Week12- Wikipedia Edit-YUJIE 여결

Summary

The development of Wikipedia articles is a gradual process, starting with brief stubs and gradually growing into high-quality, well-structured, and well-referenced articles through continuous user supplementation and organization. The development of entries is roughly divided into several stages, including the initial development stage, the excellent entry stage, and the final feature entry stage. Among these, both excellent and featured entries must undergo rigorous community review, representing authoritative content, clear expression, and standardized structure.

The entire process relies on extensive community collaboration, embodying Wikipedia's core spirit of open sharing and continuous improvement. The evaluation system for item quality not only ensures the accuracy and credibility of the content but also encourages more users to participate in the organization and contribution of knowledge. Wikipedia consistently emphasizes the verifiability and neutrality of information, with all content backed by reliable sources, making it a globally influential platform for open knowledge.


Interesting points

Wikipedia articles were not initially rich in content but gradually grew from simple stubs. Users can start editing from basic entries, gradually adding information and supplementing sources to develop them into well-structured and detailed high-quality entries. Interestingly, the development path of the entries is not fixed, with some rapidly improving in a short period of time, while others may stagnate in their early stages for many years. Moreover, the quality of entries is jointly reviewed by community members rather than determined by a few experts, and this open participation approach allows everyone to engage in knowledge building.

And even if an entry becomes a good or featured item, it may not always maintain its status permanently. If the content is outdated, citations are invalid, or quality declines due to editing confusion, it may be downgraded, which also reminds us that maintaining quality is harder than writing it down. Featured entries also have the chance to make it to the Wikipedia homepage, becoming the first thing global users see, and this public display inspires more people to seriously engage with editing. Overall, the growth of entries is not just a process of information accumulation, but also a dynamic cycle of collaboration, review, and continuous optimization.


Discussion

Wikipedia articles rely on continuous supplementation and revision by global users, evolving from simple stubs into rich and clear articles. The open editing mode leverages public wisdom to rapidly grow and update knowledge. But due to the diverse backgrounds of the participants, the quality of the entries varies significantly, with some experiencing long-term stagnation or regression due to a lack of maintenance.

Although there are excellent and featured article reviews, how can we strike a balance between openness and content authority?


Comments

  1. CHEN SIWENMay 25, 2025 at 3:49 AM

    Balancing openness and authority on Wikipedia requires clear rules, active community involvement, and smart tools. While anyone can edit, core policies like neutrality and verifiability ensure a baseline of quality. Peer review processes and experienced editors help maintain standards, while bots and WikiProjects support consistency. Openness allows broad participation, but structure and oversight ensure credibility.

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