I am not a conservative as much as I am a libertarian. I can support conservative positions when they are close to libertarian ones, or when I am tired of listening to what I think is a flawed liberal argument. That said, my opinion of Conservapedia (CP) hasn't been that high. I guess I am looking for a neutral point of view, just the facts. I am more familiar with Wikipedia (WP) and have an investment of time in it.

Still, Conservapedia will capture some of the market, as will other more focused Wikis. WP has picked correctly with its neutral point of view policy, trying to position itself in the middle of the market, and that is where it needs to stay to maintain its dominance. It can be exciting and bold in some areas, but leaning left or right politically is not one of them.

The types of stories we have seen so far about CP are often about the B.C. / B.C.E. issue, which can leave the impression that CP is off on the margin somewhere, doing things trying to get prayer back in schools. I suppose its normal to write about how something is different from WP or most of society, it makes for a more interesting story.

If the issue is dedicated volunteers, CP can probably challenge WP in that area. Yes, I am stereotyping, but who amongst us have taken the harder path and home schooled our children? CP friendly people have taken on some unpopular issues in the past. Opposition to gay marriage and abortion are two examples. Their fighting these uphill battles shows they can be dedicated and persistent. CP's potential base of volunteers is huge. I think WP will be watching CP, and even seeing a few things that it will emulate. And CP can learn from WP's mistakes and current issues.

Off on some tangent: Before Wikipedia (B.W.) and After Wikipedia (A.W.).

Site traffic has been great lately, with my one week Alexa rating dropping below the 1,000,000 mark for the first time yesterday. I am still so marginal, the one week average might switch back to what they call N/A (Not available). A couple months ago I was in about 5,000,000th place. Two of my goals are to cross the 100,000 mark, and legitimately make it onto the Wikipedia Criticism page.

 

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