Editing History of Wikipedia (section)

==History by subject area==

===Hardware and software===
{{Main|MediaWiki}}

:''The software that runs Wikipedia, and the computer hardware, [[server farm]]s and other systems upon which Wikipedia relies.''
* In January 2001, Wikipedia ran on [[UseModWiki]], written in [[Perl]] by [[Clifford Adams]]. The server still runs on [[Linux]], although the original text was stored in files rather than in a database. Articles were named with the [[CamelCase]] convention.
* In January 2002, "Phase II" of the wiki software powering Wikipedia was introduced, replacing the older [[UseModWiki]]. Written specifically for the project by [[Magnus Manske]], it included a [[PHP]] [[wiki engine]].
* In July 2002, a [[rewrite (programming)|major rewrite]] of the software powering Wikipedia went live; dubbed "Phase III", it replaced the older "Phase II" version, and became [[MediaWiki]]. It was written by [[Lee Daniel Crocker]] in response to the increasing demands of the growing project.
* In October 2002, Derek Ramsey created a [[internet bot|bot]]{{snd}}an automated program called [[Rambot]]{{snd}}to add a large number of articles about United States towns; these articles were automatically generated from [[U.S. census]] data. He thus increased the number of Wikipedia articles by 33,832.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lih |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AWuZAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Derek+Ramsey+%28Wikipedian%29%22 |title=The Wikipedia Revolution |date= 2009 |publisher=Hachette Digital, Inc |isbn=978-1401395858 |pages=99–106 |author-link=Andrew Lih}}</ref> This has been called "the most controversial move in Wikipedia history".<ref>Lih, p. 99.</ref>
* In January 2003, support for mathematical formulas in [[TeX]] was added. The code was contributed by Tomasz Wegrzanowski.
* On 9 June 2003, Wikipedia's [[ISBN]] interface was amended to make ISBNs in articles link to Special:Booksources, which fetches its contents from the user-editable page {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Book sources|Wikipedia:Book sources}}. Before this, ISBN link targets were coded into the software and new ones were suggested on the {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:ISBN|Wikipedia:ISBN}} page. See the edit that changed this.
* After 6 December 2003, various system messages shown to Wikipedia users were no longer [[hard coding|hard coded]], allowing Wikipedia {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Administrators|administrators}} to modify certain parts of MediaWiki's interface, such as the message shown to blocked users.
* On 12 February 2004, server operations were moved from San Diego, California to [[Tampa, Florida]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Server swapping soon |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2004-February/008420.html |access-date=10 February 2007 |archive-date=18 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618061009/http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2004-February/008420.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 29 May 2004, all the various websites were updated to a new version of the [[MediaWiki]] software.
* On 30 May 2004, the first instances of "categorization" entries appeared. Category schemes, like Recent Changes and Edit This Page, had existed since the founding of Wikipedia. However, Sanger had viewed the schemes as lists, and even hand-entered articles, whereas the [[categorization]] effort centered on individual categorization entries in each article of the encyclopedia, as part of a larger automatic categorization of the articles of the encyclopedia.<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Categorization]]", Wikipedia. Retrieved 30 January 2007.</ref>
* After 3 June 2004, administrators could edit the style of the interface by changing the [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] in the monobook stylesheet at [[MediaWiki:Monobook.css]].
* Also on 30 May 2004, with MediaWiki 1.3, the Template namespace was created, allowing [[transclusion]] of standard texts.<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Template namespace]]", Wikipedia. Retrieved 17 September 2007.</ref>
* On 7 June 2005 at 3:00&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Standard Time]], the bulk of the Wikimedia servers were moved to a new facility across the street. All Wikimedia projects were down during this time.
* In March 2013, the first phase of the [[Wikidata]] interwiki database became available across Wikipedia's language editions.<ref name=WikidataLiveNow/>
* In July 2013, the VisualEditor editing interface was inaugurated, allowing users to edit Wikipedia using a [[WYSIWYG]] text editor (similar to a [[word processor]]) instead of [[wiki markup]].<ref name="VisualEd2013">{{Cite news |last=Arthur |first=Charles |date=2 July 2013 |title=Boot up: wireless contact lens, Wikipedia's visual editing, Samsung's share slide and more |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2013/jul/02/rabbit-contact-lens |url-status=live |access-date=2 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104201314/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2013/jul/02/rabbit-contact-lens |archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> An editing interface optimised for mobile devices was also released.<ref name=MobileWiki2013/>

===Look and feel===
:''The external face of Wikipedia, its [[look and feel]], and the Wikipedia branding, as presented to users.''
* On 4 April 2002, BrilliantProse, since renamed Featured Articles,<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Featured articles]]". Wikipedia. Retrieved 30 January 2007.</ref> was moved to the Wikipedia namespace from the article namespace.
* Around 15 October 2003, a new Wikipedia logo was installed. The logo concept was selected by a voting process,<ref name="logovote">{{Cite web |title=International logo vote/Finalists |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_vote/Finalists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716073834/http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_vote/Finalists |archive-date=16 July 2006 |access-date=8 July 2006 |website=Meta-Wiki |publisher=Wikimedia}}</ref> which was followed by a revision process to select the best variant. The final selection was created by David Friedland (who edits Wikipedia under the username ''"nohat"'') based on a logo design and concept created by Paul Stansifer.
* On 22 February 2004, Did You Know (DYK) made its first Main Page appearance.
* On 23 February 2004, a coordinated new look for the Main Page appeared at 19:46 UTC. Hand-chosen entries for the Daily Featured Article, Anniversaries, In the News, and Did You Know rounded out the new look.
* On 10 January 2005, the multilingual portal at www.wikipedia.org was set up, replacing a redirect to the English-language Wikipedia.
* On 5 February 2005, {{self-reference link|Portal:Biology|Portal:Biology}} was created, becoming the first thematic "portal" on the English Wikipedia.<ref>"[[Portal:Biology]]". English Wikipedia. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> However, the concept was pioneered on the German Wikipedia, where [[:de:Portal:Recht|Portal:Recht]] (law studies) was set up in October 2003.<ref>[[:de:Wikipedia:WikiProjekt Portale/2003|Portals on German Wikipedia ordered by date of creation]].</ref>
* On 16 July 2005, the English Wikipedia began the practice of including the day's "featured pictures" on the Main Page.
* On 19 March 2006, following a vote, the Main Page of the English-language Wikipedia featured its first redesign in nearly two years.
* On 13 May 2010, the site released a new interface. New features included an updated logo, new navigation tools, and a link wizard.<ref name="New features"/>

