World Wide Wikipedia

I like your focus on ‘guidelines.’ Wikipedia operates purely on a set of guidelines, or what Zittrain would call standards, rather than a set of rules. According to Zittrain this is a worthy approach to the world of Wikipedia because, “standards can work better than rules in unexpected contexts” (Zittrain 128). The issue of rules vs. guidelines has been experimented with in other contexts. Zittrain discusses an experiment done in the Dutch city of Drachten where the removal of traffic signs, parking meters, and parking spaces led to results that were, “counterintuitive: a dramatic improvement in vehicular safety” (Zittrain 127). This same system of trust in guidelines rather than defined rules with strict consequences is how Wikipedia operates leading Wikipedia editors to write and edit mindfully and to be considerate of content. 

Focusing on your first question, “Will Wikipedia ever produce a final article,” is a difficult question to answer. However, it seems unlikely to me, and if Wikipedia were to produce a final article, a similar online encyclopedia would likely appear. Zittrain says, “Wikipedia has charted a path from crazy idea to stunning worldwide success. There are versions of Wikipedia in every major language…” (Zittrain 136). This success on a global level proves the usefulness of Wikipedia and the fact that even though it is often viewed as an untrustworthy source, it does serve a purpose and the world does utilize its information. In response to your second question, “Should we expect more sites like Wikipedia in the future,” this is also likely especially if Wikipedia were to produce a final article. According to Zittrain, “If Wikipedia did not exist there would still be reason to cheer the generative possibilities of the Internet, its capacity to bring people together in meaningful conversations, commerce, or action” (Zittrain 148). The creation of Wikipedia, despite negative views about the validity of its open source content, is a unique creation that allows worldwide collaboration of information in a way that had never been seen before. In addition to Wikipedia, or after Wikipedia is no longer contributed to, Wikipedia has made the Internet a place where anyone can freely edit content and create a worldwide collaboration to benefit everyone.