Re: Wikipedia at 25: A Wake-Up Call (essay)
Pascale Camus-Walter via Wikimedia-l <[email protected]> Mon, 6 Jul 2026 19:56:29 +0200
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--===============3060851925106493146== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_105BF36D-34C8-4FAF-8030-C566C6C6A629" --Apple-Mail=_105BF36D-34C8-4FAF-8030-C566C6C6A629 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Hi Christophe,=20 I have been reading you Essay and your thread, but I didn't participate = to the discussion, because I am not fond of oversimplifications and = overdramatizations like : "The mission is sacred", or "We have maybe two years to make some hard = calls about AI, about money, about who we're actually serving. After = that, the window closes and we become irrelevant" or "If Wikimedia had = simply kept pace with internet growth, we would be serving 355 billion = page views annually today. Instead, we're at 177 billion. We're missing = half the audience we should have." Notice that half of the audience we don't get correctly on Wikipedia = since 25 years, is the audience (and the contributions) of women. = Wikipedia is an exception in the digital landscape, with one of the = largest gender gap of the Internet and you never speak from that. They = are statistics = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Insights/Community_Insights_202= 4_Report#Gender%0A>, and it's still a major concern. Concerning the general decline in traffic on Wikipedia in the last = years, you added to your Essay an update : Update (January 2026) : "As this piece was being finalized, third-party = analytics confirmed these trends. Similarweb data shows Wikipedia lost = over 1.1 billion visits per month between 2022-2025, a 23% decline. The = convenient explanation is "AI summaries." I'm skeptical." The article in the citations is : Digital 2025: exploring trends in = Wikipedia traffic on the site Datareportal. = https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-exploring-trends-in-wikipedi= a-traffic You just picked up one statistic and added : "The convenient explanation = is "AI summaries". =20 But this is not what the article you quote says.=20 Let's be more precise. Digital 2025: exploring trends in Wikipedia traffic, is an indepth = analysis from Simon Kemp, DataReportal=E2=80=99s chief analyst, and CEO = of Kepios. He compares data from both Similarweb and Semrush.=20 In his long and detailed article, where he analyses Wikipedia=E2=80=99s = decline in context. Kemp is exploring 7 hypothesis, and from them, he = only retains 2 as possible reasons for the drop in the traffic : Hypothesis 5: has Wikipedia seen diminished search performance? Conclusion: the correlation in timing and the similar scale of = associated declines of both direct and organic search visits, suggests = that this hypothesis is worthy of further investigation. Hypothesis 7: does Wikipedia face a different kind of competition? It=E2=80=99s worth noting that Google has signed a commercial deal with = Reddit, and the timing of that partnership coincides neatly with a = significant rise in the Google rankings of tens of millions of pages = across the Reddit platform At a worldwide level, queries overtly mentioning =E2=80=9CWikipedia=E2=80=9D= have declined by a third, while queries including =E2=80=9CQuora=E2=80=9D= have declined by close to 60 percent during the same period. Conclusion: given all of the evidence we=E2=80=99ve explored, it seems = quite possible that Google=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Camplified visibility=E2=80=9D= of Reddit content within its search results could have played a = meaningful role in impacting Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic. For all other 5 hypothesis, Kemp estimates that the data do not = conclusively support them. Hypothesis 1: could Wikipedia be losing its appeal? Hypothesis 1 conclusion: Wikipedia may be =E2=80=9Cslipping=E2=80=9D = from people=E2=80=99s minds, but the data do not conclusively support = the hypothesis that Wikipedia has lost people=E2=80=99s favour. Hypothesis 2: could changes in overall web use be the cause? Conclusion: while an overall drop in web activity may have contributed = to the drop in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic, this does not appear to be = the primary cause of Wikipedia=E2=80=99s specific woes. Hypothesis 3: has search engine use declined? Conclusion: the available data do not support the hypothesis that = changes in people=E2=80=99s use of search engines is a primary cause of = the decline in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s web traffic. Hypothesis 4: have changing device habits played a role? Conclusion: while evolving device preferences are certainly important = trends, it does not appear as though the =E2=80=9Cmove to mobile=E2=80=9D = has been a primary factor in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic declines = either. Hypothesis 6: is ChatGPT the culprit? Conclusion: it does not appear as though standalone LLMs have been the = primary cause of declines in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic. For reassurance, Kemp tells us : "Wikipedia is still one of the most = popular sites on the internet today, placing seventh in Similarweb=E2=80=99= s global ranking, and fifth in Semrush=E2=80=99s charts". Our traffic on Wikipedia heavily depends from Google which has its own = agenda and is a commercial platform. They may not support us so much in = the next time. At this time, and with the limited knowledge we have of the very reasons = of the drop of the traffic on Wikipedia, as the article of Kemp shows, = it's probably too early to take accurate decisions in an emergency. We = must gather more infos, have more analyses (why not inviting Simon Kemp = for a discussion ? He knows a lot about the topic).