So here it is: the very first post to the Encarta blog.  Since I’m the Editorial Director of Encarta, I have been asked to write this inaugural entry.  That’s “asked” in the sense that the IRS “asks” me to file my income taxes.  I’ve tried pointing out to people that I’m an editor, not a writer, which means I’m comfortable at redacting other people’s writing but not especially talented at creating my own.  Doesn’t matter, they said.  You’re the Editorial Director, they said; you own the first post.  Okay, here goes...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an encyclopedia editor?  Pondered how you would cover topics like English literature, the Opium Wars, Charles Darwin, or basketball?  Well, if that’s been your secret dream (and why wouldn’t it?), you’ll soon get your chance to become an active participant in keeping Encarta up to date, accurate, and thorough.

Yes, you heard (well, read) me right.  We already receive loads of useful customer feedback, but we’re about to roll out a new set of tools that will make it far easier for you to suggest revisions in Encarta. By the time of our next post, we should have the new tools up and running, and we’ll be looking to you to help us help you—if that makes any sense.

What I mean is, we realize that you, our loyal users, know a great deal about a great many things. And we understand that many of you have a strong desire to share your knowledge.  So if you have information that can update an Encarta article, or improve the accuracy or clarity of Encarta article, we are enlisting your help. By sharing your knowledge with us, you will help us keep Encarta current, correct, and relevant.

Does this mean we—the Encarta editors—are turning our jobs over to you?  I hope not—I need my paycheck! Seriously (like I’m kidding about needing my job!), we want to marry the best of the traditional publishing model—with its emphasis on fact-checking, consistency, readability, and objectivity—to the enormous knowledge of our vast user base (i.e., you and you and you...).

So, stay tuned.  As I said earlier, by the time of our next post we will have our new community tools up and running.  We’ll have a lot more to say about the community editing process at that time.

In the meantime, why don’t you open Encarta and look up some topics that you know a lot about.  See if you can think of ways of improving those articles. That way, you’ll have a head start when the new community feedback tools are unveiled.

Gary Alt, Editorial Director