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| '''Citizendium''' ("a [[citizen]]s' [[compendium]] of everything") is an online [[wiki]]-based [[encyclopedia]] first intended to begin as a "progressive or gradual [[Fork (software development)|fork]]" of the [[English Wikipedia]],<ref name=Orlowski18>Andrew Orlowski. [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/18/sanger_forks_wikipedia/ "Wikipedia founder forks Wikipedia, More experts, less fiddling?"], ''[[The Register]]'', [[September 18]] [[2006]].</ref> though a decision to start largely from scratch was then made before launch. It aims to function in a similar way to Wikipedia, but does not allow anonymous editing and introduces a new "editor" role for specialists in particular subjects. | | {{subpages}} |
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| | {{Image|Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium front page 2016-07-01 17-41-54.png|right|400px|Citizendium home page in July 2016.}} |
| | [https://en.citizendium.org/ The '''Citizendium'''] (''si-tih-ZEN-dee-um'', "a citizens' compendium") is a [[wiki]]-based free [[encyclopedia]] project founded in 2007 by [[Larry Sanger]], who also co-founded [[Wikipedia]]. It allows users to write and edit articles on many subjects, as long as they register and edit under their real, verified name. Citizendium articles are released under a [[Creative Commons]] license that allows acknowledged duplication. We allow material from other wikis to be used with attribution. The project currently has {{PAGESINCAT:CZ Live}} articles in varying stages of development. |
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| The Citizendium project is spearheaded by [[Larry Sanger]], co-founder and former editor-in-chief of Wikipedia.<ref name="Larry_Sanger_Springs_Citizendium">{{cite news
| | <big>A better summary is probably to be had '''[[CZ:Introduction_to_CZ_for_Wikipedians#Why Citizendium?|here]]'''. We no longer are following the "expert guidance" model used in prior years.</big> |
| |first=Brian
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| |last=Bergstein
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| |title=Sanger says he co-started Wikipedia
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| |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WIKIPEDIA_FOUNDERS?SITE=NCASH&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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| |publisher= [[Associated Press]] | |
| |date=March 25, 2007
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| |accessdate=2007-03-26}}</ref><ref name="co-founder">{{cite news|url= http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/02/12/bias_sabotage_haunt_wikipedias_free_world/?page=4 | title = Bias, sabotage haunt Wikipedia's free world | author = David Mehegan | work = [[Boston Globe]] | date = [[February 12]], [[2006]] | accessdate = 2007-03-21}}</ref><ref>http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=47608</ref> It will be carried out under the auspices of the Citizendium Foundation.<ref name=SangerEmail092306>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-September/000348.html "Constables, editors, and the Citizendium Foundation"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[September 23]], [[2006]].</ref> Sanger was previously involved in another online encyclopedia project, [[Digital Universe]], but he left it to focus on Citizendium.<ref>[https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-September/000476.html Citizendium-l: Citizendium launch plan as of September 26], message by Larry Sanger.</ref>
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| Sanger said in an [[October 17]], [[2006]] press release that Citizendium "will soon attempt to unseat Wikipedia as the go-to destination for general information online".<ref name=Sangerpr>Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/release_001.html "Co-Founder to Launch Edited Version of Wikipedia: Pilot Project for the Citizendium to Launch This Week"], Citizendium.org, [[October 17]], [[2006]]</ref> The project began its pilot phase in November 2006.
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| On [[January 18]], [[2007]] a change of plans was announced. Sanger announced on the CZ mailing list that only articles marked "CZ Live" (which have been or will soon be worked on by Citizendium contributors) would remain on the site, and all other articles forked from Wikipedia would be deleted. Not all Citizendium contributors were supportive of this change, but Sanger emphasized that this deletion was "an experiment" and a new set of Wikipedia articles could be uploaded if the experiment were deemed unsuccessful.<ref name=Nofork>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2007-January/000863.html "OK, let's delete the Wikipedia articles (an experiment)"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[January 18]], [[2007]].</ref>
| | ==Structure== |
| | The Citizendium is run according to a set of [[CZ:Policies|policies]]. The community itself, through consensus and discussion, is responsible for shaping the content of articles, as well as funding, appointments, and other administrative matters. In the past, members were elected or appointed to represent the project, make interim decisions and mediate disputes. At present, the wiki is operated by a small, dedicated group of volunteers. |
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| Citizendium has opened to the public but is still in its beta phase.
