In case you’ve ever wondered just how much power Jimmy Wales has over Wikipedia, you can rest easy knowing that he can’t just pull the plug on his own. Someone on Quora was apparently wondering about this, and decided to ask him about it, as he is quite active on the Q&A site. His response is both humorous and reassuring.
Very stupid.
Update: Since this was first posted, Wales has decided to change his wording a bit:
One of the comments in the thread, from Marcus Geduld, said:
Mr Wales, I have tremendous respect for you and your work, but I’m saddened and surprised to see the founder of an encyclopedia — and educator — write, “This is a very stupid question.”
Not everyone understands that wikipedia is a corporation, and not everyone understands how corporations work. People who don’t understand how certain things work can often learn by asking questions. When we respond with “That’s a stupid question,” we send them a message that says “Stop asking questions!” And that response likely to resonate all the more loudly if it comes from someone in your position.
Another comment suggested that Wales was responsible for the famous SOPA blackout, to which he responded, “I didn’t do it. There was a community vote, support from the CEO, etc. I do not have (nor want!) sole authority for anything like that.”