Political Gabfest Gabfest Reads | The Seven Rules of Trust
10 snips
Dec 20, 2025 
David Plotz chats with Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia and author of The Seven Rules of Trust. Wales shares insights on fostering trust within digital communities, emphasizing the importance of assuming good faith. He reflects on how Wikipedia's culture can inform today’s polarized social media landscape and discusses challenges posed by AI-generated content. The conversation highlights the need for genuine civility and the value of stable online identities in building lasting trust.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Purpose Guides Decisions
- Have a clear, operational purpose that guides decisions and prevents distractions.
- Wikipedia's purpose—free access to the sum of all human knowledge—shaped choices like declining email services.
Assume Good Faith
- Assume good faith as a default to make online collaboration productive.
- Offer calm, corrective guidance to newcomers instead of immediate punishment to earn long-term contributions.
Vandal Turned Contributor
- A new editor vandalized Wikipedia on her first edit and received a gentle rebuke.
- She felt guilty, reformed, and became an award‑winning contributor.