==== Layout changes in 2023 ====
{{anchor|Vector 2022}}
{{Redirect|Vector 2022|information about using Vector 2022 on Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Vector 2022|selfref=yes}}
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Top of the Pluto page in the Vector 2022 skin.png
| image2            = Top of the Pluto page in the Vector skin.png
| footer            = The [[Pluto]] article on the [[English Wikipedia]], displayed with the Vector 2022 and Vector 2010 skins enabled
}}
Vector 2022, an update to Wikipedia's previous [[Skin (computing)|skin]] Vector 2010, was announced in September 2020, and initially slated for debut in 2021, before being ultimately deployed in January 2023.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Kurtz |first=Jason |date=24 September 2020 |title=Wikipedia due to get its first substantial website redesign in a decade  |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/24/tech/wikipedia-redesign-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120112945/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/24/tech/wikipedia-redesign-trnd/index.html |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |publisher=CNN Business |language=en}}</ref> By January 2023, Wikimedia had made the update available to 300 of [[List of Wikipedias|its language editions]]; it was the default for the Arabic and Greek versions.<ref name="engadget">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia's first desktop design update in a decade doesn't rock the boat (updated) |url=https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-desktop-web-redesign-211000932.html |first1=Jon |last1=Fingas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119195554/https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-desktop-web-redesign-211000932.html |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Engadget |date=19 January 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="slate">{{Cite web |last=Rauwerda |first=Annie |date=18 January 2023 |title=Wikipedia's Redesign Is Barely Noticeable. That's the Point. |url=https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/wikipedia-redesign-vector-2022-skin.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120005241/https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/wikipedia-redesign-vector-2022-skin.html |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Slate |language=en}}</ref><ref name="pcmag">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Desktop Site Gets New Look, Its First in Over 10 Years |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/wikipedia-desktop-site-gets-new-look-its-first-in-over-10-years |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119123429/https://www.pcmag.com/news/wikipedia-desktop-site-gets-new-look-its-first-in-over-10-years |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=PC Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Vector 2022 features a revised [[user interface]] which makes numerous changes to the arrangement of the interface elements. Among them, the language selection menu, previously located to the left of the screen, now is found in the top right corner of the display of the article that is currently read.<ref name="pcmag" /> Additionally, the sidebar is collapsible behind a [[hamburger button]]. Vector 2022 additionally increases the [[Margin (typography)|margins]] of the article display, which has the effect of limiting the width of the article;<ref name="pcmag" /> a toggle exists which can decrease the margins and expand the line width of the article to fill the screen.<ref name="techcrunch">{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=18 January 2023 |title=Wikipedia gets its first makeover in over a decade... and it's fairly subtle |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/18/wikipedia-gets-its-first-makeover-in-over-a-decade-and-its-fairly-subtle/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119214848/https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/18/wikipedia-gets-its-first-makeover-in-over-a-decade-and-its-fairly-subtle/ |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="slate" /> The default size of the text has not been increased, although the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] told ''Engadget'' that they hope to make this an option in future.<ref name="engadget" /> The search function was also updated in Vector 2022, as the suggested results in response to user queries now include images and short descriptions from the pages in question.<ref name="pcmag" /><ref name="business-insider">{{Cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Britney |title=It's not just you {{snd}} Wikipedia looks different |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/new-wikipedia-update-looks-different-desktop-redesign-2023-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120012218/https://www.businessinsider.com/new-wikipedia-update-looks-different-desktop-redesign-2023-1 |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] said that the change was motivated by a desire to modernize the site and improve the navigation and editing experience for readers inexperienced with the internet, as the previous skin was deemed "clunky and overwhelming."<ref name="cnn" /><ref name="engadget" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> Tests conducted by the foundation yielded results of a 30 percent increase in user searches, and a 15 percent decrease in scrolling.<ref name="engadget" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> Early versions of Vector 2022 first went live in 2020 on the French-, Hebrew-, and Portuguese-language Wikipedia sites,<ref name="cnn" /> as the skin's new features were rolled out to users for testing gradually before its full release.<ref name="verge">{{Cite web |last=Lyles |first=Taylor |date=24 September 2020 |title=Wikipedia is getting its first desktop redesign in 10 years |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453300/wikipedia-desktop-redesign-2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120152848/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453300/wikipedia-desktop-redesign-2021 |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref> The skin went live as the default skin for readers of Wikimedia sites in 300 (out of 318) languages on 18 January 2023.<ref name="engadget" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="pcmag" />

Following the mass rollout of Vector 2022, it is still possible to read Wikipedia using the previous skin. However, to do so requires readers to register for a Wikipedia account, and then set their preferences to display Vector 2010 instead.<ref name="pcmag" /> No changes were made to existing Wikipedia skins such as Monobook and Timeless, which also remain available to use.<ref name="slate" /><ref name="gizmodo">{{Cite web |date=18 January 2023 |title=Try and Spot the Differences in Wikipedia's First New Look in 11 Years |url=https://gizmodo.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-online-encyclopedia-1850002977 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119134259/https://gizmodo.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-online-encyclopedia-1850002977 |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}</ref>

[[Wikipedia users]] were divided on the changes. A request for comment on the [[English Wikipedia]] asking the community whether or not Vector 2022 should be deployed as the default skin accumulated over 90,000 words in responses.<ref name="slate" /> Critics of the redesign objected most prominently to the [[White space (visual arts)|white space]] left empty in the new skin, while other users criticized said critics as having a kneejerk resistance to change.<ref name="slate" /> 165 editors participating in the discussion disapproved of the new skin, while 153 were in favor, and nine remained neutral.<ref name="mashable" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="rfc-history">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia history page|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3ARequests_for_comment%2FDeployment_of_Vector_%282022%29&diff=latest&oldid=1117412136}}</ref> Despite the larger number of editors who expressed that they did not want Vector 2022 to be deployed in its then-current form, as consensus on Wikipedia is not decided by vote, the discussion was closed in favor of the redesign, considering the positive comments left by other users.<ref name="mashable" /><ref name="slate" /> The Vector 2022 developers made some changes to the skin in response to the criticisms, such as adding a toggle to enable article content to fill the entire width of the screen.<ref name="slate" /><ref name="rfc-history2">{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/Deployment_of_Vector_(2022)&oldid=1138588215|title=Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Deployment of Vector (2022)|date=10 February 2023|via=Wikipedia}}</ref> Users on the [[Swahili Wikipedia]] unanimously disagreed with the enactment of the new skin.<ref name="slate" />

Journalists responding to Vector 2022's rollout considered the update and the new features introduced as useful additions, but generally characterized the skin as a minor update that did not fundamentally change their reading experience on Wikipedia.<ref name="business-insider" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> [[Annie Rauwerda]], creator of the [[Depths of Wikipedia]] social media accounts, wrote in ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' that Vector 2022 was not "dramatically different" from the previous skin. Rauwerda additionally noted the similarity between the Wikipedia community backlash against the design and previous resistances to similar visual changes on popular sites such as [[Reddit]].<ref name="slate" /> Rauwerda, and Mike Pearl of ''Mashable'', commented that users displeased with the change could weigh in on a discussion about the skin, or use the site's built-in customization features to alter their reading experience.<ref name="mashable">{{Cite web |last=Pearl |first=Mike |date=18 January 2023 |title=Yes, Wikipedia looks weird. Don't freak out. |url=https://mashable.com/article/new-wikipedia-redesign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120012235/https://mashable.com/article/new-wikipedia-redesign |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref><ref name="slate" />

