Week 16 - Review about contents of the book[Wikipedia @20 chapter 3 - From Utopia to Practice and Back] - Lee Jaehyun (이재현)

1. Summarize in my your own words of materials that I read

Yochai Benkler discusses how Wikipedia and commons-based peer production (CBPP) offer a real alternative to market- and hierarchy-driven systems. Wikipedia proves that large-scale collaboration is possible through social norms and voluntary work rather than profit or authority. While it shows the potential of nonmarket, nonhierarchical knowledge production, the model has limits, including governance inequality and failure to expand into other domains. Still, Wikipedia’s continued resistance to commercialization makes it a vital example of how we might rethink knowledge, journalism, and science in a post-neoliberal world.

2. Mention of any new, interesting, or unusual items that I learned through lecture.

I found it especially interesting that Wikipedia remains one of the few top platforms that refuses advertising and protects user privacy. While most digital platforms rely on surveillance capitalism, Wikipedia’s commitment to a noncommercial model sets it apart. I also hadn’t realized how deeply its governance structure has become formalized over time, moving away from its original decentralized ideals. Despite that, its ability to maintain trust across political divides and provide reliable health information demonstrates its unique social value.

3. Identify at least one question, concern, or discussion angle that is either problematic in some respect or could have been elaborated more.

One concern is whether Wikipedia’s model can be replicated in areas requiring faster or more specialized input, such as breaking news or scientific discovery. Volunteer-based systems may struggle with speed, funding, and reliability. Also, Benkler discusses Wikipedia’s limits in hierarchy but doesn’t fully address how to design participatory governance that avoids domination by a small group. Could future models better combine volunteerism with structural safeguards to ensure fairness and inclusivity at scale?

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