By the Readers for the Readers: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
by Carine Zaayman
We are often told that the Internet provides a platform for the democratisation of knowledge. It might sound glib, but this notion has fundamental implications for the very way in which we understand content, as well as the creation, intention for and distribution of that content. This shift in conceiving content can be seen in the rise of independent digital video production, change of copyrighting principles (such as the 'creative commons' licences featured in last month's project page), and the popularity of open source material online.
Wikipedia is an interesting example of the way in which open source content can operate. The project is aimed at establishing a knowledge base that is entirely constructed by the readers. This means that anyone can log on, create or edit a page in the Wikipedia database. It is as simple as following the clear instructions on the site.
Say, for example, you need information on an artist, have searched the Wikipedia database and found that there was none available. Later, however, you track down information that you want to share with other people. You can then simply create a page containing that information, as well as insert links to your page from other pages.
Currently, the information on contemporary art is somewhat sparse, and almost nothing regarding South African art exists. This is a fantastic opportunity for artists and critics to write themselves into the 'pedia's increasingly popular database. Any takers?
Wikipedia foregrounds the ideal of open knowledge in their mission statement: "The goal of Wikipedia is to create an information source in an encyclopaedia format that is freely available. The license we use grants free access to our content in the same sense as free software is licensed freely. This principle is known as 'copyleft'. That is to say, Wikipedia content can be copied, modified, and redistributed so long as the new version grants the same freedoms to others and acknowledges the authors of the Wikipedia article used (a direct link back to the article satisfies our author credit requirement). Wikipedia articles therefore will remain free forever and can be used by anybody subject to certain restrictions, most of which serve to ensure that freedom".
The genius of this project is that it does not require any special computer knowledge. One does not need any software, but can work online by following the very simple instructions. That is on the side of usability, but in terms of content, the Wikipedia is rather radical.
Because of the fact that one can edit any page, or load anything onto the site, the encyclopaedia is constantly being updated. Thus, it presents information not as an authoritative entity, but as something that is fundamentally shaped by subjective experience and interest. Of course, it is an excellent reflection of the most recent hotspots of interest and maps the shifts in current mindsets.
I am excited to see what effect this radical change in the approach to knowledge has on our way of living in the future. Can you imagine telling your child, or your students, not "look it up on the web", but rather, "that's interesting, why not tell the world about it?".