===Internal structures===
:''Landmarks in the Wikipedia community, and the development of its organization, [[Wikipedia:Administration|internal structures]], and [[Wikipedia:Policy|policies]].''
* In April 2001, Wales formally defines the "neutral point of view",<ref>{{Cite web |title=NeutralPointOfView |url=http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/NeutralPointOfView |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010416035757/http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/NeutralPointOfView |archive-date=16 April 2001 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Wikipedia}}</ref> Wikipedia's core non-negotiable editorial policy,<ref>"A few things are absolute and non-negotiable, though. NPOV for example." in [http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-November/008096.html statement by Jimbo Wales in November 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125190519/http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-November/008096.html |date=25 November 2005 }} and, [http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-April/044379.html in this thread] reconfirmed by [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-April/044388.html Jimbo Wales in April 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618224657/http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-April/044388.html |date=18 June 2014 }} in the context of lawsuits.</ref> a reformulation of the "Lack of Bias" policy outlined by Sanger for Nupedia in spring or summer 2000, which covered many of the same core principles.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |date=31 March 2001 |title=Nupedia: Editorial Policy Guidelines |url=http://www.nupedia.com/policy.shtml |access-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010331211742/http://www.nupedia.com/policy.shtml |archive-date=31 March 2001 |quote=Nupedia articles are, in terms of their content, to be unbiased. There may be respectable reference works that permit authors to take recognizable stands on controversial issues, but this is not one of them ... "On every issue ... is it very difficult or impossible for the reader to determine what the view is to which the author adheres?" ... for each controversial view discussed, the author of an article (at a bare minimum) mention various opposing views that are taken seriously by any significant minority of experts (or concerned parties) on the subject ... In a final version of the article, every party to the controversy in question must be able to judge that its views have been fairly presented, or as fairly as is possible in a context in which other, opposing views must also be presented as fairly as possible.}}</ref>
* In September 2001, collaboration by subject matter in {{self-reference link|Wikipedia: WikiProject|WikiProjects}} is introduced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_proposal |title=Wikipedia:WikiProject proposal – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |work=English Wikipedia |date=18 May 2008 |access-date=13 April 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506091041/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_proposal |archive-date=6 May 2011  }}</ref>
* In February 2002, concerns over the risk of future censorship and commercialization by Bomis Inc (Wikipedia's original host) combined with a lack of guarantee this would not happen, led most participants of the [[:es:|Spanish Wikipedia]] to break away and establish it independently as the ''[[Enciclopedia Libre]]''.<ref>''[http://enciclopedia.us.es/index.php/Enciclopedia:Por_qu%E9_estamos_aqu%ED_y_no_en_es.wikipedia.org Why we are here and not in Wikipedia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710072544/http://enciclopedia.us.es/index.php/Enciclopedia:Por_qu%E9_estamos_aqu%ED_y_no_en_es.wikipedia.org |date=10 July 2022 }}'' (in Spanish, under GFDL)</ref> Following clarification of Wikipedia's status and non-commercial nature later that year, re-merger talks between Enciclopedia Libre and the re-founded Spanish Wikipedia occasionally took place in 2002 and 2003, but no conclusion was reached. As of October 2009, the two continue to coexist as substantial Spanish language reference sources, with around 43,000 articles (EL) and 520,000 articles (Sp.W) respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Especial:Statistics |title=Estadísticas – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre |language=es |publisher=Es.wikipedia.org |access-date=13 April 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905112951/http://es.wikipedia.org./wiki/Especial:Statistics |archive-date=5 September 2008  }}</ref>
* Also in 2002, policy and style issues were clarified with the creation of the ''Manual of Style'', along with a number of other policies and guidelines.<ref>{{Citation|title=Wikipedia:Manual of Style|date=2002-08-23|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style&oldid=171156|work=Wikipedia|access-date=2023-03-16|language=en}}</ref>
* In November 2002, new mailing lists for WikiEN and Announce were set up, as well as other language mailing lists, to reduce the volume of traffic on mailing lists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikimedia News/2002 – Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_News/2002&oldid=486954 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Meta.wikimedia.org |archive-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903231255/https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikimedia_News/2002&oldid=486954 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In July 2003, the rule against editing one's [[Wikipedia:autobiography|autobiography]] is introduced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Autobiography&oldid=1220207 |title=Wikipedia:Autobiography – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |publisher=En.wikipedia.org |date=30 July 2003 |access-date=13 April 2010 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903231255/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Autobiography&oldid=1220207 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 28 October 2003, the first "real" meeting of Wikipedians happened in [[Munich]]. Many cities followed suit, and soon a number of regular Wikipedian get-togethers were established around the world. Several Internet communities, including one on the popular blog website [[LiveJournal]], have also sprung up since.
* From 10 July to 30 August 2004 the {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Browse}} and {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Browse by overview}} formerly on the Main Page were replaced by links to overviews. On 27 August 2004 the ''Community Portal'' was started,<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Community Portal]]", Wikipedia. Retrieved 30 January 2007.</ref> to serve as a focus for community efforts. These were previously accomplished on an informal basis, by individual queries of the Recent Changes, in wiki style, as ad hoc collaborations between like-minded editors.
* During September to December 2005 following the [[Wikipedia Seigenthaler biography incident|Seigenthaler controversy]] and other similar concerns,<ref name="Brandt2">{{Citation|title=Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|date=2005-12-17|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons&oldid=31753956|work=Wikipedia|access-date=2023-03-16|language=en|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609020908/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons&oldid=31753956|url-status=live}}</ref> several anti-abuse features and policies were added to Wikipedia. These were:
::* The [[meta:CheckUser Policy|policy for "Checkuser"]] (a [[MediaWiki]] [[software tool|extension]] to assist detection of abuse via [[Sock puppet account|internet sock-puppetry]]) was established in November 2005.<ref>"[[meta:CheckUser policy|CheckUser policy]]", [[Meta-Wiki]]. Retrieved 25 January 2007. Checkuser function had previously existed but was known as ''Espionage'' – for example, in the Arbitration Committee [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-09-26/Arbitration report|case of JarlaxleArtemis]].</ref> Checkuser function had previously existed but was viewed more as a system tool at the time, so there had been no need for a policy covering use on a more routine basis.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-10-17/News and notes|Checkuser proposal]]</ref>
::*Creation of new pages on the English Wikipedia was restricted to editors who had created a user account.<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-12-05/Page creation restrictions|Page creation restrictions]]", Wikipedia Signpost / English Wikipedia. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref>
::* The introduction and rapid adoption of the policy [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living people]], giving a far tighter quality control and fact-check system to biographical articles related to living people.
::* The "semi-protection" function and policy,<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-12-26/Semi-protection|Semi-protection policy]]", Wikipedia Signpost / English Wikipedia. Retrieved 30 January 2007.</ref> allowing pages to be protected so that only those with an account could edit.
* In May 2006, a new "oversight" feature was introduced on the English Wikipedia, allowing a handful of highly trusted users to permanently erase page revisions containing copyright infringements or libelous or personal information from a page's history. Previous to this, page version deletion was laborious, and also deleted versions remained visible to other administrators and could be un-deleted by them.
* On 1 January 2007, the subcommunity named [[Wikipedia:Esperanza|Esperanza]] was disbanded by communal consent. Esperanza had begun as an effort to promote "[[Wikipedia:WikiLove|wikilove]]" and a social support network, but had developed its own subculture and private structures.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2007-01-02/Experanza|Esperanza organization disbanded after deletion discussion]] 2 January 2007</ref> Its disbanding was described as the painful but necessary remedy for a project that had allowed editors to "see themselves as Esperanzans first and foremost".<ref name="Ezperanza">{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:MFD/EA |title=Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Esperanza – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |publisher=En.wikipedia.org |access-date=13 April 2010}}</ref> A number of Esperanza's subprojects were integrated back into Wikipedia as free-standing projects, but most of them are now inactive. When the group was founded in September 2005, there had been concerns expressed that it would eventually be condemned as such.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2005-09-19/Esperanza group|New group aims to promote Wiki-Love]] 19 September 2005</ref>
* In April 2007, the results of a 4-month policy review by a working group of several hundred editors seeking to merge the core Wikipedia policies into one core policy ([[Wikipedia:Attribution]]) were polled for community support. The proposal did not gain consensus; a significant view became evident that the existing structure of three strong focused policies covering the respective areas of policy, was frequently seen as more helpful to quality control than one more general merged proposal.
* A one-day blackout of Wikipedia was called by [[Jimmy Wales]] on 18 January 2012, in conjunction with Google and over 7,000 other websites, to protest the [[Stop Online Piracy Act]] then under consideration by the [[United States Congress]].