=20 Waltercolor > Le 6 juil. 2026 =C3=A0 10:40, Christophe Henner via Wikimedia-l = <[email protected]> a =C3=A9crit : >=20 > Thank you Maciej for your email. >=20 > All these discussions are coming from a place of care and genuine = concern for the movement. I know those are hard discussions, and it is = important we have them as candidly as possible. At the end of the day we = all care very deeply. >=20 > I am quoting one sentence from your email: >=20 > =E2=80=9CWe believe this is not a temporary phenomenon, but a = structural shift and we are acting to mitigate this.=E2=80=9D >=20 > We are in deep agreement on that diagnosis. >=20 > Where we seem to disagree is on what follows from it. >=20 > Your email reads to me as saying that we are doing what we need to do. = Yet the examples you give are: >=20 > public consultation on the Annual Plan, as we have done for many = years; > attending a movement global private meeting like we=E2=80=99ve been = doing for 20 years; > discussions at Wikimania, as we have had for 25 years. > Those are all highly valuable. But they are also all existing = mechanisms. >=20 > So my questions are simply these: >=20 > If this is truly a structural shift, do we think our response should = look fundamentally different from business as usual? > Do you think the current level of Board engagement reflects the = urgency described in your own email? > Compared to the 2017 Movement Strategy, with more than 100 community = discussions over six months and a very significant organisational = investment across all Wikimedia organisations, do you think the effort = dedicated to addressing this structural shift is below, on par with, or = above that? > I know these are uncomfortable questions. I=E2=80=99ve been on the = receiving end of them myself. But they need to be asked and answered = collectively. >=20 > And I=E2=80=99ll leave you with one final question. >=20 > If, in three years, we have lost half our readership, fundraising is = under real pressure, and we look back at this moment, will you feel that = we collectively went above and beyond to address the challenge, or that = we responded largely through the mechanisms we already had? >=20 > 10 years ago someone told to me that we are anything but temporary = stewards of the movement, and what matters is our legacy. Are we = upholding that responsibility properly? >=20 > That is the question I keep asking myself. >=20 > Christophe >=20 > PS: as for tomorrow evening it would be great to have more people from = the Foundation than just you ^^=20 >=20 >=20 > On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 2:00=E2=80=AFPM Wikipedysta Nadzik = <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> = wrote: >> Dear Christophe and all, >>=20 >> Many of the trustees and WMF leadership have been following these = threads and have had similar conversations with other community members = (both on-wiki = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/202= 6-2027> and in other spaces = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2026-202= 7/Collaboration#Co-created_Community_spaces>) about the change we need = to deliver Wikimedia's mission with the internet at an inflection point. = You yourself were present, together with many executives and Trustees, = for the Wikimedia Futures Lab = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Futures_Lab/Events>. >>=20 >> You'll see in our annual plan = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2026-202= 7> that we've been tracking these global trends. Wikipedia is seeing = declines in pageviews = <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/03/10/engaging-and-reengaging-wikipedia-r= eaders/> and referral traffic from Google, and unprecedented increases = in bot traffic. We believe this is not a temporary phenomenon, but a = structural shift and we are acting to mitigate this. The world needs us = all to evolve and adapt. We are looking forward to continuing the = conversation at Wikimania where the organisers have created lots of = discussion spaces on the agenda = <https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/schedule/> and on-wiki = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Board_of_Trustees/Co= mmunity_and_Affiliate_Liaisons> for those not able to attend. >>=20 >> We are also happy to meet you at the call you are organising = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:This_is_not_a_meeting>, in our = continued commitment to talking to Wikimedia volunteers where they = gather, not only in spaces created by the Foundation. Talk to you soon! >>=20 >> Thanks, >> Maciej Nadzikiewicz (User:Nadzik) >> Community & Affiliates Liaison of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of = Trustees >>=20 >> pt., 3 lip 2026 o 21:23 Christophe Henner via Wikimedia-l = <[email protected] = <mailto:[email protected]>> napisa=C5=82(a): >>=20 >>> I love this discussion, thank you all for speaking up. :) >>>=20 >>> One note on "the community can just do it," I do think it's the = right direction, so please read the next couple of paragraphs as a = friendly amendment (just to make sure everyone's on the same page) = rather than a pushback. >>>=20 >>> "The community can just do it," feels very appealing right now: = because we are missing ownership and leadership, self-organizing is = kinda the only option with that vacuum. It probably is the best tool we = have to rebuild/respark the ownership we are missing. >>>=20 >>> That being said, a couple of comments:=20 >>>=20 >>> 1. Community means staff too, to me. Many of the people the movement = pays are also among its most committed contributors, so let us not run = this as volunteers versus the Foundation/paid staff. I know it sometimes = reads simplistic, but we're all in the same boat, or at least we should = be.=20 >>>=20 >>> 2. At this scale the work will need people with dedicated time on = it. Because the Foundation is not taking leadership doesn't mean it = doesn't have a responsibility. The Foundation owns most of the resources = in the movement, and if we, as a movement, are to change/evolve, we need = those resources. It can't rely only on volunteers. However, I'm not = saying we need X, Y or Z, just that we will need people with dedicated = time at some point. >>>=20 >>> Brooke, to your comment on the Foundation being a service = organisation, I would agree if the Foundation was being supportive. But = it's neither leading the change nor being supportive on that topic, in = my opinion. And don't anyone get me wrong, I do know how hard it is = first hand to do either (or both), but I also know it can happen. And I = hope they'll take the first opportunity to join in the discussion.=20 >>>=20 >>> Speaking of opportunities, I've started a second thread with an = invitation to meet next week. It's a bit of last minute notice, but I'd = love to keep the momentum :) >>>=20 >>>=20 >>>=20 >>> -- >>> Christophe >>>=20 >>>=20 >>> On Fri, 3 Jul 2026 at 00:10, Samuel Klein via Wikimedia-l = <[email protected] = <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> Dear Nada, excellent framing. It is entirely in our control to fix = outreach, build welcoming and forgiving environments, make strides with = less-resource languages and communities. =20 >>>>=20 >>>> Christophe, thanks again for persisting in this thread (and = planning a range of activities around Wikimania!) I see many people = engaged with these topics who don't want to engage in discussion about = angst over current problems, but are deeply enthusiastic about, and = actively engaged in, building new things / working on new possibilities. >>>>=20 >>>> Brooke writes: =20 >>>> > Wikimedia is a participatory system... We have to put in the work = ourselves. >>>>=20 >>>> Absolutely. The civilized netizen's first duty is to be always = prepared to rewrite <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco> anything = truly important from scratch. =20 >>>>=20 >>>> Galder writes: >>>>> One correction: I'm not a trustee! >>>>=20 >>>>=20 >>>> But we surely trust you, including to make the world's best = Txikipedia.=20 >>>>=20 >>>> We have many good ideas and talented people in the community. We = do need persistent spaces to discuss and make plans, in part because in = the last growth spurt we fragmented communication channels across = hundreds of pages, sites, lists, and apps. Recombining many of those = streams would be good for coherence and continuity. >>>>=20 >>>> But our wikis are better suited to experimenting, reverting, and = iterating than distilling large-scale consensus. Quick decisions by = ~sortition (or by the first few people to turn up) help polish the = roughest edges. Having spaces that push back against the iron law = <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy> of oligarchy and = preserve freedom to experiment is essential, even when simultaneously = waiting for delayed consensus. >>>>=20 >>>> Our strongest shared identity is as people committed to building = freely-licensed knowledge together, in every language, accessible to the = entire world. More people care about this today than ever before. We = simply have to make space for it again. >>>>=20 >>>> =F0=9D=90=96=E2=99=A1, SJ >>>>=20 >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected] = <mailto:[email protected]>, guidelines at: = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>>> Public archives at = https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]= g/message/RJV4EYFT53SYRNXZPOMP54CXTRGWLNB3/ >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to = wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org = <mailto:wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org>____________________________= ___________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected] = <mailto:[email protected]>, guidelines at: = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>=20 >>> Public archives at = https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]= g/message/UZBRT3CYMTTGU47QIT2NKACDWIBSGRW7/ >>=20 >>>=20 >>> To unsubscribe send an email to = wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org = <mailto:wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org> >>=20 >>=20 >> -- >> User:Nadzik = <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nadzik>_____________________________= __________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], = guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines = and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at = https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]= g/message/I5752TPP4SH3I3DKEYKKXTVTJQN6ULR7/ > To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org --Apple-Mail=_105BF36D-34C8-4FAF-8030-C566C6C6A629 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" = content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body = style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = line-break: after-white-space;"><div><div>Hi = Christophe, </div><div><br></div><div>I have been reading you Essay = and your thread, but I didn't participate to the discussion, because I = am not fond of oversimplifications and overdramatizations like = :</div><div><br></div><div>"The mission is sacred", or "We have maybe = two years to make some hard calls about AI, about money, about who we're = actually serving. After that, the window closes and we become = irrelevant" or "If Wikimedia had simply kept pace with internet growth, = we would be serving 355 billion page views annually today. Instead, = we're at 177 billion. We're missing half the audience we should = have."</div><div><br></div><div>Notice that half of the audience we = don't get correctly on Wikipedia since 25 years, is the audience (and = the contributions) of women. Wikipedia is an exception in the digital = landscape, with one of the largest gender gap of the Internet and you = never speak from that. They are <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Insights/Community_Insig= hts_2024_Report#Gender%0A">statistics</a>, and it's still a major = concern.</div><div><br></div><div>Concerning the general decline in = traffic on Wikipedia in the last years, you added to your Essay an = update :</div><div>Update (January 2026) : "As this piece was = being finalized, third-party analytics confirmed these trends. = Similarweb data shows Wikipedia lost over 1.1 billion visits per month = between 2022-2025, a 23% decline. The convenient explanation is "AI = summaries." I'm skeptical."</div><div><br></div><div>The article in the = citations is : <i>Digital 2025: exploring trends in Wikipedia = traffic</i> on the site Datareportal.</div><div><a = href=3D"https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-exploring-trends-in-= wikipedia-traffic">https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-exploring= -trends-in-wikipedia-traffic</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Y= ou just picked up one statistic and added : "The convenient explanation = is "AI summaries". </div><div><br></div><div>But this is not what = the article you quote says. </div><div><br></div><div>Let's be more = precise.</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>Digital 2025: exploring = trends in Wikipedia traffic</i>, is an indepth analysis from Simon Kemp, = DataReportal=E2=80=99s chief analyst, and CEO of Kepios. He compares = data from both Similarweb and Semrush. </div><div><br></div><div>In = his long and detailed article, where he analyses Wikipedia=E2=80=99s = decline in context. Kemp is exploring 7 hypothesis, and from them, = he only retains 2 as possible reasons for the drop in the traffic = :</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 5: has Wikipedia seen diminished = search performance?</div><div>Conclusion: the correlation in timing and = the similar scale of <b>associated declines of both direct and organic = search visits</b>, suggests that <b>this hypothesis is worthy of further = investigation</b>.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 7: does Wikipedia = face a different kind of competition?</div><div>It=E2=80=99s worth = noting that Google has signed a commercial deal with Reddit, and the = timing of that partnership coincides neatly with a significant rise in = the Google rankings of tens of millions of pages across the Reddit = platform</div><div>At a worldwide level, queries overtly mentioning = =E2=80=9CWikipedia=E2=80=9D have declined by a third, while queries = including =E2=80=9CQuora=E2=80=9D have declined by close to 60 percent = during the same period.