Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has said that he sees "enormous potential in India" and that the "core of the Wikimedia movement and our projects are the people that make it possible, including the thousands of contributors in India". In an exclusive conversation with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Wales pointed to the increase in the use of Indic languages&nbsp;on the free online encyclopedia&nbsp;explaining, "Of the Indic language Wikipedias, Hindi Wikipedia is the most visited language Wikipedia, in addition to English. Over the last year, Hindi Wikipedia has received nearly a billion pageviews".&nbsp;Last week, Wikimania 2022 took place in a hybrid mode and brought together volunteers who have been contributing to Wikipedia.&nbsp;

The Wikipedia founder also spoke about recent comments by the richest man on the planet Elon Musk that&nbsp;the website is losing its objectivity. Wales, brushing aside the comments said, "The core of Wikipedia is the commitment to a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is not about opinion or taking a stand." The founder in the rare interview also spoke on fundraising campaigns, Russia-Ukraine conflict &amp;&nbsp;worries over cyber warfare, or information warfare.&nbsp;

WION: How does Wikipedia see India, as in what potential do you see? given its large size and increasingly insatiable need for information&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: The vision of the Wikimedia movement is a world in which all people can share in the sum of all knowledge. Reaching every person on the planet is impossible without making significant inroads in a country like India with its growing population and large troves of knowledge and culture. There is enormous potential in India to help us grow our movement of readers and contributors in order to build the sum of all human knowledge. The core of the Wikimedia movement and our projects are the people that make it possible, including the thousands of contributors in India who are working on free knowledge every day.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-ukraine-celebrates-independence-day-zelensky-vows-to-retake-annexed-crimea-509630" hreflang="en">LIVE: Ukraine celebrates Independence Day, Zelensky vows to retake Crimea</a>

WION: Wikipedia is in how many Indian languages, and how much has been traffic flow?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Readers in India rely on Wikipedia as a key source of information and knowledge. On average, we see about 750 million visits to Wikipedia from readers in India each month, which is the fifth highest number of views from any country. This also makes Wikipedia the sixth most visited site in India. India also has a vibrant community of Wikimedia volunteers. The country is home to almost 65,000 contributors - representing almost a fifth of the total number of Wikimedia volunteers. &nbsp;Wikipedia is currently available in 25 of the languages spoken across India, including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia and Telugu and even endangered and tribal languages like Tulu and Santali. In addition to these Indic languages, India recently became the country with the second largest population of contributors to English Wikipedia after the US.&nbsp;

WION: Which Indian language has been getting the largest traffic? How has been the flow for Hindi?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Of the Indic language Wikipedias, Hindi Wikipedia is the most visited language Wikipedia, in addition to English. Over the last year, Hindi Wikipedia has received nearly a billion page views, with most of these pageviews coming from India as well as the US.&nbsp;

WION: What is Wikimania 2022 about?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Wikimania is the annual conference of Wikimedians, the volunteers that contribute, edit and organize to make the Wikimedia projects possible. I went to my first Wikimania in 2005, and back then it was one of the first times that we met the people behind Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects. As I look at this year’s Wikimania, I’m amazed at how far we’ve come. What was once a meeting of a few hundred people is now a meeting of thousands. This year’s theme was Wikimania: The Festival Edition!, and it is meant to be a celebration of the wide range of projects and groups in the Wikimedia movement. It's a testament to the work and the generosity of volunteers from around the world and their commitment to free knowledge.&nbsp;

WION: You also had your fundraising campaign [in India]; how has it been doing?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia is one of the world’s most visited websites, yet many people don’t know that it is hosted and operated by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation. Unlike other top websites, we rely on donations to support Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, with the average donation being about US $15. I’ve always hoped that if we build something people care about and value, then they will want to support it. It’s a model that basically asks people to chip in if they can. People make contributions year-round from countries all over the world; last year we received donations from over 7 million people. We recently concluded our fundraising campaigns in India, Latin America, and South Africa. We receive contributions of all sizes, and every gift is meaningful.&nbsp;

WION: Recently, Elon Musk said that "Wikipedia is losing its objectivity". What will you say?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: The core of Wikipedia is the commitment to a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is not about opinion or taking a stand. It is an encyclopedia, and information is based on citations from reliable sources such as academic journals and news articles. This has been non-negotiable from day one and will continue to be the case. Our open editing model ensures that every edit is open and transparent and can be seen in the history of every article. Every edit can be debated, and no decision is taken without due deliberation among volunteer editors.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-facing-worst-drought-in-almost-500-years-new-report-claims-509617">Europe facing worst drought in almost 500 years, new report claims</a>

WION: Recently, there have been questions about if your website is prone to ideological headwinds.&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Since Wikipedia began 20 years ago, volunteers have created a process of community-led moderation to set standards for the site. It’s not a place to insert opinions, rather, information has to be cited from a reliable source, and it has to be presented from a neutral point of view. Neutrality is at the heart of Wikipedia’s model, and it’s the very basis of how cooperation between editors works. Our approach means that Wikipedia doesn't become a back-and-forth battle between two different opinions, but a record of what our current understanding is on a given topic as cited by media and other reliable sources.&nbsp;

WION: How have various conflicts, including Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chinese aggression on Taiwan, impacted conversation on Wikipedia?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Articles about conflicts showcase the value of Wikipedia’s collaborative model in creating information that people can trust. For topics that may be divisive or controversial, Wikipedia’s decentralized, community-created approach to knowledge means that volunteer editors have clear guidelines on how to contribute based on our policies of neutrality, verifiability and transparency. This helps ensure that knowledge on Wikipedia about current events, world conflicts, and other controversial topics is verified and reliable so people everywhere can have a clearer picture of what’s happening.&nbsp;

WION: Have there been worries over cyber warfare, or information warfare for Wikipedia in the current global context?&nbsp;

Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia volunteers have policies in place that act as a strong line of defense against mis and disinformation. Wikipedia's full transparency and “everyone can edit” design principle makes it much more resistant to disinformation campaigns and other organized attempts to influence content. Wikipedia’s resilience against bias and disinformation relies to a large extent on the existence of a functional and diverse community of editors and administrators. With that said, disinformation campaigns are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and difficult to spot. Because of this, the Wikimedia Foundation is also investing in its capacity to respond to disinformation threats and support volunteers. An example of this was the task force the Foundation prepared ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. Foundation staff worked for hand in hand with volunteers to establish clearer lines of communication between volunteers and staff to surface and address disinformation attempts, conducted research to better understand how disinformation could spread on Wikimedia projects and built new tools for volunteers to evaluate potentially malicious edits and behaviour on the site.&nbsp;

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Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has said that he sees "enormous potential in India" and that the "core of the Wikimedia movement and our projects are the people that make it possible, including the thousands of contributors in India".

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has said that he sees "enormous potential in India" and that the "core of the Wikimedia movement and our projects are the people that make it possible, including the thousands of contributors in India". In an exclusive conversation with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Wales pointed to the increase in the use of Indic languages on the free online encyclopedia explaining, "Of the Indic language Wikipedias, Hindi Wikipedia is the most visited language Wikipedia, in addition to English. Over the last year, Hindi Wikipedia has received nearly a billion pageviews". Last week, Wikimania 2022 took place in a hybrid mode and brought together volunteers who have been contributing to Wikipedia. The Wikipedia founder also spoke about recent comments by the richest man on the planet Elon Musk that the website is losing its objectivity. Wales, brushing aside the comments said, "The core of Wikipedia is the commitment to a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is not about opinion or taking a stand." The founder in the rare interview also spoke on fundraising campaigns, Russia-Ukraine conflict & worries over cyber warfare, or information warfare. WION: How does Wikipedia see India, as in what potential do you see? given its large size and increasingly insatiable need for information Jimmy Wales: The vision of the Wikimedia movement is a world in which all people can share in the sum of all knowledge. Reaching every person on the planet is impossible without making significant inroads in a country like India with its growing population and large troves of knowledge and culture. There is enormous potential in India to help us grow our movement of readers and contributors in order to build the sum of all human knowledge. The core of the Wikimedia movement and our projects are the people that make it possible, including the thousands of contributors in India who are working on free knowledge every day. Also read | LIVE: Ukraine celebrates Independence Day, Zelensky vows to retake Crimea WION: Wikipedia is in how many Indian languages, and how much has been traffic flow? Jimmy Wales: Readers in India rely on Wikipedia as a key source of information and knowledge. On average, we see about 750 million visits to Wikipedia from readers in India each month, which is the fifth highest number of views from any country. This also makes Wikipedia the sixth most visited site in India. India also has a vibrant community of Wikimedia volunteers. The country is home to almost 65,000 contributors - representing almost a fifth of the total number of Wikimedia volunteers. Wikipedia is currently available in 25 of the languages spoken across India, including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia and Telugu and even endangered and tribal languages like Tulu and Santali. In addition to these Indic languages, India recently became the country with the second largest population of contributors to English Wikipedia after the US. WION: Which Indian language has been getting the largest traffic? How has been the flow for Hindi? Jimmy Wales: Of the Indic language Wikipedias, Hindi Wikipedia is the most visited language Wikipedia, in addition to English. Over the last year, Hindi Wikipedia has received nearly a billion page views, with most of these pageviews coming from India as well as the US. WION: What is Wikimania 2022 about? Jimmy Wales: Wikimania is the annual conference of Wikimedians, the volunteers that contribute, edit and organize to make the Wikimedia projects possible. I went to my first Wikimania in 2005, and back then it was one of the first times that we met the people behind Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects. As I look at this year’s Wikimania, I’m amazed at how far we’ve come. What was once a meeting of a few hundred people is now a meeting of thousands. This year’s theme was Wikimania: The Festival Edition!, and it is meant to be a celebration of the wide range of projects and groups in the Wikimedia movement. It's a testament to the work and the generosity of volunteers from around the world and their commitment to free knowledge. WION: You also had your fundraising campaign [in India]; how has it been doing? Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia is one of the world’s most visited websites, yet many people don’t know that it is hosted and operated by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation. Unlike other top websites, we rely on donations to support Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, with the average donation being about US $15. I’ve always hoped that if we build something people care about and value, then they will want to support it. It’s a model that basically asks people to chip in if they can. People make contributions year-round from countries all over the world; last year we received donations from over 7 million people. We recently concluded our fundraising campaigns in India, Latin America, and South Africa. We receive contributions of all sizes, and every gift is meaningful. WION: Recently, Elon Musk said that "Wikipedia is losing its objectivity". What will you say? Jimmy Wales: The core of Wikipedia is the commitment to a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is not about opinion or taking a stand. It is an encyclopedia, and information is based on citations from reliable sources such as academic journals and news articles. This has been non-negotiable from day one and will continue to be the case. Our open editing model ensures that every edit is open and transparent and can be seen in the history of every article. Every edit can be debated, and no decision is taken without due deliberation among volunteer editors. Also read | Europe facing worst drought in almost 500 years, new report claims WION: Recently, there have been questions about if your website is prone to ideological headwinds. Jimmy Wales: Since Wikipedia began 20 years ago, volunteers have created a process of community-led moderation to set standards for the site. It’s not a place to insert opinions, rather, information has to be cited from a reliable source, and it has to be presented from a neutral point of view. Neutrality is at the heart of Wikipedia’s model, and it’s the very basis of how cooperation between editors works. Our approach means that Wikipedia doesn't become a back-and-forth battle between two different opinions, but a record of what our current understanding is on a given topic as cited by media and other reliable sources. WION: How have various conflicts, including Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chinese aggression on Taiwan, impacted conversation on Wikipedia? Jimmy Wales: Articles about conflicts showcase the value of Wikipedia’s collaborative model in creating information that people can trust. For topics that may be divisive or controversial, Wikipedia’s decentralized, community-created approach to knowledge means that volunteer editors have clear guidelines on how to contribute based on our policies of neutrality, verifiability and transparency. This helps ensure that knowledge on Wikipedia about current events, world conflicts, and other controversial topics is verified and reliable so people everywhere can have a clearer picture of what’s happening. WION: Have there been worries over cyber warfare, or information warfare for Wikipedia in the current global context? Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia volunteers have policies in place that act as a strong line of defense against mis and disinformation. Wikipedia's full transparency and “everyone can edit” design principle makes it much more resistant to disinformation campaigns and other organized attempts to influence content. Wikipedia’s resilience against bias and disinformation relies to a large extent on the existence of a functional and diverse community of editors and administrators. With that said, disinformation campaigns are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and difficult to spot. Because of this, the Wikimedia Foundation is also investing in its capacity to respond to disinformation threats and support volunteers. An example of this was the task force the Foundation prepared ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. Foundation staff worked for hand in hand with volunteers to establish clearer lines of communication between volunteers and staff to surface and address disinformation attempts, conducted research to better understand how disinformation could spread on Wikimedia projects and built new tools for volunteers to evaluate potentially malicious edits and behaviour on the site. WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

