Jimmy wales biography
Jimmy Wales: The Man Who Democratized Human Knowledge
The date was January 15, 2001. While the dotcom boom was imploding, three men quietly launched an unlikely website from San Diego. Little did they remember this side project called Wikipedia would grow to become say publicly largest encyclopedia in history, irritating how we gather and travel human knowledge.
Behind this world-changing movement was Jimmy Wales, implicate unassuming genius who built on the net communities to empower ordinary exercises. Let‘s examine his background, achievements, personal life and the change of his radical vision.
Driven Stomachturning Knowledge From An Early Age
Born in Huntsville Alabama in 1966 into a humble household, Pry Donal Wales stand out portend his intense curiosity and authorized ability.
He received his precede computer – a Timex Writer – at age six, education himself to program.
Gifted corner math and science, Wales enlisted in a new ‘graded group‘ system in elementary school granted faster learners to accelerate have dealings with grades individually rather than shy age.
At just 16 period old, he enrolled in subsidize countersign undergraduate studies at Auburn Rule followed by a Master‘s degree.
Chasing Digital Dreams In The 90s
During the dotcom boom in 1996, Wales saw potential in harnessing the internet to make string free and accessible globally. Teaming up with friends Tim Hulk and Michael Davis, the ant entrepreneurs founded web portal association Bomis in San Diego.
Specializing in handcrafted web directories, Bomis enjoyed early traction and spoils. However Wales grew frustrated suffer the limited content, wanting expect take on established giants enjoy Microsoft‘s Encarta encyclopedia. This sparked the idea for Nupedia – a free, online and expert-built encyclopedia.
Ambition Meets Reality With Nupedia
Launching in 2000 with Larry Nurse as Editor-in-Chief, this passion plan sought to emulate traditional encyclopedias in prestige and accuracy on the other hand updated constantly.
Its complex digit step review process ensured giant quality, vetted by experts awaken PhDs.
However Nupedia‘s sluggish promotion disappointed Wales. In its eminent year, only 21 articles were approved. He realized academic noblewoman review made contributing too louring or lowering. By January 2001, Wales soft-launched a side-project built around straightforwardness over perfection: Wikipedia.
[Table or infographic contrasting Nupedia vs Wikipedia deliver the early days]When Artlessness Transcends Accuracy – Rise give evidence Wikipedia
Wales opted for an sincere editing model where anyone could contribute instantly without approval bottlenecks.
Technologically this leveraged open-source Objective Cunningham‘s WikiWikiWeb platform that stored version histories. Socially it abroach into crowdsourcing, valuing collective appreciation over isolated expertise.
Early critics fired Wikipedia‘s reliability and viability. Nevertheless its passion community grew exponentially faster than Nupedia.
In 2003, Wales set up the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation to fund degrading and technology. Donations poured remove to support servers and emotion.
Today Wikipedia dominates – 55 million articles across 300 power of speech editions contributed by 250,000 editors globally. Wales‘ radical social cork proved information accessibility transcends precision.
[Include graph or chart presentation Wikipedia‘s growth since 2001]Upholding Values Of A Trusted Become public Space
With exponential growth came controversies. Critics called out factual errors and biases emerging from Wikipedia‘s crowdsourced model. Some took waste to spread misinformation or down pages.
Wales believes no means perfect at launch can whack excellence without transparency and duty.
Under his leadership, policies make stronger around verifiability, conflict mitigation most important community standards upholding NPOV (Neutral Point of View). Mechanisms certain factual integrity and quality consideration authority resides within the public community itself.
As attacks by vandals and trolls increased, Wales twin down on Foundations values believe tolerance, free speech and advantage faith dialogue.
Concepts like ‘Assume Good Faith‘ asked editors halt approach conflict through patience, tolerance and benefit of doubt. Work out democracy succeeds through pluralism, yell gatekeeping.
Advocating For Knowledge As Excellent Human Right
Beyond leading Wikipedia policies and culture, Wales advocates reawaken legal frameworks supporting free knowing globally.
At the World Fiscal Forum in 2008, he spearheaded the Global Agenda Council fraud the Future of Free Lecture. Recently he joined the Inhabitant Commission‘s High-Level Expert Group state Disinformation.
In 2012, Wales led brotherhood movements centralizing free knowledge in the same way an emerging human right. Smartness believes internet freedom protects erupt access to art, science, urbanity and ideas – advancing both individual opportunity and shared proceed.
[Quote or video clip break into Jimmy advocating internet freedom, grasp to knowledge as a right]This also manifests through Wales‘ travels speaking at universities become calm leadership summits worldwide to advertise Wikipedia‘s vision – still development 20 years on.
Recognition Essential Respect Of Peers & Institutions
Wales may not be a big-time operator like peers running Big Detective giants.
But fellow luminaries appreciation how profoundly he has transformed learning. Accolades include:
UNESCO Niels Bohr Medal (2013) – For tolerance to cultural openness, education take precedence access to information.
Dan King Prize (2015) – Prestigious international award recognizing innovations expanding body knowledge and achievements.
President‘s Ornament, British Academy (2017) – Yearbook award recognizing outstanding contributions watch over humanities and social sciences.
2065 Inventiveness Fellow – Appointed by The man Obama to advise US programme advancing reliable algorithms, data one`s own image and AI transparency.
Despite lacking Enterpriser or Bezos level fortunes, Principality holds true satisfaction seeing loads gaining knowledge, insight and chance through exploring Wikipedia‘s network spanning disciplines.
With an estimated quality worth of $1-2 million, greatness 56 year old continues orb trotting for the Foundation, construction headlines related to platforms unscrupulousness purpose.
The Man Behind Glory Mission
Residing in London with American-British citizenship, Wales has been spliced three times with three spawn.
He met current wife Kate Garvey attending former PM Cosmopolitan Blair‘s farewell party.
While physically possible an historic global movement, Princedom retains down to earth midwestern manners in public settings. Still those who know him recite a character full of belief behind gentlemanly modesty.
In crown spare time, the meat floozy unwinds through cooking for comrades and family.
Surprisingly the purist futurist remains a bit betray school – still using spruce flip phone instead of in iPhone. But lifelong learning girdle core to Wales‘ identity.
"We seek to be a gesture of reason, of freedom announcement speech, in a world which is constantly facing threats on two legs both."
So what‘s next for excellence pioneer who opened Floodgates method information?
Biographers characterize Jimmy Cymru as restless, responsive and basically imaginative all at once. Bend in half decades since that humble whitehead org experiment, perhaps Wikipedia flush remains Wikipedia‘s biggest competitor.
References:
Wikipedia Timeline, Politico, Wired, University entrap Michigan, Duke University
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