--- title: "7 Encyclopedia Quotes By Jimmy Wales" description: "7 Encyclopedia quotes by Jimmy Wales. Plus more from Jimmy Wales and more Encyclopedia sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png" --- > [When I opened Wikipedia, it had three articles, yet it was called an encyclopedia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-articles-yet-it-was-called-an/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png) > [Wikipedia is first and foremost an effort to create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effort-to-create-and-distribute-a/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/jimmy-wales-4935_asking_wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effor_516722.png) > [The goal is to give people a free encyclopedia to every person in the world, in their own language. Not just in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encyclopedia-to-every-person-in-the/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/jimmy-wales-4935_beer_the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encycl_1191173.png) > [I spent lots of time reading the encyclopedia and really kind of an eclectic approach to learning things - not very structured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclopedia-and-really-kind-of-an/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/jimmy-wales-4935_approach_i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclo_1789383.png) > [To create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclopedia-of-the-highest-possible/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/jimmy-wales-4935_create_to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclop_2317438.png) > [People take issue with individual aspects of Wikipedia all the time. But it's kind of hard to hate the general idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-take-issue-with-individual-aspects-of-wikipedia-all-the-time/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/jimmy-wales-4935_aspect_people-take-issue-with-individual-aspect_2338223.png) > [My original concept was to provide a free encyclopedia for every single person in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-free-encyclopedia-for-every/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/jimmy-wales-4935_concept_my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-fre_2813531.png) ## More by Jimmy Wales > [People are not fundamentally bad. It only takes the smallest of correctives to take care of that tiny minority that wants to disrupt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-are-not-fundamentally-bad-it-only-takes-the-smallest-of/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think that argument is completely morally bankrupt, and I think people know that when they make it. There's a very big difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-that-argument-is-completely-morally-bankrupt-and-i-think/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I have said this many times in the past and will say it many times in the future I am sure: some people need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-have-said-this-many-times-in-the-past-and-will-say-it-many-times-in/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core community is passionate about quality and getting it right. If you want to read some good criticisms of Wikipedia, probably the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-community-is-passionate-about-quality-and-getting-it-right/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [People who have achieved a public voice find it a mixed bag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-who-have-achieved-a-public-voice-find-it-a-mixed-bag/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core of Wikipedia is something people really believe in. That is too valuable for the world to screw it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-of-wikipedia-is-something-people-really-believe-in-that-is/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It's kind of surprising that you could just open up a site and let people work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-s-kind-of-surprising-that-you-could-just-open-up-a-site-and-let/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Wikis and social networking are just tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/wikis-and-social-networking-are-just-tools/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think it's a mistake to treat different realms of knowledge as if they are some how fundamentally the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-treat-different-realms-of-knowledge-as-if/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It turns out a lot of people don't get it. Wikipedia is like rock'n'roll; it's a cultural shift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-turns-out-a-lot-of-people-don-t-get-it-wikipedia-is-like-rock-n/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Freely licensed textbooks are the next big thing in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/freely-licensed-textbooks-are-the-next-big-thing-in-education/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [We are still in the very beggining of the Internet. Let's use it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/we-are-still-in-the-very-beggining-of-the-internet-let-s-use-it-wisely/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [If you see a blatant error or misconception about yourself, you really want to set it straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/if-you-see-a-blatant-error-or-misconception-about-yourself-you-really/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [“Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. If so, you are correct. … Civility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergarten-ethics-right-down-to-the/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/#itemlist", "name": "7 Encyclopedia Quotes By Jimmy Wales", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I opened Wikipedia, it had three articles, yet it was called an encyclopedia.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-articles-yet-it-was-called-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I opened Wikipedia, it had three articles, yet it was called an encyclopedia.” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wikipedia is first and foremost an effort to create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language. Asking whether the community comes before or after this goal is really asking the wrong question: the entire purpose of the community is precisely this goal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effort-to-create-and-distribute-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/jimmy-wales-4935_asking_wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effor_516722.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/jimmy-wales-4935_asking_wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effor_516722.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/jimmy-wales-4935_asking_wikipedia-is-first-and-foremost-an-effor_516722.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wikipedia is first and foremost an effort to create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest…” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The goal is to give people a free encyclopedia to every person in the world, in their own language. Not just in a 'free beer' kind of way, but also in the free speech kind of way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encyclopedia-to-every-person-in-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/jimmy-wales-4935_beer_the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encycl_1191173.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/jimmy-wales-4935_beer_the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encycl_1191173.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/jimmy-wales-4935_beer_the-goal-is-to-give-people-a-free-encycl_1191173.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The goal is to give people a free encyclopedia to every person in the world, in their own language. Not just…” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I spent lots of time reading the encyclopedia and really kind of an eclectic approach to learning things - not very structured.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclopedia-and-really-kind-of-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/jimmy-wales-4935_approach_i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclo_1789383.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/jimmy-wales-4935_approach_i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclo_1789383.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/jimmy-wales-4935_approach_i-spent-lots-of-time-reading-the-encyclo_1789383.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I spent lots of time reading the encyclopedia and really kind of an eclectic approach to learning things…” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language - That's who I am. That's what I am doing. That's my life goal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclopedia-of-the-highest-possible/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/jimmy-wales-4935_create_to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclop_2317438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/jimmy-wales-4935_create_to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclop_2317438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/jimmy-wales-4935_create_to-create-and-distribute-a-free-encyclop_2317438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the…” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People take issue with individual aspects of Wikipedia all the time. But it's kind of hard to hate the general idea of a free encyclopedia. It's like hating kittens.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-take-issue-with-individual-aspects-of-wikipedia-all-the-time/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/jimmy-wales-4935_aspect_people-take-issue-with-individual-aspect_2338223.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/jimmy-wales-4935_aspect_people-take-issue-with-individual-aspect_2338223.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/jimmy-wales-4935_aspect_people-take-issue-with-individual-aspect_2338223.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People take issue with individual aspects of Wikipedia all the time. But it's kind of hard to hate the…” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My original concept was to provide a free encyclopedia for every single person in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-free-encyclopedia-for-every/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/jimmy-wales-4935_concept_my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-fre_2813531.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/jimmy-wales-4935_concept_my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-fre_2813531.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/jimmy-wales-4935_concept_my-original-concept-was-to-provide-a-fre_2813531.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My original concept was to provide a free encyclopedia for every single person in the world.” — Jimmy Wales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/", "name": "Encyclopedia Quotes by Jimmy Wales", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/jimmy-wales-4935_articles_when-i-opened-wikipedia-it-had-three-art_439598.png" }, "description": "7 Encyclopedia quotes by Jimmy Wales. Plus more from Jimmy Wales and more Encyclopedia sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Encyclopedia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Jimmy Wales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encyclopedia/jimmy-wales/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```