The Doers and the Out-Dones

A more recent example: Morse and his company embraced the Wikipedia model of “collaborative” publishing (where readers post entries). While some questioned the merits of this type of site’s unscholarly approach, Merriam-Webster recognized its appeal. Seven months ago, it launched an “Open Dictionary,” to which visitors can submit their own entries. (See “Market Focus” on page 42.) There are currently more than 5,000 listings, says Morse.

Merriam-Webster, with its 90 employees, makes multimedia publishing seem simple, but perhaps because Morse has taken his own advice and embraced complexity.