Category Archives: leadership

Katherine Maher on Wikimedia’s evolving strategic priorities: Reflections on her WikiCite 2018 talk

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Pete Forsyth

I relished the opportunity to hear Katherine Maher, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, speak about strategic priorities at the November 2018 WikiCite conference. The organization has had its ups and downs in strategic planning over the years. This was … Continue reading →

Posted in core, events, governance, leadership, Statements of Ethics, systemic bias, wiki, Wikidata, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia | Leave a comment

A proven innovation could benefit Facebook’s users—and its shareholders, too.

Posted on September 9, 2018 by Pete Forsyth

Concern about social media and the quality of news is running high, with many commentators focusing on bias and factual accuracy (often summarized as “fake news”). If efforts to regulate sites like Facebook are successful, they could affect the bottom … Continue reading →

Posted in core, governance, history, journalism, leadership, User experience, wiki, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia | Leave a comment

“Open” everything, and minimal financial needs: Wikipedia’s strengths

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Pete Forsyth

What insulates Wikipedia from the criticisms other massive platforms endure? We explored some answers—core values, lack of personalization algorithms, and lack of data collection—in last week’s “How Wikipedia Dodged Public Outcry Plaguing Social Media Platforms.” But wait, there’s more: Wikipedia … Continue reading →

Posted in core, governance, history, journalism, leadership, Statements of Ethics, wiki, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia | Leave a comment

Wikipedia, controversy, and an acclaimed documentary

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Pete Forsyth

The Hunting Ground, a 2015 documentary about sexual assault on college campuses exposed conflicts of interest, malfeasance and cover-ups. To learn about a complex topic—especially if powerful institutions have a major stake in it—we rely on experts. People who devote … Continue reading →

Posted in conflict of interest, governance, journalism, leadership, paid editing, Terms of Use, Uncategorized, wiki, Wikipedia | 5 Comments

ACTRIAL: Wikipedia volunteer leadership should be recognized

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Pete Forsyth

The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) is inviting commentary on how to recognize and encourage informal leadership in the volunteer community. (The consultation runs from September 20 through October 16, 2016.) This is a welcome initiative; the Wikimedia movement has not done … Continue reading →

Posted in governance, history, leadership, Uncategorized, wiki, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia | 9 Comments