Re: Wikipedia at 25: A Wake-Up Call (essay)

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Hello all,

This is Alek Tarkowski, I=E2=80=99m typically a lurker on this list, a =
Board Member at Wikimedia Europe, co-director at Open Future, and an =
expert collaborating with Wikimedia CH on a Wikimedia strategy for =
knowledge commons and AI. Writing here in my personal capacity, and =
wanting to share a few ideas - having spent the last 9 months thinking =
intensively about Wikimedia, knowledge commons and the challenges that =
we are facing.

First, I think the traffic drop is just a symptom and while it is a =
problem for Wikimedia, it might not be the biggest one. It=E2=80=99s =
pretty obvious by now that traffic to Wikimedia will be dropping, it=E2=80=
=99s no longer a question of =E2=80=9Cif=E2=80=9D, but =E2=80=9Chow much =
/ how fast=E2=80=9D. But how do we know what it means? We should look =
more at =E2=80=9Cpost growth=E2=80=9D scenarios: Wikimedia traffic might =
have peaked, but what are the various scenarios ahead of us? Are all of =
them scenarios of decline? Is there a =E2=80=9Csmall but beautiful=E2=80=9D=
 scenario?=20

Having said that, one thing that is clear is that something has to =
change. Wikimedia cannot operate anymore like it=E2=80=99s 2022.=20
Thanks Christoph for ringing the bell every few months. Let=E2=80=99s be =
mindful that even on the matter of traffic, it=E2=80=99s been almost a =
year since the traffic drop was announced in a Diff blogpost. How much =
progress did we make on dealing with these issues?

For me, this issue is in the end not about AI, or search traffic, but =
about the Movement=E2=80=99s ability to innovate. I support what Galder =
wrote recently (and powerfully) about freedom to innovate.
There are lessons to be learned from how Wikimedia Movement has been =
innovating, both successfully, and also from failed cases. There are =
also lessons to be learned from other movements, and from other =
technical organizations similar to WMF. And let=E2=80=99s keep in mind =
that a young movement of several years innovates differently than one =
with 25 years under its belt. (I see the same trend in other =
organizations that I know, like Creative Commons - there=E2=80=99s both =
potential in tapping back into the raw energy of the yearly days, and =
need to be mindful about who we are today).

One of the smartest things I heard in recent months was an observation =
that Wikimedia Movement is a complex system with emergent properties. =
But is rarely treated as such.
Complex systems cannot be =E2=80=9Cfixed=E2=80=9D with simple =
interventions. But, again, there is a lot of expertise around us on how =
such systems operate, in organic ways - and people who could advise on =
how to tap into this emergent capacity. I think that it has to do a lot =
with the interaction between Movement=E2=80=99s communities and =
organizations.=20
Yes, we might not need consultants to tell us what to do (Though this =
faith in Wikimedia=E2=80=99s exceptionality and ability to sort things =
out on its own is risky, as very clearly the communities on their own =
both did an amazing job building a global encyclopedia, and failed at =
many things, like knowledge equity.)
But we need people who will help us figure out what to do, and =
understand better what we are - and navigate the complexity. Without =
that, I fear that we will seek simplest solutions to hard challenges - =
and these are typically about defending ourselves, instead of opening up =
to change and innovation.=20

Last thing, since trustees were mentioned (and, once again, I want to =
underline that this is my personal opinion). I believe that the various =
Boards and trustees of the  Movement entities play a key role in our =
Movement. As a relatively recently appointed Board member of one of the =
organizations, I am surprised that there are few interactions between =
the various boards. Each of these boards has a fiduciary duty to a =
specific organization. Acting together, they could express a fiduciary =
duty to Wikimedia as a whole. It would be great to tap into this =
potential of our Boards, at this time of crisis.

Thank you,
Alek

--
Director of Strategy, Open Future | openfuture.eu | +48 889 660 444
At Open Future, we tackle the Paradox of Open: paradox.openfuture.eu/

> On 6 Jul 2026, at 21:46, Risker via Wikimedia-l =
<[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> This is a technical post, which trims prior responses. Each new =
addition to the thread has resulted in every new post going to =
moderation for being over size limits. Please trim your posts when =
replying further. Thanks!
>=20
> Risker/Anne
> One of the Wikimedia-L list admins
> _______________________________________________
> 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/Z2HQ6OV7D7NLP4SWV4BVBBZP5TEIAKMU/
> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org