EXCLUSIVE - Wikipedia founder sees enormous potential in India; brushes aside Elon Musk's criticism

In one of the biggest frauds on the open-source platform, a Chinese lady posing as a historian spent years creating alternate stories of Medieval Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia, inventing fictitious governments, battles, and nobility. Chinese author Yifan, who was conducting research for a book when he came across an article about the Kashin silver mine, revealed the swindle last month.

According to the Wikipedia site, the mine, which was found by Russian peasants in 1344, employed more than 40,000 slaves and freedmen and served as a notable source of income for the Russian principality of Tver in the 14th and 15th centuries as well as for succeeding regimes. The essay went into great detail to describe the construction of the mine, the geological makeup of the soil, and even the refining procedure.

Yifan believed he had discovered intriguing material for a book. He had no idea that he had stumbled onto an entire fictional universe created by a user going by the name of Zhemao.

She has published 206 entries on Chinese Wikipedia since 2019, each one fusing reality with fiction in a sophisticated strategy that went undiscovered for years and challenged the limits of crowdsourced platforms' capacity to weed out dishonest users.

Yifan was alerted when he investigated the sources Zhemao provided and ran the silver mine narrative by Russian speakers, only to discover that the pages or editions of the books she claimed did not exist. Her lengthy entries on ancient Slavic wars—conflicts that could not be located in Russian historical records—were likewise criticised by the people he contacted.

After a group of volunteer editors and other Wikipedians, including Yip, went through her prior contributions to over 300 articles, the scope of the scam became apparent.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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In one of the biggest frauds on the open-source platform, a Chinese lady posing as a historian spent years creating alternate stories of Medieval Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia, inventing fictitious governments, battles, and nobility.

In one of the biggest frauds on the open-source platform, a Chinese lady posing as a historian spent years creating alternate stories of Medieval Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia, inventing fictitious governments, battles, and nobility. Chinese author Yifan, who was conducting research for a book when he came across an article about the Kashin silver mine, revealed the swindle last month. According to the Wikipedia site, the mine, which was found by Russian peasants in 1344, employed more than 40,000 slaves and freedmen and served as a notable source of income for the Russian principality of Tver in the 14th and 15th centuries as well as for succeeding regimes. The essay went into great detail to describe the construction of the mine, the geological makeup of the soil, and even the refining procedure. Yifan believed he had discovered intriguing material for a book. He had no idea that he had stumbled onto an entire fictional universe created by a user going by the name of Zhemao. She has published 206 entries on Chinese Wikipedia since 2019, each one fusing reality with fiction in a sophisticated strategy that went undiscovered for years and challenged the limits of crowdsourced platforms' capacity to weed out dishonest users. Yifan was alerted when he investigated the sources Zhemao provided and ran the silver mine narrative by Russian speakers, only to discover that the pages or editions of the books she claimed did not exist. Her lengthy entries on ancient Slavic wars—conflicts that could not be located in Russian historical records—were likewise criticised by the people he contacted. After a group of volunteer editors and other Wikipedians, including Yip, went through her prior contributions to over 300 articles, the scope of the scam became apparent. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese woman spent years writing fake Russian history on Wikipedia

Russia is planning to punish Wikimedia Foundation for what it says violation of Russian laws over Ukraine conflict. Wikimedia Foundation hosts online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Russia's communications watchdog, Roscomnadzor said Wikipedia was still hosting "prohibited materials, including fakes about the course of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine". The watchdog said that search engines would be used to inform users that Wikimedia violated Russian law.

Anton Gorelkin, vice chair of the Russian parliament's committee on information policy, took to Telegram to say that links to Wikipedia would be accompanied by a disclaimer warning users about legal violations by Wikimedia Foundation.

Roskomnadzor said the step taken would remain in place till Wikipedia becomes fully compliant with the Russia law.

The foundation on June 13 appealed a ruling by a Moscow court which fined it 5 million roubles (USD 91,000). The fine was imposed for refusing to remove what the court said wa disinformation on Ukraine conflict, &nbsp;including "The Russian Invasion of Ukraine", "War Crimes during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine", and "Massacre in Bucha".

Wikipedia is an open platform written and edited by volunteers acros 300+ languages.

After Ukraine invasion, much of Russia's independent media has shuttered. Wikipedia became one of the last available sources of fact-checked information on the war available to Russians.

Russia introduced sweeping new laws on sharing information about the conflict in Ukraine shortly after the Kremlin ordered tens of thousands of troops to deploy to the country on February 24.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia is planning to punish Wikimedia Foundation for what it says violation of Russian laws over Ukraine conflict. Wikimedia Foundation hosts online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

Russia is planning to punish Wikimedia Foundation for what it says violation of Russian laws over Ukraine conflict. Wikimedia Foundation hosts online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Russia's communications watchdog, Roscomnadzor said Wikipedia was still hosting "prohibited materials, including fakes about the course of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine". The watchdog said that search engines would be used to inform users that Wikimedia violated Russian law. Anton Gorelkin, vice chair of the Russian parliament's committee on information policy, took to Telegram to say that links to Wikipedia would be accompanied by a disclaimer warning users about legal violations by Wikimedia Foundation. Roskomnadzor said the step taken would remain in place till Wikipedia becomes fully compliant with the Russia law. The foundation on June 13 appealed a ruling by a Moscow court which fined it 5 million roubles (USD 91,000). The fine was imposed for refusing to remove what the court said wa disinformation on Ukraine conflict, including "The Russian Invasion of Ukraine", "War Crimes during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine", and "Massacre in Bucha". Wikipedia is an open platform written and edited by volunteers acros 300+ languages. After Ukraine invasion, much of Russia's independent media has shuttered. Wikipedia became one of the last available sources of fact-checked information on the war available to Russians. Russia introduced sweeping new laws on sharing information about the conflict in Ukraine shortly after the Kremlin ordered tens of thousands of troops to deploy to the country on February 24. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Russia plans to punish Wikipedia for 'fakes' on Ukraine conflict

The Wikimedia Foundation, which owns&nbsp;Wikipedia, has filed an appeal against a Moscow court decision demanding that it remove information related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arguing that people have a right to know the facts of the war.

A Moscow court fined the Wikimedia Foundation 5 million roubles ($88,000) for refusing to remove what it termed disinformation from Russian-language&nbsp;Wikipedia&nbsp;articles on the war including "The Russian Invasion of Ukraine", "War Crimes during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine" and "Massacre in Bucha".

"This decision implies that well-sourced, verified knowledge on&nbsp;Wikipedia&nbsp;that is inconsistent with Russian government accounts constitutes disinformation," Stephen LaPorte, Associate General Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-destroys-last-bridge-out-of-key-east-ukraine-city-487958">Russia destroys last bridge out of key east Ukraine city</a>

Wikipedia, which says it offers "the second draft of history", is one of the few remaining major fact-checked Russian-language sources of information for Russians after a crackdown on media in Moscow.

"The government is targeting information that is vital to people's lives in a time of crisis," LaPorte said. "We urge the court to reconsider in favor of everyone's rights to knowledge access and free expression."

The Moscow court argued that what it cast as the disinformation on&nbsp;Wikipedia&nbsp;posed a risk to public order in Russia and that the Foundation, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California, was operating inside Russia.

The Foundation was prosecuted under a law about the failure to delete banned information. The case was brought by Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on&nbsp;Wikipedia.

The&nbsp;Wikipedia&nbsp;appeal, which was filed on June 6 with details released on Monday, argues that removing information is a violation of human rights. It said Russia had no jurisdiction over the Wikimedia Foundation, which was globally available in over 300 languages.

Watch |&nbsp;'We are dealing with absolute evils,' says Zelensky after Russia destroys bridges in Severodonetsk

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Wikipedia&nbsp;entries are written and edited by volunteers.

Narratives of the war, Europe's biggest ground invasion since World War Two, vary drastically and have become highly politicised with journalists in both Moscow and the West routinely accused of misreporting the war.

Ukraine says it is the victim of an unprovoked imperial-style land grab by Russia and that it will fight to the end to reclaim the territory that Russian forces have occupied. Kyiv has repeatedly asked the West for more help to fight Russia.

President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials do not use the words "war" or "invasion". They cast it a "special military operation" aimed at preventing the persecution of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amnesty-international-accuses-russia-of-war-crimes-in-ukranian-city-of-kharkiv-487872">Amnesty International accuses Russia of ‘war crimes’ in Ukranian city of Kharkiv</a>

Putin also says the conflict is a turning point in Russian history: a revolt by Moscow against the United States, which he says has humiliated Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and pushed to enlarge the NATO military alliance.

Ukraine and its Western backers deny Moscow's claims that Russian speakers were persecuted. Kyiv says Russian forces have committed war crimes, including killings, torture and rape in places such as Bucha.

Russia says the alleged evidence of war crimes consists of carefully constructed fakes and that Ukraine and its Western backers have spread disinformation about Russian forces.

