Wikipedia:Press coverage 2021
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Wikipedia in the press |
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Since its inception in 2001, Wikipedia has garnered substantial media attention. The following is a list of the project's press coverage received in 2021, sorted chronologically.
January
- Israel, David (January 1, 2021). "Project Wiki Exposes How Wikipedia Is Breeding Armies of Anti-Semites". The Jewish Press. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
David Collier, a former Chair of the Political Science Department at the University of California, Berkeley, on Thursday published an extensive report accusing Wikipedia of fomenting anti-Semitism.
- Di Liscia, Valentina (January 1, 2021). "The Unsettling Story of a Public Domain Photo Scam". Hyperallergic. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
In 2013, photographer Kyle Cassidy uploaded one of his images to Wikimedia Commons and released it into the public domain. ... Nearly seven years later, the photo was at the center of a bizarre scam involving affiliate links, a fake copyright enforcement company, and a Wikipedia user improbably named 'Aldwin Sturdivant.'
- Cohen, Noam (January 4, 2021). "Wikipedia's Biggest Challenge Awaits in 2021". Wired. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
Changes proposed by the Wikimedia Foundation to diversify its community of editors raise existential questions for the online encyclopedia.
- Kwong, Emily (January 6, 2021). "One Page At A Time, Jess Wade Is Changing Wikipedia". NPR. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
This is Jess Wade, an experimental physicist at Imperial College London. For years, her relationship to Wikipedia was a casual one. ... Until she realized that this website, which is edited by millions of volunteers, sees 300 billion page views every day on average, has the power to influence the direction of scientific research.
- "Happy Birthday, Wikipedia". The Economist. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
But Wikipedia—written by amateurs, freely available to all—stands as the great exception. It is the dream that worked.
- "Wikipedia is 20, and its reputation has never been higher". The Economist. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
On January 15th Wikipedia—'the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit'—will celebrate its 20th anniversary. It will do so as the biggest and most-read reference work ever. Wikipedia hosts more than 55m articles in hundreds of languages, each written by volunteers. Its 6.2m English-language articles alone would fill some 2,800 volumes in print. Alexa Internet, a web-analysis firm, ranks Wikipedia as the 13th-most-popular site on the internet, ahead of Reddit, Netflix and Instagram.
- "Wikipedia's future lies in poorer countries". The Economist. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
The site's volunteer workforce has plateaued in the West, but is surging in Asia and Africa.
- Hegarty, Shane (January 10, 2021). "Wikipedia at 20: Did you know Will Ferrell was once not killed in a paragliding incident?". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
There is some artificial intelligence involved in keeping Wikipedia going, but it remains an ongoing triumph of human ingenuity. And in more profound ways, 2020 was a very good year for Wikipedia. Quietly so. Based in part on what it didn't do.
- Ings, Simon (January 10, 2021). "Wikipedia has transformed knowledge – so why is it still looked down on?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
Wikipedia's guidelines to its editors include 'Assume Good Faith' and 'Please Do Not Bite the Newcomers.' Perhaps this is more than the naughty world deserves.
- Saxena, Akanksha (January 11, 2021). "Once a school dropout, Rajasthan carpenter turns into Wikipedia's Hindi content editor and curator". Times Now. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
Jangid felt that the purpose behind becoming an editor and content curator is for making it easier for Hindi-speaking people to find what they are looking for in the website.
- Yeoh, Angelin (January 11, 2021). "Volunteers in Malaysia keep Wikipedia free from trolls". The Star. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
A small but active group of volunteers spend their free time updating Wikipedia – the free online encyclopaedia which turns 20 this week – to ensure information it carries about the country and its culture is always up to date.
- Pappas, Melissa (January 12, 2021). "Hunters and busybodies: Researchers use Wikipedia to measure different types of curiosity". Phys.org. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
A new study ... uses Wikipedia browsing as a method for describing curiosity styles. Using a branch of mathematics known as graph theory, their analysis of curiosity opens doors for using it as a tool to improve learning and life satisfaction.
- Banerjee, Disha (January 12, 2021). "How A Rajasthan Carpenter & School Dropout Went On To Become Wikipedia's Hindi Editor". StoryPick. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
22-year-old Raju Jangid from Rajasthan, a school drop out and a carpenter by profession, ... wrote 1,800 articles and edited 57,000 pages on Wikipedia using a Samsung s5610 and went on to become Wikipedia's Hindi Editor.
- Bouquet, Cyril; Barsoux, Jean-Louis; Wade, Michael (January 12, 2021). "The Unconventional Innovator Who Created Wikipedia". MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
With the benefit of hindsight, it may seem inevitable that someone, at some point, would have invented a platform like Wikipedia. But in truth, the creation of this online marvel was not predestined.
- Sharma, Archana (January 12, 2021). "Carpenter's love for Hindi turns him into Wikipedia editor". The Hitavada. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
CALL IT a love for his mother tongue 'Hindi' or his passion to invent something new that a school drop out, a carpenter by profession, turned into a Wikipedia editor and wrote 1,800 articles for its pages using his humble old vanilla plain mobile's keypad.
- Roper, Chris (January 14, 2021). "Wikipedia's moment of truth". Financial Mail. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
Wikipedia has become a bit like the internet itself for people — something you take for granted and use often, but perhaps seldom take the time to think about.
- Barabanov, Oleg (January 14, 2021). "Wikipedia 20 Years On: Intellectual Snobbery vs the Right to Know". Valdai Discussion Club. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
But let's be honest with ourselves: when an intellectual needs to get primary information on a topic unknown to him, over these twenty years it has become habitual to open Wikipedia first, only later referring to professional encyclopaedias, textbooks and articles.
- Pasternack, Alex (January 14, 2021). "The Capitol attack set off a raging debate on Wikipedia: what to call it?". Fast Company. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
'Storming'? 'Insurrection'? 'Riot'? 'Attempted coup'? On Wikipedia, where neutrality is prized above all, volunteers are still searching for the words.
- Roston, Tom (January 14, 2021). "An Oral History of Wikipedia, the Web's Encyclopedia". OneZero. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
On the 20th anniversary, OneZero asked the individuals who made Wikipedia what it is today how it all started.
- Harrison, Stephen; Benjakob, Omer (January 14, 2021). "Wikipedia is twenty. It's time to start covering it better". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
We need journalism that reveals how the act of collecting knowledge—and even the concept of knowledge itself—is complex.
- Bushuev, Mikhail; Steinwehr, Uta (January 14, 2021). "Fact check: As Wikipedia turns 20, how credible is it?". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
For example, entries about Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in March 2014, differ depending on the language. DW's fact-check team analyzed the German, Russian and Ukrainian entries.
- Harrison, Stephen (January 15, 2021). "To Celebrate Wikipedia's 20th Birthday, Try Editing It". Slate. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
If the choices are between volunteering a few minutes' time to make Wikipedia better or else passively consuming more social media, the active option is superior.
- Harrison, Stephen (January 15, 2021). "Wikipedia Is Basically a Massive RPG". Wired. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
Comparing Wikipedia to a role-playing game is useful, as it helps people understand why Wikipedians are so reluctant to recognize external expertise.
- Fitzpatrick, Alex (January 15, 2021). "What if the Web Looked More Like Wikipedia?". Time. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
If there's a lesson to be learned from Wikipedia's continued success, it's this: build people the tools to effectively call out bullshit, and, like baseball-playing ghosts emerging from an Iowa cornfield, they will come.
- Kelly, Heather (January 15, 2021). "Wikipedia turns 20: Fighting disinformation on the world's encyclopedia". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
Amid heightened concerns about the spread of disinformation and misinformation, Wikipedia's pages on controversial topics—such as QAnon and the Proud Boys—can be a balm.