</div><div>Conclusion: given all of the evidence = we=E2=80=99ve explored, it seems <b>quite possible that Google=E2=80=99s = =E2=80=9Camplified visibility=E2=80=9D of Reddit content within its = search results could have played a meaningful role in impacting = Wikipedia=E2=80=99s = traffic.</b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>For all other 5 = hypothesis, Kemp estimates that the data do not conclusively support = them.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 1: could Wikipedia be losing = its appeal?</div><div>Hypothesis 1 conclusion: Wikipedia may be = =E2=80=9Cslipping=E2=80=9D from people=E2=80=99s minds, but the data do = not conclusively support the hypothesis that Wikipedia has lost = people=E2=80=99s favour.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 2: could = changes in overall web use be the cause?</div><div>Conclusion: while an = overall drop in web activity may have contributed to the drop in = Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic, this does not appear to be the primary = cause of Wikipedia=E2=80=99s specific = woes.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 3: has search engine use = declined?</div><div>Conclusion: the available data do not support the = hypothesis that changes in people=E2=80=99s use of search engines is a = primary cause of the decline in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s web = traffic.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 4: have changing device = habits played a role?</div><div>Conclusion: while evolving device = preferences are certainly important trends, it does not appear as though = the =E2=80=9Cmove to mobile=E2=80=9D has been a primary factor in = Wikipedia=E2=80=99s traffic declines = either.</div><div><br></div><div>Hypothesis 6: is ChatGPT the = culprit?</div><div>Conclusion: it does not appear as though standalone = LLMs have been the primary cause of declines in Wikipedia=E2=80=99s = traffic.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>For reassurance, = Kemp tells us : "Wikipedia is still one of the most popular sites on the = internet today, placing seventh in Similarweb=E2=80=99s global ranking, = and fifth in Semrush=E2=80=99s = charts".</div></div><div><div><br></div><div>Our traffic on Wikipedia = heavily depends from Google which has its own agenda and is a commercial = platform. They may not support us so much in the next = time.</div></div><div><br></div><div>At this time, and with the limited = knowledge we have of the very reasons of the drop of the traffic on = Wikipedia, as the article of Kemp shows, it's probably too early to take = accurate decisions in an emergency. We must gather more infos, have more = analyses (why not inviting Simon Kemp for a discussion ? He knows a lot = about the topic). </div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div> <meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div = style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; = text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; = word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: = after-white-space;"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: = normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; = word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: = after-white-space;"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: = normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; = word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: = after-white-space;"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; font-variant-ligatures: normal; = font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; = font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; = line-height: normal; border-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-size: 14px;"><div = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: = after-white-space;"><div style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-weight: = normal; font-style: normal;">Waltercolor</div><div style=3D"font-family: = Helvetica; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div = style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-weight: normal; font-style: = normal;"><br></div></div></span></div></div></div></div> </div> <div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>Le 6 juil. 2026 =C3=A0 10:40, = Christophe Henner via Wikimedia-l = <[email protected]> a =C3=A9crit :</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir=3D"auto"></div><div = style=3D"font-size:inherit"><div style=3D"font-size:inherit"><p>Thank = you Maciej for your email.</p><p dir=3D"auto">All these discussions are = coming from a place of care and genuine concern for the movement. I know = those are hard discussions, and it is important we have them as candidly = as possible. At the end of the day we all care very deeply.</p><p>I am = quoting one sentence from your email:</p><p>=E2=80=9CWe believe this is = not a temporary phenomenon, but a structural shift and we are acting to = mitigate this.=E2=80=9D</p><p>We are in deep agreement on that = diagnosis.</p><p>Where we seem to disagree is on what follows from = it.