Wikipedia is a free multi-lingual online encyclopedia that has grown over the last 9 years into one of the most relied info-website in the world. Its english article database has logged over 3 million articles for free public use. Web usersof all ages have grown so accustomed to wikipedia, it has grown into a global force whether we like it or not. Its popularity is not solely attributed to its strictly advertisement free promise, its seemingly quick, easy access, concise and relatively reliable information, but also that unlike the many other online encyclopedia, the website provides a two way interaction- users can not only seek information but can also submit and edit articles.
History
Wikipedia was originally conceived as a support article “collector” for Nupedia, the original free encyclopedia project attempted by internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales and Lawrence Sanger. However, within the first month of its formal launch in January 2001, it has already surpassed its objective and multiplied globally at such lighting speed that by September of that year, it has expanded its service into 15 other languages including: Catalan, Japanese, French, Chinese, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic.. etc. each with its own collecting server. Its main distinguishing feature was its implementation and use of the wiki technology, originally created by programmer Ward Cunningham in 1995. This technology, powered by the wiki software and uses simple markup language, to allow users to collaboratively create and edit web pages on web browsers. Thus it uses the simple Php based client, server model, whose code is available for download at the Mediawiki website. Think blogger for blogspot, or wordpress for websites, but tailored with relevant features specific to Wikipedia such as, revision control, discussion, internal linking etc.. Simply put, the Wikipedia is one concentrated global google doc that is practically managed by its global users.
How It Works
There’s two general ways of contributing to Wikipedia, by submitting a brand new article, or to edit an existing one. Unlike otherencyclopedias like Enc. Britannica, anyone and anyone with a web browser can create, edit and monitor articles, which enables Wikipedia to achieve that level of rapid multiplicity and relative accuracy (though many still skeptical) of their articles. The simple design of the website interface itself eases this editing/ submitting process, making the feature accessible to even the most non tech savvy users. The service does not require users to have an account, which in that case Wikipedia will use your IP address, further encouraging participation.
Writing An Article
Writing into Wikipedia is very simple and idiot proof. While it is rather nondescript, users are guided into their article creation webpage that links to a video tutorial that basically explains the rules and regulations as well as tips on proper formatting and guide on how to incorporate the main services wikipedia offers such as internal linking. Wikipedia also insists on proper reliable citations/ references as well as the sensitivity of the subject topic. Due to past controversial scandals due to biographical defamation on wikipedia prank articles. Wikipedia has been rather stringent and strict about this matter, discouraging people from writing about a selected bunch of topics that include: biographical articles (articles about yourself, your friends, your website, your band, teachers, a word you made up, or a story you wrote), non-notable topics (despite having no space limitation), topics that advertise (no external linking from the article) and Personal essays. The wikipedia “starting an article” webpage further includes a “list of bad article ideas” and “1000 things not to writeyour article about”. Additionally, the webpage also warns writers on avoiding violation of copyrights and writing about controversial matters (politics etc.)
It is rather crucial for writers to understand that since articles submitted does not mean instant creation. New articles are subject to Wikipedia administrators’ approval. and even after it has passed, new articles are labeled such that they are still subject to “speedy deletion”. Nomination of this feature, is applicable to public use as well, where by you can nominate a lousy article for “speedy deletion”. Essentially, this is to highly ensure that the articles on Wikipedia rea kept as reliable and objective as possible. Keeping the common sensical rules and regulation in mind, writing a proper article is very simple and straight forward: 1) Search on wiki--> Articles for Creation webpage that links to the Article Creation Wizard that takes one through the simple step by step process of entering your article, sources, internal links.
Problems: Scandals and Questionable Reliability
All the stringent rules and regulations were developed overtime as the Wikipedia database grew larger and larger and as scandals and issues on reliability arose, the rules and regulations are amongst the other prominent contingency plans (discussed below) Wikipedia has to improve their reliability. Amongst the biographical scandals, the earliest of them all was The Siegenthaler controversy in November 2005, in which an anonymous prank article on the journalist John Siegenthaler, close friend of Attorney General Robert Kennedy, wrote that he was involved in the 1963 Kennedy assassination. The hoax article was left up for 4 months, during whichthe reliability of Wikipedia was highly questioned and criticized. Another significant controversy was another biographical defamation, this time about a turkish historian Taner Akcam in February 2007 in which the article stated that he was a terrorist and as a result he was accused and detained upon arriving at the Montreal- Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport. However, the most recent and detrimental scandal involves a prominent Wikipedia administrator, Ryan Jordan, who claimed and exploited false credentials to cause influencing decisions in Wikipedia’s content disputes. Because he had spent most of this time as an editor, addressing vandalism and resolving editorial disputes, the Wikipedia community had to go back and research each of Jordan’s article edits to check for errors and debate about improvements regarding personal identification. Each of the scandals highlighted were amongst many others that have caused doubts and concerns regarding the reliability of Wikipedia (taking open source content into consideration).
Editing features
The main feature to counter problems for such an open project is directed towards the Wikipedia community. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales believed in the independence and “self-running” policy for the encyclopedia, thus a large extent of editorials must be left open as well, this is in fact, what sets Wikipedia apart from competitor free online encyclopedias such as Citizendium. However, independence, means less control which also means questionable reliability. Thus, inorder to more tightly ensure reliability, Wikipedia has developed 3 general features to constantly improve the reliabilty of articles through the Wikipedia community/ random users: 1) direct editing, 2)Discussion 3) Revision control.
Direct editing involves directly editing the article in question. Under each heading on the article page is a small “edit” link that takes one to an text box insert much like your email composer, where you can make direct edits. In the case where you do not have a Wikipedia account, your IP address will be recorded as the editor. All edits are recorded under their revision control feature under the “view history” tab on the right hand corner of the horizontal navigation barat the top of every article webpage. This feature basically archives past edits and allows anyone to compare past edits amongst each other and to the current one. It is Wikipedia’s insurance in case editing collaboration goes awry by making sure that all changes to the article is properly documented. The last editorial feature Wikipedia has is the “discussion” tab located on the left hand corner of the horizontal navigation bar. It is essentially a forum for registered Wikipedia community to discuss certain questionable facts in an article. Discussions can usually involve justification of previous revisions.
Wikipedia's umbrella group, Wikimedia Foundation Inc is a non-profit charitable organization, formulated 2 years following Wikipedia's launch. Since then, it has developed a substantial list other non-profit sister sites under the wiki brand, which includes: Wiktionary- free online dictionary, Wikimedia Commons- free images bank, Wikiversity- free tutorials and courses, Wikinews- free content news source, and many other Wiki-sites that provides a variety of systematic information in a non encyclopedic format. The foundation headed by founder Jimmy Wales, (Lawrence Sanger left Wikipedia in 2002 to establish his own online encyclopedia, Citizendium) strictly relies on private donations and fund raisings, which lets them to adhere to their no-advertisements policy. Time Magazine estimates the cost of running Wikipedia alone to be around $6 million per year.
Today, Wikipedia has logged a total of over 17million articles over its multi-lingual versions, of which 3.4 million (majority) of it is in english. It has grown to become the largest and most popular highly reference work on the internet and has a following of over 365 million readers clocking over 100 million page views annually. With this kind of statistics, even a single text advertisement would general millions of dollars. However, I believe the reliability of Wikipedia is shown explicitly in their reliable promise to never sell out. And this has been true throughout its growth.
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