Wikipedia Balances Community With Control

Online communities will inevitably stir up disagreements and controversies, and Wikipedia is one of the best examples. The New York Times reported recently on Wikipedia’s various policies to curb disputes and vandalism on its entries.

The story outlines Wikipedia’s tiers of editing protection used when conflicts arise about a particular entry. The protections often follow “revert wars” when multiple users change an entry repeatedly to match their viewpoint.  The biggest lightning-rod entries (mostly involving celebrities and political figures) are completely protected from editing, while another tier is semi-protected and editable only by users who have been registered on the site for at least four days.

The policies are a good reminder of the participatory and sometimes passionate nature of wikis and other Web 2.0 tools. But just as school-yard scuffles often get worked out among the participants, the online community generally polices and regulates itself quite well. And a “time out” phase usually helps.

Would too many policies and controls threaten Wikipedia’s core mission? Perhaps. At the same time, the site – and those who care for it – must always maintain as much credibility as possible. As the Times story points out, the site is now the Web’s third-most-popular information source. Many users (including students and Internet newbies) use the site as an online encyclopedia without even realizing the entries are created and maintained by the community. A few checks and balances are a small concession to ensure the site doesn’t turn into an online landfill.