Wikipedia

Wikipedia Owners Bungle Rollout of Increased Account Security Measures

The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that owns Wikipedia, introduced new account security requirements for users with certain advanced privileges on May 20 in response to a recent hacking incident that compromised over 35,000 accounts. However, the requirement was undone and its rollout delayed after the Foundation learned that it had failed to inform some impacted users of the new security steps.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Wikipedia Bungles Article on Pope Leo XIV as Editors Dispute His Nationality

Wikipedia editors rushing to edit the page of newly-selected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, made repeated bungles with typos of his name in the title, duplicate banners, and frequently undoing each other’s changes by accident. At one point this led to a duplicate article titled “Pope Leon XIIV” being created in the confusion. Editors also repeatedly fought over how to describe his nationality given his dual American-Peruvian citizenship.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV concelebrates Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sis

CEO of Wikipedia’s Parent Foundation to Step Down After Ed Martin Questions Tax Exempt Status

Maryana Iskander, the CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation — the nonprofit that owns Wikipedia — is reportedly stepping down from her position. The revelation comes just two weeks after the foundation was accused of violating its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by allowing propaganda and misinformation from “foreign actors” to flourish on the platform. Iskander, meanwhile, insists her forthcoming departure has been in the works for some time.

Maryana Iskander, departing CEO of Wikipedia owner Wikimedia Foundation

Wikipedia Owners Establish ‘Neutrality’ Working Group, Avoid Mentioning Their Leftist Bias

The Wikimedia Foundation, owners of Wikipedia, formed a working group focused on neutrality policy at the end of March with site co-founder Jimmy Wales as chair. Its objective will be to study the neutrality policies in place on different-language Wikipedias and other Foundation-owned sites to develop a global standard. Although citing various left-wing concerns about neutrality, the Foundation omitted any reference to the site’s own leftist political bias.

Leftist WIkipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales

NPR CEO Katherine Maher Reveals How She Ruined Wikipedia

Katherine Maher, NPR’s newly appointed CEO, is facing criticism over her past tweets as a veteran editor accuses the organization of leftist bias. But along the way, another interesting line of investigation has opened — how Maher wrecked Wikipedia by turning away from “free and open” discussions on the “online wikipedia” because that goal represents a “white male westernized construct.” 

Katherine Maher NPR CEO, Former Wikimedia Head

Wikipedia Editors Downplay Controversies Surrounding Harvard President Claudine Gay

Wikipedia editors have been actively trying to minimize mention of plagiarism allegations raised against embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay. This has included removing mention of the allegations from the intro of her article and removing detailed descriptions of the alleged plagiarism. Some editors have also tried to minimize mention of Gay’s handling of campus antisemitism in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks against Israel.

Claudine Gay named 30th president of Harvard University, will be schools first Black leade

Wikipedia ‘Supreme Court’ Suspends Member for Breaking Site’s ‘Code of Silence’

The Wikipedia Arbitration Committee, likened to a “Supreme Court” for the site, suspended the privileges of member “Beeblebrox” for six months over claimed misconduct in the first such suspension in Wikipedia’s history. Among the alleged incidents, some concerned a now-former administrator with whom Beeblebrox had feuded. The same former administrator last month confessed to impersonating a Spanish indie singer and previously editing Wikipedia with an account banned for undisclosed paid editing, a common practice on the online encyclopedia.

Jimmy Wales presents on WIkipedia

‘Hierarchical, Biased:’ Elon Musk Slams Wikipedia, Offers $1 Billion to Change Name to ‘Dickipedia’

X/Twitter owner Elon Musk slammed Wikipedia dysfunction on Monday, condemning the site for the biases of its hierarchy of elite editors, rejecting comparisons to his platform’s Community Notes feature, which does not have different tiers of editors. Musk couldn’t help trolling Wikipedia boss Jimmy Wales, responding with the site’s regular plea for donations with an offer of $1 billion if it changes its name to “Dickipedia.”

Elon Musk celebrates Texas

Egg on His Face: Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales Surrenders Admin Privileges After Controversy

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, recently gave up his administrative privileges on the online encyclopedia after a request to review his conduct was brought before the site’s Arbitration Committee, often likened to a supreme court. The request concerned Wales publicly accusing a former member of the Committee of being involved with a paid editing scam without properly vetting the claims beforehand. Wales still retains limited privileges under his “founder” role.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales

Ministry of Truth: Wikipedia Adds Editing Restrictions to ‘Protect’ Article on Recession

Wikipedia is introducing restrictions to prevent new and unregistered users from editing the article about economic recession. The “online encyclopedia,” which has demonstrated its leftist bias on many occasions, became the subject of intense criticism last week after editors made dozens of changes to the recession article to de-emphasize the broad consensus definition of recession — two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth — instead parroting the Biden Administration’s talking points.

