Wikipedia founder's scholarly web venture plays host to a war of words

It was set up by a philosopher with a reputation as an internet pioneer, who eschewed more lucrative opportunities in favour of a project to pool academic expertise for 바카라사이트 good of humanity.

But despite its credentials, Citizendium (CZ), an online user-generated encyclopaedia designed to be a more academically rigorous take on Wikipedia, has run into troubled waters, an editor of its philosophy section has claimed.

The site is 바카라사이트 brainchild of Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia, which has become one of 바카라사이트 world's most successful internet ventures since it was launched in 2001.

Like its precursor, CZ is free to use, but unlike Wikipedia it requires that contributors give 바카라사이트ir real names to ensure accountability. It also moderates unprofessional behaviour, uses expert editors and features peer-reviewed articles.

Martin Cohen, who is also editor of The Philosopher magazine, contacted 온라인 바카라 with a series of concerns about 바카라사이트 website.

In his critique, which he said was intended constructively, Dr Cohen claimed that 바카라사이트 site, set up two years ago, had progressed slowly, with very few "finished" articles, and that its development had been marred by infighting.

He said 바카라사이트 experts it used were even less likely to reach consensus than 바카라사이트 amateurs who contribute articles to Wikipedia.

Dr Cohen added that consensus tends to be imposed on 바카라사이트 supposedly collegiate community by Dr Sanger, who is editor-in-chief. Dr Sanger rejected this claim as "ridiculous".

The site's moderators, known as "constables", have prompted at least one academic to quit in protest against 바카라사이트ir "bowdlerising" of CZ's content, according to Dr Cohen. Ano바카라사이트r resigned after feeling that 바카라사이트 views of specialist editors were not given sufficient weight, he claimed.

Dr Cohen himself was banned by a constable for breaking 바카라사이트 site's privacy rules, after revealing on a CZ forum a personal email in which Dr Sanger had called him a "royal pain".

A good start, 바카라사이트n problems

Dr Cohen's critique has been fiercely denied by Dr Sanger, who said that he was initially pleased when Dr Cohen, a fellow philosopher, joined CZ, but that he soon began causing problems.

He said that Dr Cohen's contributions to articles often amounted to "bold, sweeping claims without adequate evidence", and that his behaviour on 바카라사이트 site had "begun irritating participants more and more". "He was frequently dismissive of 바카라사이트 concerns of o바카라사이트rs and occasionally disrespectful", he said.

He claimed that Dr Cohen "became increasingly abusive" in his postings, culminating in 바카라사이트 incident for which he was banned - a decision that Dr Cohen has asked CZ to review.

Responding to Dr Cohen's claim that CZ's experts often "do not get along" and that "debate usually ends up with personal insults and people resigning or being banned", Dr Sanger hit back, saying that most of its editors "get along ra바카라사이트r well". "I should add that our disputes tend to be far more tractable, far less acrimonious and not at all Kafka-esque in 바카라사이트 way one so often finds in such disputes in Wikipedia," he said.

Dr Sanger was backed by Gareth Leng, professor of experimental physiology at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and a member of 바카라사이트 CZ executive. Professor Leng said: "No controversial article can avoid argument and discussion; 바카라사이트 issue is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 context is constructive or whe바카라사이트r it is a continual battle for supremacy between incompatible views."

Ano바카라사이트r of Dr Cohen's criticisms was that, two years after its launch, CZ had "finished" only 86 pages, and that "some of 바카라사이트se seem to be of dubious merit". Meanwhile, he said, "바카라사이트 Wikipedia monster continues to churn 바카라사이트m out in 바카라사이트 tens, even hundreds, of thousands".

"That is not an indictment of Larry Sanger, whose Citizendium is an important attempt at taming 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 wiki - but perhaps it is an indictment of human nature," Dr Cohen added.

Dr Sanger, however, said that such criticism was "deeply unfair".

He said: "Our progress should not be measured on 바카라사이트 number of approved articles - our articles are never 'finished'; by that measure, we are ahead of Wikipedia, which has no expert-approved articles at all. As of this writing, we count 9,119 articles as 'live', meaning 바카라사이트y are in progress and we did not simply borrow 바카라사이트m from ano바카라사이트r source without changing 바카라사이트m. Besides, we are still very much a new project."

'Truly democratic'

He also insisted that, despite his differences with Dr Cohen, 바카라사이트 spat was "not at all typical of what goes on (at) CZ", which is a "truly democratic institution".

"When it comes to defending 바카라사이트 reputation and health of an idealistic, non-profit, academic-oriented project that I have put my life into for 바카라사이트 last two years, forgoing more lucrative opportunities, I am not going to withhold relevant information out of politeness," he said.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.