===The Wikimedia Foundation and legal structures===
:''Legal and organizational structure of the [[Wikimedia Foundation]], its executive, and its activities as a [[foundation (nonprofit organization)|foundation]].''
* In August 2002, shortly after Jimmy Wales announced that he would never run commercial advertisements on Wikipedia, the [[Uniform Resource Locator|URL]] of Wikipedia was changed from ''wikipedia.com'' to ''wikipedia.org'' ([[.com]] and [[.org]]).
* On 20 June 2003, the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] was founded.
* Communications committee was formed in January 2006 to handle media inquiries and emails received for the foundation and Wikipedia via the newly implemented [[OTRS]] (a ticket handling system).
* Angela Beesley and [[Florence Nibart-Devouard]] were elected to the Board of [[Trustee]]s of the [[Wikimedia Foundation]]. During this time, Angela was active in editing content and setting policies, such as privacy policy, within the Foundation.<ref name="Riehle">{{Cite web |first=Dirk |last=Riehle |title=How and Why Wikipedia Works: An Interview with Angela Beesley, Elisabeth Bauer, and Kizu Naoko |url=https://www.riehle.org/computer-science/research/2006/wikisym-2006-interview.html |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=riehle.org |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055531/https://www.riehle.org/computer-science/research/2006/wikisym-2006-interview.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 10 January 2006, ''Wikipedia'' became a registered trademark of Wikimedia Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-01-16/Trademark_registered&oldid=35499220|title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2006-01-16/Trademark registered|access-date=14 January 2007|date=16 January 2006|publisher=Wikipedia|archive-date=3 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903231255/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2006-01-16/Trademark_registered&oldid=35499220|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In July 2006, Angela Beesley resigned from the board of the [[Wikimedia Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Angela_Beesley_resigns_from_Wikimedia_Foundation_board |title=Angela Beesley resigns from Wikimedia Foundation board |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707225015/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Angela_Beesley_resigns_from_Wikimedia_Foundation_board |archive-date=7 July 2017 |website=Wikimedia Foundation press release |date=7 July 2006}}</ref>
* In October 2006, [[Florence Nibart-Devouard]] became chair of the board of the Wikimedia Foundation.

===Edit milestones and projects===
{{Main|Wikipedia:Statistics|List of Wikipedias|Wikipedia:Milestones}}

:''Sister projects and milestones related to articles, user base, and other statistics.''
* On 15 January 2001, the first recorded edit of Wikipedia was performed.
* In December 2002, the first sister project, [[Wiktionary]], was created; aiming to produce a [[dictionary]] and [[thesaurus]] of the words in all languages. It uses the same software as Wikipedia.
* On 22 January 2003, the [[English Wikipedia]] was again [[slashdot effect|slashdotted]] after having reached the '''100,000''' article milestone with the [[Hastings, New Zealand|Hastings]], article. Two days later, the German-language Wikipedia, the largest non-English language version, passed the '''10,000''' article mark.
* On 20 June 2003, the same day that the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] was founded, "[[Wikiquote]]" was created. A month later, "[[Wikibooks]]" was launched. "[[Wikisource]]" was set up towards the end of the year.
* In January 2004, Wikipedia reached the '''200,000'''-article milestone in English with the article on [[Neil Warnock]], and reached '''450,000''' articles for both English and non-English Wikipedias. The next month, the combined article count of the English and non-English reached '''500,000'''.
* On 20 April 2004, the article count of the English Wikipedia reached '''250,000'''.
* On 7 July 2004, the article count of the English Wikipedia reached '''300,000'''.
* On 20 September 2004, Wikipedia's total article count exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles in over 105 languages; the project received a flurry of related attention in the press.<ref>[[meta:PR-1mil-US|One million Wikipedia articles]]</ref> The one millionth article was published in the [[Hebrew Wikipedia]] and discusses the [[flag of Kazakhstan]].
* On 20 November 2004, the article count of the English Wikipedia reached '''400,000'''.
* On 18 March 2005, Wikipedia passed the '''500,000'''-article milestone in English, with [[Involuntary settlements in the Soviet Union]] being announced in a [[press release]] as the landmark article.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Publishes 500,000th English Article |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/500k_English_articles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616193053/http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/500k_English_articles |archive-date=16 June 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Wikimediafoundation.org}}</ref>
* In May 2005, Wikipedia became the most popular reference website on the Internet according to traffic monitoring company [[Hitwise]], relegating [[Dictionary.com]] to second place.
* On 29 September 2005, the [[English Wikipedia]] passed the '''750,000'''-article mark.
* On 1 March 2006, the [[English Wikipedia]] passed the '''1,000,000'''-article mark, with [[Jordanhill railway station]] being announced on the Main Page as the milestone article.<ref name="milestone_articles">While this article was announced as the milestone on the Main Page, multiple articles qualified due to the continuous creation and deletion of pages on the site.</ref>
* On 8 June 2006, the [[English Wikipedia]] passed the '''1,000'''-featured-article mark, with [[Iranian peoples]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/English_Wikipedia_Announces_Thousandth_Featured_Article |title=English Wikipedia Announces Thousandth Featured Article |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708005544/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/English_Wikipedia_Announces_Thousandth_Featured_Article |archive-date=8 July 2017 |website=Wikimedia Foundation |date=8 June 2006 |access-date=21 December 2012}}</ref>
* On 15 August 2006, the Wikimedia Foundation launched [[Wikiversity]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Opening Plenary (transcript) – Wikimania |url=https://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org/wiki/Opening_Plenary_(transcript) |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=wikimania2006.wikimedia.org |language=en |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316104238/https://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org/wiki/Opening_Plenary_(transcript) |url-status=live }} Jimbo Wales, Wikimania 2006 ([http://www.supload.com/listen?s=SI0OG2vN04i audio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020184036/http://www.supload.com/listen?s=SI0OG2vN04i |date=20 October 2013}})</ref>
* On 1 September 2006, Wikipedia exceeded '''5,000,000''' articles across all 229 language editions.
* On 24 November 2006, the English Wikipedia passed the '''1,500,000'''-article mark, with [[Kanab ambersnail]] being announced on the Main Page as the milestone article.<ref name="milestone_articles" />
* On 4 April 2007, the first Wikipedia CD selection in English was published as a free download.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Schools Global Citizen Resource from SOS Children |url=http://fixedreference.org/2006-Wikipedia-CD-Selection |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704141459/http://fixedreference.org/2006-Wikipedia-CD-Selection |archive-date=4 July 2008 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Fixedreference.org}}</ref>
* On 22 April 2007, the English Wikipedia passed the '''1,750,000'''-article mark. [[RAF raid on La Caine HQ]] was the 1,750,000th article.
* On 9 September 2007, the English Wikipedia passed the '''2,000,000'''-article mark. [[El Hormiguero]] was accepted by consensus as the 2,000,000th article.
* On 28 March 2008, Wikipedia exceeded '''10 million''' articles across all 251 language editions.
* On 11 October 2008, the English Wikipedia passed the '''2,500,000'''-article mark. While no attempt was made to officially identify the 2,500,000th article, [[Joe Connor (baseball)]] has been suggested as the possible article.
* On 17 August 2009, the English Wikipedia passed the '''3,000,000'''-article mark, with [[Beate Eriksen]] being announced on the Main Page as the milestone article.
* On 27 December 2009, the [[German Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the second Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 21 September 2010, the [[French Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the third Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 12 December 2010, the English Wikipedia passed the '''3,500,000'''-article mark.
* On 22 November 2011, Wikipedia exceeded '''20 million''' articles across all 282 language editions.
* On 7 November 2011, the [[German Wikipedia]] exceeded '''100 million''' page edits.
* On 24 November 2011, the [[English Wikipedia]] exceeded '''500 million''' page edits.
* On 17 December 2011, the [[Dutch Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the fourth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 13 July 2012, the [[English Wikipedia]] exceeded '''4,000,000''' articles, with [[Ezbet El Borg|Izbat al-Burj]].<ref name=4Million2012/>
* On 22 January 2013, the [[Italian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the fifth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 11 May 2013, the [[Russian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the sixth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 16 May 2013, the [[Spanish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the seventh Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 15 June 2013, the [[Swedish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the eighth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 25 September 2013, the [[Polish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the ninth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 21 October 2013, Wikipedia exceeded '''30 million''' articles across all 287 language editions.
* On 17 December 2013, the [[French Wikipedia]] exceeded '''100,000,000''' page edits.
* On 25 April 2014, the English Wikipedia passed the '''4,500,000''' article mark.
* On 8 June 2014, the [[Waray Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the tenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 15 June 2014, the [[Vietnamese Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the eleventh Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 17 July 2014, the [[Cebuano Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the twelfth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 6 September 2015, the [[Swedish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''2,000,000''' articles, becoming the second Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 1 November 2015, the English Wikipedia exceeded '''5,000,000''' articles, with [[Persoonia terminalis]], and it has over 125,000 editors who have made 1 or more edits in the past 30 days.
* On 1 February 2016, the [[Japanese Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the thirteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 14 February 2016, the [[Cebuano Wikipedia]] exceeded '''2,000,000''' articles, becoming the third Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 29 April 2016, the [[Swedish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''3,000,000''' articles, becoming the third Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 26 May 2016, Wikipedia exceeded '''40 million''' articles across all 293 language editions.
* On 26 September 2016, the [[Cebuano Wikipedia]] exceeded '''3,000,000''' articles, becoming the fourth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 19 November 2016, the [[German Wikipedia]] exceeded '''2,000,000''' articles, becoming the fifth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 3 March 2017, the [[Cebuano Wikipedia]] exceeded '''4,000,000''' articles, becoming the second Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 6 July 2017, the [[Spanish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''100,000,000''' page edits.
* On 15 September 2017, the [[Russian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''100,000,000''' page edits.
* On 27 October 2017, the [[English Wikipedia]] passed the '''5,500,000'''-article mark.
* On 13 April 2018, the [[Chinese Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the fourteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 27 June 2018, the [[Portuguese Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the fifteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 8 July 2018, the [[French Wikipedia]] exceeded '''2,000,000''' articles, becoming the fifth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 14 October 2018, the [[Arabic Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the sixteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 20 January 2019, the [[Spanish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,500,000''' articles, becoming the seventh Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 1 February 2019, the Wikipedia News recalculated that the [[Italian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,500,000''' articles, becoming the eighth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 9 March 2019, Wikipedia exceeded '''50 million''' articles across all 309 language editions.
* On 2 August 2019, the [[South Azerbaijani Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' page edits.
* On 17 November 2019, the [[Arabic Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the eighteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 23 January 2020, the English Wikipedia exceeded '''6,000,000''' articles, with [[Maria Elise Turner Lauder]] as the milestone article.
* On 9 March 2020, the [[Dutch Wikipedia]] exceeded '''2,000,000''' articles, becoming the sixth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 23 March 2020, the [[Ukrainian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the seventeenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 1 July 2020, the [[Egyptian Arabic Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' articles, becoming the eighteenth Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 25 December 2020, the [[Bengali Wikipedia]] exceeded '''100,000''' articles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Research:A Brief Analysis of Bengali Wikipedia's Journey to 100,000 Articles – Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:A_Brief_Analysis_of_Bengali_Wikipedia%E2%80%99s_Journey_to_100,000_Articles/en#cite_note-100K-5 |access-date=5 March 2022 |website=meta.wikimedia.org |language=en |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319233514/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:A_Brief_Analysis_of_Bengali_Wikipedia%E2%80%99s_Journey_to_100,000_Articles/en#cite_note-100K-5 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 3 February 2021, the [[Malagasy Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,000,000''' page edits.
* On 4 February 2021, the [[English Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1 billion''' page edits.
* On 14 October 2021, the [[Cebuano Wikipedia]] exceeded '''6,000,000''' articles, becoming the second Wikipedia language edition to do so.
* On 14 December 2021, the [[Polish Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,500,000''' articles, becoming the twelfth Wikipedia language edition to do so.<ref name=:3 />
* On 26 December 2021, the [[Egyptian Arabic Wikipedia]] exceeded '''1,500,000''' articles.<ref name=:3 />
* On 19 January 2022, the [[Indonesian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''20 million''' page edits.
* On 17 October 2022, The [[Norwegian Wikipedia]] exceeded '''600,000''' articles.<ref name=:3>{{cite web |website=meta.wikipedia.org |title=Wikipedia News/2022 |url=https://meta.m.wikipedia.org |access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref>
* On 27 November 2022, Wikipedia exceeded '''60 million''' articles across all 329 language editions.<ref name=2x>{{cite web |website=meta.wikipedia.org |title=Wikipedia News/2022 |url=https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_News/2022 |access-date=15 August 2023 |language=en |quote=Wikipedia has reached 60,000,000 articles across all 329 languages.}}</ref>

