THE CHARM OF THE SWARM
The internet giant Wikipedia just turned 20. We take a look at its background and the future of the online encyclopaedia.
In 2021, the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary. With its philosophy of "knowledge by all, for all", Wikipedia has pushed aside all printed encyclopaedias. In total there are about 50 million articles in almost 300 languages. Anybody can contribute. But little is known about the individual creators of this vast pool of knowledge. What drives them to spend unpaid time at the service of human knowledge? And what happens when authors with a hidden agenda infiltrate the collective by order of states or industrial giants? Why is 85 % of the content provided by the so-called old white men contributing what they consider relevant for the planet? And will artificial intelligence soon take over? A look at the current state of the online encyclopaedia.