- Gault, Matthew (January 15, 2021). "The English Language Wikipedia Just Had Its Billionth Edit". Vice. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
The free, open-source encyclopedia is a monument of human cooperation and collaboration.
- Lindbergh, Ben (January 15, 2021). "The Fight to Win the Pettiest Edit Wars on Wikipedia". The Ringer. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
Disputes over capitalization, André the Giant's height, and myriad other minor matters may not be consequential to most. But for some Wiki editors, it's a big deal.
- Cellan-Jones, Rory (January 15, 2021). "Wikipedia at 20: The encyclopedia in five articles". BBC. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
It is where everyone from students, to politicians to yes, journalists, turn for a quick briefing on any subject, although even Wikipedia says it should not be used as a primary source.
- Smit, Sarah (January 15, 2021). "Wikipedia wants you to join the good side of the internet". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
Scott says that South African Wikipedia needs more content written in South African languages other than English. 'This is where one person could make a huge positive difference. One person who really cares about their language,' he says.
- Hern, Alex (January 15, 2021). "Wikipedia at 20: last gasp of an internet vision, or a beacon to a better future?". The Guardian. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
But 20 years on, it is difficult to deny that Wikipedia has proved the naysayers wrong. Whether it is the last gasp of a vision of the internet that has all but died out, or a shining beacon lighting the way to a better future, remains to be seen.
- "Wikipedia turns 20, aims to reach the next billion users". Al Jazeera. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
Unlike traditional encyclopedias, contributions by non-experts are welcome, which has driven innumerable debates about its content and have led to restrictions on updating certain entries.
- Saeril, Nazarali (January 18, 2021). "Jasa ilmu penyunting Wikipedia" [Wikipedia Editing Knowledge Contribution]. Harian Metro (in Malay). Retrieved December 26, 2021.
Bermula dengan memasukkan maklumat tulisan Jawi bagi perkataan 'teks', Taufik Rosman, 22, yang juga penyunting Wikipedia Malaysia sudah menterjemah kira-kira 1,000 rencana dalam Bahasa Inggeris kepada Bahasa Melayu.
- Speed, Barbara (January 22, 2021). "Wikipedia is the last bastion of idealism on the internet". Prospect. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
But despite being the seventh most-visited site in the world in 2020, Wikipedia still seems different. It is the only not-for-profit in the top 10, with no adverts, no data collection and no billionaire CEO. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers maintain and create pages for free, correcting one another and upholding an impressive veracity.
- "'Write for Wikipedia with India focus'". The Hindu. January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
The Karavali Wikimedians User Group, having those who write mainly for the Kannada, the Tulu, and the Konkani editions of Wikipedia, on Saturday appealed to doctors to contribute India-specific articles on medical sector.
- "Senate resolution condemns misleading Google, Wikipedia search results about the 'present Islamic caliph'". Daily Pakistan. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
After extensive communication on the matter, Wikipedia has been finally served with the notice to remove the sacrilegious content to avoid any legal action. In case the platforms remain non-compliant, PTA shall be constrained to initiate further action under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (#PECA) and Rules 2020.
- Singer, Jenny (January 26, 2021). "The Women of Wikipedia Are Writing Themselves Into History". Glamour. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
A team of fiercely dedicated women Wikipedians is working around the clock and around the globe to write themselves into the pages of history, one edit at a time.
- Brolik, Tomas (January 26, 2021). "How Czech Wikipedia Occupied Crimea". Respekt. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
A stable and functional community creates the Czech Wikipedia entries. That makes it all the more startling when an obvious trap for Czech readers is discovered lying in wait.
- O'brien, Peter (January 27, 2021). "Tell the Truth, Get Wiki-Whacked". Quadrant. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
I had been indefinitely blocked as a Wikipedia editor...As far as Dark Emu is concerned, it seems to me that Wikipedia is just another cog in a vast ideological racket dedicated to making sure that Bruce Pascoe is never held to account for his manifest deceptions. Indeed, despite its claims to honesty and any inclination to bias, Wikipedia has once again demontrated the truth of O'Sullivan's Law, which states 'all organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing.'
- Hollifield, Scott (January 28, 2021). "SCOTT HOLLIFIELD: Wikipedia is older and I am wiser". Star-Herald. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
At the time, I thought that was one of the dumbest ideas I had ever heard. 'Anyone' in theory means 'everyone' and while I don't know everyone, I know quite a few people who should not be editing an encyclopedia.
- Bolt, Andrew (January 29, 2021). "HOW WIKIPEDIA PROTECTS BRUCE PASCOE'S UNTRUTHS". Herald Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
Want an example of how Wikipedia is another social media giant now busy censoring conservatives - and the truth? Bruce Pascoe's error-riddled book Dark Emu gets rave coverage in an entry in Wikipedia...But here are just some of the responses from Wikipedia editors to requests from to Dark Emu Exposed, O'Brien and other readers to balance their Dark Emu entry by at least mentioning the criticisms of it and the controversy it has caused.
- "Boston Public Library Makes Historical Images Available For Use In Wikipedia". Patch. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
These images include some of the library's most important photographic collections, and contribute to the single largest batch of uploads ever contributed to Wikimedia Commons.
- O'brien, Peter (January 30, 2021). "Wikipedia's Officious Corporals". Quadrant. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
'At the risk of becoming tedious, I wonder if I might again take readers to the People's Republic of Wikipedia, where, with apologies to Martin Luther king, my book Bitter Harvest was judged not on the character of its content but by the colour of its author'.
February
- Carroll, Tamar; Nicosia, Lara (February 1, 2021). "Wikipedia at 20: Why it often overlooks stories of women in history". News24. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
The solution to systemic biases that plague the web remains unclear. But libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia.
- Culliford, Elizabeth (February 2, 2021). "Exclusive: Wikipedia launches new global rules to combat site abuses". Reuters. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
The foundation that operates Wikipedia will launch its first global code of conduct, seeking to address criticism that it has failed to combat harassment and suffers from a lack of diversity.
- Pegoraro, Rob (February 3, 2021). "Wikipedia's New Code Of Conduct Gets One Thing Right; Another Will Be A Struggle". Forbes. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
The operative text starts not on a thou-shalt-not note, but with a you-should list of expected behavior of any user: 'Practice empathy'; 'Assume good faith, and engage in constructive edits'; 'Respect the way that contributors name and describe themselves'; 'Recognize and credit the work done by contributors,' among others.
- Saroha, Aditya (February 3, 2021). "Here's how Wikipedia plans to tackle misinformation, harassment on its platform". The Hindu. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
With the new code, the foundation wants to create a global set of community standards for addressing negative behaviour on the site by laying out a set of guidelines of expected and unacceptable behaviour.
- Woollacott, Emma (February 3, 2021). "Wikipedia Creates Code Of Conduct, Now Has To Work Out How To Enforce It". Forbes. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
The code bans all the usual suspects: insults, sexual harassment, threats, doxxing and trolling - as well as abuse of power and content vandalism.
- Gedye, Grace (February 4, 2021). "When the Capitol Was Attacked, Wikipedia Went to Work". Washington Monthly. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
What Wikipedia illustrates is that the problems with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms aren't that they are social or that they're populated by user-generated content. It's their business models.
- Salmon, Felix (February 4, 2021). "Exclusive: The end of the Maher era at Wikipedia". Axios. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
Katherine Maher, the Wikimedia Foundation's CEO, will step down as of April 15, leaving the nonprofit in a vastly stronger position than when she joined in 2014.
- Lubbock, John (February 6, 2021). "Turkey's pro-gov't media still trying to get Wikipedia banned". Ahval. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
So you see, Turkish government, there's not some CIA backed conspiracy to discredit you using Wikipedia, it's just Ed, the millionaires guy from North London who, like any good Wikipedia editor, simply recorded what other journalists had already published about the president's son on his Wikipedia page.