===Fundraising===
[[File:WMF Support and Revenue, Expenses and Net Assets at Year End.jpg|thumb|400px|Financial development of the Wikimedia Foundation (in US$), 2003–2023<br />Black: Net assets (excluding the Wikimedia Endowment, which currently stands at $100m+)<br />Green: Revenue (excluding third-party donations to Wikimedia Endowment)<br />Red: Expenses (including WMF payments to Wikimedia Endowment)<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 October 2023 |title=Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, Financial Statements, June 30, 2023 |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf |access-date=1 January 2024 |pages=3, 14 |archive-date=1 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101235700/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>]]

Every year, the Wikimedia Foundation runs fundraising campaigns on Wikipedia to support its operations. These generally last about a month and happen at different times of the year in different countries. In addition to the fundraising banners on Wikipedia itself, there are also email campaigns; some emails invite people to leave the Wikimedia Foundation money in their wills.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fundraising – Meta |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising#Current_fundraising_activities |access-date=18 May 2022 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525020516/https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising#Current_fundraising_activities |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=James Lileks |date=2 May 2021 |title=Lileks: Wikipedia wants me to do what? |url=https://www.startribune.com/lileks-wikipedia-wants-me-to-do-what/600052774/ |website=Star Tribune |access-date=24 May 2022 |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503001943/https://www.startribune.com/lileks-wikipedia-wants-me-to-do-what/600052774/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Revenue has risen every year of the Wikimedia Foundation's existence, reaching {{US$|180.17 million}} as of 30 June 2023, versus expenses of {{US$|169.1 million}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 May 2021 |title=Wikipedia is swimming in money{{snd}}why is it begging people to donate? |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/wikipedia-endownemnt-fundraising/ |website=[[The Daily Dot]] |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-date=24 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524121107/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/wikipedia-endownemnt-fundraising/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wikimedia2023">{{Cite web|title=File: Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY_2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf – Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki|date=5 October 2023|url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/File:Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf|access-date=1 January 2024 |website=Foundation.wikimedia.org |archive-date=1 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101140450/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/File:Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the Wikimedia Endowment, an organizationally separate fundraising effort begun in 2016, reached $100 million in 2021, five years sooner than planned.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 September 2021 |title=The Wikimedia Endowment reaches $100 million milestone and welcomes three new members to its Board: More on what these developments mean for the projects and movement |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/09/22/the-wikimedia-endowment-reaches-100-million-milestone-and-welcomes-three-new-members-to-its-board-more-on-what-these-developments-mean-for-the-projects-and-movement/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924014012/https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/09/22/the-wikimedia-endowment-reaches-100-million-milestone-and-welcomes-three-new-members-to-its-board-more-on-what-these-developments-mean-for-the-projects-and-movement/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Source
! Revenue
! Expenses
! Asset rise
! Total assets
|- align=right
| '''2022/2023'''
|
[https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wikimedia_Foundation_FS_FY2022-2023_Audit_Report.pdf PDF]
| <span
style="color:green;">$180,174,103</span>
| <span
style="color:red;">$169,095,381</span>
| <span
style="color:blue;">$15,619,804</span>
|$254,971,336
|- align=right
| '''2021/2022'''
|[https://foundation.wikimedia.org/?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_FY2021-2022_Audit_Report.pdf&page=6 PDF]
| <span
style="color:green;">$154,686,521</span>
| <span
style="color:red;">$145,970,915</span>
| <span
style="color:blue;">$8,173,996</span>
|$239,351,532
|- align=right
| '''2020/2021'''
|[https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_FY2020-2021_Audit_Report.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$162,886,686</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$111,839,819</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$50,861,811</span>
| $231,177,536
|- align=right
| '''2019/2020'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_FY2019-2020_Audit_Report.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$129,234,327</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$112,489,397</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$14,674,300</span>
| $180,315,725
|- align=right
| '''2018/2019'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY18-19.pdf&page=6 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$120,067,266</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$91,414,010</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$30,691,855</span>
| $165,641,425
|- align=right
| '''2017/2018'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFY17-18_-_Independent_Auditors%27_Report.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$104,505,783</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$81,442,265</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$21,619,373</span>
| $134,949,570
|- align=right
| '''2016/2017'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY16-17.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$91,242,418</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$69,136,758</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$21,547,402</span>
| $113,330,197
|- align=right
| '''2015/2016'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_Foundation_Audit_Report_-_FY15-16.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$81,862,724</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$65,947,465</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$13,962,497</span>
| $91,782,795
|- align=right
| '''2014/2015'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AAudit_Report_-_FY_14-15_-_Final.PDF&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$75,797,223</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$52,596,782</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$24,345,277</span>
| $77,820,298
|- align=right
| '''2013/2014'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AAudit_Report_-_FY_14-15_-_Final.PDF&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$52,465,287</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$45,900,745</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$8,285,897</span>
| $53,475,021
|- align=right
| '''2012/2013'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFINAL_12_13From_KPMG.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$48,635,408</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$35,704,796</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$10,260,066</span>
| $45,189,124
|- align=right
| '''2011/2012'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFINAL_11_12From_KPMG.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$38,479,665</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$29,260,652</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$10,736,914</span>
| $34,929,058
|- align=right
| '''2010/2011'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFINAL_10_11From_KPMG.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$24,785,092</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$17,889,794</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$9,649,413</span>
| $24,192,144
|- align=right
| '''2009/2010'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFINAL_09_10From_KPMG.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$17,979,312</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$10,266,793</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$6,310,964</span>
| $14,542,731
|- align=right
| '''2008/2009'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AFINAL_08_09From_KPMG.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$8,658,006</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$5,617,236</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$3,053,599</span>
| $8,231,767
|- align=right
| '''2007/2008'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_20072008_fs.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$5,032,981</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$3,540,724</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$3,519,886</span>
| $5,178,168
|- align=right
| '''2006/2007'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_2007_fs.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$2,734,909</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$2,077,843</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$654,066</span>
| $1,658,282
|- align=right
| '''2005/2006'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_2006_fs.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$1,508,039</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$791,907</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$736,132</span>
| $1,004,216
|- align=right
| '''2004/2005'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_2006_fs.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green;">$379,088</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$177,670</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$211,418</span>
| $268,084
|- align=right
| '''2003/2004'''
| [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWikimedia_2006_fs.pdf&page=5 PDF]
| <span style="color:green> $ 80,129</span>
| <span style="color:red;">$23,463</span>
| <span style="color:blue;">$56,666</span>
| $56,666
|}