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<html><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;">Hello =
all,<div><br></div><div>This is Alek Tarkowski, I=E2=80=99m typically a =
lurker on this list, a Board Member at Wikimedia Europe, co-director at =
Open Future, and an expert collaborating with Wikimedia CH on a =
Wikimedia strategy for knowledge commons and AI. Writing here in my =
personal capacity, and wanting to share a few ideas - having spent the =
last 9 months thinking intensively about Wikimedia, knowledge commons =
and the challenges that we are facing.</div><div><br></div><div>First, I =
think the traffic drop is just a symptom and while it is a problem for =
Wikimedia, it might not be the biggest one. It=E2=80=99s pretty obvious =
by now that traffic to Wikimedia will be dropping, it=E2=80=99s no =
longer a question of =E2=80=9Cif=E2=80=9D, but =E2=80=9Chow much / how =
fast=E2=80=9D. But how do we know what it means? We should look more at =
=E2=80=9Cpost growth=E2=80=9D scenarios: Wikimedia traffic might have =
peaked, but what are the various scenarios ahead of us? Are all of them =
scenarios of decline? Is there a =E2=80=9Csmall but beautiful=E2=80=9D =
scenario?&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Having said that, one thing =
that is clear is that something has to change. Wikimedia cannot operate =
anymore like it=E2=80=99s 2022.&nbsp;</div><div>Thanks Christoph for =
ringing the bell every few months. Let=E2=80=99s be mindful that even on =
the matter of traffic, it=E2=80=99s been almost a year since the traffic =
drop was announced in a Diff blogpost. How much progress did we make on =
dealing with these issues?</div><div><br></div><div>For me, this issue =
is in the end not about AI, or search traffic, but about the =
Movement=E2=80=99s ability to innovate. I support what Galder wrote =
recently (and powerfully) about freedom to innovate.</div><div>There are =
lessons to be learned from how Wikimedia Movement has been innovating, =
both successfully, and also from failed cases. There are also lessons to =
be learned from other movements, and from other technical organizations =
similar to WMF. And let=E2=80=99s keep in mind that a young movement of =
several years innovates differently than one with 25 years under its =
belt. (I see the same trend in other organizations that I know, like =
Creative Commons - there=E2=80=99s both potential in tapping back into =
the raw energy of the yearly days, and need to be mindful about who we =
are today).</div><div><br></div><div>One of the smartest things I heard =
in recent months was an observation that Wikimedia Movement is a complex =
system with emergent properties. But is rarely treated as =
such.</div><div>Complex systems cannot be =E2=80=9Cfixed=E2=80=9D with =
simple interventions. But, again, there is a lot of expertise around us =
on how such systems operate, in organic ways - and people who could =
advise on how to tap into this emergent capacity. I think that it has to =
do a lot with the interaction between Movement=E2=80=99s communities and =
organizations.&nbsp;</div><div>Yes, we might not need consultants to =
tell us what to do (Though this faith in Wikimedia=E2=80=99s =
exceptionality and ability to sort things out on its own is risky, as =
very clearly the communities on their own both did an amazing job =
building a global encyclopedia, and failed at many things, like =
knowledge equity.)</div><div>But we need people who will help us figure =
out what to do, and understand better what we are - and navigate the =
complexity. Without that, I fear that we will seek simplest solutions to =
hard challenges - and these are typically about defending ourselves, =
instead of opening up to change and =
innovation.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Last thing, since trustees =
were mentioned (and, once again, I want to underline that this is my =
personal opinion). I believe that the various Boards and trustees of the =
&nbsp;Movement entities play a key role in our Movement. As a relatively =
recently appointed Board member of one of the organizations, I am =
surprised that there are few interactions between the various boards. =
Each of these boards has a fiduciary duty to a specific organization. =
Acting together, they could express a fiduciary duty to Wikimedia as a =
whole. It would be great to tap into this potential of our Boards, at =
this time of crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank =
you,</div><div>Alek</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div>
<meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div>--<br>Director of Strategy, Open Future =
|&nbsp;openfuture.eu | +48 889 660 444<br>At Open Future, we tackle the =
Paradox of&nbsp;Open: paradox.openfuture.eu/</div>
</div>
<div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On 6 Jul 2026, at 21:46, Risker =
via Wikimedia-l &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>This is a =
technical post, which trims prior responses. Each new addition to the =
thread has resulted in every new post going to moderation for being over =
size limits. Please trim your posts when replying further. =
Thanks!</div><div><br></div><div>Risker/Anne</div><div>One of the =
Wikimedia-L list admins</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/Z2HQ6OV7D7NLP4SWV4BVBBZP5TEIAKMU/<br>To unsubscribe send an =
email to =
wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org</div></blockquote></div><br></body><=
/html>=

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