| | Members of the project used to be called "Citizens" and were, at one time, divided into "Authors", who were regular project members, and "Editors", who were recognized experts. This model of operation was not successful, and now, all contributors are equal. Other roles include: the [[CZ:Technical Team|technical staff]], who maintain the [[software]] and [[server]]s of the wiki; the Treasurer, who administers the project's finances; and the Editor in Chief and Assistant Editor, who may arbitrate controversies if it becomes necessary. |
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| ==Nature of the project== | | ===Open collaboration=== |
| ===Fork of Wikipedia ===
| | Citizendium is similar to Wikipedia in that it is an open wiki: the public is invited to participate and edit most pages. Anonymous edits are not allowed, but in principle members can edit most pages. |
| According to statements and essays on [http://www.citizendium.org Citizendium.org], the project was intended to begin as a [[Fork (software development)|fork]] of Wikipedia, carrying a copy of each article — under the rules of the [[GNU Free Documentation License]] — as it existed on Wikipedia at the time of Citizendium's launch.<ref>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-September/000483.html "Why we should fork all at once"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[September 29]] [[2006]].</ref> However, after initiating the idea of not forking, and then soliciting comments on the matter from Citizendium [[electronic mailing list|mailing list]] and [[web forum]] members, Sanger said that a complete fork at launch was not a "foregone conclusion".<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,68.0.html "Forking argument summary"], Citizendium forum, [[September 29]] [[2006]].</ref> On [[January 18]], [[2007]], Sanger announced that the pilot will, as an experiment, only carry articles that have been or will soon be worked on by Citizendium contributors, instead of a complete set of Wikipedia articles. He stated that the experiment "represents a reconception of our project's basic aim."<ref name=Nofork />
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| No announcement has yet been made on Citizendium in languages other than English, but Sanger has stated in his essays that they may be forthcoming after the English language version is established and working successfully.
| | ===Real names=== |
| | Citizendium requires that all contributors be logged in and edit under their real name, as this is thought to reduced vandalism, encourage a civil atmosphere, and help readers to judge how accurate an article may be. Any applicant must not only declare that the name they have submitted is their own, but must submit evidence that verifies this. Common verification methods include use of a non-free e-mail address, such as one used at an educational institution or company, or the submission of scanned identity documents such as a driver's license (information other than the applicant's name may be blacked out). Minors are asked to provide less personal information. All contributors must also maintain at least a short public biography about themselves, to give readers some idea of the knowledge or abilities the Citizen has brought to their edits. |
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| ===Project goal===
| | In contrast to the [[pseudonym]]s common on Wikipedia, Citizendium contributors believe the use of real names adds to the credibility and accuracy of Citizendium articles and that real names lead to the likelihood of more courteous interactions among contributors. |
| The stated aim of the project is to create a "new compendium of knowledge" based on the contributions of "[[intellectuals]]", defined as "educated, thinking people who read about science or ideas regularly."<ref name=Sangeressay>Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/essay.html "Toward a New Compendium of Knowledge (longer version)"], Citizendium.</ref> Citizendium hopes to foster an [[expert]] culture and a community that encourages subject specialists (presently named as "editors") to contribute, and "citizens" (to be called "authors") to "respect" the expert contributions (by what he referred to as a "gentle process of guidance").
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| An appeals process for disagreements between editors and authors, and between different editors, will be in place, according to a provisional "Citizendium Policy Outline" published by Sanger.<ref name=Sangeroutline>Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/policy_draft.html "Citizendium Policy Outline"], Citizendium.