($1 = 57.0000 roubles)

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The Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, has filed an appeal against a Moscow court decision demanding that it remove information related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arguing that people have a right to know the facts of the war.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, has filed an appeal against a Moscow court decision demanding that it remove information related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, arguing that people have a right to know the facts of the war. A Moscow court fined the Wikimedia Foundation 5 million roubles ($88,000) for refusing to remove what it termed disinformation from Russian-language Wikipedia articles on the war including "The Russian Invasion of Ukraine", "War Crimes during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine" and "Massacre in Bucha". "This decision implies that well-sourced, verified knowledge on Wikipedia that is inconsistent with Russian government accounts constitutes disinformation," Stephen LaPorte, Associate General Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in a statement. Also read | Russia destroys last bridge out of key east Ukraine city Wikipedia, which says it offers "the second draft of history", is one of the few remaining major fact-checked Russian-language sources of information for Russians after a crackdown on media in Moscow. "The government is targeting information that is vital to people's lives in a time of crisis," LaPorte said. "We urge the court to reconsider in favor of everyone's rights to knowledge access and free expression." The Moscow court argued that what it cast as the disinformation on Wikipedia posed a risk to public order in Russia and that the Foundation, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California, was operating inside Russia. The Foundation was prosecuted under a law about the failure to delete banned information. The case was brought by Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia appeal, which was filed on June 6 with details released on Monday, argues that removing information is a violation of human rights. It said Russia had no jurisdiction over the Wikimedia Foundation, which was globally available in over 300 languages. Watch | 'We are dealing with absolute evils,' says Zelensky after Russia destroys bridges in Severodonetsk Wikipedia entries are written and edited by volunteers. Narratives of the war, Europe's biggest ground invasion since World War Two, vary drastically and have become highly politicised with journalists in both Moscow and the West routinely accused of misreporting the war. Ukraine says it is the victim of an unprovoked imperial-style land grab by Russia and that it will fight to the end to reclaim the territory that Russian forces have occupied. Kyiv has repeatedly asked the West for more help to fight Russia. President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials do not use the words "war" or "invasion". They cast it a "special military operation" aimed at preventing the persecution of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. Also read | Amnesty International accuses Russia of ‘war crimes’ in Ukranian city of Kharkiv Putin also says the conflict is a turning point in Russian history: a revolt by Moscow against the United States, which he says has humiliated Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and pushed to enlarge the NATO military alliance. Ukraine and its Western backers deny Moscow's claims that Russian speakers were persecuted. Kyiv says Russian forces have committed war crimes, including killings, torture and rape in places such as Bucha. Russia says the alleged evidence of war crimes consists of carefully constructed fakes and that Ukraine and its Western backers have spread disinformation about Russian forces. ($1 = 57.0000 roubles) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Wikipedia fights Russian order to remove Ukraine war information

Wikipedia is the world's largest internet encyclopedia and is often the first result to pop up when users ask the internet a question.

It is a massively influential source of free information with entries that can in theory be written by anyone with an internet connection, in some 300 languages, it comes down to editing by mostly anonymous volunteers to police the site.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/wikipedia-unveils-code-of-conduct-to-stem-misinformation-360901">Also read |&nbsp;Wikipedia unveils 'code of conduct' to stem misinformation</a>

The 21-year-old encyclopedia, which even has an article devoted to its own controversies, has received positive accolades in recent years for its fact-checking capacities.

It is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit organization funded mainly through small donations.

Its combined editions comprise more than 58 million articles, attracting around 2 billion unique device visits per month, and more than 17 million edits per month as per Wikipedia's website.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/wikipedia-co-founder-sells-nft-of-first-ever-edit-made-on-its-site-for-750000-437399">Also read |&nbsp;Wikipedia co-founder sells NFT of first ever edit made on its site for $750,000</a>

Though it's a sprawling platform, the site does not seek to make money and so avoids the profit-over-safety criticism that has battered Facebook, for example.

Instead, Wikipedia has volunteers who are deeply invested in the site's stated mission of providing access to a written compendium of all branches of human knowledge. The platform requires reliable, published sources from news outlets or academia to underpin an article.

Alexa Internet Inc., an American web traffic analysis company based in San Francisco, had listed Wikipedia as the world's 13th most popular site.

Recently, a non-fungible token (NFT) &nbsp;memorialising Wikipedia of founder Jimmy Wales' first edit on the online reference resource 20 years ago and the computer he used when programming the platform sold for a total of almost $1 million at auction.

The NFT wass of Wikipedia's debut onscreen image when Wales posted the first words, "Hello world."

He has announced plans for a crowd-funded news website offering stories by journalists and volunteers working together, an initiative he hopes will counter the spread of fake news.

Jimmy Wales said the new platform, Wikitribune, would be free to read and carry no advertising, instead relying on supporters to fund it, while the accuracy of its articles would be easily verifiable as source material would be published.

(With inputs from agencies)

Wikipedia is the world's largest internet encyclopedia and is often the first result to pop up when users ask the internet a question. It is a massively influential source of free information with entries that can in theory be written by anyone with an internet connection, in some 300 languages, it comes down to editing by mostly anonymous volunteers to police the site.

Wikipedia is the world's largest internet encyclopedia and is often the first result to pop up when users ask the internet a question. It is a massively influential source of free information with entries that can in theory be written by anyone with an internet connection, in some 300 languages, it comes down to editing by mostly anonymous volunteers to police the site. Also read | Wikipedia unveils 'code of conduct' to stem misinformation The 21-year-old encyclopedia, which even has an article devoted to its own controversies, has received positive accolades in recent years for its fact-checking capacities. It is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit organization funded mainly through small donations. Its combined editions comprise more than 58 million articles, attracting around 2 billion unique device visits per month, and more than 17 million edits per month as per Wikipedia's website. Also read | Wikipedia co-founder sells NFT of first ever edit made on its site for $750,000 Though it's a sprawling platform, the site does not seek to make money and so avoids the profit-over-safety criticism that has battered Facebook, for example. Instead, Wikipedia has volunteers who are deeply invested in the site's stated mission of providing access to a written compendium of all branches of human knowledge. The platform requires reliable, published sources from news outlets or academia to underpin an article. Alexa Internet Inc., an American web traffic analysis company based in San Francisco, had listed Wikipedia as the world's 13th most popular site. Recently, a non-fungible token (NFT) memorialising Wikipedia of founder Jimmy Wales' first edit on the online reference resource 20 years ago and the computer he used when programming the platform sold for a total of almost $1 million at auction. The NFT wass of Wikipedia's debut onscreen image when Wales posted the first words, "Hello world." He has announced plans for a crowd-funded news website offering stories by journalists and volunteers working together, an initiative he hopes will counter the spread of fake news. Jimmy Wales said the new platform, Wikitribune, would be free to read and carry no advertising, instead relying on supporters to fund it, while the accuracy of its articles would be easily verifiable as source material would be published. (With inputs from agencies)

Wikipedia turns 21: All you need to know about world's largest internet encyclopedia

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has sold the non-fungible token (NFT) of the first ever edit made on its site for $750,000.

The NFT, sold at an auction at Christie's, immortalised the words ''Hello, World!'' typed by Wales after launching Wikipedia 20 years ago.

An NFT is a digital asset that exists on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-are-non-fungible-tokens-424988/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The blockchain serves as a public ledger, allowing anyone to verify the NFT's authenticity and who owns it.

Wales also auctioned the computer he used when programming the platform, which was a Strawberry iMac, for $187,500.

Before the sale, he said "It was very, very academic and it failed because it wasn't really any fun for volunteers,&nbsp;it was too rigid."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/nft-of-side-eyeing-chloe-memes-original-image-sells-for-a-whopping-amount-416001">Also read |&nbsp;NFT of ‘side-eyeing Chloe’ meme’s original image sells for a whopping amount</a>

"This is a way to express artistically what I think was meaningful about that moment of potential and excitement -- that you might make something amazing, or you might make something that doesn't work at all," he added.

"And I hope people respond to that, to really think back: this isn't the mature Wikipedia, this was Jimmy's crazy idea on a funny January morning, which I think is kind of spectacular to think about."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/collins-dictionary-makes-nft-its-word-of-the-year-431592">Also read |&nbsp;Collins Dictionary makes NFT its word of the year</a>

Part of the proceeds from the sales will help fund Wales's WT.Social project, a "non-toxic alternative" social media network that uses an advertising-free model.

The first tweet by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, "just setting up my twttr," sold for $2.9 million as an NFT in March.

NFTs are seen as a way to have possessions in online and virtual environments, which can communicate social status and personal taste – for some people, it is the digital equivalent of buying an expensive pair of sneakers.

Traded since around 2017, NFTs surged in popularity in early 2021. On the biggest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, there were $2.6 billion of sales in October this year, a massive increase from the $4.8 million in October 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has sold the non-fungible token (NFT) of the first ever edit made on its site for $750,000. The NFT, sold at an auction at Christie's, immortalised the words ''Hello, World!

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has sold the non-fungible token (NFT) of the first ever edit made on its site for $750,000. The NFT, sold at an auction at Christie's, immortalised the words ''Hello, World!'' typed by Wales after launching Wikipedia 20 years ago. An NFT is a digital asset that exists on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers. The blockchain serves as a public ledger, allowing anyone to verify the NFT's authenticity and who owns it. Wales also auctioned the computer he used when programming the platform, which was a Strawberry iMac, for $187,500. Before the sale, he said "It was very, very academic and it failed because it wasn't really any fun for volunteers, it was too rigid." Also read | NFT of ‘side-eyeing Chloe’ meme’s original image sells for a whopping amount "This is a way to express artistically what I think was meaningful about that moment of potential and excitement -- that you might make something amazing, or you might make something that doesn't work at all," he added. "And I hope people respond to that, to really think back: this isn't the mature Wikipedia, this was Jimmy's crazy idea on a funny January morning, which I think is kind of spectacular to think about." Also read | Collins Dictionary makes NFT its word of the year Part of the proceeds from the sales will help fund Wales's WT.Social project, a "non-toxic alternative" social media network that uses an advertising-free model. The first tweet by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, "just setting up my twttr," sold for $2.9 million as an NFT in March. NFTs are seen as a way to have possessions in online and virtual environments, which can communicate social status and personal taste – for some people, it is the digital equivalent of buying an expensive pair of sneakers. Traded since around 2017, NFTs surged in popularity in early 2021. On the biggest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, there were $2.6 billion of sales in October this year, a massive increase from the $4.8 million in October 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Wikipedia co-founder sells NFT of first ever edit made on its site for $750,000

Wikipedia has banned 7 Chinese 'editors' for manipulating information critical of China. The move has raised questions on the credibility of Wikipedia. How reliable is it? How easy is it to manipulate information? Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: Wikipedia bans Chinese editors for 'manipulation'

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia.

The new code was released by the &nbsp;Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement.

The new policy aims to thwart efforts to distort and manipulate content on Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia which is managed largely by volunteers using "crowdsourced" information.

“Our new universal code of conduct was developed for the new internet era, on the premise that we want our contributor communities to be positive, safe and healthy environments for everyone involved,” said Katherine Maher, chief executive of the foundation.

"This code will be a binding document for anyone that participates in our projects providing a consistent enforcement process for dealing with harassment, abuse of power and deliberate attempts to manipulate facts."

The 1,600-word code was developed with input from some 1,500 Wikipedia volunteers representing five continents and 30 languages, and includes clear definitions of harassment and unacceptable behavior.

The code includes language aimed at preventing the abuse of power and influence to intimidate others, and the deliberate introduction of false or inaccurate content.

The move comes after Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 15, having become among the world's top 15 websites with an estimated 1.7 billion visitors per month.

The move comes amid heightened pressure on internet platforms to stem manipulation and disinformation campaigns which may be used for political ends or to promote discord or violence.

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia. The new code was released by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement.

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia. The new code was released by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement. The new policy aims to thwart efforts to distort and manipulate content on Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia which is managed largely by volunteers using "crowdsourced" information. “Our new universal code of conduct was developed for the new internet era, on the premise that we want our contributor communities to be positive, safe and healthy environments for everyone involved,” said Katherine Maher, chief executive of the foundation. "This code will be a binding document for anyone that participates in our projects providing a consistent enforcement process for dealing with harassment, abuse of power and deliberate attempts to manipulate facts." The 1,600-word code was developed with input from some 1,500 Wikipedia volunteers representing five continents and 30 languages, and includes clear definitions of harassment and unacceptable behavior. The code includes language aimed at preventing the abuse of power and influence to intimidate others, and the deliberate introduction of false or inaccurate content. The move comes after Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 15, having become among the world's top 15 websites with an estimated 1.7 billion visitors per month. The move comes amid heightened pressure on internet platforms to stem manipulation and disinformation campaigns which may be used for political ends or to promote discord or violence.

