As a newbie to CZ, I scanned first through the explaining parts and then
trough the forums. What I am missing is an explicit statement/declaration of
the function of CZ.
Greetings Citizens!
I was interested to read the discussions on the 'charter (in which I was invited to take a leading role in drafting - thanks!) but I am mindful that Hans question here still needs answering before the Charter serves any useful purpose. Hans asks 'What is the point' of this Citizendium?
This discussion has failed to address that issue, but clearly CZ's founder, Larry, has made the judgement that is lacks any point, by not editing or contributing to it. And, on this point at least, I agree with him.
As a former editor on the project, I found it lacked sufficient content to be useful. IN my area - philosophy (which nominally is Larry's too) it lacked pages on almost every topic, from Plato and Aristotle to 'philosophy' itself. It was initially hard to me to understand how so little could have been achieved by so many in so much time. But the reasons soon became apparent! Anyway, at the rate content was being added, this problem was never going to be solved.
Two solutions occured to me:
1. Drastically curtail the areas supposedly covered. Eg. it could have been reduced to overviews of 'controversial topics' in the sciences and social sciences. A similar approach is now being undertaken by myself and Pierre Alain Gouanvic at
http://philosophical-investigations.wikidot.com/2. A second necessary strategy would have been to 'free-up' the production of articles.
3. The ability of certain time wasters to interfere and drive off contributors needed to be addressed. Alas, the Time Waster in Chief was also the 'Editor in Chief'!
Even if these [problems had been addressed, though, Hans, CZ would still have lacked a purpose. The net is full of good specialist and general sources on all topics, offering 'digests'. CZ needs/ needed its own style. Being 'neutral' was not such a focus, but merely a philosophical category mistake.
The content that was completed was of mediocre quality, and certainly not worth shouting about, as Citizens are prone to. In fact, the CZ project has driven off or simply 'bored off' most of its potential contributors, let alone readers. We are left with a handful of egotistical bores. I mention no names, but they know who they are. CZ has no useful reference aspects and is left solely as a vehicle for egomaniac - could that be Larry's influence - with its foolish titles and elaborate 'procedures'.
So... although I wish the project well, I suspect (like it seems it founder does) that it has no true function, and no future, and so the time spent contributing to it is really best seen as what it is - writing for the pleasure of writing rather than of being read.
ps.
'end' has two senses, of course. The purpose and the 'finish'.
