Blogging through Invitation to Sociology (2024) - overflow

Wikipedia is one of the most trusted and widely used sources of information in the world—but that trust doesn’t come automatically. As I learned from the second half of the video “Understanding Wikipedia: Reliability and Verifiability” and the fascinating article on hoaxes in Wikipedia , the platform’s credibility depends on constant vigilance and a strong sourcing culture. Wikipedia’s Core Defense: Verifiability The video emphasizes a key idea: Wikipedia does not aim to be “the truth,” but to be a summary of what reliable sources say . Every claim should be verifiable , meaning it can be traced back to a reputable, published source. This is what makes Wikipedia different from blogs, social media, or opinion columns. The editing community is constantly checking for sourcing issues, tagging unverifiable content, and even deleting entire pages that don’t meet standards. But as the video shows, this is a human-led process . Mistakes and manipulations can—and do—slip through. The Ho...

When we think of Wikipedia today, we think of one of the world’s most visited and trusted websites. But behind this massive project is an ambitious goal: to build a free, universal encyclopedia for everyone. The second half of the video “Understanding Wikipedia: The Pursuit of the Universal Encyclopedia” dives into this bold vision, tracing Wikipedia’s historical roots and its evolution. Paired with the community’s policies on reliable sources, we see how idealism and discipline work hand-in-hand to make Wikipedia what it is. The Dream of a Universal Encyclopedia Wikipedia’s roots go back to ideas from centuries ago—from Enlightenment thinkers who imagined a repository of all human knowledge, accessible to all. The video explains how this dream was revived with the rise of the internet. Wikipedia, launched in 2001, grew rapidly because it allowed anyone to contribute—an idea that was both revolutionary and controversial. But Wikipedia wasn’t built just by technology; it was sha...

Over the course of this project, we’ve learned a lot about how Wikipedia operates—how to edit, source, discuss, and debate. But Joseph Reagle’s book Good Faith Collaboration offers something deeper: a thoughtful, well-researched explanation of why Wikipedia works at all. After watching the second half of the documentary-style video based on the book and reading two academic reviews, I can confidently say this: GFC is more than a book about Wikipedia—it’s a book about what makes online cooperation possible . What Makes the Book Special What stood out most to me in Good Faith Collaboration is Reagle’s focus on culture over code . While Wikipedia certainly runs on complex software, it’s the shared values—neutrality, transparency, civility, and especially good faith —that allow strangers to build a global encyclopedia together. The second half of the video explores several conflicts and controversies within Wikipedia, like gender bias and edit wars. Instead of presenting these as f...

  When we browse Wikipedia, it’s easy to forget that every word, citation, and edit was made by real people. But who are these people—and why do they do it? The video “Who Writes Wikipedia? Wikipedians” and Chapter 8 of Joseph Reagle’s Good Faith Collaboration give us a closer look at the editors behind the screen, the motivations that drive them, and the values that hold the community together. A Diverse Yet Uneven Crowd According to the video, Wikipedians come from all over the world, but they’re not as demographically diverse as one might think. Most editors are male, technically literate, and often come from North America or Europe. Despite this imbalance, the community is incredibly varied in terms of knowledge, editing interests, and levels of involvement—ranging from casual editors to deeply committed administrators and policy-makers. Reagle’s Chapter 8: The Wikipedian explores this further, offering rich descriptions of how contributors identify themselves and inte...