Week5-reading watching blog-QU HONGYU 굴홍우

 Summary:

  Models of leadership in open content communities, with particular reference to the leadership style of Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, analyze the concept of "benevolent dictator", the formation of leadership authority, differences in leadership styles and their impact on community governance.

  In open content communities, leaders often appear as "benevolent dictators." Although its leadership model is somewhat authoritarian, its authority is based primarily on individual merit and the trust of the community, rather than informal positions or coercive means. Rather than relying on rewards and punishments, these leaders gain influence through charisma, sustained contributions, and the shaping of community culture.

  Leadership authority in Wales does not come from content creation, but through guiding and monitoring community norms and culture. His leadership style is centered on persuasion, example, humility and humor, and is committed to maintaining community harmony and cohesion.

  As Wikipedia grows in size and complexity, leaders face more challenges, especially in balancing openness with consensus decision-making. Welsh's leadership style evolved in practice, showing some authority in the face of a crisis, but he always insisted on an open attitude that respected community opinion.

  Although Welsh delegated some decision-making power to arbitration boards and foundation boards, he retained some decision-making power, especially when dealing with malicious editing and vandalism. This distribution of power reflects respect for community autonomy and ensures effective intervention at critical moments.

  Wikipedia's culture emphasizes egalitarian and decentralized power structures, with community members preferring to reach consensus through negotiation rather than relying on formal voting or authoritative decisions. This culture reflects a rethinking of traditional leadership models and a reverence for openness and collaboration.


Interesting points:

  Jimmy Wales' leadership style has been described as that of a "benevolent dictator", and although he had some decision-making power, his authority was based primarily on personal merit and the trust of the community, rather than informal positions or coercive means. How does this leadership model balance authority with community autonomy in an open content community, especially in the face of malicious editing and vandalism, and ensure effective intervention without undermining the community's openness and collaborative spirit?


Discussion:

  In an open content community, the balance between the authority of the leader and the autonomy of the community is a complex issue. Jimmy Wales's "benevolent dictator" model has had some success with Wikipedia, but does it work for other open content communities?

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