Open Science: Why did the Poly-Math project succeed? Why did the quantum wiki fail?

Why did the Poly-Math project succeed? Why did the quantum wiki fail?

Why did the Poly-Math project succeed?

A Nobel prize winner posed a problem and asked for assistance. Nobel prize winners are likely to have an extensive network of contacts. Many of those contacts are likely to have extensive networks of their own. Consequently, when a Nobel prize winner sends a message, a large audience is likely to receive it.

A Nobel prize winner generally carries a sense of unique importance. Those reviewing the problem may feel they can gain a unique sense of importance and attention themselves by mere association. When the [insert person with unique sense of importance and power—President, monarch, etc.] asks for help in a discrete problem, those asked may feel as if they are epic heros by contributing to the timeless solution.

Why did the Quantum Wiki fail?

The unique sense of storybook importance dissipates as the person asking for help is not the sovereign of a country or field (albeit a smart person in his or her own right). A noble purist like the organizer of Q-Wiki may step forward with a vision and succeed among purists; however, he encounters frustration and ultimate failure when marketing to the masses? Why?

Consider what happened in Elementary School. The children entered Elementary School, eager to succeed . . . even though they may not yet know what “success” entails. They look for social cues to answer this question. They quickly gain this information from social learning. Children watch to see why a certain child receives attention, admiration, and rewards from the authority figure and peers. The children then model their behavior to receive similar rewards (Guess jeans, etc. ensues). After some time, identified children are identified as those who choose what the behavior to model should be. They are termed trend setters.

If purists can tap into this primal Elementary School psychology, they too can have the success they dream of. If they themselves are not trend setters, they need to identify current those who are and enlist their aid. They need to get “Q-Wiki contributor” on trend setters’ resume, so it becomes something carrying prestige with it, something that others will also want on their resume to become like the trend setter.

Why do purists neglect this basic psychology and fail? I know I failed to remember this because I counted on others to feel the purity/rightness/virtue I felt and simply act. Understandable, but fatal if you wish to involve non-purists.