Aug 24 2005

I’m famous!

Published by at 4:22 am under Uncategorized

thoughtfully sends along this link about wikimania: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article307970.ece in which I am named and quoted.

Um.

While I am flattered that the reporter interviewed me and all, I take issue at the following:

1) the jewelry thing, while true, makes me sound totally dorky.

2) I am not an “assistant librarian” — hell, I’m not a librarian at all at the moment. But he could have just called me a librarian.

2a) One of the few females in Frankfurt, indeed — there were a good number of women there, for a computer conference; this makes it sound like there were about three.

3) Much, much worse, it’s not clear that the paragraph that follows is not gospel — it’s tentative results from research done by and myself, and we have more theories than data, certainly not enough data that I’d be willing to make broad pronouncements like this. There’s a fine distinction that this reporter missed which is that users said they would verify the information they found on WP with books and other printed sources, not that they didn’t also use the Wikipedia. People do trust the damn thing, and that’s what’s so amazing.

So, a fairly serious case of misrepresentation, which I fear I will catch shit from (someone)(the community)(myself) over. Sigh. I should have been more careful and asked to see his notes, I suppose; I was particularly spacy when he caught me, as is, of course, always the case when being interviewed. Besides, being taken notes from apparently turns me into an instant 15 year old valley girl (just add water…).

I’m also embarrassed that he interviewed me and not Cathy or one of the people who is more thoroughly involved with the project than I am. It’s not right; I suppose I should have declined.

Moral: beware, beware, when cornered by a cute reporter in the middle of a long day. They might work for the freakin’ Independent.

eta: for reference, here is the list of press that wikimania recieved: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania:Press#In_the_press

6 responses so far

6 Responses to “I’m famous!”

  1. biznamshiznit says:
    August 25, 2005 at 6:44 pm

    The article looks poorly written to me. It’s difficult to even tell whether he’s quoting you or not. I doubt you’ll catch any shit for it.

    How DARE you not tell me you were “one of the *few females* in Frankfurt”!!! Damn, I knew I should have found a way to join you over there. ;-)

  2. metasj says:
    August 25, 2005 at 9:18 pm

    There were indeed a number of “females” present, but few ladies.

  3. brassratgirl says:
    August 26, 2005 at 1:55 pm

    ah, but everyone else apparently was “short-sighted, sport[ed] sporadic facial hair and argue[d] about software over lunch.”

    the man had apparently never met any programmers before.

  4. brassratgirl says:
    August 26, 2005 at 1:57 pm

    dude! how was I supposed to know? I didn’t realize the gender ratio was skewed until I got there!

    next year :) It might be on this continent, even!

    ps. on that note, I’m actively recruiting people for new awlins this year — it might be the only good chance we have for a reunion. And I don’t even want to go to ALA. :P

  5. docsrock says:
    August 26, 2005 at 4:10 pm

    go you for getting yourself in the Independent. that rocks. i had to look the article up in lexis, and you’re down there as “Wales” instead of “Ayers.” oh well.

    you should all go to new orleans. go to midwinter too if you can, as it is just up the road in san antonio!

  6. docsrock says:
    August 26, 2005 at 4:20 pm

    um, never mind. read mistakenly, lexis got it right.