Wikipedia is the world’s fifth most popular website and is exponentially increasing in popularity. It’s one of the largest sources of information on the internet because it’s easy to understand, quick to access, reliable, and not just academics or professionals who appreciate it.
Wikipedia was born in 2001 with humble origins and has become immensely popular since. It wasn’t that easy in the beginning either, as Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger had many trials and tribulations to get it off the ground. Wikipedia has grown into an expansive platform with over 55 million articles and 29 million registered users.
- Despite its massive success, Wikipedia is a nonprofit organization and relies heavily on donations to keep it running.
- Wikipedia is available in 300 languages, making it one of the world’s most expansive multilingual platforms.
- The English version of Wikipedia alone has around 6 million articles, accounting for nearly 11 percent of all online content!
- There are almost 2 billion edits made to Wikipedia pages each year. However, only 0.1% of these edits are accepted by editors to ensure the accuracy and quality of content.
- Although the majority of contributions to Wikipedia come from volunteer editors, there are also paid editors who help to maintain the accuracy and quality of content on the site.
- As part of its efforts to maintain quality standards, Wikipedia has strict guidelines that include an editorial review system and a three-revert rule.
- “Hotel Wikipedia” is the official theme song for everyone’s favorite online encyclopedia: Wikipedia!
- The most edited article on Wikipedia is the “George W. Bush” page, which has over 40,000 edits since its creation in 2001!
- Every day, there are over 800 new articles published on Wikipedia – keeping up with the ever-changing world of information.
- A majority of Wikipedia editors are men.
- Although many people think of it as an encyclopedia, Wikipedia also includes reviews, news updates, and other content from reliable sources to keep readers informed about the latest events around the globe.
- Many universities now use Wikipedia in their classrooms as part of their coursework; this is seen as an effective way for students to learn and understand information.
- Many countries have blocked access to some or all parts of Wikipedia due to its open-access policy which allows anyone to change or add content without restrictions or censorship imposed by governments or other entities.
- Wikipedia is one of the few websites that have been blocked by countries such as China, Russia, and Turkey due to its open-access policy which allows anyone to change or add content.
- The platform has an impressive video library with over 2 million videos!
- Despite its openness for edits, Wikipedia has a remarkably low rate of vandalism (less than 0.1 percent) thanks to its strict guidelines and rules for contributors.
- Almost every page on Wikipedia contains at least one reference from another source. This is done to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the content being shared on the site.
- Over 25 organizations around the world provide funding for Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that runs Wikipedia.
- The most viewed page on Wikipedia is the “Main Page” with an astonishing 5 billion views since its creation in 2001!
With these 19 facts, readers can gain a better appreciation for the power of Wikipedia and the immense effort put in to make it one of the largest knowledge sources on the internet today. Here’s hoping it continues to expand and provide accurate and reliable information for many more years to come!
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