- Althouse, Spencer (February 10, 2021). "19 Fucked-Up Wikipedia Pages That – I'm Warning You – Are So Disturbing". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which fascinating yet disturbing Wikipedia pages completely engrossed them.
- Benjakob, Omer (February 16, 2021). "Israeli 'Rule,' Not 'Occupation': In a Sign of the Times, Hebrew Wikipedia Renames a Key Article". Haaretz. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
Therefore, the articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are very different in English, Hebrew and Arabic. For example, while almost all Wikipedias use the term the 'West Bank,' Hebrew Wikipedia has for years opted for 'Judea and Samaria.' Moreover, while all content on all Wikipedias must be neutral and based on respected sources, the editorial practices of each language community is different, enforcing certain views of what is considered neutral at the expense of other outlooks.
- Lott, Maxim (February 18, 2021). "Inside Wikipedia's leftist bias: socialism pages whitewashed, communist atrocities buried". Fox News. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
The two main pages for 'Socialism' and 'Communism' span a massive 28,000 words, and yet they contain no discussion of the genocides committed by socialist and communist regimes, in which tens of millions of people were murdered and starved. 'The omission of large-scale mass murder, slave labor, and man-made famines is negligent and deeply misleading,' economics professor Bryan Caplan, who has studied the history of communism, told Fox News.
- "Myanmar blocks Wikipedia in all languages, internet suspended: NetBlocks". Business Standard. February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
NetBlocks also informed that internet services in the country had been blacked out for the past six days.
- Schrader, Adam (February 21, 2021). "Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger slams the site's left wing 'woke' bias and claims its days of 'neutrality are long gone'". Daily Mail. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
Wikipedia pages related to socialism and communism contain show how the website has 'become merely left-wing advocacy essays,' according to Fox News.
- Carlson, Frankie (February 21, 2021). "Wikipedia archiving project partners with Minneapolis art institutions". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
Black Lunch Table recently partnered with four Minneapolis art institutions for a Wikipedia edit-a-thon, a volunteer event focused on writing Wikipedia biographies for Black artists across the country, during the first weekend of February.
- Baltz, Samuel (February 21, 2021). "Wikipedia's political science coverage is biased. I tried to fix it". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
I spent a year working on adding more accurate information on political science. Here's what I learned.
- Beduya, Jose (February 25, 2021). "March 8 event to elevate women artists on Wikipedia". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
On International Women's Day, Cornellians are joining a global effort to raise the visibility of women artists, writers, and performers on Wikipedia.
- Sachdev, Shaan (February 26, 2021). "Wikipedia's Sprawling, Awe-Inspiring Coverage of the Pandemic". The New Republic. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
Perhaps more fascinating than the pandemic's central article are the 31,889 pages that link to it.
- Banasik-Jemielniak, Natalia; Jemielniak, Dariusz; Wilamowski, Maciej (February 2021). "Psychology and Wikipedia:Measuring Psychology Journals'Impact by Wikipedia Citations". Social Science Computer Review. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
We propose that the citation rate on Wikipedia, next to the traditionalcitation index, may be a good indicator of the work's impact in the field of psychology.
March
- Stokel-Walker, Chris (March 1, 2021). "Wikipedia has seen a spike in people editing pages during the pandemic". New Scientist. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
An analysis of 223 million edits to Wikipedia between 2018 and 2020 shows a 20 per cent increase in the number of changes made to pages on the English-language version between January and September 2020.
- Harrison, Stephen (March 2, 2021). "The Tensions Behind Wikipedia's New Code of Conduct". Slate. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
To those outside the Wikipedia community, it might seem rather strange that Wikipedians are so passionate about the issue of governance by and for their decentralized group of volunteers. But that's what arguably makes Wikipedia so special compared with other sites.
- Shah, Angilee (March 2, 2021). "Most women journalists in history haven't been 'notable' enough for Wikipedia. We're changing that". Poynter Institute. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
Our aim is not just to get more women journalists onto Wikipedia; it is to get more women journalists into the magazine articles, business reviews, profiles and records of our lives.
- Cascone, Sarah (March 2, 2021). "Editors' Picks: 15 Events for Your Art Calendar This Week, From Wikipedia Edit-a-Thons to a Virtual Visit With Kenny Scharf". Artnet. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
The Met is one of 57 institutions around the world holding an Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon for Women's History Month.
- Benjakob, Omer; Aviram, Rona; Sobel, Jonathan (March 1, 2021). "Meta-Research: Citation needed? Wikipedia and the COVID-19 pandemic". bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2021.03.01.433379. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
With the COVID-19 pandemic's outbreak at the beginning of 2020, millions across the world flocked to Wikipedia to read about the virus. Our study offers an in-depth analysis of the scientific backbone supporting Wikipedia's COVID-19 articles
- Cockram, Michael (March 2, 2021). "Is this Wikipedia editor who deadnamed a trans celebrity a high-profile film critic?". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
On Wikipedia, it is generally accepted that birth names needn't be mentioned when the subject becomes notable under a different name. When a subject isn't a household name, their wish for privacy is meant to be taken into account, a practice outlined at Wikipedia in a policy called 'Biographies of living people: Privacy of names.'
- Corbley, Andy (March 5, 2021). "Africans Are Being Empowered to Write and Edit Wikipedia Articles About Their Own Countries and Culture". GoodNewsNetwork. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
With the WikiAfrica Education Programn now working with schools across the continent to get Wikipedia skills into school curriculums, Sanneh has time to turn his attention to other projects.
- O'Brien, Peter (March 6, 2021). "Wikipedia? They Should Call it 'Wicked-pedia'". Quadrant. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
Like everything the Left infiltrates, subverts and conquers, Wikipedia has been made not merely useless as a reliable source but intentionally and grossly misleading.
- Cole, K. C. (March 9, 2021). "The Shaky Ground Truths of Wikipedia". Wired. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
To be notable, your work has to be noted. Who's doing the noticing can make a real difference, especially when content is crowdsourced.
- Ward, Tricia (March 10, 2021). "How Wikipedia Fought COVID Misinformation". Medscape. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
While social media sites have been criticized for helping spread COVID misinformation and conspiracy theories, Wikipedia strives to be accurate and to actively fight misinformation.
- Cohen, Noam (March 16, 2021). "Wikipedia Is Finally Asking Big Tech to Pay Up". Wired. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
Now Wikipedia is seeking to rebalance its relationships with Google and other big tech firms like Amazon, Facebook, and Apple, whose platforms and virtual assistants lean on Wikipedia as a cost-free virtual crib sheet.
- Dunn, Frankie (March 16, 2021). "This Instagram account dug up the weirdest things on Wikipedia". i-D. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
Fascinated by her work, we asked Annie to compile and break down what she believes might just be the 10 weirdest things from the depths of Wikipedia. Find enlightenment below.
- Sato, Yumiko (March 19, 2021). "Non-English Editions of Wikipedia Have a Misinformation Problem". Slate. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
But Wikipedia exists in 302 languages—thus more than one page for each subject exists across the globe. The statement by Maher itself reveals a false assumption: Yes, the English Wikipedia is viewed by 'people across the globe.' But other language versions, such as Japanese, are primarily viewed and edited by people of a particular nation.
- Collins, Hugh (March 19, 2021). "West Coast WikiCon: Volunteers to gather for Wikipedia conference". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
Ever wondered who's working behind the scenes to keep New Zealand information on Wikipedia accurate and up to date? You'll find 20 of them in Hokitika this weekend for New Zealand's first ever Wikipedia conference.
- Ghoneim, Niveen (March 20, 2021). "From English to Arabic: Are Wikipedia's Egalitarian Values Getting Lost in Translation?". Egyptian Streets. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
everything our species has learned and experienced, written, digitized and catalogued in easily digestible records. And it is all a few screen taps away. If only things were that simple.
