This month we speak to Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, president of the Wikimedia Foundation, and member of the iCommons board. We chat about the ins and outs of Wikipedia, and find out about his favourite toothpaste. Is his dental hygiene the same as yours? Keep reading...

1. What inspired the idea to start Wikipedia using a 'read/write' web, especially when at the time, the web was typically 'read-only'?
I was primarily inspired by the free software movement and the writings of Richard Stallman about software freedom. I believed and still believe that those core ideas of freedom apply beyond just software and into many areas of culture.

2. When Wikipedia first started, what incentives did you offer people to get involved in adding content to Wikipedia?
Fun! Even today most people who edit Wikipedia do it because it is fun.

3. How have you managed to protect Wikipedia from vandalism, while still fostering openness and accessibility?
Wiki software contains many controls whereby the community is able to quickly revert vandalism. But as it turns out, most people are good, and the vulnerability of a wiki is its own best protection mechanism. It isn't much of a challenge to vandalize a wiki page, but someone fixes it a moment later, so there is nothing much fun about doing that.

4. What has Wikipedia taught you about human nature?
People are much nicer than I ever knew.

5. It is said that Wikipedia is 'stronger' on science subjects, rather than the humanities. Why is that and how do you think Wikipedia could achieve a more even balance?
This is a reflection of where we come from and who we are. The internet as a whole is stronger on science subjects than the humanities, but this is changing over time. One of my biggest pushes at wikia.com is to broaden the use of wikis by making the software more user-friendly.

6. How do you think both content and languages from developing nations can be better represented on Wikipedia? Do you have specific plans in this regard?
I am excited about the growth of content and participation from all around the world. My specific plans have to do with traveling a lot to support local communities around the world.

7. How is your German these days?
Mein Deutsch ist noch nicht sehr gut. (My German is not yet very good.)

8. What is your favourite movie of all time and why?
The Matrix trilogy. I know, a boring geek choice, but it is true. Matrix.wikia.com is a growing wikia on the topic, and I look forward to it having tens of thousands of articles soon, so I can finally try to understand what the heck the third installment of the series was all about.

9. If you could have dinner with a deceased historical character, who would that be and why?
Thomas Jefferson. I find him to be a fascinating mixed and complex character. He wrote beautiful things about reason and freedom, and yet he owned slaves. The complexity there is interesting to me.

10. How did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
In Chicago with my wife's family.

Jimmy's Favourites:

Favourite website: I have to give the obvious - English wikipedia. But let me throw in a more personal choice and say the Lost TV Series wikia. I spend a lot of time on there trying to figure out the show, which I am addicted to.
Favourite toothpaste: Rot Weiss (a German brand)
Favourite hotel: Hotel Villa Kinzica, Pisa, Italy. Inexpensive, clean. Not fancy. But it has an incredible view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Favourite wikia: Ah, as I said above, the Lost TV Series wikia is where I spend a lot of time, but if I had to pick a favorite in the more abstract sense, I would say Campaigns Wikia.
Favourite colour: Green!

Photograph: Jimmy Wales, by ioerror, CC BY-SA 2.0

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