Wikipedia | Org

Research
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Overview

Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia built collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Wikipedia was born from the struggle to scale an earlier, more traditional digital encyclopedia project. Below is a breakdown of its evolution from a side experiment into a global standard for information. Launched in 2001, it has become one of the most visited websites globally and a foundational pillar of the modern internet. Its core mission is simple but radical: to make the sum of all human knowledge freely available to everyone. Wikipedia operates as a nonprofit, relies on open collaboration, and has reshaped how information is created, verified, and accessed in the digital age.

Highlights

Foundational & Cultural Elements

Open-editing model: anyone can contribute, edit, or improve articles
Neutral Point of View (NPOV) as a guiding editorial principle
Nonprofit structure supported primarily by donations
Global volunteer community spanning languages, cultures, and disciplines
One of the earliest and most successful examples of large-scale crowdsourcing

Notable Inventions & Systems

Wiki-based collaborative editing at massive scale
Version control and transparent edit histories for public knowledge
Citation-driven content standards enforced by community governance
Language editions (300+), allowing localized knowledge ecosystems

Influential People & Organizations

Jimmy Wales — Co-founder and public face of Wikipedia
Larry Sanger — Early architect of Wikipedia’s structure and philosophy
Wikimedia Foundation — The nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and related projects

Timeline

1990s–2000

Early Start | Nupedia (1990s–2000)

The Nupedia Bottleneck: In March 2000, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Nupedia, a free online encyclopedia designed to use expert contributors and a rigorous seven-step peer-review process.
Slow Growth: Due to its "painstakingly slow" process, Nupedia only produced 12 articles in its first year.
The Wiki Proposal: On January 10, 2001, Larry Sanger proposed using "wiki" technology—invented by Ward Cunningham in 1995—as a "feeder" project to quickly draft content for Nupedia.

2001

Wikipedia Official Launch (2001)

"Wikipedia Day": Wikipedia officially launched on January 15, 2001.
Separation from Nupedia: Nupedia’s advisory board of experts resisted the idea of amateur-edited content. As a result, Wikipedia was moved to its own domain, wikipedia.com, just days after its creation.
First Edits: The first recorded edit to the database was the text "This is the new WikiPedia!" on the HomePage.

2002–2007

Rapid Expansion and Governance (2002–2007)

Internationalization: Within its first year, Wikipedia expanded beyond English to include German, Catalan, French, and other languages.
The Wikimedia Foundation: To manage the growing project and protect its non-profit status, Jimmy Wales founded the Wikimedia Foundation in June 2003, moving the domain from .com to .org.
Quality Controls: As traffic spiked, the community introduced critical policies like Neutral Point of View (NPOV) and the Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) to settle editorial disputes.
Cultural Dominance: By 2007, Wikipedia entered the top 10 most popular websites globally.

2006-Modern Era

Modern Era and Legacy

Milestones: In March 2006, English Wikipedia hit its one-millionth article (Jordanhill railway station). By 2025, it grew to over 7 million articles in English alone.
Controversies and Trust: Despite persistent debates over reliability in schools and "systemic bias," Wikipedia has outlived most of its commercial competitors like Microsoft Encarta.
Commercial Evolution: In 2021, the Wikimedia Enterprise service was launched to provide high-volume data feeds to Big Tech companies.