Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 25
Wikipedia Bars Co-Founder Larry Sanger After X Appeal to 93,000 Followers
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 25

Wikipedia Bars Co-Founder Larry Sanger After X Appeal to 93,000 Followers

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 25

Summary

  • Wikipedia editors reached a consensus this week to block co-founder Larry Sanger from editing articles, a rare sanction against one of the site’s founders.
  • The move followed Sanger’s effort to rally his 93,000 X followers behind a proposed “WikiProject Intellectual Diversity,” which editors said violated rules against canvassing outsiders to influence internal votes.
  • Editors also concluded Sanger was “not here to build an encyclopedia,” a separate serious finding that went beyond his long-running public criticism of Wikipedia’s alleged left-wing bias.
  • Sanger, who left Wikipedia more than 20 years ago and calls himself its “ex-founder,” said after the decision that the process lacked due process, underscoring a fresh clash with the community he helped create.

Insights

Is Wikipedia’s neutrality a myth if its co-founder is banned for seeking more diverse viewpoints?
Was the ban on Larry Sanger a defense of rules or a way to silence a prominent critic?
Amidst editor strikes and internal turmoil, is Wikipedia's self-governance model on the brink of collapse?