Ask questions to Mr. Brion Vibber (WikiPedia CTO) only on Crazy Engineers!

@mayur-ywQKfu • Oct 21, 2024

Oct 21, 2024

1.3K

CEans!

We have grown up while studying the big world books or Britannica encyclopaedias. Later we also purchased the Encarta. But had we ever imagined that the world will be open to the largest online information repository of knowledge, information and fun? Yes... I'm talking about Wikipedia.

We are extremely pleased to have Brion Vibber, CTO of Wikimedia, the foundation that runs the wikipedia, talk to us.

Brion Vibber is the release manager and most active developer of MediaWiki, and Chief Technical Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.

So pour in questions and suggestions for him right here in this post.

PS: Deadline would be 10th April.

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Ashraf HZ

@Ash • Apr 3, 2008

Wow.. I miss the old Encarta '96.

I'm not sure how to phrase this question, but i'll give it a go. Will post more later 😀

Q. Do you see the likes of Britannica & Citizendium as a threat to Wikipedia, or do all three complement each other in some way?
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Apr 3, 2008

My question:

Wikipedia is a very big & one of the highly trafficked website on the Internet. Could you please tell us about the setup that you have to host such a big website?
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Anil Jain

@CrazyBoy • Apr 3, 2008

Sir, How did you come up with the idea of creating such a huge knowledge repository on web?

Sir, Wiki is such a huge knowledge platform, you must have faced a lot of problems while starting this project. Could you please share the most baffling problems you faced while designing WIKI? may be related to Platform/Database or search engine?

Thanks,
-CrazyBoy

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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Apr 3, 2008

crazyboy
Sir, How did you come up with the idea of creating such a huge knowledge repository on web?

Sir, Wiki is such a huge knowledge platform, you must have faced a lot of problems while starting this project. Could you please share the most baffling problems you faced while designing WIKI? may be related to Platform/Database or search engine?

Thanks,
-CrazyBoy

I doubt if Mr. Brion Vibber is the founding memeber of the wikimedia foundation.

Btw, everyone check this Google Video of Mr. Brion Vibber's Talk @ Google -

#-Link-Snipped-#

&

#-Link-Snipped-#

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Ashraf HZ

@Ash • Apr 4, 2008

Hehe, this is the cue for you to integrate MediaWiki with CE 😉
Got another possible question.

Q. Do you have any tips or advice on how to run an effective wiki on a website for the first time? For example, the amount of dedication and the type of teamwork needed, etc.

Had to ask.. 😉
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Apr 4, 2008

Not sure if Brion was one of the memebrs who created the wikipedia. But none the less managing it is in itself a huge task.

I was informed that they are a team of just 15 people who do every thing.

Phew!!!! Too much.
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Apr 9, 2008

Whats wrong with you guys? We are 10k strong and just 4 questions to the CTO of Wikipedia in more than a week?

CE regulars... where are you? I think you need a doze.
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Anil Jain

@CrazyBoy • Apr 9, 2008

mayurpathak
Whats wrong with you guys? We are 10k strong and just 4 questions to the CTO of Wikipedia in more than a week?

CE regulars... where are you? I think you need a doze.
Q1 Sir, you are running such a enormous web repository, there must have some great ideas behind the security of Wiki? How you keep Wiki safe from the hackers attack? Is it n-tier server set-ups make its security powerful or you are using some other tools for security?

Q2 Sir, Wiki is one of the most popular web encyclopedia; still we haven't seen commercialization of Wiki (i.e. no Advertisements) till now? Do we have any such plans in future?
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Mayur Pathak

@mayur-ywQKfu • Apr 9, 2008

Ohh Boy! Crazyboy! 😀

Keep them coming. CEans, gear up.
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Ashraf HZ

@Ash • Apr 9, 2008

Hold up bro, dont get confused with Wiki and Wikipedia 😉 Wiki is the software that Wikipedia uses, first developed by Howard Cunningham.

*scratches head* ok.. lets think of a question.

Q. In light of the fact that Wikipedia is a popular source for college students to rely on for research, do you think information is best searched from the internet rather than books? Will the likes of Wikipedia diminish the importance of academic books?
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MaRo

@maro-Ce3knx • Apr 9, 2008

I want to ask if some MSN robot can be setup to deliever usable information to IM users, like I may ask him about certain piece of information and it get the answer rapidly as if I'm talking to friend?

I want to thank you as long as endless of times for Wikipedia 😀

And Of course thanks CE for all great opportunities 😉
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Apr 9, 2008

crazyboy
Q1 Sir, you are running such a enormous web repository, there must have some great ideas behind the security of Wiki? How you keep Wiki safe from the hackers attack? Is it n-tier server set-ups make its security powerful or you are using some other tools for security?

Q2 Sir, Wiki is one of the most popular web encyclopedia; still we haven't seen commercialization of Wiki (i.e. no Advertisements) till now? Do we have any such plans in future?
Question #1 is super! , Question #2 - I think wikipedia is meant to be free. Recently they accepted donations to keep wikipedia running.

My question:

Could you please tell us about your role in Running Wikipedia? 😀
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Anil Jain

@CrazyBoy • Apr 10, 2008

Q3. Sir, Wiki is one of the most leading and updated online encyclopedia. How you make sure the search results it gives are the most accurate and appropriate?

Q4. Sir, which DataBase you are using for WikiPedia? Why?

Q5. Sir, How you manage to update such a huge database? There are 'n' number of inventions happens everyday, on the other hand as soon as we try to search anything on WikiPedia which is invented recently, we get the correct answer. What is the mechanism by which Wiki's Database get all the updates?

-CrazyBoy
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Prasad Ajinkya

@prasad-aSUfhP • Apr 12, 2008

Shucks, looks like I came in a little late!! Sorry Biggie, completely tied up at work ... no breathing space :-(

my questions -
1. How do you handle DRM and information rights?
2. What is the typical bandwidth requirements of such a system? How is the hosting being structured? How do you manage to fund such a venture without any obvious revenue sources?
3. With the onslaught of so many web 2.0 applications coming into picture, have you considered "pimping up" wiki 😀 into a more smoother web application?
4. What about introducing semantics in wiki - any thoughts?
5. There are some of me-too's available in the market for a public wiki (you know who I am referring to), what is that ability you think which will help in positioning yours differently?
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