Week12 -- My Wikipedia Edits -- LIU ZIYE

 1) Summary of Content

During Week 12, I continued working on the "China's peaceful rise" article. While reviewing the discussion page, I came across a surprising dialogue from August 2004. Two early editors debated whether the article violated Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View (NPOV) policy. One editor argued that the title and content reflected too much of the Chinese government's perspective, suggesting it be renamed "Theory of Peaceful Rise." The other responded that the phrase accurately described China’s official foreign policy at the time. This exchange highlights that even twenty years ago, Wikipedia editors were actively considering how to present complex geopolitical topics in a balanced way.

2) Interesting Discovery
What struck me most was the time frame—I was amazed to see that people were already editing and discussing this topic on Wikipedia back in 2004. It made me appreciate how well Wikipedia preserves not just article versions but also user conversations, offering a transparent view of how knowledge is debated and shaped over time. Although the article remained underdeveloped for years, its history reveals the platform’s strong archival and collaborative nature.

3) Questions & Reflections
This experience led me to reflect on a broader issue: How well does Wikipedia keep pace with real-world developments? It’s surprising that an article on such an important foreign policy concept was left incomplete for so long. This raises questions about whose knowledge gets recorded, when, and by whom.