Wikipedia unveils 'code of conduct' to stem misinformation

Wikipedia is every student's go-to reference and every teacher's nightmare. How many of you can honestly say you've never lifted lines from Wikipedia? Wiki is now 20-years-old.

Gravitas: Wikipedia turns 20

Wikipedia started 20 years ago. Today, the platform boasts of 56 million articles. Every month, Wikipedia gets at least 1.7 billion unique visitors and the number of monthly hits is around 15 million.

The number of volunteers on the website are 2,80,000. The website is read more than 8,000 times a second. Search for anything online the chances are- Wikipedia will feature in the top results.&nbsp;

The website offers information in 316 languages. These are the most common.&nbsp;

How much of the information is accurate and fact-checked?

No one won't vouch for it neither does Wikipedia. According to the website, "any article could be edited by any reader".&nbsp;

"Any article could contain inaccuracies... and the nonsensical or irrelevant text". &nbsp;Wikipedia is edited more than 350 times per minute.

The page of former US President George W. Bush was once the most-edited. Now, it is the list of WWE professional wrestlers.

The page has over 53,000 edits and fewer controversies than Bush's page.&nbsp;

Among the most-controversial pages on Wikipedia are anarchism, Jesus, Mohammed, Christianity, circumcision, race and intelligence.&nbsp;

Editors and volunteers are forever warring over words here. Wikipedia is the world's largest reference. It is also- among the 15 most popular destinations online.

How did a 20-year-old platform come so far?

Wikipedia has a staff of just around 300. The platform depends entirely on volunteers and open source. Each summer, Wikipedia's staff get together with their most fanatical contributors for a 5-day conference. It's called Wikimania.&nbsp;

They discuss- inclusion, deletion, representation and citation. The venue for the 20th-anniversary edition is supposed to be Bangkok. Wikipedia's founder- Jimmy Wales wants the platform to be the internet's oxford university.

Jimmy Wales said: "We really do focus on how do we build an institution that can last as long as, you know, Oxford university? We really want to be that type of thing in society for a long time to come."&nbsp;

Wikipedia started 20 years ago. Today, the platform boasts of 56 million articles. Every month, Wikipedia gets at least 1.7 billion unique visitors and the number of monthly hits is around 15 million.

Wikipedia started 20 years ago. Today, the platform boasts of 56 million articles. Every month, Wikipedia gets at least 1.7 billion unique visitors and the number of monthly hits is around 15 million. The number of volunteers on the website are 2,80,000. The website is read more than 8,000 times a second. Search for anything online the chances are- Wikipedia will feature in the top results. The website offers information in 316 languages. These are the most common. How much of the information is accurate and fact-checked? No one won't vouch for it neither does Wikipedia. According to the website, "any article could be edited by any reader". "Any article could contain inaccuracies... and the nonsensical or irrelevant text". Wikipedia is edited more than 350 times per minute. The page of former US President George W. Bush was once the most-edited. Now, it is the list of WWE professional wrestlers. The page has over 53,000 edits and fewer controversies than Bush's page. Among the most-controversial pages on Wikipedia are anarchism, Jesus, Mohammed, Christianity, circumcision, race and intelligence. Editors and volunteers are forever warring over words here. Wikipedia is the world's largest reference. It is also- among the 15 most popular destinations online. How did a 20-year-old platform come so far? Wikipedia has a staff of just around 300. The platform depends entirely on volunteers and open source. Each summer, Wikipedia's staff get together with their most fanatical contributors for a 5-day conference. It's called Wikimania. They discuss- inclusion, deletion, representation and citation. The venue for the 20th-anniversary edition is supposed to be Bangkok. Wikipedia's founder- Jimmy Wales wants the platform to be the internet's oxford university. Jimmy Wales said: "We really do focus on how do we build an institution that can last as long as, you know, Oxford university? We really want to be that type of thing in society for a long time to come."

Wikipedia turns 20! How did a 20-year-old platform come so far

The Government of India has asked Wikipedia to take down a map that shows the wrong map of Jammu and Kashmir, issuing a strongly-worded letter to the United States-based nonprofit, according to officials. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/leh-row-deliberate-attempt-to-undermine-will-of-parliament-says-indias-it-ministry-to-twitter-342689">Also read | Leh row: Deliberate attempt to undermine will of Parliament, says India's IT ministry to Twitter</a> 
 
The government had earlier severely criticised Twitter over a similar map issue — the geotag for Leh showed it as a part of China.

The order was issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, they said.

This matter was flagged by a Twitter user through a tweet calling upon the government to take strict action.

The Twitter user Chhatrasal Singh had highlighted the Wikipedia page on India-Bhutan relationship where the map incorrectly depicted the boundary of Jammu Kashmir.

Taking cognizance of this, the Minister of Electronics and Information technology swiftly issued an order on November 27 directing Wikipedia to remove the page as it is a violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.

Sources said if Wikipedia does not follow the directions, the Government can take serious legal action against it including blocking access to the entire platforms as per Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. So far, Wikipedia has not corrected the map.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Government of India has asked Wikipedia to take down a map that shows the wrong map of Jammu and Kashmir, issuing a strongly-worded letter to the United States-based nonprofit, according to officials.

The Government of India has asked Wikipedia to take down a map that shows the wrong map of Jammu and Kashmir, issuing a strongly-worded letter to the United States-based nonprofit, according to officials. Also read | Leh row: Deliberate attempt to undermine will of Parliament, says India's IT ministry to Twitter The government had earlier severely criticised Twitter over a similar map issue — the geotag for Leh showed it as a part of China. The order was issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, they said. This matter was flagged by a Twitter user through a tweet calling upon the government to take strict action. The Twitter user Chhatrasal Singh had highlighted the Wikipedia page on India-Bhutan relationship where the map incorrectly depicted the boundary of Jammu Kashmir. Taking cognizance of this, the Minister of Electronics and Information technology swiftly issued an order on November 27 directing Wikipedia to remove the page as it is a violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of India. Sources said if Wikipedia does not follow the directions, the Government can take serious legal action against it including blocking access to the entire platforms as per Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. So far, Wikipedia has not corrected the map. (With inputs from agencies)

Delete link that shows wrong map of Jammu and Kashmir: India orders Wikipedia

Twitter Incorporation is testing a new community moderation approach that would enable users to identify misleading information posted by politicians and public figures and add brightly coloured labels under those tweets.

Media reports revealed the social media platform's documents showing a mockup of the new approach were accessible on a publicly available website, although it did not identify the site.

The company said that the leaked illustrations showed one possible iteration of a new approach to combat misinformation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-twitter-says-olympics-ioc-accounts-hacked-280911">Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked</a>

"We're exploring a number of ways to address misinformation and provide more context for Tweets on Twitter," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-twitter-says-olympics-ioc-accounts-hacked-280911">Twitter </a>said in a statement.&nbsp;

"This is a design mockup for one option that would involve community feedback. Misinformation is a critical issue and we will be testing many different ways to address it."

However, according to a spokesperson, the project was in the early stages and not currently staffed.

As per media reports, the documents showed a plan to develop a "community reports" feature, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-twitter-says-olympics-ioc-accounts-hacked-280911">Twitter</a>&nbsp;compared to Wikipedia.&nbsp;

Twitter users would earn points and badges for rating "harmfully misleading" content.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-tightens-bans-on-political-ads-and-causes-ahead-of-2020-us-election-262497">Twitter tightens bans on political ads and causes ahead of 2020 US election</a>

The tech giant and along with other social media companies are under intense pressure to stem lies and misinformation on their platforms.

They have introduced measures in recent months designed to head off interference in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-tightens-bans-on-political-ads-and-causes-ahead-of-2020-us-election-262497">US presidential election</a> in November, although critics say they are insufficient compared to the scale of the problem.

Twitter announced in the summer that it would label and de-emphasize tweets that broke its rules but came from important public figures like politicians. But it has not yet done so for any tweets.

The company also banned political ads in the fall and said earlier this month that it would apply "false" warning labels to tweets containing synthetic or deceptively edited forms of media and remove any that are likely to cause harm.

Democratic presidential contender <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bloomberg-qualifies-for-next-debate-and-rivals-are-getting-ready-281390">Mike Bloomberg</a> on Thursday had tweeted a video of Wednesday night's debate edited to make it appear as though other candidates were rendered speechless when he asked if any of them had started businesses.

The Twitter spokesman said the company would likely label Bloomberg's tweet under the new policy on synthetic and deceptively edited media, which is set to come into effect on March 5.

Twitter Incorporation is testing a new community moderation approach that would enable users to identify misleading information posted by politicians and public figures and add brightly coloured labels under those tweets.

Twitter Incorporation is testing a new community moderation approach that would enable users to identify misleading information posted by politicians and public figures and add brightly coloured labels under those tweets. Media reports revealed the social media platform's documents showing a mockup of the new approach were accessible on a publicly available website, although it did not identify the site. The company said that the leaked illustrations showed one possible iteration of a new approach to combat misinformation. Also read: Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked "We're exploring a number of ways to address misinformation and provide more context for Tweets on Twitter," Twitter said in a statement. "This is a design mockup for one option that would involve community feedback. Misinformation is a critical issue and we will be testing many different ways to address it." However, according to a spokesperson, the project was in the early stages and not currently staffed. As per media reports, the documents showed a plan to develop a "community reports" feature, which Twitter compared to Wikipedia. Twitter users would earn points and badges for rating "harmfully misleading" content. Also read: Twitter tightens bans on political ads and causes ahead of 2020 US election The tech giant and along with other social media companies are under intense pressure to stem lies and misinformation on their platforms. They have introduced measures in recent months designed to head off interference in the US presidential election in November, although critics say they are insufficient compared to the scale of the problem. Twitter announced in the summer that it would label and de-emphasize tweets that broke its rules but came from important public figures like politicians. But it has not yet done so for any tweets. The company also banned political ads in the fall and said earlier this month that it would apply "false" warning labels to tweets containing synthetic or deceptively edited forms of media and remove any that are likely to cause harm. Democratic presidential contender Mike Bloomberg on Thursday had tweeted a video of Wednesday night's debate edited to make it appear as though other candidates were rendered speechless when he asked if any of them had started businesses. The Twitter spokesman said the company would likely label Bloomberg's tweet under the new policy on synthetic and deceptively edited media, which is set to come into effect on March 5.

Twitter tests labels, community moderation for 'lies' by public figures

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-has-wikipedia-changed-our-lives-274429">Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives &amp; the world</a>

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds.

<img alt="wikipedia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccb5df53-baca-4a9c-bcbd-1034cdaa39f6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2810%29_19.jpg" />

It said on its site: "We depend on donations averaging about ₹1,000, but 98% of our readers don’t give. If everyone reading this gave ₹150, the price of a box of tea, we could keep Wikipedia thriving for years to come."