Jimmy Wales presents on WIkipedia

Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales Flips Out on Elon Musk over Criticism of Leftist Bias, Calls Him ‘Stupid’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently criticized Wikipedia by stating that the free online encyclopedia is losing its objectivity, enraging the online encyclopedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. After Musk pointed out the fact that Wikipedia editors have significantly changed the definition of a recession to protect the Biden administration, Wales replied, “reading too much Twitter nonsense is making you stupid.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk who has tweeted about vague plans to take the company private

Ministry of Truth: Wikipedia Editors Feverishly Change Article on Recessions to Match Biden Talking Points

An edit war broke out on Wikipedia this week over the definition of “recession,” as the Biden administration and the corporate media take the unprecedented step of denying the U.S. is in recession even after two consecutive quarters of negative growth. More than 70 edits to the page about recessions were made before the site locked the entry preventing further changes. The edits successfully de-emphasize the broad consensus definition of recession — two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth — instead parroting the Biden Administration’s talking points.

NBC Senior White House Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell, Reuters White House Reporter St

Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger Tells Tucker Carlson He Is ‘Embarrassed’ by Site He Created

In an interview Thursday for Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger stated he was embarrassed about helping found the site given its increasing left-wing bias. Noting it helps shape the understanding many Americans have of the world, Carlson asked Sanger what could be done to fix the problems on Wikipedia, but Sanger doubted it was possible to fix the site from the inside. He instead argued for creating alternative sources, noting his most recent effort: the Encyclosphere.

Larry Sanger on Tucker Carlson

Wikipedia Editors Smear Co-Founder Larry Sanger for Criticizing Site’s Left-Wing Bias

Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia, has come under fire from the site’s editors over his criticism of the site’s left-wing bias. His criticism particularly cited an ongoing purge of conservative media on the site. While some editors tried to dispute his claims, others have smeared Sanger with accusations of antisemitism and trafficking in conspiracy theories to discredit him. Editors have also kept mention of his criticism of left-wing bias out of Wikipedia articles on the topic, due to such criticism being covered mainly in conservative media.

a College SJW screaming

Wikipedia Admins Support Banning Editors for Not Using ‘Preferred Pronouns’

A long-time Wikipedia editor for over a decade, Guy Macon, retired from the site late June after he was briefly banned for not using “preferred pronouns” when discussing a ban appeal by former site administrator Ashley Van Haeften. Macon used Van Haeften’s username “Fæ” instead of singular “they” due to grammatical objections. Van Haeften and Macon previously fought over the former’s agenda-driven editing. Though the ban was lifted on grounds Macon was sincerely trying to respect Van Haeften’s wishes, some administrators still argued it was valid, citing the “code of conduct” recently imposed by Wikipedia’s owners.

gender

Wikipedia Admin Unilaterally Broadens Sourcing Ban Policy

Conservative media have been subject to an ongoing purge on Wikipedia since Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential election. Originally, this only banned their use for factual claims with continued use permitted for citing opinions, but a policy change early last year significantly curtailed even this exemption without any discussion supporting the change, in defiance of normal practice. The change was made by Guy Chapman, a Wikipedia administrator notorious for political bias who has played a pivotal role in the sourcing purge.

Turkish officials say Wikipedia failed to remove content deemed to be false from its pages

Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger Claims Site Is Leftist Propaganda and ‘Opponent of Vigorous Democracy’

Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger published a blog post last week analyzing the site’s left-wing bias. Examining articles about Donald Trump’s impeachments, the Black Lives Matter protests and riots, Joe Biden’s scandals, and the 2020 election, Sanger argued Wikipedia’s coverage is so extremely left-wing that it constitutes propaganda. He partly blamed an ongoing purge of conservative news sources on Wikipedia which includes Breitbart News. Sanger warned these developments made Wikipedia “a kind of thought police” and “an opponent of vigorous democracy.”

Jimmy Wales presents on WIkipedia

More Former Wikipedia Foundation Staff Allege Workplace Abuse

Recent allegations by former staff at the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, accusing management of bullying and other offenses including anti-union retaliation, have prompted other former staff to come forward. Aside from echoing claims about mistreatment of staff, one former staffer alleged departing employees often are pushed to sign non-disclosure agreements and questioned the practice in light of the allegations. She further alleged employees would sometimes be overworked and fired for then failing to perform.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales

Publisher Retracts Chemistry Textbook over Allegations of Extensive Wikipedia Plagiarism

Academic publisher Elsevier has retracted an entire chemistry textbook about the periodic table of elements this year after learning of allegations that significant portions were copied from Wikipedia uncredited, at times including near-verbatim text. The apparent plagiarism was uncovered by a Wikipedia editor who attempted and failed to get the book’s authors to address the issue before contacting the publisher.

Textbooks on shelf

Former Wikipedia Foundation Staff Claim Workplace ‘Bullying,’ Anti-Union Retaliation

A former staffer at the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, recently published a statement accusing high-level Foundation managers of workplace bullying based on his autism. Earlier this month, other former staff came forward with similar allegations of mistreatment by Foundation management. Some alleged they were subject to retaliation after complaining of the treatment with one suggesting it was tied to his union organizing activities.

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia