WISDOM OF THE CROWD, WISDOM OF THE CROWD,

CONTROVERSIES AND CONTROVERSIES AND

COORDINATING POLICIESCOORDINATING POLICIES

Shing-Chung Jonathan YamShing-Chung Jonathan Yam

Department of Sociology, Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong KongThe Chinese University of Hong Kong

email: chung [at] cuhk.edu.hkemail: chung [at] cuhk.edu.hk

[[Compact version]][[Compact version]]There will be only There will be only one one sentence of speech per sentence of speech per

slide!slide!

This paper addresses three This paper addresses three questionsquestions

How do cooperative knowledge generation How do cooperative knowledge generation (CKG) projects such as (CKG) projects such as Wikipedia Wikipedia institutionalize?institutionalize? This paper focuses on the period 2003-2006This paper focuses on the period 2003-2006

How does CKG projects respond to How does CKG projects respond to external controversies? external controversies?

What effect do controversies have on CKG What effect do controversies have on CKG projects?projects?

Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation

1.1. Brief introduction of Brief introduction of WikipediaWikipedia

2.2. Coordination: Problems and Coordination: Problems and MechanismsMechanisms

3.3. Controversies and Resolving Controversies and Resolving PoliciesPolicies

4.4. ConclusionConclusion

Research on Research on WikipediaWikipedia

Why study Why study WikipediaWikipedia??

-multidisciplinary interest-multidisciplinary interest

-implications for social science and -implications for social science and philosophy (epistemology)philosophy (epistemology)

(.wav)

Research on Research on Wikipedia: Wikipedia: DisciplinesDisciplines

Wikipedia

Business

Social psychologyEducation

Politics

Media

Computer science

Information science

Folklore

Sociology

(.wav)

Research on Research on Wikipedia: Wikipedia: Models and ApproachesModels and Approaches

Wikipedia

Business model

Motivation behind altruistic behaviour

Means of teaching and learning

Social hierarchy

Propagation of information

Information technology

Preserving knowledgeRumors and discussions of Wikipedia policies

Community

Legitimacy of knowledge

Human-computer interaction

Social movement

Algorithm and software design

What is What is WikipediaWikipedia??

An on-line encyclopedia that An on-line encyclopedia that ““everyone everyone can editcan edit””

(.wav)

As Wikipedia community As Wikipedia community continues to growcontinues to grow……

editorseditors↑↑ Contributions by casual editors Contributions by casual editors ↑ ↑↑ ↑ Problems of group failure: Problems of group failure:

groupthink, dispute, prevalence of groupthink, dispute, prevalence of non-academic contributionsnon-academic contributions

Institutionalization: expanding social Institutionalization: expanding social hierarchyhierarchy Elevated editing privileges for high-Elevated editing privileges for high-

achieving editorsachieving editors Blocking troublesome usersBlocking troublesome users

Mechanisms of Mechanisms of CoordinationCoordination

VotingVoting Coalition formationCoalition formation

Crieteria for wise crowds: diversity of Crieteria for wise crowds: diversity of opinion, independence, decentralization opinion, independence, decentralization and aggregation (Surowiecki 2005)and aggregation (Surowiecki 2005)

Both bottom-up (voting) and top-down Both bottom-up (voting) and top-down (web developer(web developer’’s say) policies applys say) policies apply

Surowiecki, J. (2005). The wisdom of crowds. Anchor.

ControversiesControversies 2005 Seigenthaler incident2005 Seigenthaler incident 2006 congressional staff 2006 congressional staff

editsedits 2006 WIF page 2006 WIF page

Threatens existence of CKG Threatens existence of CKG projects (e.g. legal actions)projects (e.g. legal actions)

Web developer actively Web developer actively respond to controversiesrespond to controversies

Web developerWeb developer’’s suggestion s suggestion vs. communityvs. community

VandalismVandalism PropagandaPropaganda AdvertisingAdvertising

(non-(non-academic academic intentions)intentions)

ConclusionConclusion CKG vs. AcademiaCKG vs. Academia

CKG:CKG: people from all walks of life,people from all walks of life, a variety of intentions, a variety of intentions, varied goals not necessarily academic, varied goals not necessarily academic, end products and raw materials presented simultaneouslyend products and raw materials presented simultaneously

Academia:Academia: specialized intellectual,specialized intellectual, academic intentions,academic intentions, only end products availableonly end products available