaler' The Register
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wikipedia Britannica Online
  5. ↑ Who's Who In America: Diamond Edition - Publisher: Marquis Who's Who; 60th edition (12 October, 2005) ISBN 978-0837969909.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Wikipedia Founder Edits Own Bio Wired News
  7. ↑ Wikipedia founder launches rival online encyclopaedia, The Times, March 26, 2007
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facts and friction: Wikipedia's quest for credibility The Age
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jimmy Wales Biography A&E Television Networks
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Wikipedia Founder Looks Out for Number 1 Cadenhead.org
  11. ↑ Wikipedia diff showing modification by Jimmy Wales.
  12. ↑ Wikipedia founder edits himself The Times
  13. ↑ Know It All The New Yorker
  14. ↑ Fury of a woman scorned – on Wikipedia The Times March 4, 2008
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