"The Encyclopedia Game", An honest and humorous film on Wikipedia Options

[DiotimaPhil]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/172554...-on-wikipedia-v

The link above is to a kickstarter.com campaign for a film I have been working on with the cooperation of many here at Wikipedia Review, entitled "The Encyclopedia Game."

I have been researching this film for over a year, in an attempt to construct a humorous but intelligent look at the hidden side of Wikipedia (the obsessive editors and admins, the edit wars and extended conflicts, and the culture generally) by way of exploring the phenomenon of Wikipedia vandalism.

"The Encyclopedia Game" is not an informational documentary or a film essay, as earlier films on Wikipedia have been. Instead, this is a quirky, character-driven documentary that raises important issues while at the same time dealing with some extremely humorous stories and personalities. The tone of the film will be very light, but the subject matter will penetrate deeper into fundamental questions about truth, authority, community, and identity.

Although I believe that this is a film with potentially wide appeal, there aren't many who understand Wikipedia well enough to see that potential. After all, everyone uses Wikipedia, but few know what Wikipedia really is like, which can make fundraising quite difficult.

And that is why I am asking for your help. Already this film would have been impossible without the contacts I have made through Wikipedia Review, but I am hoping you can assist further by helping to promote our fundraising effort.

We must raise $60,000 by 11:59pm eastern on the 5th of April in order to move forward with this project. To accomplish this goal, the project will likely have to go viral, and establish an appeal beyond the inner-circle of Wikipedia and its critics. So, in addition to making a pledge yourself (as little as $5 will get you a download of the finished film), you could really help out by spreading the word to anyone you know who might be interested, particularly journalists or bloggers who can bring our project to a wider audience.

Thanks again to everyone at Wikipedia Review for being so helpful and taking this project as far as it has come. With your help, this fundraising campaign will be a success, and there will finally be an accessible and entertaining film that takes an honest look at the hidden world of Wikipedia.

Here are some relevant links:
Kickstarter (most important!): http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/172554...-on-wikipedia-v
Film Website: http://www.encyclopediagame.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EncyclopediaGame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/EncycloGameFilm or @EncycloGameFilm
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105391706559835687866/posts

[Wikifan]

e begging seriously?

[DiotimaPhil]

e begging seriously?

Begging is certainly not below me (I care about this project, have given a year of my life to it already, want to see it completed, and lack the means to do so without support) but "begging" is not how I would characterize my appeal.

The reason I wouldn't call it begging is because my request is really an offer.

I am saying that if you want:

an honest film about Wikipedia to be available to the world;
a film that is humorous and accessible, not a boring info-doc or film essay that would only appeal to people already deeply interested in Wikipedia;
a film that has a chance actually to get people thinking about Wikipedia differently;
a film that will lead to constructive discourse about the Wikipedia, not just sweeping generalizations of unreliability, etc.;
a film with the potential to make Wikipedia a better encyclopedia and community;

then help me to raise the required funds and my partners and I will give you that film.

We have a mixture of characters and stories (thanks largely to cooperation from folks at Wikipedia Review) that shed light on the behind-the-scenes reality of Wikipedia. But these stories are not simple. They are complicated, multi-faceted stories that expose the subtleties not only of how Wikipedia functions, but of how truth and authority function.

I come to this project as a Wikipedia outsider. I admit, when I began this project, my point of view was pretty limited. I had known a devoted Wikipedia vandal in college (Cognition), and the impression I got from my interactions with him left me with the feeling that Wikipedia was just short of worthless.

But in researching this film my perspective has shifted. I have been exposed to more sophisticated and compelling criticisms of Wikipedia than I ever had encountered previously. Still, as I started understanding Wikipedia's flaws more clearly, an increased astonishment developed for what Wikipedia has been able to accomplish, in spite of its flaws.

My perspective now is that Wikipedia is a very valuable project with a lot of potential, but with concerns that need to be addressed. My perspective is also that those concerns are often not addressed very well by the community, or even acknowledged. People seem to get defensive right away, and all hope for communication is lost.

My hope is that by making a quirky and humorous film, I will be able to raise substantial concerns about Wikipedia without anyone feeling attacked or made to be defensive. My goal as a filmmaker is to tell the truth, and to tell it in a way that people will be able to relate to. And that is what we are offering with this project.

Sorry for the long rant, but I am passionate about this, and it would be a shame for this project to be ignored simply because it can only be completed by means of what you might call "e begging."