===External impact===
* In 2007, Wikipedia was deemed fit to be used as a major source by the [[UK Intellectual Property Office]] in a [[Formula One]] trademark case ruling.<ref>In deciding [http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm/t-decisionmaking/t-challenge/t-challenge-decision-results/o16907.pdf the trademark of F1 racing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031053106/http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm/t-decisionmaking/t-challenge/t-challenge-decision-results/o16907.pdf |date=31 October 2007 }}, the [[UK Intellectual Property Office]] considered both the reliability of Wikipedia and its usefulness as a reliable source of evidence:
: "Wikipedia has sometimes suffered from the self-editing that is intrinsic to it, giving rise at times to potentially [[libel]]lous statements. However, inherently, I cannot see that what is in Wikipedia is any less likely to be true than what is published in a book or on the websites of news organisations. [Formula One's lawyer] did not express any concerns about the Wikipedia evidence [presented by the plaintiff]. I consider that the evidence from Wikipedia can be taken at face value."
The case turned substantively upon evidence cited from Wikipedia in 2006 as to the usage and interpretation of the term "F1".</ref>
* Over time, Wikipedia gained recognition amongst more traditional media as a "key source" for major new events, such as the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]] and related [[tsunami]], the [[2008 American Presidential election]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vargas |first=Jose Antonio |date=17 September 2007 |title=On Wikipedia, Debating 2008 Hopefuls' Every Facet |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en-US |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601699.html |access-date=16 March 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |quote=...at the same time, it's hard to find a more up-to-date, detailed, thorough article on [[Barack Obama|Obama]] than Wikipedia's. As of Friday, Obama's article – more than 22 pages long, with 15 sections covering his personal and professional life – had a reference list of 167 sources. |archive-date=16 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116071359/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601699.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and 2007 [[Virginia Tech shooting]]. The latter article was accessed 750,000 times in two days, with newspapers published locally to the shootings adding that "Wikipedia has emerged as the clearinghouse for detailed information on the event."<ref>[http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/004178.php "Wikipedia emerges as key source for Virginia Tech shootings"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022200632/http://cyberjournalist.net/news/004178.php |date=22 October 2007 }}. ''[[The New York Times]]'' via Cyberjournalist.net. 2007. "Even ''[[The Roanoke Times]]'', which is published near [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg, Va.]], where the university is located, noted on Thursday that Wikipedia 'has emerged as the clearinghouse for detailed information on the event'."</ref>
* On 21 February 2007, Noam Cohen of the ''New York Times'' reported that some academics were banning the use of Wikipedia as a research tool.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Noam |date=21 February 2007 |title=A History Department Bans Citing Wikipedia as a Research Source |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/education/21wikipedia.html |access-date=16 March 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331235327/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/education/21wikipedia.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 27 February 2007, an article in ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]'' newspaper reported that some professors at [[Harvard University]] included Wikipedia in their [[syllabus|syllabi]], but that there was a split in their perception of using Wikipedia.<ref>Child, Maxwell L. [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517305 "Professors Split on Wiki Debate"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220125910/http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517305 |date=20 December 2008 }}. ''The Harvard Crimson''. 26 February 2007.</ref>
* In July 2013, a large-scale study by four major universities identified the most [[Disputes on Wikipedia|disputed articles on Wikipedia]], finding that Israel, [[Adolf Hitler]], and God were more fiercely debated than any other subjects.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 July 2013 |title=Wikipedia 'edit wars' revealed |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23354613 |url-status=live |access-date=18 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718164809/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23354613 |archive-date=18 July 2013}}</ref>