</p><p>Your email reads to me as saying that we are doing what we = need to do. Yet the examples you give are:</p> <ul dir=3D"auto"><li>public consultation on the Annual Plan, as we have = done for many years;</li><li>attending a movement global private meeting = like we=E2=80=99ve been doing for 20 years;</li><li>discussions at = Wikimania, as we have had for 25 years.</li></ul><p dir=3D"auto">Those = are all highly valuable. But they are also all existing = mechanisms.</p><p>So my questions are simply these:</p> <ul dir=3D"auto"><li>If this is truly a structural shift, do we think = our response should look fundamentally different from business as = usual?</li><li>Do you think the current level of Board engagement = reflects the urgency described in your own email?</li><li>Compared to = the 2017 Movement Strategy, with more than 100 community discussions = over six months and a very significant organisational investment across = all Wikimedia organisations, do you think the effort dedicated to = addressing this structural shift is below, on par with, or above = that?</li></ul><p dir=3D"auto">I know these are uncomfortable questions. = I=E2=80=99ve been on the receiving end of them myself. But they need to = be asked and answered collectively.</p><p>And I=E2=80=99ll leave you = with one final question.</p><p>If, in three years, we have lost half our = readership, fundraising is under real pressure, and we look back at this = moment, will you feel that we collectively went above and beyond to = address the challenge, or that we responded largely through the = mechanisms we already had?</p><p dir=3D"auto">10 years ago someone told = to me that we are anything but temporary stewards of the movement, and = what matters is our legacy. Are we upholding that responsibility = properly?</p><p dir=3D"auto">That is the question I keep asking = myself.</p><p>Christophe</p><p dir=3D"auto">PS: as for tomorrow evening = it would be great to have more people from the Foundation than just you = ^^ </p> </div></div><div = style=3D"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(255,255,255)" = dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" = data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"></div></div></div><div><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" = class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 2:00=E2=80=AFPM Wikipedysta = Nadzik <<a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]= m</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" = style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"auto"><div= dir=3D"auto">Dear Christophe and all,</div><div = dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Many of the trustees and WMF = leadership have been following these threads and have had similar = conversations with other community members (both <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_P= lan/2026-2027" target=3D"_blank">on-wiki</a> and <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2= 026-2027/Collaboration#Co-created_Community_spaces" target=3D"_blank">in = other spaces</a>) about the change we need to deliver Wikimedia's = mission with the internet at an inflection point. You yourself were = present, together with many executives and Trustees, for the <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Futures_Lab/Events" = target=3D"_blank">Wikimedia Futures Lab</a>.</div><div = dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">You'll see in our <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2= 026-2027" target=3D"_blank">annual plan</a> that we've been = tracking these global trends. Wikipedia is seeing <a = href=3D"https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/03/10/engaging-and-reengaging-wiki= pedia-readers/" target=3D"_blank">declines in pageviews</a> and = referral traffic from Google, and unprecedented increases in bot = traffic. We believe this is not a temporary phenomenon, but a structural = shift and we are acting to mitigate this. The world needs us all to = evolve and adapt. We are looking forward to continuing the conversation = at Wikimania where the organisers have created lots of <a = href=3D"https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/schedule/" = target=3D"_blank">discussion spaces on the agenda</a> and <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Board_of_Trus= tees/Community_and_Affiliate_Liaisons" = target=3D"_blank">on-wiki</a> for those not able to = attend.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><div = dir=3D"auto">We are also happy to meet you at the <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:This_is_not_a_meeting" = target=3D"_blank">call you are organising</a>, in our continued = commitment to talking to Wikimedia volunteers where they gather, not = only in spaces created by the Foundation. Talk to you soon!