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  • [Fwd: Seeking Contributors For Open Content Encyclopedia]

    Dear Biomch-L subscribers,

    I am forwarding this message for Nupedia.com.

    Ton van den Bogert, Biomch-L co-moderator

    -------- Original Message --------
    Subject: Seeking Contributors For Open Content Encyclopedia
    Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 10:35:17 -0700 (PDT)
    From:
    To: BIOMCH-L-Request@NIC.SURFNET.NL


    My name is Elizabeth Campeau and I am an Editorial Assistant for Nupedia.
    I am writing to request permission to post the following announcement on
    your mailing list.

    If you would prefer, you can forward this announcement. If you choose to
    forward this, please write and let me know it has been posted.

    Thank you for your time.

    Elizabeth Campeau
    Editorial Assistant-Nupedia

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    A major new encyclopedia project, Nupedia.com, is looking for informed
    and enthusiastic people to help direct and construct an "open content"
    encyclopedia, planned to become the largest general encyclopedia in
    history. Articles will be peer-reviewed and carefully copyedited by
    means of a growing network of mailing lists. The project has
    significant financial support, and its leaders and owners are committed
    to a years-long, intensive effort. Among the project's leaders, the
    excitement level is high.

    In constructing this encyclopedia, we intend use the special
    opportunities of the internet and hyperlinks to include articles written
    at varying levels of generality and specialization. (Programmers may be
    interested to know that the articles will be encoded in XML format.)

    We are in need of well-qualified writers, editors, and peer reviewers in
    all areas, and will be doing searches for subject area editors. At
    present, we have about three dozen Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s, and other
    highly-trained professionals who have generously volunteered their time
    as Nupedia editors and peer reviewers. Most of these people are also
    advisory board members who help shape Nupedia policy and procedure. We
    are all committed to creating an open, public, academically-respectable
    institution.

    What does it mean to say the encyclopedia is "open content"?
    This means that anyone can use content taken from Nupedia
    articles for almost any purpose, both for-profit or non-profit,
    so long as Nupedia is credited as the source and so long as the
    distributor of the information does not attempt to restrict
    others from distributing the same information. Nupedia will be
    "open content" in the same way that Linux and the Open Directory
    Project (dmoz.com) are "open source." As has been the case with
    those projects, we plan to attract a huge body of talented
    contributors.

    Indeed, since making our initial press release in March, over 1500
    people from around the world have signed up as Nupedia members.

    Because Nupedia will be open content, it will be in a
    freely-distributable public resource created by an international
    public effort. It is not an exaggeration to say that your
    contributions would help to provide an international public a
    free education. We believe Nupedia is, thus, a project worthy
    of your attention.

    If you want to join us or stay apprised of the progress of Nupedia,
    please take a minute to go to the Nupedia website at
    http://www.nupedia.com/ and become a member. (Becoming a member is
    quick, easy, and free.) Please consult
    http://www.nupedia.com/steering.html for details about steering
    committee positions and consult http://www.nupedia.com/policy.html for a
    draft statement of Nupedia editorial policy.

    Best regards,
    Larry Sanger, Ph.D. expected May 2000 Philosophy, Ohio State
    Editor-in-Chief, Nupedia.com
    San Diego, California

    P.S. If you wish to help promote this project -- something we
    would greatly appreciate -- please do forward this announcement
    to any *appropriate* forums and to colleagues you think may be
    interested (including your local/departmental mailing lists and
    newsgroups). Or, if you would rather that Nupedia make the
    announcement on a forum you frequent, please just give us a
    pointer to the forum and we can take it from there.

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