| | ===Citable articles=== |
| | Some years ago, a (then) Editor could declare a version of an article essentially complete and of reasonably good quality. A copy of this approved version was made available, locked to further editing, on a subpage of the main article. The article itself remains freely editable and can later be re-approved and replace the citable version. |
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| <small>On the Citizendium blog, Sanger wrote this caveat about the provisional outline: "This is a work in progress. Therefore, I hope the Wikipedia article about the Citizendium will not say tomorrow that CZ will have features X, Y, and Z. These are in most cases negotiable policy ideas, a place for the invitees to the policy project to work from." Sanger also stated that future versions of the policy outline would be posted on the restricted-access pilot wiki: "The most current version will be available on the pilot project wiki. To see that, you’ll have to be a member of the pilot project."</small></ref> Experts will be required to verify their [[professional certification|qualifications]] openly, for transparency and publicly accepted authority.<ref name=Sangeroutline /> This contrasts with the open and largely [[anonymous]] nature of Wikipedia, where subject specialists have neither any verifiable special knowledge of their subject nor agreed special status. Sanger has stated that editors will ''not'' have pre-approval rights over edits by ordinary authors, though editors will have somewhat undefined authority over articles that fall within their specific area of expertise.
| | ===Article inclusion policy=== |
| | Citizendium has the following [[CZ:Content_Policy|content policy]]. There is no requirement that article topics be "notable", which means Citizendium does not exclude topics solely on the ground that their topics have not been covered extensively in the media or reliable online websites. Citizendium asserts that what may be completely trivial to one person might in fact be quite important to another, and our content policy allows you, for example, to write an article about a small, obscure local park. |
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| ===Reliability as a reference===
| | However, the wiki does not allow articles that involve [[CZ:Policy_on_Self-Promotion|self-promotion]] or advocacy of causes. Debates about inclusion generally belong in [[Forum_Talk:Content]] but may also occur on the Discussion page of specific articles. |
| Many of Citizendium's proposed policies are attempts to correct perceived flaws in the original design and present public image of Wikipedia, that have led to problems with Wikipedia's acceptance as a valid and trustworthy resource.<ref name="SusanYoungwood">{{cite news
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| | first = Susan
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| | last = Youngwood
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| | title = Wikipedia: What do they know; when do they know it, and when can we trust it?
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| | url = http://vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070401/FEATURES/70330002
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| | work = Vermont Sunday Magazine
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| | publisher = [[Rutland Herald]]
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| | date = April 1, 2007
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| | accessdate = 2007-04-05
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| | quote =<small>Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Wikipedia - both its genius and its Achilles heel - is that anyone can create or modify an entry. Anyone means your 10-year-old neighbor or a Nobel Prize winner - or an editor like me, who is itching to correct a grammar error in that Wikipedia entry that I just quoted. Entries can be edited by numerous people and be in constant flux. What you read now might change in five minutes. Five seconds, even.<small/>}}<small> — Susan Youngwood.</small></ref> The use of Wikipedia is not accepted in many schools and universities in writing a formal paper. Some educational institutions have blocked Wikipedia in the past while others have limited its use to only a pointer to external sources.<ref name="LysaChen">{{cite news | |
| | first = Lysa
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| | last = Chen
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| | title = Several colleges push to ban Wikipedia as resource
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| | url = http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/03/28/News/Several.Colleges.Push.To.Ban.Wikipedia.As.Resource-2809247.shtml
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| | work =
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| | publisher = [[The Chronicle (Duke University)|The Chronicle Online]]
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| | date = March 28, 2007
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| | accessdate = 2007-04-05}}</ref>
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| This perception is seemingly backed up by Wikipedia co-founder<ref name="Dan_Mitchell">
| | ==Footnotes== |
| {{cite news
| | {{reflist|2}}[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]] |
| |first=Dan
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| |last=Mitchell
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| |title=Insider Editing at Wikipedia
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| |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/technology/24online.ready.html?ex=1293080400&en=431aff478b00239e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
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| |publisher=[[The New York Times]]
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| |date=December 24, 2005
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| |accessdate=2007-04-05}}</ref> [[Jimmy Wales|Jimmy Wales']] own admission:
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| : "The site is a wonderful starting point for research. But it's only a starting point because there's always a chance that there's something wrong, and you should check your sources if you are writing a paper. The key is to look at the quality of articles. The quality of Wikipedia today compared with three years ago is a dramatic improvement. But people do need to be aware of how it is created and edited so they can treat it with the appropriate caution."<ref name="TimeMagazine">
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| {{cite news
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| |title=10 Questions: Jimmy Wales
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| |url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1601491,00.html
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| |publisher=[[Time Magazine]]
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| |date=March 21, 2007
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| |accessdate=2007-04-05}}</ref>
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| Regarding Wikipedia's oft-cited problems, Sanger wrote that "this arguably dysfunctional community is extremely off-putting to … academics" and as such appears "committed to amateurism."<ref name=Sangeressay />
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| ===Proposed policies and structure===
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| Citizendium will only in rare instance allow anonymous editing, including possible [[proofreading]] by trusted [[copy editing|copy editors]], who have low-level authority to amend the texts for [[typography|typographical]], [[syntax|syntactical]] and [[grammar|grammatical]] errors etc. People will be asked to register under their real names with a working e-mail address, in order to participate. (Details of this process are still to be worked out. Problems with online safety and [[privacy]] are currently being addressed).