- Mathew, Shrishti (March 24, 2021). "Invite to edit some diversity into Wikipedia". Times Union (Albany). Retrieved March 25, 2021.
The Edit-a-thon is aimed at editing Wikipedia articles on women artists, particularly those related to the University at Albany Fine Art Collections and the University Art Museum's current and past exhibitions.
- Hastanto, Ikhwan (March 25, 2021). "Passion for information: Wikipedia contributors share what goes on behind the scenes". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
'They think we were presenting inaccurate information, because it did not match the official history narrative of the government,' said Ramzy. 'The weird thing is, it was only Wikipedia Bahasa Indonesia they were campaigning to boycott, not Wikipedia English, where they could clearly see that the story [there] is more antigovernment than ours.'
- Mosca, David (March 31, 2021). "Edit or create some Wikipedia pages; put the 'play' back in playwriting at Art House". NJ.com. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
Attendees will be encouraged to use their new skills to create or edit a Wikipedia page. A list of artists who do not have Wikipedia pages or whose pages need edits will be provided.
April
- Francis, Angelyn (April 4, 2021). "Wikipedia's diversity gap echoes around the internet. Here's what local groups are doing to help". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
the lack of diversity [amongst editors] trickles to the content on the site, because it's volunteer-based, so editors will work on pages that they are interested in. [...] if you have information gaps in Wikipedia ... it echoes across the internet
- Smith, Mike (April 4, 2021). "Looking Back: Wikipedia Turns 20". The Jewish News (Detroit). Retrieved April 7, 2021.
The usage of the title 'Wikipedia' in JN articles is very interesting. It demonstrates that Wikipedia is indeed commonly known.
- Rosenfeld, Arno (April 8, 2021). "ADL may have violated Wikipedia rules — editing its own entries". The Forward. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
The Anti-Defamation League has paused a project in which its staff members edited Wikipedia using pseudonyms after coming under fire from Wikipedia editors for potentially violating the online encyolpedia's rules regarding conflicts of interest.
- Philipose, Rahel (April 10, 2021). "How Wikipedia is fighting the gender gap, one biography at a time". The Indian Express. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
Through Project Rewrite, re-launched to mark Women's History Month this year, the foundation seeks to call on journalists, writers, and thought leaders from around the world to tell women's stories and address the gender gaps that exist in the knowledge ecosystem.
- Hill, Mark (April 10, 2021). "4 Wikipedia Editing Scandals That Slipped Under Readers' Radars". Cracked.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
This one's not as ha-ha funny, but it shows how Wikipedia can become a battleground. From 2004 until 2019, Wikipedia used dry, academic language to tell readers about the horrors of Konzentrationslager Warschau, where the Nazis exterminated over 200,000 Poles during their occupation of Warsaw.
- Zitser, Joshua (April 11, 2021). "Hundreds of dedicated Wikipedia volunteers are defying the sexists to write women back into history". Insider.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
'It's a pretty hostile environment, just like any online environment can be for women,' she said. 'There's a whole group of people that say we're pushing an agenda. It's too feminist, that sort of stuff.'
- Roggio, Armando (April 14, 2021). "Using Wikipedia for Content Marketing, SEO". Practical Ecommerce. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
Using Wikipedia, marketers can identify potential content topics in a fashion similar to broken link building, according to Nate Shivar, an internet publisher.
- Zhavoronkov, Alex (April 14, 2021). "Capturing Biases In the Age Of AI - The Interview With The Founder Of Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales". Forbes. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
Pretty much every AI company, including the organizations I manage or advise, is using Wikipedia in one way or another. It is used in full or in part by most of the major AI systems employing natural language processing (NLP) techniques and advanced transformer neural networks.
- "Two More Taiwan's Indigenous Languages Available On Wikipedia". The News Lens. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
Atayal and Seediq, two endangered languages in Taiwan, were added to Wikipedia today as language options, as part of the government's plan to preserve Indigenous languages and culture.
- Greig, Jonathan (April 16, 2021). "For Wikipedia's 20th anniversary, students across Africa add vital information to site". TechRepublic. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
Wikipedia is the 10th-most visited site on earth, but in an interview, Adama Sanneh, co-founder and CEO of the Moleskine Foundation, explained that there are more entries about the City of Paris than about the entire African continent. To address this problem, Wikipedia has worked with Sanneh, the Moleskine Foundation and thousands of young people across the continent to add more information about the dozens of countries and cultures across Africa.
- Singh, Shubhranshu (April 25, 2021). "Wikipedia – The Utopia That Survived And Thrived". Businessworld. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
Wikipedia is an example that tells us that a human powered, tech enabled not for profit success is not a Utopia. We can say cheers to that!
- Warner, Andrew (April 29, 2021). "Indigenous Taiwanese Languages Now Available on Wikipedia". Language Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
The Taiwanese government has launched development of Wikipedia entries in the Indigenous languages, with the most recent developments including articles in Seediq and Atayal.
May
- Cooper-Smith, Declan (May 2, 2021). "Wikipedia is Actually More Accurate Than You Think". Fadewblogs.
Despite the craziness you might find on there, Wikipedia has a lot of interesting and useful information, but can you really believe what you read on Wikipedia? The main concern is that anyone can edit Wikipedia, thus resulting in vandalism and complete nonsense. However, that's not exactly true.
- Lileks, James (May 2, 2021). "Lileks: Wikipedia wants me to do what?". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
I use Wikipedia a lot, and I am always impressed by its astonishing depth and insanely narrow focus. I have given them money, and that prompted a recent e-mail that asked for something a bit startling. They want me to put them in my will.
- "We asked an expert to redesign Wikipedia - here's what they came up with". TechRadar. May 3, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
I asked the question could I bake in accessibility options to the new design that would break down these barriers and make Wikipedia more accessible to people.
- "Volunteers labor to fill up Arabic Wikipedia". Israel Hayom. May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
Launched in 2003, Arabic Wikipedia has seen growth accelerate in recent years, with the number of articles more than doubling since 2015 thanks to enthusiastic volunteers across the Arab world.
- Kolbe, Andreas (May 24, 2021). "Wikipedia is swimming in money—why is it begging people to donate?". The Daily Dot. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
The WMF's financial independence is clearly not at any risk. So what is going on? The official answer is that the WMF thinks you can never have too much money put aside for a rainy day. The WMF also has high-flying, global plans to 'become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge' by 2030.
- Orlowski, Andrew (May 27, 2021). "You think the BBC is biased? Check out Wokepedia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
Where that money is going is increasingly an issue for conservatives. But to understand how the money flows, we need to remember that we're talking about two things. There's the website, Wikipedia.org – and then there's the registered non-profit charity, the Wikimedia Foundation, which collects fundraising cash.
- "Wikipedia announces winners of its Ramadan food photography contest". The National (Abu Dhabi). May 28, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
Palestinian photographer Osama Silwadi, who judged the competition, told The National that he was primarily looking for pictures that showed the cultural and civilisational aspect of food preparation and table arrangement.
- Weimer, Jackson (May 31, 2021). "The Weirdest Entries On Wikipedia. Creator Spotlight: @Depthsofwikipedia". Forbes. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
Wikipedia is this crazy internet utopia that's somehow escaped the claw of capitalism, and I never want to take it for granted. It's what the internet was supposed to be— collaborative and constructive and democratic and untouched by ads.
June
- Abbott, Rebecca (June 3, 2021). "AUSSIES JOIN GLOBAL EFFORT TO GET MORE RELIGIOUS WOMEN ON WIKIPEDIA". Eternity. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
Among the 54 new entries are Brooke Prentis, Indigenous Christian leader and CEO of Common Grace; Cecilia Dowling, a devout Christian and Temperance activist at the turn of the 20th Century.