The site which depends on volunteers to write &amp;&nbsp;edit with its open editing system said that being a non-profit organization "people warned us we'd regret it. But if <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-blocks-access-to-wikipedia-bans-tv-dating-shows-15069">Wikipedia</a> became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-china-blocks-all-language-editions-of-wikipedia-218956">Also Read:&nbsp;Now, China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia</a>

"It's a little awkward, so we'll get straight to the point: This Wednesday we humbly ask you to defend Wikipedia's independence."&nbsp;

The board on top of its page clearly stated that the site runs due to "a community of people" working to bring unlimited access to reliable, neutral information. &nbsp;"We ask you, humbly, to help," it said.

Although it is still a "plea" to readers but it came as surprise to many&nbsp;with the site coming openly "straight to the point".

The company has put up various&nbsp;price bands of Rs 150 to Rs 5,000 which readers can volunteer to give through online payment, with an "other" button in which a user can give an unspecified amount.

"When we made Wikipedia a non-profit, people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world. Wikipedia unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers, and the donors who keep us thriving," it said.

The site which was founded in 2001 has grown to become a pillar of the free economy on the Internet with millions who depend on it each day. It publishes content in several languages including Catalan, Swedish, German, French,&nbsp;Portuguese among several others.

It also hosts its content on the mobile app and has free online courses, travel guides, speech directories among other documents which keeps users hooked to the site for hours.&nbsp;

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives & the world Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds.

It may be the sign of the times! The last free bastion in the online world may be falling to the paywall. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15 - How it changed our lives & the world Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia today made a "humble" plea to its readers asking for money in a bid to raise funds. It said on its site: "We depend on donations averaging about ₹1,000, but 98% of our readers don’t give. If everyone reading this gave ₹150, the price of a box of tea, we could keep Wikipedia thriving for years to come." The site which depends on volunteers to write & edit with its open editing system said that being a non-profit organization "people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world." Also Read: Now, China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia "It's a little awkward, so we'll get straight to the point: This Wednesday we humbly ask you to defend Wikipedia's independence." The board on top of its page clearly stated that the site runs due to "a community of people" working to bring unlimited access to reliable, neutral information. "We ask you, humbly, to help," it said. Although it is still a "plea" to readers but it came as surprise to many with the site coming openly "straight to the point". The company has put up various price bands of Rs 150 to Rs 5,000 which readers can volunteer to give through online payment, with an "other" button in which a user can give an unspecified amount. "When we made Wikipedia a non-profit, people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world. Wikipedia unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers, and the donors who keep us thriving," it said. The site which was founded in 2001 has grown to become a pillar of the free economy on the Internet with millions who depend on it each day. It publishes content in several languages including Catalan, Swedish, German, French, Portuguese among several others. It also hosts its content on the mobile app and has free online courses, travel guides, speech directories among other documents which keeps users hooked to the site for hours.

Is the pay wall coming? Wikipedia makes 'humble' plea to users to pay to 'defend independence'

Following a Constitutional Court ruling citing the violation of Freedom of Expression, Turkey restored access to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia two years after it was blocked.

The ban was challenged In the detailed ruling published in the Official Gazette.

Wikipedia was banned in Turkey in April 2017 for the country was accused of having links with terrorist organisations. The Wikimedia Foundation had refused to remove articles that accused the Turkish government of working with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in Syria.

The website will become accessible in the country shortly after the ruling was passed by a 10-to-six majority in the court.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="Wikipedia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fd4086ab-da5b-4b46-afc7-2c37ae3ad8b7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_33.jpg" /> 
Image: This picture of a computer screen taken in Hong Kong on January 18, 2012 shows homepages of the Wikipedia website | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

''We are thrilled that the people of Turkey will once again be able to participate in the largest global conversation about the culture and history of Turkey online and continue to make Wikipedia a vibrant source of information about Turkey and the world'', the foundation said in a statement.

The Wikimedia Foundation, the parent non-profit organisation of Wikipedia, had reached out to Turkey's highest court challenging the ban.

The organisation had refused to delete articles that were critical of the country's government, triggering a ban.

''Wikipedia is a global free knowledge resource written and edited by people around the world. Because of this open editing model, Wikipedia is also a resource everyone can be a part of actively shaping,&nbsp;adding knowledge about their culture, country, interests, studies, and more through Wikipedia’s articles'', the statement added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING NEWS: After a more than two-and-a-half year block, access to <a href="https://twitter.com/Wikipedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wikipedia</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Turkey</a> has been restored! It's one of the best birthday gifts we could have received, and we're thrilled to finally <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeBackTurkey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeBackTurkey</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WikipediaDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WikipediaDay</a> (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/TTe9Hd93aU">https://t.co/TTe9Hd93aU</a>
— Wikimedia (@Wikimedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wikimedia/status/1217614734645694464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The ban, which lasted for 991 days, is now running out.

According to the Wikimedia Foundation, the website can already be accessed in several parts of the country, depending on the location.

The community-based encyclopedia has faced censorship by regimes across the world and continues to remain blocked in countries like China.

<h6><img alt="Wikipedia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b99d0d51-9f29-4a5a-958e-88331be1c6bb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_44.jpg" /> 
Image: The online encyclopedia Wikipedia is viewed on January 17, 2012 in Washington, DC | AFP</h6>

&nbsp;

The ban on Wikipedia, which was referred to as an ''administrative measure'' was enforced abruptly. The Turkish government also has a history of restricting access to social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter.

To bypass a ban of this nature, users have to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-has-wikipedia-changed-our-lives-274429">Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives &amp; the world</a>

(With inputs from Reuters)

Following a Constitutional Court ruling citing the violation of Freedom of Expression, Turkey restored access to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia two years after it was blocked.

Following a Constitutional Court ruling citing the violation of Freedom of Expression, Turkey restored access to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia two years after it was blocked. The ban was challenged In the detailed ruling published in the Official Gazette. Wikipedia was banned in Turkey in April 2017 for the country was accused of having links with terrorist organisations. The Wikimedia Foundation had refused to remove articles that accused the Turkish government of working with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in Syria. The website will become accessible in the country shortly after the ruling was passed by a 10-to-six majority in the court. Image: This picture of a computer screen taken in Hong Kong on January 18, 2012 shows homepages of the Wikipedia website | AFP ''We are thrilled that the people of Turkey will once again be able to participate in the largest global conversation about the culture and history of Turkey online and continue to make Wikipedia a vibrant source of information about Turkey and the world'', the foundation said in a statement. The Wikimedia Foundation, the parent non-profit organisation of Wikipedia, had reached out to Turkey's highest court challenging the ban. The organisation had refused to delete articles that were critical of the country's government, triggering a ban. ''Wikipedia is a global free knowledge resource written and edited by people around the world. Because of this open editing model, Wikipedia is also a resource everyone can be a part of actively shaping, adding knowledge about their culture, country, interests, studies, and more through Wikipedia’s articles'', the statement added. BREAKING NEWS: After a more than two-and-a-half year block, access to @Wikipedia in #Turkey has been restored! It's one of the best birthday gifts we could have received, and we're thrilled to finally #WelcomeBackTurkey! #WikipediaDay (1/3) https://t.co/TTe9Hd93aU — Wikimedia (@Wikimedia) January 16, 2020 × The ban, which lasted for 991 days, is now running out. According to the Wikimedia Foundation, the website can already be accessed in several parts of the country, depending on the location. The community-based encyclopedia has faced censorship by regimes across the world and continues to remain blocked in countries like China. Image: The online encyclopedia Wikipedia is viewed on January 17, 2012 in Washington, DC | AFP The ban on Wikipedia, which was referred to as an ''administrative measure'' was enforced abruptly. The Turkish government also has a history of restricting access to social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. To bypass a ban of this nature, users have to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Also read: Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives & the world (With inputs from Reuters)

Turkey lifts ban on world's largest encyclopedia after two years

January 15 in History: From first Indian commander-in-chief to US flight 1549 lands in New York City’s Hudson River

A Turkish court on Wednesday lifted a ban on Wikipedia after almost three years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-has-wikipedia-changed-our-lives-274429">Also Read:&nbsp;Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives &amp; the world&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

Turkey was the only country in the world apart from China to entirely block access to the online encyclopedia.

But its constitutional court ruled last month that the ban, in place since April 2017, violated freedom of expression.&nbsp;

Turkish officials said in 2017 that the ban was needed as Wikipedia had failed to remove content accusing its government of assisting terrorist groups.

Rights groups have regularly criticised the erosion of free speech in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially since a failed coup attempt in 2016 triggered a massive crackdown on government critics in the press and beyond.

An Ankara judge gave the order on Wednesday for the ban to be lifted by the telecommunications watchdog.&nbsp;

Users said the website was still inaccessible on Wednesday though it was expected to be gradually unblocked nationwide.&nbsp;

A Turkish court on Wednesday lifted a ban on Wikipedia after almost three years. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives & the world Turkey was the only country in the world apart from China to entirely block access to the online encyclopedia.

A Turkish court on Wednesday lifted a ban on Wikipedia after almost three years. Also Read: Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives & the world Turkey was the only country in the world apart from China to entirely block access to the online encyclopedia. But its constitutional court ruled last month that the ban, in place since April 2017, violated freedom of expression. Turkish officials said in 2017 that the ban was needed as Wikipedia had failed to remove content accusing its government of assisting terrorist groups. Rights groups have regularly criticised the erosion of free speech in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially since a failed coup attempt in 2016 triggered a massive crackdown on government critics in the press and beyond. An Ankara judge gave the order on Wednesday for the ban to be lifted by the telecommunications watchdog. Users said the website was still inaccessible on Wednesday though it was expected to be gradually unblocked nationwide.

Turkey court lifts ban on Wikipedia after nearly three years

The world's largest encyclopedia <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/wikipedia-founder-launches-website-wikitribune-to-fight-fake-news-14894">Wikipedia</a>&nbsp;turned&nbsp;15 today.&nbsp;It has clearly transformed and "disrupted" how people around the globe search for information.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-encyclopaedia-to-replace-wikipedia-in-putins-expensive-attempt-to-curb-fake-news-266106">&nbsp;Russian Encyclopaedia to replace Wikipedia in Putin's expensive attempt to curb 'fake news'</a> 
 
It was started in 2001 by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/wikipedia-founder-launches-website-wikitribune-to-fight-fake-news-14894">Jimmy Wales</a> with the vision of free information access to each and every person on the planet. 
 
Today, it has over 38 million articles in 250 diverse languages. In India, it has over 700 million users. 
 
It is the world's largest repository of human knowledge.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/now-china-blocks-all-language-editions-of-wikipedia-218956">China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia</a>

The English version of Wikipedia is the seventh most-visited website in the world. 
 
It has at least half a billion users logging in every day around the world. The&nbsp;pages are edited regularly by 80 thousand volunteers. 
 
At least 24 per cent of web traffic related is related to education, according to a survey&nbsp;with&nbsp;28 per cent users who have never known a world where Wikipedia does&nbsp;not exist.

The world's largest encyclopedia Wikipedia turned 15 today. It has clearly transformed and "disrupted" how people around the globe search for information. Also read: Russian Encyclopaedia to replace Wikipedia in Putin's expensive attempt to curb 'fake news' It was started in 2001 by Jimmy Wales with the vision of free information access to each and every person on the planet.

