So, I found myself at a cocktail party abuzz with gossip that the founder of Wikipedia was one of the guests. The bad news is…they were talking about me. Here’s how it transpired. I was on my way to a conference put on by BSG Concours, who just acquired my company New Paradigm. I introduced myself to one of the event organizers, who I met on the shuttle bus from the airport to the resort. She had heard about the acquisition and said “you guys are the Wikipedia folks, right?” I assumed she meant Wikinomics and didn’t correct her. A little of the telephone game later, and I was the “guy that invented Wikipedia.”
Now, I actually know a lot about Wikipedia…and if pressed, could actually do a pretty good job at pretending to be the founder. If you haven’t seen it, rent (or download) Six Degrees of Separation which has nothing directly to do with Kevin Bacon. Will Smith plays a young man that cons some material comforts from Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing by pretending to be Sidney Poitier’s son. The thing is, it’s harder to pull off such a parlor game like that…because someone could check…uh, Wikipedia to discover that Jimmy Wales is the founder (and Sidney Poiter has only daughters).
Similarly, it’s harder to get away with the fling in Cancun without your girlfriend finding out, because the vacation paramour will want to add you in Facebook. Same deal with bragging about fake athletic feats (do you know how many people I met at University that claimed to be finalists in the 100 metre dash at the provincial championships). There’s no viable way about lying about your age (I am ACTUALLY 39 this year; may be a fake 39 for a couple of more) if all of your high school friends are listed on Facebook as being much older. The only way to buy a few years here is if you are one of those creepy seniors that dated freshman girls. Full disclosure: I was on the opposite side of this supply and demand equation, which explains this home video about my first year in high school.
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Revenge of the white and nerdy Mike.
Comment by jim hedger - December 13, 2007 2:42 pm
I thought you invented the swiffer sweeper. My bad.
Comment by Glen K. Amo - December 13, 2007 5:06 pm
Well, obviously I invented the swiffer…
Unfortunately, I fell asleep and my roommate Biff Procter found it and told his dad about it.
Comment by Mike Dover - December 13, 2007 5:18 pm
You are not 45?
Comment by ian ketcheson - December 13, 2007 7:17 pm
*lol*
Mike - how far did you go with that story?
Comment by Ute - December 14, 2007 2:46 am
45 is the new 39?
Comment by Mike Dover - December 14, 2007 10:36 am
I can attest to both Mike’s real age as well as his reference to his high school persona. And unlike Wikipedia, both are 100% factually true and verifiable.
Comment by A - December 14, 2007 4:31 pm