Uncanny Valley | WIRED BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World
16 snips
Jan 20, 2026 
In a captivating discussion, Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and advocate for open knowledge, reflects on the platform's humble beginnings and its dramatic growth over 25 years. He shares insights on navigating censorship from authoritarian regimes and the challenges of maintaining neutrality in a polarized landscape. Wales highlights how declining trust in facts impacts society and urges tech leaders to prioritize integrity over short-term gains. Plus, he offers practical ways for listeners to contribute to Wikipedia and foster a healthier information ecosystem.
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Vandalism Became A Source
- Someone once vandalized Jimmy Wales's Wikipedia page claiming he played chess with friends, which was false.
- Lazy journalists copied it from Wikipedia into a magazine bio, creating a spurious source.
Child's Illness Sparked Wikipedia
- Jimmy Wales started Wikipedia after his newborn daughter was seriously ill and he found poor online medical information.
- He installed simple wiki software and launched quickly because timely access to knowledge mattered to him personally.
Two Tracks Of Wikipedia's Growth
- Wikipedia's two growth tracks differ: the volunteer community and the professional foundation have separate scaling challenges.
- Maintaining community spirit while professionalizing staff is key to sustainable operations.