The world's largest encyclopedia Wikipedia turned 15 today. It has clearly transformed and "disrupted" how people around the globe search for information. Also read: Russian Encyclopaedia to replace Wikipedia in Putin's expensive attempt to curb 'fake news' It was started in 2001 by Jimmy Wales with the vision of free information access to each and every person on the planet. Today, it has over 38 million articles in 250 diverse languages. In India, it has over 700 million users. It is the world's largest repository of human knowledge. Also read: China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia The English version of Wikipedia is the seventh most-visited website in the world. It has at least half a billion users logging in every day around the world. The pages are edited regularly by 80 thousand volunteers. At least 24 per cent of web traffic related is related to education, according to a survey with 28 per cent users who have never known a world where Wikipedia does not exist.

Wikipedia turns 15: How it changed our lives & the world

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data.&nbsp;

Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out.&nbsp;

However, Russia's track record on internet and press freedom portrays a different story, making the new announcement suspect.&nbsp;

Russia under President Vladimir Putin is on an expansive growth. Into his fourth term of Presidency, Putin is the most popular and by far the longest-serving president of Russia whose every announcement is received with patriotic fervour and nationalistic pride.

It is no wonder then that his recent plan for a home-grown Encyclopaedia, on the lines of Wikipedia, is gaining popular support. This announcement came last month.

The announcement which came last month was referring to was the "Great Russian Encyclopaedia" published by the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2016. This voluminous record needs to be converted to a digital format, which also requires constant updating.

Putin has proposed that once this plan goes online, users can access reliable information in a modern format.

Putin does not trust Wikipedia anymore. In 2015 the Russian language version of Wikipedia was blocked for publishing an article on cannabis and drug-related material.

Similar curbs on internet content are on the rise in Russia. Even press and media organizations have not been spared by Putin.&nbsp;

Russia was on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance between 2010 and 2013.

In 2014 Russia was put on the internet enemies list

The World Press Freedom Index of 2019 ranks Russia at 149th place among 180 countries.

Attacks on the media are on the rise with 34 reported incidents of journalists being killed in connection with their work.

There is an apparent pattern adopted by Putin that explains the closed ecosystem of information in Russia where truth is increasingly becoming the casualty.

Media in Russia, including the internet is regulated by Roskomnadzor, a set of guidelines maintained by the federal department handling information technology and mass communication.

There is a centralized internet blacklist that the government can use to censor content or switch off for a temporary period without a court order.

In March 2018, a law was passed, introducing fines for those the government perceived to be spreading "fake news" and "disrespect" to the state agencies.

Recently, the Russian state enacted a law to brand any blogger or a foreign journalist working in Russia as a "foreign agent". Once branded, fines and bureaucratic restrictions will follow, pushing such groups or individuals to shut down.

Seen in this light, Putin's plans to replace Wikipedia has met criticism. Unlike China or Turkey, where Wikipedia is banned, Putin has softly suggested the creation of an alternative.

The project will require about 2 billion roubles, which is close to 31 million US dollars.

The high cost is a part of a long term strategy for Putin, which is to ensure that no news against Russia reaches the world.

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data. Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out.

Out of distrust for Wikipedia, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to roll out a grand Russian Encyclopaedia to put out verifiable facts and data. Putin's intentions can not be doubted in the wake of all false propaganda that needs to be stubbed out. However, Russia's track record on internet and press freedom portrays a different story, making the new announcement suspect. Russia under President Vladimir Putin is on an expansive growth. Into his fourth term of Presidency, Putin is the most popular and by far the longest-serving president of Russia whose every announcement is received with patriotic fervour and nationalistic pride. It is no wonder then that his recent plan for a home-grown Encyclopaedia, on the lines of Wikipedia, is gaining popular support. This announcement came last month. The announcement which came last month was referring to was the "Great Russian Encyclopaedia" published by the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2016. This voluminous record needs to be converted to a digital format, which also requires constant updating. Putin has proposed that once this plan goes online, users can access reliable information in a modern format. Putin does not trust Wikipedia anymore. In 2015 the Russian language version of Wikipedia was blocked for publishing an article on cannabis and drug-related material. Similar curbs on internet content are on the rise in Russia. Even press and media organizations have not been spared by Putin. Russia was on Reporters Without Borders list of countries under surveillance between 2010 and 2013. In 2014 Russia was put on the internet enemies list The World Press Freedom Index of 2019 ranks Russia at 149th place among 180 countries. Attacks on the media are on the rise with 34 reported incidents of journalists being killed in connection with their work. There is an apparent pattern adopted by Putin that explains the closed ecosystem of information in Russia where truth is increasingly becoming the casualty. Media in Russia, including the internet is regulated by Roskomnadzor, a set of guidelines maintained by the federal department handling information technology and mass communication. There is a centralized internet blacklist that the government can use to censor content or switch off for a temporary period without a court order. In March 2018, a law was passed, introducing fines for those the government perceived to be spreading "fake news" and "disrespect" to the state agencies. Recently, the Russian state enacted a law to brand any blogger or a foreign journalist working in Russia as a "foreign agent". Once branded, fines and bureaucratic restrictions will follow, pushing such groups or individuals to shut down. Seen in this light, Putin's plans to replace Wikipedia has met criticism. Unlike China or Turkey, where Wikipedia is banned, Putin has softly suggested the creation of an alternative. The project will require about 2 billion roubles, which is close to 31 million US dollars. The high cost is a part of a long term strategy for Putin, which is to ensure that no news against Russia reaches the world.

Russian Encyclopaedia to replace Wikipedia in Putin's expensive attempt to curb 'fake news'

Beijing has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, reported <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-jails-former-internet-regulator-lu-wei-for-14-years-over-graft-205795">an internet censorship research group</a>, ahead of the country's most politically explosive anniversary.

According to a report by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-xi-says-internet-must-be-clean-and-righteous-160893">China started blocking all language editions</a> of Wikipedia last month.

Previously, most editions of Wikipedia -- besides the Chinese language version, which was reportedly blocked in 2015 -- &nbsp;were available, OONI said in their report.

AFP could not open any of Wikipedia's versions in China on Wednesday.

"At the end of the day, the content that really matters is Chinese-language content," said Charlie Smith, the pseudonym of one of the co-founders of Greatfire.org, which tracks online censorship in China.

"Blocking access to all language versions of Wikipedia for internet users in China is just symbolic," he told AFP. "It symbolises the fear that the Chinese authorities have of the truth."

Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation that hosts Wikipedia, did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

China's online censorship apparatus -- dubbed the "Great Firewall" -- blocks a large number of foreign sites in the country, such as Google, Facebook and The New York Times.

Topics that are deemed too "sensitive" are also scrubbed, such as the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen pro-democracy protesters which will mark its 30th anniversary on June 4.

The expanded block of Wikipedia comes as Chinese authorities ramp up online controls and crack down on Great Firewall circumvention tools, such as virtual private network (VPN) software, under Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In November, China's cyberspace authority said it had "cleaned up" 9,800 accounts on Chinese social media platforms like messaging app WeChat and the Twitter-like Weibo that it accused of spreading "politically harmful" information and rumours.

Chinese Twitter users have also told AFP that they have experienced intimidation from local authorities -- and even detention -- for their tweets.

The latest move to block all versions of Wikipedia could be linked to online translation tools, which make it easy for Chinese users to read anything on Wikipedia, explained Smith.

Images can also be considered taboo, he said.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, and there is no dearth of Tiananmen-related imagery on the Wikipedia website," Smith added.

Beijing has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, reported an internet censorship research group, ahead of the country's most politically explosive anniversary.

Beijing has broadened its block of online encyclopedia Wikipedia to include all language editions, reported an internet censorship research group, ahead of the country's most politically explosive anniversary. According to a report by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), China started blocking all language editions of Wikipedia last month. Previously, most editions of Wikipedia -- besides the Chinese language version, which was reportedly blocked in 2015 -- were available, OONI said in their report. AFP could not open any of Wikipedia's versions in China on Wednesday. "At the end of the day, the content that really matters is Chinese-language content," said Charlie Smith, the pseudonym of one of the co-founders of Greatfire.org, which tracks online censorship in China. "Blocking access to all language versions of Wikipedia for internet users in China is just symbolic," he told AFP. "It symbolises the fear that the Chinese authorities have of the truth." Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation that hosts Wikipedia, did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. China's online censorship apparatus -- dubbed the "Great Firewall" -- blocks a large number of foreign sites in the country, such as Google, Facebook and The New York Times. Topics that are deemed too "sensitive" are also scrubbed, such as the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen pro-democracy protesters which will mark its 30th anniversary on June 4. The expanded block of Wikipedia comes as Chinese authorities ramp up online controls and crack down on Great Firewall circumvention tools, such as virtual private network (VPN) software, under Chinese President Xi Jinping. In November, China's cyberspace authority said it had "cleaned up" 9,800 accounts on Chinese social media platforms like messaging app WeChat and the Twitter-like Weibo that it accused of spreading "politically harmful" information and rumours. Chinese Twitter users have also told AFP that they have experienced intimidation from local authorities -- and even detention -- for their tweets. The latest move to block all versions of Wikipedia could be linked to online translation tools, which make it easy for Chinese users to read anything on Wikipedia, explained Smith. Images can also be considered taboo, he said. "A picture is worth a thousand words, and there is no dearth of Tiananmen-related imagery on the Wikipedia website," Smith added.

Now, China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia

By&nbspTamar Carrol*,&nbspLara Nicosia**

Movements like #MeToo are drawing increased attention to the systemic discrimination facing women in a range of professional fields, from Hollywood and journalism to banking and government.

Discrimination is also a problem on user-driven sites like Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website worldwide. In January, the English-language version of the online encyclopedia had over 7.3 billion page views, more than 2000 percent higher than other online reference sites.&nbsp

The volume of traffic on Wikipedia’s site – coupled with its integration into search results and digital assistants like Alexa and Siri – makes Wikipedia the predominant source of information on the web. YouTube even recently announced that it would start including Wikipedia links below videos on highly contested topics. But studies show that Wikipedia underrepresents content on women.

At the Rochester Institute of Technology, we’re taking steps to empower our students and our global community to address issues of gender bias on Wikipedia.

Signs of bias

Driven by a cohort of over 33 million volunteer editors, Wikipedia’s content can change in almost real time. That makes it a prime resource for current events, popular culture, sports and other evolving topics.

But relying on volunteers leads to systemic biases – both in content creation and improvement. A 2013 study estimated that women only accounted for 16.1 percent of Wikipedia’s total editor base. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales believes that number has not changed much since then, despite several organized efforts.

If women don’t actively edit Wikipedia at the same rate as men, topics of interest to women are at risk of receiving disproportionately low coverage. One study found that Wikipedia’s coverage of women was more comprehensive than Encyclopedia Britannica online, but entries on women still constituted less than 30 percent of biographical coverage. Entries on women also more frequently link to entries on men than vice-versa and are more likely to include information on romantic relationships and family roles.

What’s more, Wikipedia’s policies state that all content must be “attributable to a reliable, published source.” Since women throughout history have been less represented in published literature than men, it can be challenging to find reliable published sources on women.

An obituary in a paper of record is often a criterion for inclusion as a biographical entry in Wikipedia. So it should be no surprise that women are underrepresented as subjects in this vast online encyclopedia. As The New York Times itself noted, its obituaries since 1851 “have been dominated by white men” – an oversight the paper now hopes to address through its “Overlooked” series.

