Seeking Editors, Writers, and Advisors to Create an Exciting New Encyclopedia
1. The internet has revolutionized the way people study and do research.
Traditional encyclopedias, like the well-known Encyclopedia Britannia, contains 20,000 to 100,000 articles, arranged alphabetically, printed in 20 to 40 volumes. They are concise. Often well-researched, expensive and at best published annually. They contain only a few pictures and images, usually in black and white. Most families can afford one set in a lifetime, so students traditionally worked from knowledge that was not up to date, or they had to go to libraries for research.
Internet encyclopedias, like Wikipedia, are not limited in the number of articles, article size or number of beautiful colour images because they are not physically printed. They can be updated constantly (literally “up to the minute,” or even second!) and they are easy to access from anywhere in the world, an airport lounge, or a grass hut. All that is needed is a computer connected to the internet. Wikipedia, started in 2001, had over 1.5 million articles as 2007 began. These articles are easily located through search engines, and a reader can follow thought progressions quickly through hyperlinks. Wikipedia articles vary in quality, accuracy, and style. Many teachers and scholars complain about lack of quality control and accuracy because it can be edited by anyone. Yet, most students, as well as others, consult Wikipedia before any other knowledge source. Just as the automobile has made everyday traveling by horse obsolete, so are internet encyclopedias making everyday research in print encyclopedia disappear
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2. Readers want to know what knowledge is valuable and useful.
Traditional education was more than learning facts and theories, and was aimed at imparting knowledge that would lead to personal success, leadership, and the advancement of civilization. This was why and how Aristotle organized knowledge to teach future leaders like Alexander the Great. When the French encyclopedists developed the modern encyclopedia, they sought to provide valuable and socially useful knowledge to readers who were expected to become good citizens in the new democracies that gave individuals political power.
However, many of the Enlightenment thinkers were accused of having an anti-religious bias. Their encyclopedia was thought to undermine the influence of the Church in France. The Encyclopedia Britannia tried to better integrate scientific knowledge and traditional British values through its eleventh edition (1913). However, charges of promoting the values of British imperialism eventually gave way to the publication of the modern “scientific” encyclopedia. Most twentieth-century encyclopedias attempted to convey only “proven facts.” They focused on the natural world, science, and technology, greatly limiting or abbreviating articles on historical people or social institutions.
Postmodern philosophy realized that all language contains values at the basis of its construction and that there is no language that is value neutral. The scientific encyclopedias carry in them the implicit valued of “scientism,” or the view that true knowledge only relates to the material world. Thus, not only did scientific encyclopedias fail at being sufficiently broad, they failed at being value neutral. They also fail at helping the readers to organize knowledge in a way that can improve his or her life or society. Many scholars consider the eleventh edition of the Britannia to be the last great encyclopedia as the religious, humanistic, or spiritual values have no place in a merely scientific compendium of knowledge.
3. New World Encyclopedia is addressing these two challenges for encyclopedias.
a) New World Encyclopedia is a wiki-based internet encyclopedia which can be continually updated by editors through an edit pane over the internet. It draws upon Wikipedia and the uses the GNU Free Document License. However, articles are re-written and edited by a team of writers and editors to check grammar and style, fact, implicit values and agendas, and improve quality if necessary. In addition, articles are written and copy edited according to the New World Encyclopedia style guide to improve consistency in presentation.
b) New World Encyclopedia takes up the question of values through the foundational affirmation of values believed to be ideal and universal: happiness, prosperity, and peace. These values roughly approximately the values enshired in the United States Declaration of Independence (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), and those in Unification Thought (all people are equal in the sight of God, and are created to fulfill the “three blessings.”) Nearly all major religions and ideologies point to these general values. Also, because good societies require educated and responsible citizens, they depend on people who respect and embody these values. Further, specific and more detailed discussion of values appear on the “Unification Aspects” page. This page is not directly part of the article itself, but rather an addendum to the article.
Summary
New World Encyclopedia is integrating the fluidity and accessibility of Wikipedia with quality controls of traditional encyclopedias. New World Encyclopedia adds to factual information knowledge about the value of the information, and how it can be used to help readers to make decisions that support personal success and a peaceful world.
Seeking Editors, Writers, and Advisors
Modest payment for contributions. The official public launch of the project is planned for February 2008.
To become involved go the website: www.newworldencyclopedia.org or contact the appropriate office below:
Editor-in-Chief
Frank Kaufmann, Ph.D.
481 8th Avenue
30th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
Tel: (212) 239 6500 x 222
Fax: (212) 869-6424
tl@pipeline.com
Managing Editor
Robert Brooks
30 Seminary Drive
Room 284
Barrytown, NY 12507
USA
Tel: (914) 475-1903 (cell)
Tel: (845) 752-3000 ext. 241
Fax: (845) 752-3014
robert@encyclopediaproject.net
Business Office
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue
Suite 7
St. Paul, MN 55113
USA
Tel: (651) 644-3087
Fax: (651) 644-0997
gla@paragonhouse.com
Sample articles and further information available at:
www.newworldencyclopedia.org
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