Beutler's Top 10 Wikipedia Stories of 2023

[ChaosMeRee]

h/t wbm

https://www.thewikipedian.net/p/the-top ... es-of-2023

1. AI
2. Russian Wikipedia
3. Donations down
4. Polish Holocaust
5. Jimmy Wales
6. Elon Musk
7. Wikimedia conferences return
8. Online Safety Bill
9. Wikifunctions
10. Lourdes

An obvious omission is Wikipedia quietly and retroactively authorising the act of Administrators making money out of their status, in an entirely confidential and trust based way. Taken with the Lourdes, Jimmy and Holocaust stories, that would be the final nail in the coffin of the idea that even if Wikipedia editors are wildly corrupt and corruptible, Wikipedia Administrators are not, so you can trust Wikipedia. You really can't.

An opportunity has been missed here to tie these stories together. Several are related. Some are contradictory.

I dare say it didn't help Wikipedia avoid the Online Safety Bill if the person lobbying Parliament was a man as out of touch as Jimmy or a charity as cash rich as the Foundation.

I cannot see how Elon Musk was being a fool when a manipulation story made it to number 2.

I cannot see how Lourdes is "the least consequential" item when a manipulation story made it to number 2.

I cannot see how Jimmy was even out of order asking the question "are you on the take" to Arbitrator Bradv, when quite clearly nobody on Wikipedia knew who Lourdes was, and by then, Wikipedia was already unknowingly allowing Admins in good standing (Cullen328) to charge money for Wikipedia related services. And given that Wikipedia has for quite a while now been electing people to ArbCom who have been an Administrator for far less time than Lourdes ever was. She makes some of the new rookies look like complete Admin novices.

I cannot see how Wikifunctions will prevent Wikipedia being rendered obsolete by AI, nor can I see how it would secure a role for Wikipedia in a future where AI is useful. They could be useful in helping Russians get unbiased information quickly, but has anyone realised this and are the Foundation going to spend a single red cent hastening that future? Will the community even allow them to raise money for such a noble cause?

I dare say a less fraudulent banner wording isn't the only reason donations are down either. Indeed it is already known it was not, it is the falling brand value of Wikipedia. One can easily assume that is due to scandals that affects their trustworthiness. As well as the potentially AI driven issue of a falling visibility too.

[Bbb23sucks]

Thanks for the post. Your post is very high quality. It has:
1) A link.
2) Good formatting.
3) Well worded.
4) Not unnecessarily long or ranty.

Please make more posts like this.

[ericbarbour]

For that matter, I could rant for a while about Beutler. He is one of the finest hypocrites I've ever encountered on WP. Bad people achieve power there thanks to the support of self-deluded insiders like Beutler, because his paid-editing scam needs a certain supply of "useful idiots" who will protect him.