</div><div = dir=3D"auto"><br></div></div><div dir=3D"auto">Thanks,</div><div = dir=3D"auto"><b>Maciej Nadzikiewicz (User:Nadzik)</b></div><div = dir=3D"auto">Community & Affiliates Liaison of the Wikimedia = Foundation Board of Trustees</div></div></div><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote"></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" = class=3D"gmail_attr">pt., 3 lip 2026 o 21:23 Christophe Henner via = Wikimedia-l <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" = target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>> = napisa=C5=82(a):<br></div></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote = class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px = solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"></blockquote></div><div = class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" = style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><p style=3D"">I = love this discussion, thank you all for speaking up. :)</p><p = style=3D"">One note on "the community can just do it," I do think it's = the right direction, so please read the next couple of paragraphs as a = friendly amendment (just to make sure everyone's on the same page) = rather than a pushback.</p><p style=3D"">"The community can just do it," = feels very appealing right now: because we are missing ownership and = leadership, self-organizing is kinda the only option with that vacuum. = It probably is the best tool we have to rebuild/respark the ownership we = are missing.</p><p style=3D"">That being said, a couple of = comments: </p><p style=3D"">1. Community means staff too, to me. = Many of the people the movement pays are also among its most committed = contributors, so let us not run this as volunteers versus the = Foundation/paid staff. I know it sometimes reads simplistic, but we're = all in the same boat, or at least we should be. </p><p style=3D"">2. = At this scale the work will need people with dedicated time on it. = Because the Foundation is not taking leadership doesn't mean it doesn't = have a responsibility. The Foundation owns most of the resources in the = movement, and if we, as a movement, are to change/evolve, we need those = resources. It can't rely only on volunteers. However, I'm not saying we = need X, Y or Z, just that we will need people with dedicated time at = some point.</p><p style=3D"">Brooke, to your comment on the Foundation = being a service organisation, I would agree if the Foundation was being = supportive. But it's neither leading the change nor being supportive on = that topic, in my opinion. And don't anyone get me wrong, I do know how = hard it is first hand to do either (or both), but I also know it can = happen. And I hope they'll take the first opportunity to join in the = discussion. </p><p style=3D"">Speaking of opportunities, I've = started a second thread with an invitation to meet next week. It's a bit = of last minute notice, but I'd love to keep the momentum :)</p><p = style=3D""><br></p></div><div><div dir=3D"ltr" = class=3D"gmail_signature">--<br>Christophe</div></div><br></div><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, 3 = Jul 2026 at 00:10, Samuel Klein via Wikimedia-l <<a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" = target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>> = wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px = 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div = dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><span = style=3D"background-color:transparent">Dear Nada, excellent = framing. It is entirely in our control to fix outreach, build = welcoming and forgiving environments, make strides with less-resource = languages and communities. <br><br>Christophe, thanks again for = persisting in this thread (and planning a range of activities around = Wikimania!) I see many people engaged with these topics = who </span><span style=3D"background-color:transparent">don't want = to engage in discussion about angst over current problems, but are = deeply enthusiastic about, and actively engaged in, building new things = / working on new possibilities.</span></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><span = style=3D"background-color:transparent"><br>Brooke = writes: <br></span><span = style=3D"background-color:transparent">> Wikimedia is a participatory = system... </span><span style=3D"background-color:transparent">We = </span>have to<span style=3D"background-color:transparent"> put in the = work ourselves.</span></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div = dir=3D"ltr">Absolutely. The civilized netizen's first duty is <a = href=3D"https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco" target=3D"_blank">to = be always prepared to rewrite</a> anything truly important from = scratch. <br><div><br></div><span = style=3D"background-color:transparent">Galder writes:</span></div><div = class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" = style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One correction: I'm not a trustee!