False numbers on COVID deaths, stories glorifying the Nazis and a preponderance of pages devoted to men: here is the daily lot of the army of volunteers who moderate the tens of millions of Wikipedia articles.
The world’s largest digital encyclopedia is often the first result that appears in an Internet search, and it is an invaluable source of free information.
But it also reveals some human flaws, because the articles on the site can in theory be written, in more than 300 languages, by anyone with an Internet connection.
The role of moderators, who are mostly anonymous volunteers, is therefore decisive.
“I always have my laptop with me to edit Wikipedia,” assures Alaa Najjar, who lives in the Middle East, but prefers to keep identifying details confidential, in order to protect her privacy.
“My friends say it’s addictive, but I prefer to say it’s my passion,” he explains by email to AFP.
Mr. Najjar says he contributes nearly 500 articles per week. A doctor by profession, he had to face a flood of false health information with the pandemic.
In particular, he noted articles falsely claiming that COVID had killed celebrities or pages exaggerating the number of deaths and cases in certain countries.
“I reread hundreds of articles during the pandemic and rejected many misleading or erroneous changes,” said Najjar, who was awarded the 2021 most prestigious encyclopedia award for his work.
Checking the facts
Wikipedia, which celebrated its 20e anniversary in January, has received rave reviews in recent years for its fact-checking methods.
Although it is a gigantic platform, the site does not seek to make money so as not to be accused of putting profits above user safety, a criticism leveled against Facebook by many NGOs and many elected politicians.
Wikipedia relies on volunteers whose mission is to sort through the mass of contributions, a task that can turn out to be thankless.
“A reviewer called me a vandal for removing unsourced information,” says Ksenia Coffman, who battles World War II articles that idealize the role of Nazis and German generals.
A kind of narrative that downplays the historical context of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, including the Holocaust, and extolling its feats of arms has influenced an Internet counter-culture that has crept into Wikipedia.
“How come I get attacked when I try to correct this and remove some unsourced cobblestones that only glorify so-called Nazi war heroes?” », Wonders Mme Coffman who lives in California but grew up in the Soviet Union.
These insults constitute a “tactical error” for Mr.me Coffman, who feels even more motivated in the face of these attacks. She contributes about 200 proofreadings per month.
Disparities
Wikipedia articles are supported by written and reliable sources from the press or academic publications. In this regard, they reveal certain disparities in the intellectual field, including the unequal representation of women compared to men.
“Wikipedia is an awkward mirror that reflects systemic inequalities in knowledge,” says Rebecca O’Neill, a Dublin-based moderator who says she devotes about 40 minutes to the platform a day.
In 2015, only 15% of biographies in English were devoted to women. After rebalancing efforts, the figure rose to 19% in 2021, says Mme O’Neill.
Last year, she wrote an average of one Wikipedia article per day with a ratio of 19 female biographies for every male biography.
“As an individual, I have a role to play,” says Mr.me O’Neill. “I just have to take the time and not think about it too long.”
“It’s something I feel capable of,” she says.