Wikipedia's Co-Founder Is Wikipedia's Most Outspoken Critic. "Wikipedia [is] the greatest project co-created by people regardless of political, religious, or cultural borders." Halfway across the world, on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, Wikipedia's co-founder Larry Sanger thinks otherwise. To him, the site is a disappointment, which became overrun with trolls and users whose "anti-elitism" ruined the credibility of the articles.

Wikipedia's Co-Founder Is Wikipedia's Most Outspoken Critic. "Wikipedia [is] the greatest project co-created by people regardless of political, religious, or cultural borders." Halfway across the world, on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, Wikipedia's co-founder Larry Sanger thinks otherwise. To him, the site is a disappointment, which became overrun with trolls and users whose "anti-elitism" ruined the credibility of the articles.

The story of Wikipedia starts with Nupedia, a project that aimed to create a free online encyclopedia. Nupedia was the brainchild of Bomis, a dot-com company founded by Jimmy Wales, Tim Shell, and Michael Davis. Larry Sanger played a crucial role in the development of Wikipedia by synthesizing emerging "wiki" technology with Nupedia's original vision. Sanger coined the name "Wikipedia," wrote its founding documents, and served as the site's sole paid editor and philosophical leader for 14 months.

In the early days, Sanger had a vision for a "cultural news blog" that focused on social and political issues. While working for Bomis, he proposed various ways to supplement the Nupedia system. It was during this time that he became aware of wikis, websites that could be edited directly from a web browser by anyone. Intrigued by the potential of wikis, Sanger wondered if they could solve the problems he was facing with Nupedia.

Sanger began creating introductory and home pages for Wikipedia and invited a select few to contribute. However, when the Nupedia advisory board learned about the idea of using a wiki, they dismissed it as ridiculous. Sanger himself had doubts about the feasibility of wikis, particularly concerns about vandals changing content. However, he realized that the solution was simple: if someone made an unwanted change, it could be easily reverted.

One significant contribution that Sanger and his team made to the wiki model was the distinction between article pages and discussion pages. Previously, wikis didn't clearly differentiate between the two types of content, leading to confusion. They introduced the convention of moving all discussions to separate talk sub-pages, which later became tabs. This organizational change paved the way for the way Wikipedia operates today.

Despite its success, Wikipedia faced challenges early on due to its open nature. Anyone could participate, leading to some individuals wasting others' time or causing disruptions. Sanger acknowledges that many of these individuals may not be inherently "bad" but rather abrasive or confused. However, the lack of a codified and constitutional system for organizing the community allowed for selective application of rules, leading to unfairness.

Sanger believes that one crucial step that could have improved Wikipedia's credibility would have been the implementation of an expert approval process for articles. This could have been a lightweight, Web 2.0 tagging system that allowed experts to validate articles as credible. Additionally, Sanger suggests that Wikipedia should have developed a constitutional system for proposing and approving changes to ensure a more inclusive and adaptable community.

In conclusion, while Wikipedia has achieved remarkable success as a collaborative knowledge-sharing platform, its co-founder Larry Sanger has become its most vocal critic. Sanger believes that the site has been plagued by trolls and a lack of credibility due to its open and unregulated nature. However, his insights provide valuable lessons for the future of online collaborative platforms.

Actionable advice:

1. Establish a system for expert validation: Consider implementing a process that allows experts to review and approve content, ensuring higher credibility and accuracy.
2. Develop a constitutional system: Create a clear and transparent framework for proposing and approving changes to foster a more inclusive and adaptable community.
3. Prioritize organizational structures: Differentiate between article pages and discussion pages, providing a clear and organized platform for knowledge sharing.

By incorporating these actionable advice, online collaborative platforms can strive for improved credibility, inclusivity, and adaptability.