Wikipedia, the world’s largest online encyclopedia, owes its accuracy and reliability to a dedicated community of over 265,000 volunteers who diligently curate its content. Spearheaded by vigilant contributors like Caniglia and Costanza, this community upholds the platform’s commitment to factual integrity and neutrality, particularly during politically sensitive times such as elections.
Caniglia underscores the community’s unwavering defense against misinformation and policy violations, ensuring that Wikipedia’s content remains accurate and trustworthy. This vigilance extends to the transparent process of content moderation, where volunteers meticulously review edits and enforce site policies.
Costanza emphasizes Wikipedia’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human editors. Through “closed-loop” systems, volunteers integrate AI and machine learning tools to streamline repetitive tasks while maintaining human oversight and intervention.
The arsenal of tools developed by volunteers, including bots like ClueBot NG and various editing programs and web applications, facilitates efficient patrolling of Wikipedia for vandalism and erroneous edits. These tools empower volunteers to swiftly identify and revert wrongful edits, preserving the platform’s integrity.
During politically charged events such as elections, Wikipedia takes proactive measures to safeguard its content against biased editing and vandalism. Administrators can temporarily protect pages, experienced editors monitor watchlists, and specific rules address contentious topic areas. WikiProject Elections and Referendums, comprising over 140 volunteers, standardizes and improves Wikipedia’s coverage of elections.
In preparation for elections, the Wikimedia Foundation collaborates with universities to conduct research on disinformation risks, informing the development of new machine-learning services to enhance volunteer oversight. During the 2020 US Presidential elections, these efforts resulted in minimal disruption, with just 33 reverted edits to the main election article.
With over 56,000 volunteers safeguarding about 2,000 election-related pages, Wikipedia’s robust defense mechanisms and collaborative efforts ensure the platform’s reliability and neutrality during critical periods.
