Mediating the Construction of Knowledge @ Wikipedia

Sebastian Helmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SebastianHelmwagepeace@helm.org

Presentation for the Nonviolent Peaceforce, March 11, 2007

What is Wikipedia?

fast-moving, evolving encyclopedia mirror of the real world most popular reference site

(1.2 billion requests/day) accessible mouthpiece for everyone

Article

Wikipedia pages

ArticleArticle

TalkTalkTalk

UserUserUser

TalkTalkTalk

WPWPWP

TalkTalkTalk

Plus for each page: History, Diffs, Related Changes, What links here, …

for readers for editors

CatCatCateg.

TalkTalkTalk

Wikipedia Main Page

A Wikipedia article page

A Wikipedia category

A Wikipedia user page

A Wikipedia project page

Editing

A Wikipedia page history

A Wikipedia diff

Wikipedia rules Five pillars:

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia … Wikipedia has a neutral point of view … Wikipedia is free content that anyone may edit… Wikipedia has a code of conduct … Wikipedia does not have firm rules …

However, there are 44 pages of “Wikipedia official policy” and 300 pages of guidelines

Sri Lanka @ Wikipedia

400 articles 45,000 requests/day 150 edits and discussion contributions/day 50 involved editors

reach: 2.2 /million users - compare with: nonviolentpeaceforce.org: 0.15 defence.lk: 6.5 tamilnation.org: 21

Why mediate on Wikipedia?

very diverse users many people try to push their POV

(Point Of View) confrontation!

A Sinhalese POV pusher

When I first joined wiki, I wanted to make articles about [my other interests]..BUT after seeing the systematic rape of our country in wikipedia, I changed my mind..first, As a Sri Lankan its my duty to keep the good name of my country. Rest comes next.

A moderate Tamil

I am in it to give voice to all the dead people especially the Tamils because it is just luck that allowed me to be alive versus being dead like them.

LTTE is a willing partner in this (auto)genocide. By their futile resistance and lack of vision and compromise they have simply made us vulnerable as the polar bears, i.e. facing extinction.

Page that was under mediation

Edit war

In an incident in December 1995, members of the STF in the east commandeered a civilian bus to move quickly to an STF camp at Pudukudiirippu in Batticaloa district which was under attack by the LTTE. They forced the civilians to remain on board, resulting in several civilian deaths when the bus came under LTTE fire. <ref> http://stockholm.usembassy.gov/human/1995/southasia/sri_lanka.html </ref>

Edit war about funeral

Assume good faith

Techniques

mediation nonviolent communication deletion of personal attacks reversion of deletions tagging of unsourced statements temporary measures:

page protection user block

Wikipedia is a chance for peace

building up trust from the base transparency:

every action recorded built on links

one person can make a difference!

Wikipedia is a chance to train NP recruits

learn about the country practice nonviolent

communication coaching

Idea: Create a WikiProject for NP

utilize support base huge pool to tap:

99 applicants turned down for 1 position!

keep them involved visible portfolio for applicants

gives NP a presence on WP NP could endorse members

(learn from NCSLC)

A WikiProject is a collection of internal pages, maintained by an associated group of editors who coordinate a specific group of articles.

Your ideas …

send mail to wagepeace@helm.org