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| Sanger has stated that Citizendium administrators, or [[sysops]], will be called "constables", and will need a bachelor's degree to qualify. Sanger has also suggested a minimum "maturity" requirement — 25 years of age — for constables.<ref name=Sangeroutline /> The "head" constable will be the ''Chief Constable'' (Ruth Ifcher), and the head editor will be the ''Managing Editor''.<ref name=SangerEmail092306>Larry Sanger.</ref>
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| Recent comments by Sanger envision an ''Editor-in-Chief'' (Sanger himself) who will be the "main individual in charge", and who will be part of and answerable to a ''Board of Directors''. There will also be ''Chief Subject Editors'' selected for each discipline treated in the encyclopedia. Sanger states that final decisions about management structure will not be made "until more of the (future) primary stakeholders are on the scene".<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,51.0.html "How should we manage growth?"], Citizendium forum, [[October 2]] [[2006]].</ref> In a Citizendium blog entry of [[November 10]] [[2006]], constable Sarah Tuttle announced the formation of an "executive committee" consisting of herself, Sanger and eleven others, which will work on issues of "long term governance" of the project.<ref>Sarah Tuttle. [http://blog.citizendium.org/2006/11/10/your-executive-committee/ "Your executive committee"], Citizendium blog, [[November 10]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| Sanger has indicated that Citizendium articles will be subject to an "approval" process after they have achieved reasonable quality. A subject expert "editor" will select a version of the article to be identified in some way as "approved". However, further editing of the article would be allowed, at least to some extent. If those further edits were judged by the editor to be improvements, a newer version of the article would be chosen as the approved version. This approval process appears to be a response by Sanger to criticisms from some members of the Citizendium mailing list and web forum that the new project would not be sufficiently controlled by experts. There will be a dispute-resolution process for disagreements about which version should be selected as "approved".<ref name=Sangeroutline />
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| In an [[October 26]] post to the Citizendium web forum, then Managing Editor David Marshall indicated that the approved version of an article, if it exists, will be the default version displayed to a visitor to the site. If a contributor wishes to modify or add to the article, login will be necessary to work on the "dynamic wiki page" open to editing:
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| : All reader searches will auto-forward to the most recently approved version of the page (assuming that a version has been approved). Once at an approved page, the reader will be given the option to register/log in as an author and move to the dynamic wiki page in current use for development purposes.<ref>David Marshall. [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,108.0.html "My ideas on presenting consistently high quality content"], Citizendium forum, [[October 26]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| ==History==
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| ===Initial proposal===
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| The project was announced by Sanger on [[September 15]], [[2006]], at the [[Wizards of OS]] 4 conference in [[Berlin]]. He gave no deadline for the full launch of the [[wiki]].<ref name=deadlines>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-September/000476.html "Citizendium launch plan as of September 26"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[September 27]] [[2006]].</ref><ref> [http://phalacrocorax.informatik.hu-berlin.de/fr/06_13h_QualityManagementInFreeContent.ogg WOS video stream containing Sanger's announcement] </ref> However, on [[October 2]], [[2006]] Sanger released a pilot project announcement that envisions a fully functioning wiki within "one to two months".
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| ===Pilot project===
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| In an apparent attempt to quicken the pace of the project, on [[October 2]], [[2006]] Citizendium web forum moderator Peter Hitchmough suggested what he called an "[[alpha test]]" of the concept. Hitchmough proposed the forking of a limited number of Wikipedia articles to a site where Citizendium web forum and mailing list members could "rewrite a complete section" of Wikipedia content.<ref>Peter Hitchmough. [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,80.0.html "Proposal: Fork Wikipedia and launch with some A1-class model subjects"], Citizendium forum, [[October 2]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| Larry Sanger reacted enthusiastically to the idea and at first suggested his already existing Textop wiki as the site for the alpha test. Sanger later posted that Textop would not be a good choice, but showed continued interest in the proposal. He envisioned a "restricted-access" wiki where the idea could be tried and requested further discussion.<ref>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-October/000499.html "Administrivia: interesting pilot project proposal"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[October 2]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| No access to the pilot version of Citizendium, even read-only, was allowed to the general public. Sanger stated: "Only invited people will be able to view and edit the pilot project wiki".<ref name=cfa>Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/cfa.html "Call for applications to participate in the Citizendium Pilot Project"], Citizendium.</ref> Sanger also said that constables for the pilot project will be chosen by the chief constable.<ref>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-November/000796.html "Pilot Project Application Review Procedure"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[November 13]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| In a press release on [[October 17]], Sanger announced: "the fledgling Citizendium Foundation will launch a six-week pilot project open to potential contributors by invitation". Several editors and other project leaders were named. It was also announced that the Citizendium Foundation had "started the process of applying for [[501(c)]](3) status" and had "received a firm commitment for a significant seed grant from a foundation, as well as small personal donations". <ref name=Sangerpr /> In a follow-up post to the press release, Sanger said that the initial group allowed access to the pilot would consist of "ten editors, three constables, six authors, and me".<ref>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-October/000571.html "Ad hoc steering group kicked off"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[October 18]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| The pilot project began operations on [[October 23]].<ref name=Jason>Jason Potkanski. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-October/000614.html "Developers Wanted: forge.citizendium.org Open"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[October 23]] [[2006]].</ref> On [[November 8]], Larry Sanger reported that 263 user names had access to the pilot wiki, 183 articles on the wiki were "live" (meaning "someone is or intends to be working on them") and there were about 300 total edits to the wiki on November 7.<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://blog.citizendium.org/2006/11/08/stats/ "Stats"], Citizendium blog, [[November 8]] [[2006]].</ref>
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| In a [[January 17]], [[2007]] post to the Citizendium forum, Larry Sanger stated that "we have had only 10–20 (very) active people out of 500 accounts created." As a result, Sanger decided to delete all articles besides those marked "CZ live" from the pilot project in an attempt to motivate greater participation.<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://forum.citizendium.org/index.php/topic,431.msg3437.html#msg3437 "Would you contribute more if the wiki were blank?"], Citizendium forum, [[January 17]] [[2007]].</ref> On January 22 Citizendium experimented with a new self-registration procedure: read/write access was granted automatically after creation of the account.<ref name=selfreg /> There were a few instances of vandalism after this change, though the vandalism was quickly reverted.<ref>Citizendium pilot wiki. [http://pilot.citizendium.org/wiki?title=Main_Page&limit=500&action=history "Main page revision history"], [[January 23]] [[2007]].</ref> On January 19, Sanger announced the formal organization of Citizendium as a legal non-profit.<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://www.mail-archive.com/citizendium-l@lists.purdue.edu/msg00369.html Upcoming announcements; your help requested], Citizendium-l mail list, [[January 19]], [[2007]]</ref>.
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| On [[February 16]], in response to rising site vandalism, automatic account creation<ref name=selfreg>Larry Sanger. [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2007-January/000871.html "Self-registration begins!"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[January 22]], [[2007]]. <small>The first act of [[Wikipedia:Vandalism|vandalism]] was carried out via an account named 'Chris Nguyen', to vandalise three pages including the main one and that of Larry Sanger, apparently before the announcement was made. The account was indefinitely blocked a little over half an hour after the first improper edit.</small></ref> was put on hold while increased protections were being put in place to counter vandalism.<ref>''[http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/02/16/vandal-assault/ Vandal Assault]'' at the Citizendium Blog</ref> The next day, page moves were limited to Constables as an additional measure against vandalism.<ref>[https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2007-February/000901.html "Page moves now require constable help; and semi-automated hand-approval of new accounts?"], Citizendium-l mail list, [[February 17]] [[2007]]</ref> In addition, Sanger continued the process of un-forking Citizendium from [[Wikipedia]] by inviting contributors to delete any Wikipedia content that had changed only superficially since it was imported.