- Stuart, S.C. (June 3, 2021). "Wikipedia: The Most Reliable Source on the Internet?". PCMag. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
In my book I (Amy Bruckman) argue that the content of a popular Wikipedia page is actually the most reliable form of information ever created. ... On the other hand, a less popular Wikipedia page might not be reliable at all.
- Ibrahim, Noor (June 10, 2021). "Is Wikipedia as 'unreliable' as you've been told? Experts suggest the opposite may be true". Global News. Toronto, Ontario: Corus Entertainment Inc. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
One of the evolutions that have definitely occurred is references at the end of each entry ... If it's not cited properly, if there is no citation, it tells you that the evidence is weak.
- Roberson, Blythe (June 10, 2021). "I Read the Wikipedia Page for Movies Instead of Actually Watching Them, and I'm Here To Defend Myself". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
So I also read about a movie's production, reception, and, if I'm lucky, associated controversies—all of which basically makes me an insider, regardless of whether I actually finish the thing. And, I mean, isn't that pretty much why God invented Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia?
- "Taboo no more: Wikipedia moves from secondary source to teaching tool in Georgia Southern history professor's class". Georgia Southern University. June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
'I have a new appreciation for Wikipedia editors and Wikipedia itself,' said Katherine Shaffer, who took both courses featuring the Wikipedia projects. 'A lot of work goes into making those articles and it's pretty amazing that such a wealth of information is available to the public for free. However, after learning how to properly critique Wikipedia articles I have seen many that have unreliable sources or unsupported information, so I make sure to double check information now.'
- Davidson, Jordan (June 15, 2021). "Wikipedia's Quiet, Big-Tech-Funded Grip On Internet Knowledge Gives It Too Much Power". The Federalist. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
While Wikipedia may not technically be a monopoly, it is clear that the groupthink-driven website has a vise grip on the dissemination of knowledge.
- Ryan, Jackson (June 24, 2021). "Inside Wikipedia's endless war over the coronavirus lab leak theory". CNET. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
On Wikipedia, disruptive 'edit wars' have broken out. Users have been caught operating multiple accounts and pushing their own point of view. And while editors have held back the most spurious claims through much of 2020, a different atmosphere has descended over the debate in 2021. The community is divided, and some fear the endless discussions could tear a hole in the encyclopedia's ironclad guidelines.
- T.J., Coles (June 25, 2021). "Wikipedia and the Military-Intelligence Complex: How the Free Encyclopedia Feeds the National Security State from Which It Emerged". CounterPunch. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
In my new book, We'll Tell You What to Think: Wikipedia, Propaganda and the Making of Liberal Consensus, I expose who funds Wikipedia, what their intentions are, and how they seek to shape narratives favorable to neoliberal capitalism and the US empire.
- Grinberg, David B. (June 25, 2021). "Stopping Gender Bias on Wikipedia". The Good Men Project. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
Sex bias on Wikipedia is alarming for many reasons. First, it's the textbook definition of a traditionally male-dominated workplace. Second, there's a disturbing dearth of information about women's history and related page topics on Wikipedia. Therefore, a male-centric narrative of history has spread on the internet like wildfire.
July
- Harrison, Stephen (July 1, 2021). "Wikipedia's War on the Daily Mail". Slate. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
After an extended discussion process, the Wikipedia editing community decided that the Daily Mail was a 'generally unreliable' source that should not be used on Wikipedia.
- Holden, Grace (July 7, 2021). "Wikipedia Launches Pilot Education Program for Digital Literacy in Moroccan Schools". Morocco World News. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
A total of 96 teachers enrolled in the pilot scheme in Morocco and the training materials that were used (in a progressive three module layout, culminating in a certificate) are accessible for free on Wikimedia Commons. The Teacher's guide was localized and translated from English into Spanish, Arabic, and Tagalog.
- Cheng, Selina (July 11, 2021). "Wikipedia wars: How Hongkongers and mainland Chinese are battling to set the narrative". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
Now there are threats that the keyboard warriors may soon face real-life consequences: their mainland counterparts have threatened to report Hongkongers who are working to preserve information and narratives on Wikipedia to the city's national security police hotline.
- "Who Gets To Be Notable And Who Doesn't: Gender Bias On Wiki". NPR. July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
Women who meet Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion are just more likely to be considered non-notable and less worthy for inclusion than men.
- Mazahreh, Joy (July 13, 2021). "Wikimedia Levant's members celebrate 18th anniversary of Wikipedia Arabia". The Jordan Times. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
Abbad Diraneyya, the chief coordinator of Wikimedia Levant, has been part of the Wikipedia community since 2009. 'As a home-schooled student, I always had the passion for researching topics I like,' Diraneyya told The Jordan Times.
- Cheng, Selina (July 14, 2021). "Hong Kong Wikipedia editors take precautions amid fears mainland peers may report users to national security police". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
An administrator and long-time editor of Wikipedia's Cantonese and English editions Deryck Chan said he encourages Hong Kong users to use a unique identity on Wikipedia and apply for VPN exemptions.
- Aggarwal, Mayank (July 16, 2021). "Nobody should trust Wikipedia, says man who invented Wikipedia". The Independent. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
'Can you trust it to always give you the truth? Well, it depends on what you think the truth is,' said Mr Sanger, who co-founded Wikipedia in 2001 alongside Jimmy Wales.
- Zilber, Ariel (July 16, 2021). "'Nobody should trust Wikipedia,' its co-founder warns: Larry Sanger says site has been taken over by left-wing 'volunteers' who write off sources that don't fit their agenda as fake news". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
Sanger said that plenty of Republicans use Wikipedia and would be eager to go into articles and make editors to bring a semblance of balance to the stories. But the site won't allow it, he claims.
- "Nadia Khan says Wikipedia listed Hania Aamir as her 'spouse'". Samaa TV. July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
'Please take Wikipedia out of your life, it's a joke,' Nadia said on Morning at Home. Actor Imran Abbas, who was a guest on the show, shared his Wikipedia woes too, saying that 80% of the information about him on the site is misleading.
- Flood, Brian (July 16, 2021). "Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger blasts site for left-wing bias: 'The word for it is propaganda'". Fox News. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
'Wikipedia is known, now, by everyone to have a lot of influence in the world … so there is a very big, nasty, complex game being played behind the scenes to make the articles say what somebody wants them to say,' Sanger said, adding the site has a liberal bias.
- Brown, Lee (July 16, 2021). "Wikipedia co-founder says site is now 'propaganda' for left-leaning 'establishment'". New York Post. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
Now, he insisted, conservative voices are 'sternly warned if not kicked out' if they try to add a different take on establishment views — which Sanger deemed 'propaganda.'
- Sabur, Rozina (July 16, 2021). "The Left has taken over Wikipedia and stripped it of neutrality, says co-creator". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
Larry Sanger, an American philosopher who co-founded the website in 2001, said the online reference bible seemed to assume 'that there is only one legitimate defensible version of the truth on any controversial question'.
- Chung, Ingrid (July 19, 2021). "Wikipedia Conforms to Wokeness". National Review. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
However, as Wikipedia expands in readership and influence, it seems to be following the trend set by traditional academia. The contention that any forum for free exchange of opinion on socio-political issues cannot survive expansion in scale and reputation may sound pessimistic.
- DiResta, Renée (July 21, 2021). "Institutional Authority Has Vanished. Wikipedia Points to the Answer". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
What the United States needs if it hopes to combat misinformation is a better system for communicating with the public—a system that keeps up with continuous changes in scientific knowledge; ... Fortunately, the internet has produced a model for this approach: Wikipedia.
