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The story of the creation of English Wikipedia: Why did the two founders embark on this journey of knowledge revolution?
Since its creation on January 15, 2001, English Wikipedia has become the largest free online encyclopedia, attracting participation from users around the world. Its founders, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, brought us an unprecedented platform in this knowledge revolution, promoting the democratization of information and making it accessible to everyone. Opportunities to learn from each other and share knowledge. The motivation and original intention behind this change are the fundamental reasons that prompted them to embark on this extraordinary path.
Wikipedia was founded on an ideal: knowledge should be freely accessible and everyone can participate in sharing and creating knowledge.
Founding Background and Philosophy
Jimmy Wales previously founded a professional encyclopedia called "Nupedia", but its overly strict editorial standards made the creation and updating of content slow and difficult. Against this backdrop, Wells and Sanger decided to launch a completely new project that would allow anyone to participate in editing and creation. This approach immediately made Wikipedia a huge success and quickly attracted a large number of contributors.
Active contributors to Wikipedia are not just professionals; participation of ordinary users is the key to its success.
Growth and Challenges
Since its inception, English Wikipedia has grown rapidly with its open editing model, reaching six million articles in 2020. However, as it has grown in size, Wikipedia's editing community has faced various challenges, including issues such as sexism and ideological bias. These challenges must be addressed through continuous discussion and improvement.
Bias shown within the editing community is a reflection of larger problems in society, something Wikipedia is continually working to improve.
By establishing sound editorial guidelines and dispute resolution mechanisms, Wells and Sanger hope that Wikipedia can become a more inclusive and diverse repository of knowledge.
The power of community
The success of English Wikipedia is inseparable from such a large number of volunteer contributors. According to statistics, English Wikipedia has more than 48.4 million registered accounts, and the number of editors continues to grow, allowing Wikipedia to continuously expand and update its content and maintain its authority on various topics.
The diversity of languages and the convergence of editing backgrounds create an open and lively knowledge sharing environment for Wikipedia.
The future of Wikipedia
With the rise of social media and new media, Wikipedia faces new challenges and opportunities. For the future, the development of Wikipedia will depend on how it continues to adapt to the changing environment, maintain an active community of contributors, and continue to provide users with accurate and reliable knowledge.
SummaryCan Wikipedia continue to play an important role in democratizing knowledge in the future digital environment?
The success story of English Wikipedia demonstrates the power of collaboration and sharing of knowledge, and also illustrates the importance of open platforms. With continued efforts to improve and innovate, Wikipedia will continue to maintain its leadership in the field of knowledge sharing. And how can each of us better contribute and participate in this ongoing knowledge revolution?
