Jimmy and Me

When I say that Jimmy Wales changed my life, I’m probably not alone. He’s changed the life of billions of people. 

But he really changed my life.  

The last time I saw him was several years ago at DLD in Munich. Tonight I’ll see him again. He’s in town as the recent (yesterday) recipient of the Dan David Award.

Probably everyone wants to see him. So do I . 

Jimmy is an inspiration to me. I met him about six years ago at Kinnernet near Washington, at a conference organized by Amit Shafrir, Yossi Vardi and Jeff Pulver. 

He was sitting wearing a Wikipedia t-shirt. Someone saw his t-shirt,  came over and asked him what he did at Wikipedia. Jimmy was kind: “I kinda helped started it”. When I met him back then, he was disarmingly personable, frank yet kind, as we Jews say a “mensch”.  It’s been six years and he is universally hailed as internet royalty. I hope he hasn’t changed much. 

One day I wrote a children’s book (actually more of an adult book dressed up as a kid’s book),  featuring Jimmy Wales as “Jimmy the Whale”, and Jeff Pulver as “Jeff the mis-fish”. Rotem Omri made wonderful illustrations. We turned it into an interactive app and sold it for two dollars. Six people purchased it. So we gave it away for free and had many more customers. You can be one too, just click here.

http://apple.vshare.com/527529023.html

It then became one of our early picture books on ourboox. Enjoy it here:

http://www.ourboox.com/books/jeff-the-mis-fish-meets-jimmy-the-whale-2/

Then I got another idea. I bought the website “wikishmedia.com” and filled with entries for the way any old Jew would look at the world. For all I know, I still own the website. I also wrote the non-bestselling book: Wikishmedia – If only Jimmy Wales were Jewish. 

http://www.ourboox.com/books/wikishmedia-if-only-jimmy-wales-were-jewish/

But he isn’t.

Wikipedia helps me find out about the world in a hyperconnected way. I am one of those people (I’m sure you are too) who look for a particular entry, and then spend hours getting lost, clicking on hyperlinks and finding out amazing and highly relevant things you never knew you might want to know.  Like Stalin’s shoe size. Am I exagerrating? A bit. 

Some people remark that Ourboox is like a Wikipedia for content in book form. I don’t deny any accusations of that nature. When people click on this book, rather than the Wikipedia entry for Jimmy Wales, I’ll know we’ve made it. 

I’ll be seeing Jimmy in just a few hours. Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you how it was!

Tomorrow is now two days ago. 

I saw Jimmy on Sunday evening. He is still a wonderful guy. He was interviewed by Yossi Vardi in front of an audience of about 700 enthusiastic entrepreneurs at Tel Aviv University. 

He is still warm, funny and friendly. Just as I hoped. 

During the question and answer session I asked him whether he agreed with those (me in particular) who think that Wikipedia is the new Woodstock. I don’t think he understood me. I was referring to the “Woodstock Nation” mantra of helping one another, sharing, caring. He looked at it in an iconic context. That’s fine with me too. 

Turns out he does remember me and our book! I will now go fade into oblivion, a very happy man.