Literary Sleuths Online: e-Research Collaboration on the Pynchon Wiki Ralph Schroeder Matthijs den Besten

Motivation November 2006: Thomas Pynchon publishes “Against the Day”; A Wiki immediately springs up that has annotated “Against the Day” in full; Autumn 2007: How does the annotation measure up? How do Wikis work as collaborative tools? How does e-Research collaboration work?

November 2006: Thomas Pynchon publishes “Against the Day”;

A Wiki immediately springs up that has annotated “Against the Day” in full;

Autumn 2007: How does the annotation measure up? How do Wikis work as collaborative tools? How does e-Research collaboration work?

e-Research, Online Collaboration, and Pynchon Wikipedia e-Research in the Humanities and other Sciences Pynchon website and mailing list, similar to some other authors Wiki shifts attention to annotation and away from mailing list

Wikipedia

e-Research in the Humanities and other Sciences

Pynchon website and mailing list, similar to some other authors

Wiki shifts attention to annotation and away from mailing list

Charting Pynchon Activity Online Anticipation Annotation And what’s next?

Outline Pynchon’s Work - Online & Offline The “Against the Day” Wiki Quality of online annotations

Pynchon’s Work - Online & Offline

The “Against the Day” Wiki

Quality of online annotations

Thomas Pynchon A notorious recluse; Author of Gravity’s Rainbow, annotated in book form Against the Day Other Novels annotated Arcana integral to story-lines

A notorious recluse;

Author of

Gravity’s Rainbow, annotated in book form

Against the Day

Other Novels annotated

Arcana integral to story-lines

Literary Annotation and “Against the Day” Annotation can ‘check up on author’, or quixotically follow trail of leads, or provide ‘engagement’ with author Pynchon: ‘…it may not be wrong to make it up…there are no longer any exuses for small stupid mistakes’ Mixed reviews, publication preceded by lots of ‘buzz’

Annotation can ‘check up on author’, or quixotically follow trail of leads, or provide ‘engagement’ with author

Pynchon: ‘…it may not be wrong to make it up…there are no longer any exuses for small stupid mistakes’

Mixed reviews, publication preceded by lots of ‘buzz’

Wiki Structure There's basically 3 things the Wiki does at the moment:” (Pirate Prentice, 2007) straight up reference; connections to other Pynchon novels; interpretation. By July 2007: > 200 contributors > 5000 entries > 400 000 words

There's basically 3 things the Wiki does at the moment:” (Pirate Prentice, 2007)

straight up reference;

connections to other Pynchon novels;

interpretation.

By July 2007:

> 200 contributors

> 5000 entries

> 400 000 words

Wiki Governance Volunteer effort Registered users only The ‘laid back sherrif’ Separation of discussion and annotation pages Page-by-page first, then topical and alphabetical

Volunteer effort

Registered users only

The ‘laid back sherrif’

Separation of discussion and annotation pages

Page-by-page first, then topical and alphabetical

Wiki Edits over Time

Why page-by-page? ‘ I think the page-by-page (can we now call that the PbP?) is a lot more fun to edit, since it follows the way I am reading the book’ Fblau 09:03, 25 November 2006

‘ I think the page-by-page (can we now call that the PbP?) is a lot more fun to edit, since it follows the way I am reading the book’

Fblau 09:03, 25 November 2006

Pages of Against the Day annotated over time

Most edited topics 18 Birds 10 25 Timeline 9 27 Against_the_Day_description 8 28 ATD_cover_analysis 7 29 Thomas_Pynchon 6 31 The_Sexual_Angle 5 44 Against_the_Day_Title 4 71 Errata 3 73 ATD_Reviews 2 158 Main_Page 1

Comparison of Annotation efforts by Weisenburger and in the Pynchon Wiki V. 6 76+753+236 95603 Mason Dixon 13 76+1231+309 75934 Gravity's Rainbow 20 155+1356+214 168902 Crying of Lot 49 13 22+2+94 32214 Against the day 235 120+1358+4067 455057 Weisenburger’s Gravity’s Rainbow 1(22) 904 162000 Annotation Contributors Entries (topical+alphabetical + page-by-page) Size (no. of words)

Qualitative Assessment of Contributions Weisenburger can be used as benchmark Weisenburger’s entries are ‘scholarly’ Wiki entries pursue ‘long shots’ Weber and other Wiki entries use Web, Weisenburger relies on limited and apposite sources

Weisenburger can be used as benchmark

Weisenburger’s entries are ‘scholarly’

Wiki entries pursue ‘long shots’

Weber and other Wiki entries use Web, Weisenburger relies on limited and apposite sources

Comparing Weisenburger and Wiki Wiki continues to expand and becomes more differentiated (where does reference stop?) Stabilization and finalization as with Wikipedia? Side by side possibilities? Weisenburger references print, Wiki references Web Wiki is anonymous

Wiki continues to expand and becomes more differentiated (where does reference stop?)

Stabilization and finalization as with Wikipedia? Side by side possibilities?

Weisenburger references print, Wiki references Web

Wiki is anonymous

Conclusions I Wiki strengths (range and depth) vs book strenths (conciseness and consistency) – and Wiki has speed and size Wiki structure encourages ‘race’ to finish detective work Encouraging contribution and interaction with other readers, but does this lead to finalization or discussion forum?

Wiki strengths (range and depth) vs book strenths (conciseness and consistency) – and Wiki has speed and size

Wiki structure encourages ‘race’ to finish detective work

Encouraging contribution and interaction with other readers, but does this lead to finalization or discussion forum?

Conclusions II Benkler on peer-to-peer creativity, Annotations enhance reading, Wiki also provides enjoyable collaboration “ a great place to share my discovery--without feeling too shy about the ‘well duh, of course everyone knows that...’ responses that one might subject oneself to in an open forum” - Ande, 2007

Benkler on peer-to-peer creativity,

Annotations enhance reading, Wiki also provides enjoyable collaboration

“ a great place to share my discovery--without feeling too shy about the ‘well duh, of course everyone knows that...’ responses that one might subject oneself to in an open forum” - Ande, 2007