Categorization can also be an issue. In 2013, a New York Times op-ed revealed that some editors had moved women’s entries from gender-neutral categories (e.g., “American novelists”) to gender-focused subcategories (e.g., “American women novelists”).&nbsp

Wikipedia is not the only online resource that suffers from such biases. The user-contributed online mapping service OpenStreetMap is also more heavily edited by men. On GitHub, an online development platform, women’s contributions have a higher acceptance rate than men, but a study showed that the rate drops noticeably when the contributor could be identified as a woman through their username or profile image.

Gender bias is also an ongoing issue in content development and search algorithms. Google Translate has been shown to overuse masculine pronouns and, for a time, LinkedIn recommended men’s names in search results when users searched for a woman.

What can be done?

The solution to systemic biases that plague the web remains unclear. But libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia.

Organized edit-a-thons can create a community around editing and developing underrepresented content. Edit-a-thons aim to increase the number of active female editors on Wikipedia, while empowering participants to edit entries on women during the event and into the future.

Later this month, our university library will host its second annual Women on Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in celebration of Women’s History Month. The goal is to improve the content on at least 100 women in one afternoon.

For the past four years, students in our school’s American Women’s and Gender History course have worked to create new or substantially edit existing Wikipedia entries about women. One student created an entry on deaf-blind pioneer Geraldine Lawhorn, while another added roughly 1,500 words to jazz artist Blanche Calloway’s entry.

This class was supported by the Wikimedia Education Program, which encourages educators and students to contribute to Wikipedia in academic settings.

Through this assignment, students can immediately see how their efforts contribute to the larger conversation around women’s history topics. One student said that it was “the most meaningful assignment she had” as an undergraduate.

Other efforts to address gender bias on Wikipedia include Wikipedia’s Inspire Campaign organized editing communities such as Women in Red and Wikipedia’s Teahouse and the National Science Foundation’s Collaborative Research grant.

Wikipedia’s dependence on volunteer editors has resulted in several systemic issues, but it also offers an opportunity for self-correction. Organized efforts help to give voice to women previously ignored by other resources.&nbsp

*Tamar Carroll is an&nbspAssociate Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology&nbsp

**Lara Nicosia is a liberal Arts Librarian at&nbspRochester Institute of Technology

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia

By&nbspTamar Carrol*,&nbspLara Nicosia** Movements like #MeToo are drawing increased attention to the systemic discrimination facing women in a range of professional fields, from Hollywood and journalism to banking and government. Discrimination is also a problem on user-driven sites like Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website worldwide. In January, the English-language version of the online encyclopedia had over 7.3 billion page views, more than 2000 percent higher than other online reference sites. The volume of traffic on Wikipedia’s site – coupled with its integration into search results and digital assistants like Alexa and Siri – makes Wikipedia the predominant source of information on the web. YouTube even recently announced that it would start including Wikipedia links below videos on highly contested topics. But studies show that Wikipedia underrepresents content on women. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, we’re taking steps to empower our students and our global community to address issues of gender bias on Wikipedia. Signs of bias Driven by a cohort of over 33 million volunteer editors, Wikipedia’s content can change in almost real time. That makes it a prime resource for current events, popular culture, sports and other evolving topics. But relying on volunteers leads to systemic biases – both in content creation and improvement. A 2013 study estimated that women only accounted for 16.1 percent of Wikipedia’s total editor base. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales believes that number has not changed much since then, despite several organized efforts. If women don’t actively edit Wikipedia at the same rate as men, topics of interest to women are at risk of receiving disproportionately low coverage. One study found that Wikipedia’s coverage of women was more comprehensive than Encyclopedia Britannica online, but entries on women still constituted less than 30 percent of biographical coverage. Entries on women also more frequently link to entries on men than vice-versa and are more likely to include information on romantic relationships and family roles. What’s more, Wikipedia’s policies state that all content must be “attributable to a reliable, published source.” Since women throughout history have been less represented in published literature than men, it can be challenging to find reliable published sources on women. An obituary in a paper of record is often a criterion for inclusion as a biographical entry in Wikipedia. So it should be no surprise that women are underrepresented as subjects in this vast online encyclopedia. As The New York Times itself noted, its obituaries since 1851 “have been dominated by white men” – an oversight the paper now hopes to address through its “Overlooked” series. Categorization can also be an issue. In 2013, a New York Times op-ed revealed that some editors had moved women’s entries from gender-neutral categories (e.g., “American novelists”) to gender-focused subcategories (e.g., “American women novelists”). Wikipedia is not the only online resource that suffers from such biases. The user-contributed online mapping service OpenStreetMap is also more heavily edited by men. On GitHub, an online development platform, women’s contributions have a higher acceptance rate than men, but a study showed that the rate drops noticeably when the contributor could be identified as a woman through their username or profile image. Gender bias is also an ongoing issue in content development and search algorithms. Google Translate has been shown to overuse masculine pronouns and, for a time, LinkedIn recommended men’s names in search results when users searched for a woman. What can be done? The solution to systemic biases that plague the web remains unclear. But libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia. Organized edit-a-thons can create a community around editing and developing underrepresented content. Edit-a-thons aim to increase the number of active female editors on Wikipedia, while empowering participants to edit entries on women during the event and into the future. Later this month, our university library will host its second annual Women on Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in celebration of Women’s History Month. The goal is to improve the content on at least 100 women in one afternoon. For the past four years, students in our school’s American Women’s and Gender History course have worked to create new or substantially edit existing Wikipedia entries about women. One student created an entry on deaf-blind pioneer Geraldine Lawhorn, while another added roughly 1,500 words to jazz artist Blanche Calloway’s entry. This class was supported by the Wikimedia Education Program, which encourages educators and students to contribute to Wikipedia in academic settings. Through this assignment, students can immediately see how their efforts contribute to the larger conversation around women’s history topics. One student said that it was “the most meaningful assignment she had” as an undergraduate. Other efforts to address gender bias on Wikipedia include Wikipedia’s Inspire Campaign organized editing communities such as Women in Red and Wikipedia’s Teahouse and the National Science Foundation’s Collaborative Research grant. Wikipedia’s dependence on volunteer editors has resulted in several systemic issues, but it also offers an opportunity for self-correction. Organized efforts help to give voice to women previously ignored by other resources. *Tamar Carroll is an&nbspAssociate Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology **Lara Nicosia is a liberal Arts Librarian at&nbspRochester Institute of Technology (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Wikipedia often overlooks stories of women in history

By&nbsp;Tamar Carrol*,&nbsp;Lara Nicosia**

Movements like #MeToo are drawing increased attention to the systemic discrimination facing women in a range of professional fields, from Hollywood and journalism to banking and government.

Discrimination is also a problem on user-driven sites like Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website worldwide. In January, the English-language version of the online encyclopedia had over 7.3 billion page views, more than 2000 percent higher than other online reference sites.&nbsp;

The volume of traffic on Wikipedia&rsquo;s site &ndash; coupled with its integration into search results and digital assistants like Alexa and Siri &ndash; makes Wikipedia the predominant source of information on the web. YouTube even recently announced that it would start including Wikipedia links below videos on highly contested topics. But studies show that Wikipedia underrepresents content on women.

At the Rochester Institute of Technology, we&rsquo;re taking steps to empower our students and our global community to address issues of gender bias on Wikipedia.

Signs of bias

Driven by a cohort of over 33 million volunteer editors, Wikipedia&rsquo;s content can change in almost real time. That makes it a prime resource for current events, popular culture, sports and other evolving topics.

But relying on volunteers leads to systemic biases &ndash; both in content creation and improvement. A 2013 study estimated that women only accounted for 16.1 percent of Wikipedia&rsquo;s total editor base. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales believes that number has not changed much since then, despite several organized efforts.

If women don&rsquo;t actively edit Wikipedia at the same rate as men, topics of interest to women are at risk of receiving disproportionately low coverage. One study found that Wikipedia&rsquo;s coverage of women was more comprehensive than Encyclopedia Britannica online, but entries on women still constituted less than 30 percent of biographical coverage. Entries on women also more frequently link to entries on men than vice-versa and are more likely to include information on romantic relationships and family roles.

What&rsquo;s more, Wikipedia&rsquo;s policies state that all content must be &ldquo;attributable to a reliable, published source.&rdquo; Since women throughout history have been less represented in published literature than men, it can be challenging to find reliable published sources on women.

An obituary in a paper of record is often a criterion for inclusion as a biographical entry in Wikipedia. So it should be no surprise that women are underrepresented as subjects in this vast online encyclopedia. As The New York Times itself noted, its obituaries since 1851 &ldquo;have been dominated by white men&rdquo; &ndash; an oversight the paper now hopes to address through its &ldquo;Overlooked&rdquo; series.

Categorization can also be an issue. In 2013, a New York Times op-ed revealed that some editors had moved women&rsquo;s entries from gender-neutral categories (e.g., &ldquo;American novelists&rdquo;) to gender-focused subcategories (e.g., &ldquo;American women novelists&rdquo;).&nbsp;

Wikipedia is not the only online resource that suffers from such biases. The user-contributed online mapping service OpenStreetMap is also more heavily edited by men. On GitHub, an online development platform, women&rsquo;s contributions have a higher acceptance rate than men, but a study showed that the rate drops noticeably when the contributor could be identified as a woman through their username or profile image.

Gender bias is also an ongoing issue in content development and search algorithms. Google Translate has been shown to overuse masculine pronouns and, for a time, LinkedIn recommended men&rsquo;s names in search results when users searched for a woman.

What can be done?

The solution to systemic biases that plague the web remains unclear. But libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia.

Organized edit-a-thons can create a community around editing and developing underrepresented content. Edit-a-thons aim to increase the number of active female editors on Wikipedia, while empowering participants to edit entries on women during the event and into the future.

Later this month, our university library will host its second annual Women on Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in celebration of Women&rsquo;s History Month. The goal is to improve the content on at least 100 women in one afternoon.

For the past four years, students in our school&rsquo;s American Women&rsquo;s and Gender History course have worked to create new or substantially edit existing Wikipedia entries about women. One student created an entry on deaf-blind pioneer Geraldine Lawhorn, while another added roughly 1,500 words to jazz artist Blanche Calloway&rsquo;s entry.

This class was supported by the Wikimedia Education Program, which encourages educators and students to contribute to Wikipedia in academic settings.

Through this assignment, students can immediately see how their efforts contribute to the larger conversation around women&rsquo;s history topics. One student said that it was &ldquo;the most meaningful assignment she had&rdquo; as an undergraduate.

Other efforts to address gender bias on Wikipedia include Wikipedia&rsquo;s Inspire Campaign; organized editing communities such as Women in Red and Wikipedia&rsquo;s Teahouse; and the National Science Foundation&rsquo;s Collaborative Research grant.

Wikipedia&rsquo;s dependence on volunteer editors has resulted in several systemic issues, but it also offers an opportunity for self-correction. Organized efforts help to give voice to women previously ignored by other resources.&nbsp;

*Tamar Carroll is an&nbsp;Associate Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology&nbsp;

**Lara Nicosia is a liberal Arts Librarian at&nbsp;Rochester Institute of Technology

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia.