====Effect of biographical articles====
Because Wikipedia biographies are often updated with new information comes, they are often used as a reference source on the lives of [[:Category:Living people|notable people]]. This has led to attempts to manipulate and falsify Wikipedia articles for promotional or defamatory purposes ([[#Controversies|Controversies]]) and has also led to novel uses of the biographical material provided.
* In November 2005, the [[Wikipedia Seigenthaler biography incident|Seigenthaler controversy]] occurred when a hoaxer asserted on Wikipedia that journalist John Seigenthaler had been involved in the [[Kennedy assassination]] of 1963.
* In December 2006, German comedian [[Atze Schröder]] sued Arne Klempert, secretary of [[Wikimedia Deutschland]] because he did not want his real name published in Wikipedia. Schröder later withdrew his complaint but wanted his attorney's costs to be paid by Klempert. A court decided that the artist had to cover those costs himself.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atze muss zahlen &#124; |url=http://recentchanges.de/blog/2007/06/atze-muss-zahlen/ |access-date=16 March 2023 |language=de-DE |archive-date=1 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801090032/http://recentchanges.de/blog/2007/06/atze-muss-zahlen/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 16 February 2007, Turkish historian [[Taner Akçam]] was briefly detained upon arrival at [[Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport]] because of false information on his Wikipedia biography claiming he was a terrorist.<ref name="Independent">[http://news.independent.co.uk/fisk/article2469270.ece "Caught in the deadly web of the internet"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000113/http://news.independent.co.uk/fisk/article2469270.ece |date=1 October 2007 }}. Robert Fisk. ''[[The Independent]]''. 21 April 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2007.</ref><ref name="CBC">{{Cite news |last=Jay |first=Paul |date=22 June 2007 |title=A question of authority |publisher=[[CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/wikipedia2.html |access-date=24 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629051007/http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/wikipedia2.html |archive-date=29 June 2007}}</ref>
* In November 2008, the German [[The Left (Germany)|Left Party]] politician [[Lutz Heilmann]] claimed that some remarks in his Wikipedia article caused damage to his reputation. He succeeded in getting a court order to make Wikimedia Deutschland remove a key search portal. The result was a national outpouring of support for Wikipedia, more donations to Wikimedia Deutschland, and a rise in daily pageviews of the Lutz Heilmann article from a few dozen to half a million. Shortly after, Heilmann asked the court to withdraw the court order.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 November 2008 |title=Lawmaker apologizes for blocking Wikipedia |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4AI7NB20081119?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69 |access-date=20 November 2008 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530171758/http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4AI7NB20081119?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In December 2008, Wikimedia Nederland, the Dutch chapter, won a preliminary injunction after an entrepreneur was linked in "his" article with the criminal [[Willem Holleeder]] and wanted the article deleted. The judge in [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] believed Wikimedia's assertion that it has no influence on the content of Dutch Wikipedia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikimedia Nederland wint kort geding Sijthoff/en – Wikimedia |url=https://nl.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Nederland_wint_kort_geding_Sijthoff/en |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=nl.wikimedia.org |language=nl |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131143955/https://nl.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Nederland_wint_kort_geding_Sijthoff/en |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In February 2009, when [[Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg|Karl Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Buhl-Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg]] became federal minister on 10 February 2009, an unregistered user added an eleventh given name in the article on German Wikipedia: ''Wilhelm''. Numerous newspapers took it over. When wary Wikipedians wanted to erase ''Wilhelm'', the revert was reverted with regard to those newspapers. This case about Wikipedia reliability and journalists copying from Wikipedia became known as ''Falscher Wilhelm'' ("wrong Wilhelm").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikimedia Deutschland press release |url=http://wikimedia.de/fileadmin/wiki/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/pm_Medienkompetenz_1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204025315/http://wikimedia.de/fileadmin/wiki/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/pm_Medienkompetenz_1.pdf |archive-date=4 December 2010}}; [http://futurezone.orf.at/stories/1502467/ ORF Futurezone] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929010706/http://futurezone.orf.at/stories/1502467/ |date=29 September 2009 }}. Retrieved 27 May 2010.</ref>

===Early roles of Wales and Sanger===
{{anchor|Early roles of Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger}}
<!-- THE SECTION TITLE IS LINKED FROM ELSEWHERE INCLUDING THE JIMMY WALES AND LARRY SANGER ARTICLES -->

Wales, along with others, came up with and funded the idea of an open-source, collaborative encyclopedia that would accept contributions from ordinary people.<ref name="memoirofwiki" /> Sanger played an important role in this as Nupedia's [[editor-in-chief]] and main employee.<ref name="co-founders" /> In Sanger's introductory message to the Nupedia mailing list, he said that Jimmy Wales "contacted me and asked me to apply as editor-in-chief of Nupedia. [...] He had had the idea for Nupedia since at least last fall. He tells me that, when thinking about people (particularly philosophers) he knew who could manage this sort of long-term project, he thought I would be perfect for the job. This is indeed my dream job".<ref name="archive2000">{{Cite web |title=nupedia-l Introduction |url=http://www.nupedia.com/pipermail/nupedia-l/2000-April/000143.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030710141440/http://www.nupedia.com/pipermail/nupedia-l/2000-April/000143.html |archive-date=10 July 2003 |access-date=19 November 2013}}</ref>

Sanger suggested using a wiki to provide a complementary project for people "intimidated and bored" by Nupedia's elaborate processes,<ref name="Wikipedia-l-000671" /> and coined the portmanteau "Wikipedia" as the project name.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Terdiman |first=Daniel |date=21 December 2005 |title=Wikipedia founder modifies his bio |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/wikipedia-founder-modifies-his-bio/#! |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327233948/http://www.cnet.com/news/wikipedia-founder-modifies-his-bio/#! |archive-date=27 March 2014 |publisher=[[CNET]]}}</ref><ref name="co-founders" /> This was broadly seen as a way to unblock the growing community of Nupedians who found it hard to contribute.<ref name="co-founders" /> Sanger continued to work on Nupedia while contributing to Wikipedia (including drafting policies such as "Ignore all rules"<ref name="Ignore_all_rules">{{Cite news |title=Rules To Consider |work=Ignore all rules |publisher=[[Internet Archive]] |url=http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/RulesToConsider |url-status=dead |access-date=25 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010416035716/http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/RulesToConsider |archive-date=16 April 2001}}</ref> and "Neutral point of view"<ref name="Stacy Schiff" />) and worked with an outreach lead to build up the community of both Nupedia and Wikipedia editors.<ref name="co-founders" /> Upon departure in March 2002, Sanger emphasized the main issue was purely the cessation of funding for his role, which was not viable part-time,<ref name="resignation" /> and encouraged others to continue contributing to Wikipedia while noting that Nupedia could not survive without a full-time editor-in-chief.<ref name="resignation" /> Later that year he stopped contributing to either project, and by 2004 had become publicly critical of Wikipedia. In December 2004 he wrote an essay arguing that Wikipedia was suffering from anti-elitism.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2005-04-18 |title=The Early History of Nupedia and Wikipedia: A Memoir – Slashdot |url=https://features.slashdot.org/story/05/04/18/164213/the-early-history-of-nupedia-and-wikipedia-a-memoir |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=features.slashdot.org |language=en}}</ref> In April 2005 he published a two-part memoir of his work on Nupedia and Wikipedia, highlighting his role in their creation and continuing belief that Nupedia deserved to be saved.<ref name=":1" /> Later that year Wales began to push back on Sanger's characterization of his role in the project.<ref name="Dan_Mitchell_Insider_Editing">{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Dan |date=24 December 2005 |title=Insider Editing at Wikipedia |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/technology/24online.ready.html?ex=1293080400&en=431aff478b00239e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013084516/http://nytimes.com/2005/12/24/technology/24online.ready.html?ex=1293080400&en=431aff478b00239e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss |archive-date=13 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="Evan Hansen">{{Cite magazine |last=Hansen |first=Evan |date=19 December 2005 |title=Wikipedia Founder Edits Own Bio |url=https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,69880,00.html |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |publisher=[[Wired News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230053039/http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0%2C1284%2C69880%2C00.html |archive-date=30 December 2006 |access-date=25 March 2007}}</ref><ref name="Seth Finkelstein">{{Cite news |last=Finkelstein |first=Seth |date=12 February 2009 |title=What's in a name? Everything, when you're talking wiki value |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/feb/12/wiki-answers-wikia |url-status=live |access-date=12 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002212052/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/feb/12/wiki-answers-wikia |archive-date=2 October 2013}}</ref> By 2006, after the launch of Citizendium, Sanger was harshly critical of Wikipedia, describing it as "broken beyond repair."<ref name="Wikipedia 'broken beyond repair' says co-founder">{{Cite news |last=Thomson |first=Iain |date=13 April 2007 |title=Wikipedia 'broken beyond repair' says co-founder |publisher=[[Information World Review]] |url=http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/news/2187709/wikipedia-broken-beyond-repair |url-status=dead |access-date=15 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070426034156/http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/news/2187709/wikipedia-broken-beyond-repair |archive-date=26 April 2007}}</ref>