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| ===Citizendium goes live===
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| On March 25, 2007, Citizendium ended its pilot phase and went live, into its beta phase, and the site became publicly readable.<ref>Larry Sanger. [http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/03/25/we-have-launched/ "We have launched"], Citizendium blog, [[March 25]], [[2007]]</ref> The launch coincided with a feature-length [[Associated Press]] article that ran widely, with a title in ''[[USA Today]]'' of "Citizendium aims to be better Wikipedia".<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian|last=Bergstein|title=Citizendium aims to be better Wikipedia|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5Nc9GOr3r|publisher=Associated Press|date=2007-03-25}}<small> "This week, Sanger takes the wraps off a Wikipedia alternative, Citizendium. His goal is to capture Wikipedia's bustle but this time, avoid the vandalism and inconsistency that are its pitfalls." — Brian Bergstein.</small></ref>
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| As of the launch date, nine articles have been approved<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Category:Approved_Articles|title=Category:Approved Articles|publisher=Citizendium|accessdate=2007-03-26}}</ref> by the editors:'' Barbara McClintock'', ''Biology'', ''Chemistry'', ''Chiropractic'', ''Horizontal gene transfer'', ''Metabolism'', ''RNA interference'', ''Vertebral subluxation'', and ''Wheat''. Three were improved and approved from Wikipedia articles, and the remaining six are original Citizendium articles. According to the Citizendium main page: "Articles that originated in part from Wikipedia are available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.2. All new articles will be available under an open content license yet to be determined."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page|title=Citizendium:Main Page|publisher=Citizendium|accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref>
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| The day prior to launch, Sanger released an essay, "Why the Citizendium Will (Probably) Succeed" in which he stated that activity at Citizendium grew from 100 edits a day in the first month to over 500 prior to launch. <ref>Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/whyczwillsucceed.html "Why the Citizendium Will (Probably) Succeed"], Citizendium, March 2007.<br /><small>"Our activity has grown from 100 edits per day in the first month to over 500 prior to launch. Every day, a large variety of people from many fields sign on and do some work. This is all in a period in which the project has been visible only to those who have applied to the project. In addition, while it has received a fair bit of press, we have done very little in the way of recruitment--but with good results when we have. More aggressive recruitment is our trump card, which we haven't played."</small></ref> After the launch, on March 27, 2007 a press release quotes Sanger as saying "You don’t have to choose between content and accountability. We have shown that we can create open and credible content. We can, in fact, be open to all sorts of participants, but still hold people to higher standards of content and behavior as a community".<ref name="pressreleaseofthe27th"> Larry Sanger. [http://www.citizendium.org/release_003.html Citizendium Opens its Free Online Encyclopedia Project to the Public] Citizendium, March 27, 2007.<br /><small>"The modest success of our pilot project shows that there is hope that we can correct exactly the sort of abuses that people demonize Web 2.0 for,” said the project’s Editor-in-Chief, Wikipedia co-founder Dr. Larry Sanger. “You don’t have to choose between content and accountability. We have shown that we can create open and credible content. We can, in fact, be open to all sorts of participants, but still hold people to higher standards of content and behavior as a community."</small></ref>
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| ==Notes== | |
| {{reflist|2}} | |
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| ==External links==
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| * [http://www.citizendium.org/ Citizendium.org]
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| * [http://blog.citizendium.org/ Citizendium Blog]
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| * [http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/01/18/bye-bye-to-wikipedia-articles-hello-to-our-own-work/ Citizendium unforks]
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| * [https://lists.purdue.edu/mailman/listinfo/citizendium-l Citizendium discussion list and archives]
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| * [http://smf.citizendium.org/ Citizendium forums]
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| * [http://www.citizendium.org/essay.html "Larry Sanger's essay: Toward a New Compendium of Knowledge" (longer version)]
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| * [http://wizards-of-os.org/index.php?id=2952 "Larry Sanger abstract"], [[Wizards of OS]] 4.