By Tamar Carrol*, Lara Nicosia** Movements like #MeToo are drawing increased attention to the systemic discrimination facing women in a range of professional fields, from Hollywood and journalism to banking and government. Discrimination is also a problem on user-driven sites like Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website worldwide. In January, the English-language version of the online encyclopedia had over 7.3 billion page views, more than 2000 percent higher than other online reference sites. The volume of traffic on Wikipedia’s site – coupled with its integration into search results and digital assistants like Alexa and Siri – makes Wikipedia the predominant source of information on the web. YouTube even recently announced that it would start including Wikipedia links below videos on highly contested topics. But studies show that Wikipedia underrepresents content on women. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, we’re taking steps to empower our students and our global community to address issues of gender bias on Wikipedia. Signs of bias Driven by a cohort of over 33 million volunteer editors, Wikipedia’s content can change in almost real time. That makes it a prime resource for current events, popular culture, sports and other evolving topics. But relying on volunteers leads to systemic biases – both in content creation and improvement. A 2013 study estimated that women only accounted for 16.1 percent of Wikipedia’s total editor base. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales believes that number has not changed much since then, despite several organized efforts. If women don’t actively edit Wikipedia at the same rate as men, topics of interest to women are at risk of receiving disproportionately low coverage. One study found that Wikipedia’s coverage of women was more comprehensive than Encyclopedia Britannica online, but entries on women still constituted less than 30 percent of biographical coverage. Entries on women also more frequently link to entries on men than vice-versa and are more likely to include information on romantic relationships and family roles. What’s more, Wikipedia’s policies state that all content must be “attributable to a reliable, published source.” Since women throughout history have been less represented in published literature than men, it can be challenging to find reliable published sources on women. An obituary in a paper of record is often a criterion for inclusion as a biographical entry in Wikipedia. So it should be no surprise that women are underrepresented as subjects in this vast online encyclopedia. As The New York Times itself noted, its obituaries since 1851 “have been dominated by white men” – an oversight the paper now hopes to address through its “Overlooked” series. Categorization can also be an issue. In 2013, a New York Times op-ed revealed that some editors had moved women’s entries from gender-neutral categories (e.g., “American novelists”) to gender-focused subcategories (e.g., “American women novelists”). Wikipedia is not the only online resource that suffers from such biases. The user-contributed online mapping service OpenStreetMap is also more heavily edited by men. On GitHub, an online development platform, women’s contributions have a higher acceptance rate than men, but a study showed that the rate drops noticeably when the contributor could be identified as a woman through their username or profile image. Gender bias is also an ongoing issue in content development and search algorithms. Google Translate has been shown to overuse masculine pronouns and, for a time, LinkedIn recommended men’s names in search results when users searched for a woman. What can be done? The solution to systemic biases that plague the web remains unclear. But libraries, museums, individual editors and the Wikimedia Foundation itself continue to make efforts to improve gender representation on sites such as Wikipedia. Organized edit-a-thons can create a community around editing and developing underrepresented content. Edit-a-thons aim to increase the number of active female editors on Wikipedia, while empowering participants to edit entries on women during the event and into the future. Later this month, our university library will host its second annual Women on Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in celebration of Women’s History Month. The goal is to improve the content on at least 100 women in one afternoon. For the past four years, students in our school’s American Women’s and Gender History course have worked to create new or substantially edit existing Wikipedia entries about women. One student created an entry on deaf-blind pioneer Geraldine Lawhorn, while another added roughly 1,500 words to jazz artist Blanche Calloway’s entry. This class was supported by the Wikimedia Education Program, which encourages educators and students to contribute to Wikipedia in academic settings. Through this assignment, students can immediately see how their efforts contribute to the larger conversation around women’s history topics. One student said that it was “the most meaningful assignment she had” as an undergraduate. Other efforts to address gender bias on Wikipedia include Wikipedia’s Inspire Campaign; organized editing communities such as Women in Red and Wikipedia’s Teahouse; and the National Science Foundation’s Collaborative Research grant. Wikipedia’s dependence on volunteer editors has resulted in several systemic issues, but it also offers an opportunity for self-correction. Organized efforts help to give voice to women previously ignored by other resources. *Tamar Carroll is an Associate Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology **Lara Nicosia is a liberal Arts Librarian at Rochester Institute of Technology (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turkey has blocked online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, the telecommunications watchdog said on Saturday, citing a law allowing it to ban access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security.

The move is likely to further worry rights groups and Turkey&#39;s Western allies, who say Ankara has sharply curtailed freedom of speech and other basic rights in the crackdown that followed last year&#39;s failed coup.

&quot;After technical analysis and legal consideration ... an administrative measure has been taken for this website (Wikipedia.Org),&quot; the BTK telecommunications watchdog said in a statement on its website.

It cited a law that allows it to block access to individual web pages or entire websites for the protection of public order, national security or the well-being of the public.

Turkey&#39;s communications ministry said Wikipedia was attempting to run a &quot;smear campaign&quot; against Turkey, saying some articles purported that Ankara was coordinating with militant groups, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

&quot;Instead of coordinating against terrorism, it has become part of an information source which is running a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena,&quot; Anadolu quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

The ban would be lifted if Wikipedia met the government&#39;s demands, Anadolu said.

Under the law, the watchdog is required to submit its ban to a court within 24 hours. The court then has two days to decide whether the ban should be upheld.

A block on all language editions of the Wikipedia website was detected at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Saturday, monitoring group Turkey Blocks said on its website.

&quot;The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country,&quot; it said.

When attempting to access the webpage using Turkish internet providers, users received a notice the site could not be reached and a &quot;connection timed out&quot; error.

Monitoring groups have accused Turkey of blocking access to social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, particularly in the aftermath of militant attacks.

The government has in the past denied blocking access to some sites, blaming outages on spikes in usage after major events. But technical experts at watchdog groups say the blackouts on social media are intentional, aimed in part at stopping the spread of militant images and propaganda.

Since last year&#39;s failed coup, authorities have sacked or suspended more than 120,000 people from the civil service, police and judiciary and arrested more than 40,000 on suspicion of ties to terrorist groups.

President Tayyip Erdogan says the measures are needed given the scope of the security threat Turkey faces.

Turkey last year jailed 81 journalists, making it the world&#39;s top jailor of journalists, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

State-run Anadolu news agency reported the ban would be lifted if Wikipedia met the government's demands

Turkey has blocked online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, the telecommunications watchdog said on Saturday, citing a law allowing it to ban access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security. The move is likely to further worry rights groups and Turkey's Western allies, who say Ankara has sharply curtailed freedom of speech and other basic rights in the crackdown that followed last year's failed coup. "After technical analysis and legal consideration ... an administrative measure has been taken for this website (Wikipedia.Org)," the BTK telecommunications watchdog said in a statement on its website. It cited a law that allows it to block access to individual web pages or entire websites for the protection of public order, national security or the well-being of the public. Turkey's communications ministry said Wikipedia was attempting to run a "smear campaign" against Turkey, saying some articles purported that Ankara was coordinating with militant groups, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. "Instead of coordinating against terrorism, it has become part of an information source which is running a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena," Anadolu quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. The ban would be lifted if Wikipedia met the government's demands, Anadolu said. Under the law, the watchdog is required to submit its ban to a court within 24 hours. The court then has two days to decide whether the ban should be upheld. A block on all language editions of the Wikipedia website was detected at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Saturday, monitoring group Turkey Blocks said on its website. "The loss of availability is consistent with internet filters used to censor content in the country," it said. When attempting to access the webpage using Turkish internet providers, users received a notice the site could not be reached and a "connection timed out" error. Monitoring groups have accused Turkey of blocking access to social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, particularly in the aftermath of militant attacks. The government has in the past denied blocking access to some sites, blaming outages on spikes in usage after major events. But technical experts at watchdog groups say the blackouts on social media are intentional, aimed in part at stopping the spread of militant images and propaganda. Since last year's failed coup, authorities have sacked or suspended more than 120,000 people from the civil service, police and judiciary and arrested more than 40,000 on suspicion of ties to terrorist groups. President Tayyip Erdogan says the measures are needed given the scope of the security threat Turkey faces. Turkey last year jailed 81 journalists, making it the world's top jailor of journalists, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia

Jimmy Wales, the founder of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, has launched a website aimed at countering the spread of fake news by bringing together professional journalists and a community of volunteers and supporters to produce news articles.

The new platform, called Wikitribune, will be free to access and carry no advertising, instead relying on its readers to fund it, while the accuracy of news reports will be easily verifiable as source material will be published, Wales said.

&quot;The news is broken, but we&#39;ve figured out how to fix it,&quot; he said in a promotional video posted on the website&#39;s homepage.

The online proliferation of fake news, some of it generated for profit and some for political ends, became a major topic of angst and debate in many developed countries during last year&#39;s US presidential election.

Wales argued in his video that because people expected to get news for free on the Internet, news sites were reliant on advertising money, which created strong incentives to generate so-called &quot;clickbait&quot;, catchy headlines to attract viewers.

&quot;This is a problem because ads are cheap, competition for clicks is fierce and low-quality news sources are everywhere,&quot; said Wales.

He also argued that social media networks, where an ever-increasing number of people get their news, were designed to show users what they wanted to see, confirm their biases and keep them clicking at all costs.

Social media giant Facebook was widely criticised last year for not doing enough to prevent fake news reports from spreading on its platform, and has announced new tools to tackle the problem.

Wales said Wikitribune would combine professional, standards-based journalism with what he called &quot;the radical idea from the world of wiki that a community of volunteers can and will reliably protect the integrity of information&quot;.

He said articles would be authored, fact-checked and verified by journalists and volunteers working together, while anyone would be able to flag up issues and submit fixes for review.

&quot;As the facts are updated, the news becomes a living, evolving artefact, which is what the Internet was made for,&quot; he said.

The Wikitribune homepage said the platform would go live in 29 days. It also indicated that the intention was to hire 10 journalists, but none had been hired so far.

(Reuters)

Wikitribune will be free to access and carry no advertising

Jimmy Wales, the founder of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, has launched a website aimed at countering the spread of fake news by bringing together professional journalists and a community of volunteers and supporters to produce news articles. The new platform, called Wikitribune, will be free to access and carry no advertising, instead relying on its readers to fund it, while the accuracy of news reports will be easily verifiable as source material will be published, Wales said. "The news is broken, but we've figured out how to fix it," he said in a promotional video posted on the website's homepage. The online proliferation of fake news, some of it generated for profit and some for political ends, became a major topic of angst and debate in many developed countries during last year's US presidential election. Wales argued in his video that because people expected to get news for free on the Internet, news sites were reliant on advertising money, which created strong incentives to generate so-called "clickbait", catchy headlines to attract viewers. "This is a problem because ads are cheap, competition for clicks is fierce and low-quality news sources are everywhere," said Wales. He also argued that social media networks, where an ever-increasing number of people get their news, were designed to show users what they wanted to see, confirm their biases and keep them clicking at all costs. Social media giant Facebook was widely criticised last year for not doing enough to prevent fake news reports from spreading on its platform, and has announced new tools to tackle the problem. Wales said Wikitribune would combine professional, standards-based journalism with what he called "the radical idea from the world of wiki that a community of volunteers can and will reliably protect the integrity of information". He said articles would be authored, fact-checked and verified by journalists and volunteers working together, while anyone would be able to flag up issues and submit fixes for review. "As the facts are updated, the news becomes a living, evolving artefact, which is what the Internet was made for," he said. The Wikitribune homepage said the platform would go live in 29 days. It also indicated that the intention was to hire 10 journalists, but none had been hired so far. (Reuters)

Wikipedia founder launches website Wikitribune to fight fake news

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