Week6.1--material reading blog--LI LINLIN

 (1) Summary:

This article explores the nature of Wikipedia, which is unique and contradictory. It is based on history and uses metaphorical references to illustrate the broader significance of its culture, challenges, and modes of collaboration. It begins with an analogy that compares Wikipedia to a spherical jigsaw puzzle presented at the 2007 Wikimedia International Conference, symbolizing the platform's global use and the collaboration of people from different countries. The author discusses the ideals of neutrality and integrity maintained by the Wikipedia community, emphasizing that these are idealized to some extent, but not all.

This historical reflection, inspired by H.G. Wells' concept of the "world brain," parallels an earlier vision of universal knowledge with the ideals set forth by Wikipedia. Despite the challenges and inherent flaws that open content communities face, such as the practical difficulties of "unstructured tyranny" and dealing with disruptive behavior, Wikipedia's community strives to foster a culture of cooperation rather than conflict.

The argument centers on the fact that while technology (especially Wikis) facilitates collaboration, it is not the only reason for Wikipedia's success; Instead, a strong spirit of cooperation prevailed. In the article, the authors criticize the overemphasis on technology as a less than ideal solution to the collaborative process, including asserting an understanding of the balance between these points such as community dynamics and cultural values.

Despite Wikipedia's success, the article notes that Wikipedia has been subject to constant criticism and debate over its legitimacy as an encyclopedia, its sustainability, and its vulnerability to human flaws such as inaccurate details and high and low accuracy. However, with an enduring spirit of collaboration and a renewed community of new Wikihow users, Wikipedia remains a robust model for collaborative knowledge creation.

The article concludes by reflecting on the inevitability of organizational change, and the possibility of community members disengaging from Wikipedia and starting new projects if they are not satisfied, as part of the natural evolution and Wikipedia's legacy. Despite its flaws and ongoing challenges, Wikipedia is portrayed as an extraordinary successful experiment in building a universal encyclopedia.

(2) Interesting point: If forced to simplify the complexity theory of online communities through a single approach I would resort to Godwin's Law, first observed on Usenet. We often see the world through a narrow "us" lens compared to them, and we are often less good at judging others than we are at judging ourselves - and then we are very good at justifying and rationalizing our own mistakes.

(3) Q: When you were involved with Wikipedia as an editor, did anything happen that wasn't ideal for you to edit that made it difficult?

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