- Collier, David (July 22, 2021). "Make NO Mistake – Wikipedia is at WAR with the Jews". The Jewish Press. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
Every Wikipedia page that deals with the history of Jews or Israel – is tainted. The website spreads 'fake news' and provides legitimacy to antisemitic arguments.
- Creitz, Charles (July 23, 2021). "Wikipedia co-founder says he's 'embarrassed' over politicization of his creation". Fox News. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
Larry Sanger joined 'Tucker Carlson Tonight,' and said that because Wikipedia allows anonymous contribution, it has been taken advantage of by governments, corporations, criminal entities and other agents who 'play the Wikipedia game' to create the desired 'factual' result on a particular webpage.
- Harrison, Stephen (July 26, 2021). "How to Use Wikipedia When You're Watching the Olympics". Slate. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
On balance, Wikipedia is a great resource to have on hand throughout the Tokyo Games, so long as the users are aware of its imperfections.
August
- Spence, Madeleine (August 1, 2021). "Larry Sanger: 'I wouldn't trust Wikipedia — and I helped to invent it'". The Sunday Times. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
He gives as an example the fact that alternative medicines, such as homeopathy, are defined as pseudoscience and 'proven ineffective'. This, he says, is not treating the subject truly neutrally.
- Niesen, Joan (August 1, 2021). "There are 11,656 athletes at the Olympics. Guy Fraser wanted them all on Wikipedia". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
When Fraser told his friends what he was working on, several were amused. His girlfriend is puzzled by the exercise, which ate up hours of his summer, but that doesn't faze him. 'At least I'm being quiet,' he says. 'It's as harmless a hobby as you get.'
- Freeman, Laura (August 1, 2021). "Left-leaning Wikipedia is no match for my shelf of dictionaries". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
I've never trusted tricky dicky Wikipedia, with its unidentified editors, crowdsourced information and shifting footnote sands. It turns out not even its creators trust it.
- Benjakob, Omer (August 4, 2021). "These Far-right Nationalists Didn't Like What They Read Online About World War II – So They Rewrote History". Haaretz. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
A recent probe by the online encyclopedia Wikipedia reveals major historical revisionism by far-right forces in its Croatian and Serbian versions. But it also exposes the dangerous overlap between nationalism and disinformation online.
- Gadzo, Mersiha (August 5, 2021). "Are Croat nationalists pushing a political agenda on Wikipedia?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
Wikimedia's report cited an 'organised disinformation campaign', saying that across the Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian language spectrum was a 'systematic distortion of facts' about war criminals convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.
- Rodriguez, Leah (August 9, 2021). "7 Notable African Women Activists Who Deserve Wikipedia Pages". Global Citizen (organization). Retrieved August 13, 2021.
The most robust online user-generated encyclopedia, largely edited by white male editors, tends to leave out African topics and issues, or perpetuate negative images about the African continent.
- Fact Check, Times (August 10, 2021). "FAKE ALERT: Indian American Muslim Council falsely claims that all dead during Delhi riots were Muslims". The Times of India. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
In a Twitter thread blaming 'Hindu right' for inciting 'violence against Muslims in India', the verified handle of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) which claims to be the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States, put out a graphic card claiming that in 2020, 53 Muslims were killed by Hindutva mobs in Delhi. As per Wikipedia page on the riots, a total of 53 people lost their lives during the unfortunate aftermath of CAA protests between February 23, 2o20 and February 29, 2020.
- Sato, Yumiko (August 12, 2021). "Opinion: Wikipedia Has a Language Problem. Here's How To Fix It". Undark Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
But Wikipedia exists in more than 300 languages, half of which have fewer than ten active contributors. These non-English versions of Wikipedia can be especially vulnerable to being manipulated by ideologically motivated networks.
- "Jimmy Wales Glances Up To Realize He Got Sucked Into Wikipedia Rabbit Hole For 20 Years". The Onion. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
Wales added that at this point it was time for him to move on to some of his other interests as soon as he looked up one more thing.
- Maule, Lisa (August 13, 2021). "Arts Advocates Required For Wikipedia Edit-a-thon". Scoop. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
With a target of 20 new Wikipedia articles, in the first two months Lisa and her Edit-a-thon volunteers have created 62 new articles including Kila Kokonut Krew, Oamaru Opera House, choreographer Jack Gray, costume designer Kate Hawley and director Sara Brodie.
- Bedirian, Razmig (August 16, 2021). "Arab medical professional Alaa Najjar honoured by Wikipedia for Covid-19 coverage". The National (Abu Dhabi). Retrieved August 16, 2021.
An active contributor since 2014, this year's Wikimedian has been responsible for nearly 500,000 edits across Wikimedia. He is both an administrator and an editor of Arabic Wikipedia, the 10th most-viewed language in the online encyclopedia, and has contributed to more than 170,000 edits to the site, most of which focus on medical and health subjects.
- Dean, Grace; Akhtar, Allana (August 16, 2021). "Pictures of Swastikas temporarily replaced Wikipedia pages for Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck". Business Insider. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
The changes, which were only in place for a few minutes before the pages reverted to their usual contents, removed all the text and images from the pages and replaced them with a bright red background and large Swastika image, which is also the German Nazi Party's flag.
- "Wikipedia says 'vandal' defaced site with Nazi flag". Sky News. August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
According to the Wikimedia spokesperson, the vandalism featuring the Nazi flag 'was reverted by Wikipedia volunteers within five minutes' and volunteer administrators added additional protections to the template within 15 minutes.
- Wodinsky, Shoshana (August 16, 2021). "Thousands of Wikipedia Pages Vandalized With Giant Swastikas". Gizmodo. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
Instead of targeting the content on any particular Wikipedia page, the vandal behind this blitz targeted a particular article template used by more than 50,000 different Wikipedia pages, including those for Jennifer Lopez, Joe Biden, and Discworld author Terry Pratchett.
- Selvarajah, Manjula (August 19, 2021). "Canadian Nobel scientist's deletion from Wikipedia points to wider bias, study finds". CBC.ca. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
'So there's already this first layer of difficulty when it comes to adding women, because there's just less material out there in the world that is required in order to establish notability on Wikipedia,' she said.
- Wales, Jimmy (August 26, 2021). "Learning to trust the internet again". Al Jazeera. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
Wikipedia is also the last remaining relic of the ideals of the early internet. And as we worry about a future without reliable information that we can all agree upon, Wikipedia is not just an exception. It is the blueprint for restoring public trust in the web again.
- Colussi, Mary (August 31, 2021). "14 Exceptionally Dark Wikipedia Pages, Plus 14 Delightful Ones You Can Use As A Palate Cleanser". BuzzFeed. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
Choose a category, skip around, or read them all: The exact nature of your journey into the Wikipedia rabbit hole is totally up to you.
September
- Harrison, Stephen (September 1, 2021). "Wikipedia Is Trying to Transcend the Limits of Human Language". Slate. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
a new initiative that could theoretically unify the information presented by all of the other Wikipedias, a proposed language-independent encyclopedia that has been generating buzz and prompting a lot of questions within the free content movement.
- Cohen, Noam (September 8, 2021). "One Woman's Mission to Rewrite Nazi History on Wikipedia". Wired. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
The glorifying language, Coffman thinks, is a clear sign that this is historical fan fiction. It elides the horrors of war. If editors want such details to stay on the page, at a minimum they should use a better source than Axis History, a blog whose motto is 'Information not shared is lost.'
- Harrison, Stephen (September 8, 2021). "How Wikipedia Grew Up With the War on Terror". Slate. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
The early-2000s decision to define Wikipedia by what it is not—not a memorial site, not a social networking service, not a blog or a breaking news site—helped Wikipedia retain its identity as an encyclopedia.
- Pasternack, Alex (September 11, 2021). "How 9/11 turned a new site called Wikipedia into history's crowdsourced front page". Fast Company. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
The volunteers who documented the attacks on the fledgling site were also laying a foundation for its future.
