MediaBerkman

Radio Berkman 169: Wiki’d

November 23rd, 2010

Listen: or download | …also in Ogg

Wikipedia is now likely the top return on almost any web search you do. But how did it get to be that way?

The collaboratively edited online compendium of human knowledge is at once reviled by highbrow scholars who make strict rules about its use as a cited resource, and at other times lauded as the greatest example of the power of human cooperation and the web.

Joseph Reagle has just completed an exhaustive study of the resource entitled Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia. The book sheds light on how tens of thousands of volunteers overcame great obstacles—lack of scholarly experience, and nearly insurmountable differences in viewpoint—to build a culture that, in spite of all reason, works.

Joseph, a Berkman Fellow, sat down with David Weinberger to share some key insights from his research.

BONUS AUDIO: Zack Exley, the new Chief Community Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation and all around cool dude stopped by the Berkman Center for a chat with David Weinberger not long ago to talk about the glue that keeps this community of volunteers together.

Listen: or download | …also in Ogg

Listen up! Comment on the show! Tweet us! And check out the reference section after the jump for links to our guests and more.

Reference Section
Joseph Reagle on the web
Read Joseph Reagle’s book
About Wikimedia’s fundraising campaign
More on how wikipedia works from the horse’s mouth
Watch Joseph’s recent talk

Music this week from
Scott Altham
Podington Bear
Morgantj

Flickr photo courtesy of teemow

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