Wikipedia's Invisible Hierarchy and AI's Existential Challenge

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

• "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel - A novel mentioned because its author gave an interview to Slate to correct her marital status on Wikipedia.

People Mentioned

• Jimmy Wales - Co-founder of Wikipedia, referenced in the context of Wikipedia's non-profit business model and his decision not to monetize the platform.
• Stephen Colbert - Comedian who coined the term "Wikiality" to comment on shared delusions, particularly criticizing the American right.
• Eugene Rachko - Creator of Mastodon, whose Wikipedia page was used as an example to demonstrate Wikipedia editing protocols.
• Kyle Galbraith (Co-founder and CEO of Depo Dev) - Guest on the podcast discussing the future of software engineering and the role of Depo Dev.
• Lash Vykraman - An old friend of the podcast mentioned as an upcoming guest to discuss Elixir, Nerves, home automation, and Karate Kid.

Organizations & Institutions

• Wikimedia Foundation - The non-profit organization that runs Wikipedia, discussed in terms of its budget, employees, and challenges with fundraising and AI companies.
• Wikimedia Enterprise - A for-profit company within the Wikimedia Foundation, offering a professional version of the Wikimedia API with guaranteed uptimes and SLAs.
• Wikiproject Med Foundation - An organization focused on medical health-related articles on Wikipedia.
• Wiki Education Foundation - An organization that partners with universities to help teachers understand how Wikipedia can be a pedagogical tool.
• The Notability Company - A proper PR firm founded by Bill Butler, focused on generating earned media that Wikipedia considers reliable.

Websites & Online Resources

• Wikipedia - The central topic of the episode, discussed in terms of its inner workings, editing rules, community dynamics, and future challenges.
• Mastodon - An open-source social network, mentioned in relation to its creator, Eugene Rachko.
• Slate - An online magazine mentioned as the source of an interview with Emily St. John Mandel.
• Breitbart - A news website mentioned in the context of sources that Wikipedia generally deems unreliable for factual claims.
• New York Post - A news tabloid mentioned in the context of sources that Wikipedia generally deems unreliable for factual claims.
• Daily Mail - A British newspaper mentioned in the context of sources that Wikipedia generally deems unreliable for factual claims.
• The Telegraph - A British newspaper mentioned as a potentially reliable source for Wikipedia.
• Wall Street Journal - A prominent newspaper mentioned as a potentially reliable source for Wikipedia.
• Forbes Contributor Network - A platform where individuals can publish articles, but which Wikipedia generally does not consider a reliable source for factual claims.
• Newsweek - A magazine mentioned for its historical context and its current state as a website with a different editorial leaning.
• The Changelog (changelog.com) - The podcast itself, mentioned as a source of information and in the context of its own mentions on Wikipedia.
• Depo Dev (depo.dev) - A platform discussed for streamlining build pipelines and improving software development velocity.
• Framer (framer.com/design) - A design tool for publishing websites, highlighted for its integrated design and publishing capabilities.
• Wiki Portraits - A project that sets up pop-up studios to take high-quality headshots of people for Wikipedia articles.

Other Resources

• RFC (Request for Comment) - A semi-formal call for editors to comment on difficult issues on Wikipedia, analogous to RFCs in technical communities.
• "Not Here" (NOTHERE) - A Wikipedia shorthand for editors who are not engaging in constructive editing to build the encyclopedia.
• "Assume Good Faith" - A Wikipedia policy encouraging editors to assume positive intentions from others.
• "Neutral Point of View" (NPOV) - A fundamental Wikipedia policy requiring articles to be written from a neutral, unbiased perspective.
• "No Sockpuppetry" - A Wikipedia policy prohibiting editors from creating multiple accounts to manipulate discussions or content.
• "Five Pillars of Wikipedia" - Core principles guiding Wikipedia, including "Wikipedia is an encyclopedia" and "Wikipedia has no firm rules."
• "Ignore All Rules" - An unpopular and rarely followed Wikipedia policy stating that if a rule hinders improving the encyclopedia, it should be ignored.
• "Don't Break the Rules Just to Make a Point" (WP:POINT) - A Wikipedia rule discouraging disruptive behavior.
• "Verifiability, Not Truth" - A Wikipedia principle stating that the goal is to provide verifiable information rather than subjective truth.
• "Biography of Living Persons" (BLP) - A strict Wikipedia policy regarding content about living individuals, emphasizing careful sourcing.
• "Notability" - A Wikipedia guideline that determines whether a subject is significant enough to warrant its own article.
• "Articles for Creation" - A process on Wikipedia where users can submit draft articles for review by volunteer editors.
• "Articles for Deletion" - A process on Wikipedia for discussing and deciding whether to delete an article.
• "Conflict of Interest Noticeboard" - A page on Wikipedia where editors report suspicious activity related to conflicts of interest.
• "Reliable Sources" - Wikipedia's guideline for evaluating the quality and trustworthiness of external sources used in articles.