- Cheng, Selina (September 14, 2021). "Exclusive: Wikipedia bans 7 mainland Chinese power users over 'infiltration and exploitation' in unprecedented clampdown". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
Some Wikipedia users were 'physically harmed as a result of such infiltration,' Dennis said, without elaborating. 'With this confirmed, we have no choice but to act swiftly and appropriately in response.'
- Sharwood, Simon (September 14, 2021). "Wikipedia bans seven Chinese users amid concerns of 'infiltration, physical harm'". The Register. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- "Wikipedia bans 7 mainland Chinese power users over 'infiltration of Wikimedia systems'". Asian News International. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- Molot, Clara (September 14, 2021). "Ex-Planned Parenthood Executive to Lead Wikipedia's Foundation". Bloomberg News. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
The majority of Wikipedia's language editions have only a handful of editors, while fewer than 20% of editors identify as women and its readers are overwhelming male.
- Lima, Cristiano (September 15, 2021). "Wikipedia still has a moderator diversity problem. Its new chief wants to fix it". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
Wikipedia's longtime struggle to diversify the army of volunteer moderators who edit the site isn't lost on the incoming CEO of its parent organization. In fact, Maryana Iskander...said equity is a topic near and dear to her heart—and to the principles of Wikimedia, which runs Wikipedia.
- Vallance, Chris (September 16, 2021). "Wikipedia blames pro-China infiltration for bans". BBC. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
Wikipedia has suffered an 'infiltration' that sought to advance the aims of China, the US non-profit organisation that owns the volunteer-edited encyclopaedia has said. The Wikimedia Foundation told BBC News the infiltration had threatened the 'very foundations of Wikipedia'. The foundation banned seven editors linked to a mainland China group.
- Tobin, Sam (September 17, 2021). "Wikipedia infiltrators banned for pushing China propaganda". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
Wikipedia has banned seven editors after an 'infiltration' designed to promote 'the aims of China', according to the group behind the site.
- "Wikipedia's neutrality 'hugely impaired' after ban on Chinese mainland users: WMC insider". Global Times. September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
An insider of the volunteer-led group, who requested to be anonymous, told the Global Times on Thursday that the 'office action' of the foundation has 'significantly changed' the 'political landscape' of Chinese language Wikipedia, and 'hugely impaired' the neutrality of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that is edited by volunteers and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation.
- Cellan-Jones, Rory (September 18, 2021). "Tech Tent - what next for Wikipedia?". BBC. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
Now, just as a new chief executive takes over, a bitter dispute has erupted between volunteer editors of the online encyclopedia's Chinese language edition over how events in Hong Kong are portrayed.
- Chin, Jonathan (September 19, 2021). "Wikipedia fights 'infiltration' by Chinese group". Taipei Times. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
The foundation is battling against 'capture' by a group that seeks to edit Wikipedia to advance a particular viewpoint, she wrote, adding: 'Controlling content was an aim.'
- Naher, Kamrun (September 19, 2021). "Being a Wikipedian may be a thankless job, but they say it's addictive". The Business Standard. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
How can someone be so persistent in doing something like this voluntarily, without any remuneration? 'This might be a free, voluntary, even thankless job. But the amount of knowledge I've gained, the number of people I've encountered, and the number of platforms I've been to - I don't think it can be bought for any amount of money. Only the passionate hearts will understand this quest,' this was Subrata's response to the question.
- Alba, Davey (September 23, 2021). "Wikipedia's next leader on preventing misinformation: 'Neutrality requires understanding.'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
Last week, the Wikimedia Foundation, the group that oversees Wikipedia, announced that Maryana Iskander, a social entrepreneur in South Africa who has worked for years in nonprofits tackling youth unemployment and women's rights, will become its chief executive in January.
- Lam, Oiwan (September 28, 2021). "A veteran Hong Kong Wikipedia editor: "Wikipedia's policies are vulnerable to authoritarian abuse"". Global Voices. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
The infiltration concerns surrounding doxxing and threats within the Chinese Wikipedia community escalated after the "edit war" between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese editors on entries related to the 2019 Hong Kong protests was picked up by a number of media outlets in Hong Kong.
- "Global 24-hour Wikipedia 'Edit-a-thon' Kicks Off In New Zealand". Scoop. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
The event is organised by the group Women in Red, a volunteer organisation within Wikipedia whose aim is to reduce the "gender gap": the disportionate number of biographies in the online encyclopedia devoted to men.
- van Brugen, Isabel; Jekielek, Jan (September 29, 2021). "Wikipedia Co-Founder Criticizes Site, Says It Has Slid Into 'Leftist Propaganda'". The Epoch Times. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
Sanger criticized Wikipedia, suggesting that it has recently moved to "follow the news media." "More recently, they've gotten rid of almost all conservative news sources as sources for their articles," he explained. "And so as the news media has shifted, and as the establishment, frankly, has shifted more to the left or to the left, the content of Wikipedia has followed suit."
- Fokazi, Sipokazi (September 30, 2021). "Wikipedia aims to bridge information inequity in SA using local artists". TimesLIVE. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
Over the next four weeks, the foundation will release online multimedia content built by the local creatives who will highlight a variety of topics, from popular culture and social politics to the evolution of African cinema.
October
- "Wikipedia co-founder says platform is 'leftist propaganda'". Rebel News. October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
Speaking to OpIndia last November, [Larry] Sanger said that Wikipedia is among one of the most highly trafficked websites run by anonymous people with no accountability who push partisan politics.
- "Azerbaijani Wikipedia volunteers posting articles about Second Karabakh War [PHOTO]". AzerNews. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
Elturk noted that at present, users of the Wikipedia community in Azerbaijan continue to create pages about martyrs in the online encyclopedia.
- "Meet the man who wrote 2,200 Wikipedia articles". The Star. October 4, 2021. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
Meet Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) electrical and electronics engineering alumnus Dody Ismoyo, one of the world's top 200 most active English-language Wikipedia editors.
- "Women Innovators in Aviation and Space: Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon". National Air and Space Museum. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
Tune in to this live program as we introduce you to inspiring women in STEM, talk about the importance of representation online, and check in on the progress of the edit-a-thon as as the Wikipedians add information to the online encyclopedia.
- Cavender, Elena (October 24, 2021). "An interview with Annie Rauwerda, the queen of the Wikipedia rabbit hole". Mashable. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
What started as a quarantine project is now a beloved corner of the internet that teaches followers invaluable wacky trivia on the regular. I called Rauwerda to chat about her longtime love of Wikipedia, which of her posts get the most traction, and her favorite niche places on the internet.
- Diphoko, Wesley (October 25, 2021). "Wikipedia to be translated into isiZulu, Sesotho, Tshivenda, and Afrikaans by a group of young people". Independent Online (South Africa). Retrieved October 27, 2021.
While Wikipedia is the world's 13th-most-visited website, it suffers from a dearth of information about Africa.
- Harrison, Stephen (October 26, 2021). "Why Wikipedia Banned Several Chinese Admins". Slate. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
So far, media coverage of the bans has differed wildly between pro-Beijing and Western sources. According to the Global Times, a daily tabloid newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, the incident amounted to a "well-calculated suppression" of mainland Chinese editors. Meanwhile, the BBC noted in an article that the threat of capture by the CCP was a risk that "threatened the very foundations of Wikipedia."
- Shabangu, Bobby (October 26, 2021). "BOBBY SHABANGU: Credible sources such as Wikipedia root out election disinformation". Business Day (South Africa). Retrieved October 27, 2021.
There are technology models rooted in the public good that can help to overcome this problem. One such model is offered by Wikipedia, the world's largest free encyclopedia, which has been a resource for many South Africans as they seek to learn more about the local government elections, politicians and political parties, and decide who gets their vote.