</div> <div = id=3D"m_-3673818838469098741m_4652385835740564772m_-5797757815149628226m_6= 520172203024871229m_8356870054322612186m_-6692941270673887459m_42186065581= 73225528m_-6615731068182817330appendonsend"></div> </div></div></blockquote></div><div dir=3D"ltr" = class=3D"gmail_signature"></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><div dir=3D"ltr">But = we surely trust you, including to make the world's best = Txikipedia. </div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"></div>We have many = good ideas and talented people in the community. <span = style=3D"background-color:transparent">We do need persistent spaces to = discuss and make plans, in part because </span>in<span = style=3D"background-color:transparent"> the last growth spurt we = fragmented communication channels across hundreds of pages, sites, = lists, and apps. Recombining many of those streams would be good = for coherence and continuity.</span></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br>But our = wikis are better suited to experimenting, reverting, and iterating than = distilling large-scale consensus. Quick decisions by ~sortition (or by = the first few people to turn up) help polish the roughest edges. Having = spaces that push back against the <a = href=3D"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy" = target=3D"_blank">iron law</a> of oligarchy and preserve freedom to = experiment is essential, even when simultaneously waiting for delayed = consensus.<br><br>Our strongest shared identity is as people committed = to building freely-licensed knowledge together, in every language, = accessible to the entire world. More people care about this today than = ever before. We simply have to make space for it again.</div><div = dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">=F0=9D=90=96=E2=99=A1, SJ</div= ><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> _______________________________________________<br> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- <a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" = target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>, guidelines at: <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines" = rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines= </a> and <a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l" = rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l</a><br> Public archives at <a = href=3D"https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l-RusutVdil2iUmLTBS4g/[email protected]= media.org/message/RJV4EYFT53SYRNXZPOMP54CXTRGWLNB3/" rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@= lists.wikimedia.org/message/RJV4EYFT53SYRNXZPOMP54CXTRGWLNB3/</a><br> To unsubscribe send an email to <a = href=3D"mailto:wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org" = target=3D"_blank">wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org</a></blockquote></= div> _______________________________________________<br> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- <a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" = target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>, guidelines at: <a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines" = rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines= </a> and <a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l" = rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l</a><br></blo= ckquote></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote"= style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"> Public archives at <a = href=3D"https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l-RusutVdil2iUmLTBS4g/[email protected]= media.org/message/UZBRT3CYMTTGU47QIT2NKACDWIBSGRW7/" rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@= lists.wikimedia.org/message/UZBRT3CYMTTGU47QIT2NKACDWIBSGRW7/</a></blockqu= ote></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" = style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><br> To unsubscribe send an email to <a = href=3D"mailto:wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org" = target=3D"_blank">wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org</a></blockquote></= div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span = class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" = class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr" = style=3D"color:rgb(34,34,34)"><div dir=3D"ltr"><b><a = href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nadzik" = style=3D"color:rgb(17,85,204)" = target=3D"_blank">User:Nadzik</a></b></div></div></div></div> </blockquote></div></div> _______________________________________________<br>Wikimedia-l mailing = list -- [email protected], guidelines at: = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and = https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l<br>Public archives at = https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]= g/message/I5752TPP4SH3I3DKEYKKXTVTJQN6ULR7/<br>To unsubscribe send an = email to = wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org</div></blockquote></div><br></body><= /html>= --Apple-Mail=_105BF36D-34C8-4FAF-8030-C566C6C6A629-- --===============3060851925106493146== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/ZYSAOLJVCKE52JQP4U2ER2BWTEVGLJ2T/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org --===============3060851925106493146==--