WHAT WIKIPEDIA CAN TEACH THE REST OF THE INTERNET
WIKIPEDIA, THE 21-YEAR-OLD “free encyclopedia that anyone can edit,” went from being a weird online experiment to a mainstay of the modern internet with astonishing speed. Even as the rest of the social internet seems hellbent on tearing itself apart, it has largely maintained its reputation and functionality.
As Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have become consumed by controversy over moderation, governance, and the definition of free speech, Wikipedia quietly continues to grow in utility, trustworthiness, and comprehensiveness. There are now nearly 6.5 million articles on the English version alone, and it has held its place in the top 15 most-visited sites on the web for well over a decade.
In 2007, Reason’s Katherine Mangu-Ward profiled Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and the site’s “simple yet seemingly insane” concept. The question then: “Will traditional reference works like Encyclopedia Britannica, that great centralizer of knowledge, fall before Wikipedia the way the Soviet Union fell before the West?”
The answer is mostly yes. The site still has its share of controversy, including a squabble in July over the definition of recession that spilled over from other platforms and made headlines. But those fights have limited impact on the user experience; only the most devoted followers of online tech controversies had any idea they were happening at all. There are also external battles, including a recent conflict with the Russian government over demands that the encyclopedia censor information about the conflict in Ukraine. But Wikipedia still seems to be a signature success in the turbulent social media space.
In April, Mangu-Ward spoke again with Wales over Zoom for a video and podcast about what he got right—and what he’s worried about as politicians all around the globe push for more control of online content.
A key ingredient to Wikipedia’s success, says Wales, is its high degree of decentralization. After this interview was conducted, Elon Musk made a bid to buy Twitter and became embroiled in controversy over the sale, bringing new salience to the battle over who controls the flow of information online.