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| * {{de icon}} [http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/78266 "WOS 4: Citizendium soll bessere Wikipedia werden"], ''Heise online'', [[September 15]] [[2006]].
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| * [https://lists.purdue.edu/pipermail/citizendium-l/2006-October/000506.html "Wikipedia rival calls in the experts"], ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' [[October 5]], [[2006]], via Citizendium-l mailing list
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| * [http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6126469.html "Wikipedia co-founder plans 'expert' spinoff"], [[ZDNet|ZDNet News]], [[October 16]], [[2006]]
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| * [http://www.citizendium.org/release_001.html "Co-Founder to Launch Edited Version of Wikipedia, Pilot Project for the Citizendium to Launch This Week"], [[October 17]], [[2006]]
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| * [http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/citizendium.ars Citizendium: building a better Wikipedia] ''[[Ars Technica]]''
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| [[Category:Computers Workgroup]]
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| [[Category:CZ Live]] | |
(CC) Screenshot: Citizendium Citizendium home page in July 2016.
The Citizendium (si-tih-ZEN-dee-um, "a citizens' compendium") is a wiki-based free encyclopedia project founded in 2007 by Larry Sanger, who also co-founded Wikipedia. It allows users to write and edit articles on many subjects, as long as they register and edit under their real, verified name. Citizendium articles are released under a Creative Commons license that allows acknowledged duplication. We allow material from other wikis to be used with attribution. The project currently has 16,468 articles in varying stages of development.
A better summary is probably to be had here. We no longer are following the "expert guidance" model used in prior years.
Structure
The Citizendium is run according to a set of policies. The community itself, through consensus and discussion, is responsible for shaping the content of articles, as well as funding, appointments, and other administrative matters. In the past, members were elected or appointed to represent the project, make interim decisions and mediate disputes. At present, the wiki is operated by a small, dedicated group of volunteers.
Members of the project used to be called "Citizens" and were, at one time, divided into "Authors", who were regular project members, and "Editors", who were recognized experts. This model of operation was not successful, and now, all contributors are equal. Other roles include: the technical staff, who maintain the software and servers of the wiki; the Treasurer, who administers the project's finances; and the Editor in Chief and Assistant Editor, who may arbitrate controversies if it becomes necessary.
Open collaboration
Citizendium is similar to Wikipedia in that it is an open wiki: the public is invited to participate and edit most pages. Anonymous edits are not allowed, but in principle members can edit most pages.
Real names
Citizendium requires that all contributors be logged in and edit under their real name, as this is thought to reduced vandalism, encourage a civil atmosphere, and help readers to judge how accurate an article may be. Any applicant must not only declare that the name they have submitted is their own, but must submit evidence that verifies this. Common verification methods include use of a non-free e-mail address, such as one used at an educational institution or company, or the submission of scanned identity documents such as a driver's license (information other than the applicant's name may be blacked out). Minors are asked to provide less personal information. All contributors must also maintain at least a short public biography about themselves, to give readers some idea of the knowledge or abilities the Citizen has brought to their edits.
In contrast to the pseudonyms common on Wikipedia, Citizendium contributors believe the use of real names adds to the credibility and accuracy of Citizendium articles and that real names lead to the likelihood of more courteous interactions among contributors.
Citable articles
Some years ago, a (then) Editor could declare a version of an article essentially complete and of reasonably good quality. A copy of this approved version was made available, locked to further editing, on a subpage of the main article. The article itself remains freely editable and can later be re-approved and replace the citable version.
Article inclusion policy
Citizendium has the following content policy. There is no requirement that article topics be "notable", which means Citizendium does not exclude topics solely on the ground that their topics have not been covered extensively in the media or reliable online websites. Citizendium asserts that what may be completely trivial to one person might in fact be quite important to another, and our content policy allows you, for example, to write an article about a small, obscure local park.
However, the wiki does not allow articles that involve self-promotion or advocacy of causes. Debates about inclusion generally belong in Forum_Talk:Content but may also occur on the Discussion page of specific articles.