- Cohen, Noam (October 28, 2021). "VIPs expect special treatment. At Wikipedia, don't even ask". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
While some famous people have advertised a personal connection to the article they edit by choosing user names like AmyFisher and RichardDawkins, others have tried to whitewash articles about themselves or their employers under the cover of anonymous editing, which Wikipedia allows. There's a catch, however.
- Silva, Shiroma (October 30, 2021). "Wikipedia in Chinese editing war of words". BBC. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
Matters came to a head in September when Wikipedia's governing body banned seven active pro-Beijing editors and removed the administrative powers of a further 12.
November
- Cunneen, Rachel; O'Neil, Mathieu (November 4, 2021). "Students are told not to use Wikipedia for research. But it's a trustworthy source". The Conversation. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
In the future, we hope first-year university students enter our classrooms already understanding the value of Wikipedia. This will mean a widespread cultural shift has taken place in Australian primary and secondary schools. In a time of climate change and pandemics, everyone needs to be able to separate fact from fiction. Wikipedia can be part of the remedy.
- Waterson, Jim (November 5, 2021). "Richard Desmond in legal battle with Wikipedia over term 'pornographer'". The Guardian.
Richard Desmond, the billionaire former owner of adult television channels and top-shelf magazines, has spent years having his Wikipedia edited in a failed attempt to remove any suggestion he is a "pornographer".
- Leonard, Brendan (November 7, 2021). "Why You Should Scrap Your Instagram for Wikipedia". Outside. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
I'm not saying replacing Twitter and/or Instagram with Wikipedia is going to transform your life. But I can definitely vouch for spending some time following your curiosity, instead of an algorithm.
- Stephen, Brook; Samantha, Hutchinson (November 11, 2021). "A literary mystery on Caroline Overington's Wikipedia page". The Age. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
Award-winning journalist and author Caroline Overington shared a Walkley award for exposing a literary hoax involving author Norma Khouri while US correspondent for this masthead. That much we know from Overington's Wikipedia page, which faithfully lists The Australian literary editor's 13 books and numerous awards. Of more interest is what the page doesn't reveal. Specifically, several paragraphs from the entry have mysteriously gone walkabout amid signs that the website has been "rinsed" of some unflattering content. It has to be said that CBD has no evidence Overington herself has anything to do with the deletions.
- Hill, Paul (November 16, 2021). "Wikimedia's Content Translation tool has helped create a million articles". Neowin. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
The tool is used today to create a new article every three minutes and although not all of the content it creates is perfect, fewer articles are deleted than are made.
- "Wikipedia editor 'warriors' fight lies, bigotry and even Nazis". Radio France Internationale. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
The 20-year-old encyclopedia -- which even has an article devoted to its own controversies -- has received positive accolades in recent years for its fact-checking capacities. Though it's a sprawling platform, the site does not seek to make money and so avoids the profit-over-safety criticism that has battered Facebook, for example.
- Cole, Samantha (November 17, 2021). "Wikipedia and Google Identified Wrong Man as a Serial Killer for Years". Vice News.
Kolbe said he'd like to see the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit group that owns and operates Wikipedia, assign paid staff to verifying police-sourced photos that appear on the site. "These are photos of real people," he said. "This case shows that, given Wikipedia's reach and quasi-online monopoly, a mistake can cause real suffering."
- Silva, Marco (November 19, 2021). "Climate change: Conspiracy theories found on foreign-language Wikipedia". BBC News.
Several foreign-language Wikipedia pages seen by BBC News are promoting conspiracy theories and making misleading claims about climate change.
- Sparkes, Matthew (November 19, 2021). "Wikipedia tests AI for spotting contradictory claims in articles". New Scientist. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
The charity that maintains Wikipedia has developed AI that can spot contradictory claims in articles and alert the human editors who write and edit the collective encyclopedia.
- Roppe, Sophie (November 22, 2021). "Progress Without Profit: Don't count Wikipedia out". Daily Trojan. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
Today, it feels as though large groups of people on the internet eventually succumb to partisanship and anger. Indeed, it's in this precise climate that Wikipedia is a particular beacon of hope for collaboration.
- Fortino, Jodi (November 22, 2021). "You'll soon be able to find more Black Kansas Citians on Wikipedia". KCUR-FM. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
Out of the 77 individuals included in the Black Archives project, 54% already had their own Wikipedia articles and 45% did not. But even the ones who did have articles may be lacking information.
December
- Metzger, Myke (December 3, 2021). "Tips For Getting Your Business On Wikipedia". Forbes. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
To have a good Wikipedia page, I recommend to have several registered users contribute to it. Pages with no editing history are more likely to be flagged for deletion in my experience. You may be able to avoid this by having multiple users make edits to the page routinely. ... If you're writing the article yourself, you may want to seek advice from professional Wikipedia writers. (Disclosure: My company provides this service.)
- Ravi, Meghana (December 8, 2021). "Hopkins groups host Wikipedia edit-a-thon to increase representation of scientists with disabilities". The Johns Hopkins News-Letter. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
We want to normalize having a disability in the workforce and really reiterate that we're everywhere; we're all around you and you just don't know it. So when you go to read that book or look up this famous person, that you can see that in addition to having all of the success they've had, they also have a disability.
- Marozzi, Matilda (December 10, 2021). "Wikipedia 'edit-a-thons' set to amplify Australian music scene's Wikipedia presence". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved December 10, 2021.
The idea is to train volunteers to edit or create new Wikipedia articles about the domestic music scene to increase its visibility worldwide.
- Ro, Crystal (December 12, 2021). "31 Very Creepy Wikipedia Stories People Discovered In 2021". BuzzFeed. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
It's hard not getting stuck reading a bunch of Wikipedia pages...especially when they're CREEPY Wiki pages. And here are some of the creepiest ones people came across in 2021:
- Coy, Peter (December 13, 2021). "Education Is Like a Beautiful Garden". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
The Wikimedia Foundation is my first choice for giving. I use Wikipedia, which was born 20 years ago, just about every day. I hugely admire the hundreds of thousands of people who write and edit its pages.
- Pasternack, Alex (December 18, 2021). "The war over Chinese Wikipedia is a warning for the open internet". Fast Company. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
While "Wikipedia is not a democracy," one of its precepts says, it may be the closest thing we have to a digital one. And as the internet moves in the other direction, increasingly fragmented and authoritarian, polarized and misinformed, fueled by for-profit scams and sectarian politics, keeping this democratic system will mean fighting for it.
- Orlowski, Andrew (December 20, 2021). "Wokepedia's greed makes a mockery of the season of giving". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
It has been fascinating to watch the WMF professionalise over the past decade, and begin to mirror some of the grotesque behaviour that discredits the NGO and charity sectors. The WMF has ballooned from a half a dozen staff to over 500, with many on six-figure salaries.
- Shendruk, Amanda (December 20, 2021). "The most popular Wikipedia article for every day in 2021". Quartz (publication). Retrieved December 20, 2021.
We've pulled together the most-read English-language Wikipedia page for every day of 2021 excluding the Main Page and the Search page, which often occupy the top spot. This article will be updated daily until the end of the year. Let's take a look:
- Silva, Marco (December 24, 2021). "Climate change: Small army of volunteers keeping deniers off Wikipedia". BBC News. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
Wikipedia has for so long been plagued by climate change denial. But a group of dedicated volunteers around the world is working tirelessly to keep the deniers at bay
- Vengadesan, Martin (December 26, 2021). "How engineer Dody Ismoyo became a leading Wikipedian". Malaysiakini. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
A native of Indonesia and with a master's degree from Australia, Dody Ismoyo might seem to be an unlikely candidate for the role of founder and president of the Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia.