User:Harry Wood

Real name: Harry Wood

You can find out all about me on...

Harry Wood homepage

Looking at some other people's work, I wouldn't say I'm a big contributor to wikipedia. I just try to chip in here and there when I see something is missing/wrong.

I am great believer in the wiki processes which have made this encyclopaedia possible, and which continue to help it grow bigger and better. I also believe that wikipedia is a force for good, on a web dominated by boring old capitalism. Some people find such statements sickly, and compare wikipedia to a religious cult. The key difference is that wikipedia is about building an encyclopaedia and sharing human knowledge, which is a useful purpose to rally around, and something which can make the world a better place. Yes, people feel strongly about this cause, and dedicate themselves to it rather like a religion, but it's not a religion, it's an encyclopaedia!

Wikipedia is clearly an extreme demonstration of the wiki process, and how ultimately altruism and good human nature can triumph over those few bad apples who engage in childish destruction. Because of the high usage levels compared to any other wiki, the wiki process is really put the test in more subtle cases, where two sides of an argument collide, both acting in good faith and believing themselves to be correct. Looking through past discussions, I can see these cases can be difficult emotionally for the people involved. Thus far I've avoided getting embroiled in any such rows.

Other wikimedia projects

See meta:User:Harry_Wood

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This user lives in London.

This user is interested in maps.

This user contributes to OpenStreetMap.

This user is a member of the Canoeing and Kayaking WikiProject.