In 2005, Wales described himself simply as the founder of Wikipedia;<ref name="Dan_Mitchell_Insider_Editing" /> however, according to [[Brian Bergstein]] of the [[Associated Press]], "Sanger has long been cited as a co-founder."<ref name="co-founders" /> Sanger and Wales were referred to as co-founders in various press releases, interviews, and news reports from 2001<ref name="sanger-NYTimes">{{Cite news |last=Peter Meyers |date=20 September 2001 |title=Fact-Driven? Collegial? This Site Wants You |work=The New York Times |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E5D6123BF933A1575AC0A9679C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fC%2fComputer%20Software |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226154410/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E5D6123BF933A1575AC0A9679C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FC%2FComputer%20Software |archive-date=26 December 2007 |quote=It's kind of surprising that you could just open up a site and let people work," said Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's co-founder and the chief executive of Bomis, a San Diego search engine company that donates the computer resources for the project. "There's kind of this real social pressure to not argue about things." Instead, he said, "there's a general consensus among all of the really busy volunteers about what an encyclopedia article needs to be like.}}</ref> and 2002.<ref name="Yahoo!">{{Cite news |last=Wales |first=Jimmy |date=6 August 2002 |title=3apes open content web directory |work=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Tech Groups forum post]] |publisher=[[WebCite]] |url=http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/xodp/message/1720 |url-status=dead |access-date=3 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408184006/http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/xodp/message/1720 |archive-date=8 April 2009 |quote=I'm Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Nupedia and Wikipedia, the open content encyclopedias.}}</ref> Before January 2004, Wales did not dispute Sanger's status as co-founder.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bishop |first=Todd |date=26 January 2004 |title=Microsoft Notebook: Wiki pioneer planted the seed and watched... |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Microsoft-Notebook-Wiki-pioneer-planted-the-seed-1135376.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225123302/https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Microsoft-Notebook-Wiki-pioneer-planted-the-seed-1135376.php |archive-date=25 February 2020 |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |language=en}}</ref> In 2006, Wales said, "He used to work for me [...] I don't agree with calling him a co-founder, but he likes the title".<ref name="James Niccolai">James Niccolai, [http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=7177 "Wikipedia taking on the vandals in Germany"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022165415/http://pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=7177 |date=22 October 2007 }}. [[PC Advisor]]. 26 September 2006.</ref> Starting in 2006, when Sanger wrote and was interviewed extensively about the launch of Citizendium, he emphasized his status as co-founder, and these earlier sources that described him as such.<ref name="co-founders">{{Cite news |last=Bergstein |first=Brian |date=25 March 2007 |title=Sanger says he co-started Wikipedia |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17798723 |access-date=28 March 2007 |quote=The nascent Web encyclopedia Citizendium springs from Larry Sanger, a philosophy PhD who counts himself as a co-founder of Wikipedia, the site he now hopes to usurp. The claim doesn't seem particularly controversial – Sanger has long been cited as a co-founder. Yet the other founder, Jimmy Wales, isn't happy about it. |archive-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005002629/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17798723/ |url-status=dead }}.</ref><ref name="sanger-NYTimes" /><ref name="Sanger-Technology Review">{{Cite magazine |last=Heim |first=Judy |date=4 September 2001 |title=Free the Encyclopedias! |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/12586/ |magazine=[[Technology Review]] |access-date=25 March 2007}}</ref><ref name="SangerLinks">{{Cite news |last=Sanger |first=Larry |title=My role in Wikipedia (links) |work=larrysanger.org |publisher=Larry Sanger |url=http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312163901/http://www.larrysanger.org/roleinwp.html |archive-date=12 March 2007}}</ref>

===Controversies===
{{anchor|Controversies and criticism}}
{{Main|Criticism of Wikipedia|Litigation involving the Wikimedia Foundation|Reliability of Wikipedia}}
* In November 2005, the [[Wikipedia Seigenthaler biography incident|Seigenthaler controversy]] caused Brian Chase to resign from his employment, after his identity was ascertained by Daniel Brandt of [[Wikipedia Watch]]. Following this, the scientific journal ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' undertook a [[peer review]]ed study to test articles in Wikipedia against their equivalents in ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', and concluded they are comparable in terms of accuracy.<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2005 |title=Internet encyclopaedias go head to head |journal=Nature |volume=438 |issue=7070 |pages=900–901 |bibcode=2005Natur.438..900G |doi=10.1038/438900a |pmid=16355180 |s2cid=4417563 |last1=Giles |first1=Jim |doi-access=free  |issn = 0028-0836}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=The (Nature) peer review |url=http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/multimedia/438900a_m1.html |url-status=live |journal=Nature |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410155113/http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/multimedia/438900a_m1.html |archive-date=10 April 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010}}</ref> ''Britannica'' rejected their methodology and their conclusion.<ref>Britannica: [http://corporate.britannica.com/britannica_nature_response.pdf Fatally Flawed. Refuting the recent study on encyclopedic accuracy by the journal Nature] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709053629/http://corporate.britannica.com/britannica_nature_response.pdf |date=9 July 2016 }}</ref> ''Nature'' refused to release any form of apology, and instead asserted the reliability of its study and a rejection of the criticisms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nature's responses to Encyclopaedia Britannica |url=https://www.nature.com/nature/britannica/index.html |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=Nature |archive-date=15 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515025717/https://www.nature.com/nature/britannica/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* During early-to-mid-2006, the [[congressional staffer edits to Wikipedia|congressional aides biography scandals]] were publicized, whereby several political aides were caught trying to influence the Wikipedia biographies of several politicians. The aides removed undesirable information (including pejorative quotes, or broken campaign promises), added favorable information or "glowing" tributes, or replaced the article in part or whole by staff-authored biographies. The staff of at least five politicians were implicated: [[Marty Meehan]], [[Norm Coleman]], [[Conrad Burns]], [[Joe Biden]] and [[Gil Gutknecht]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nate Anderson |date=31 January 2006 |title=Congressional staffers edit boss's bio on Wikipedia |url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060130-6079.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012062850/http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060130-6079.html |archive-date=12 October 2008 |access-date=9 June 2014 |website=arstechnica}}</ref> The activities documented were:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Politician
! Editing undertaken
! Sources
|-
| [[Marty Meehan]]
| Replacement with a staff-written biography
| [https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060130-6079.html Congressional staffers edit boss's bio on Wikipedia]
|-
| [[Norm Coleman]]
| Rewrite to make more favorable, claimed to be "correcting errors"
| {{Cite journal |title=Web site's entry on Coleman revised Aide confirms his staff edited biography, questions Wikipedia's accuracy |url=http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13750990.htm |url-status=dead |journal=St. Paul Pioneer Press(Associated Press) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103102/http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13750990.htm |archive-date=29 September 2007}}
|-
| [[Conrad Burns]]<br />Montana
| Removal of pejorative statements made by the Senator, replaced with "glowing tributes" as "the voice of the farmer"
| {{Cite web |last=Williams, Walt |date=1 January 2007 |title=Burns' office may have tampered with Wikipedia entry |url=http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2006/02/09/news/wikipedia.txt |access-date=13 February 2007 |website=[[Bozeman Daily Chronicle]]}}
|-
| [[Joe Biden]]
| Removal of unfavorable information
| [https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060130-6079.html Congressional staffers edit boss's bio on Wikipedia]
|-
| [[Gil Gutknecht]]
| Staff rewrite and removal of information evidencing broken campaign promise.
| Multiple attempts, first using a named account, then an anonymous IP account.<ref>A spokesman for Gutknecht did not dispute that his office tried to change his Wikipedia entry but questioned the reliability of the encyclopedia. {{Cite web |date=16 August 2006 |title=Gutknecht joins Wikipedia tweakers |url=http://www.startribune.com/587/story/618899.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821074302/http://www.startribune.com/587/story/618899.html |archive-date=21 August 2006 |access-date=17 August 2006 |website=Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune}}</ref>
|}

In a separate but similar incident, the campaign manager for [[Cathy Cox (American politician)|Cathy Cox]], Morton Brilliant, resigned after being found to have added negative information to the Wikipedia entries of political opponents.<ref>Information included the mention of an opponent's son's arrest in a fatal drunk driving crash and allegations of questionable business practices of another opponent. {{Cite web |date=28 April 2006 |title=Online postings changed; ex-Gregoire aide resigns |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002958137_campaign28m.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524041212/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002958137_campaign28m.html |archive-date=24 May 2011 |access-date=27 July 2013 |website=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Following media publicity, the incidents tapered off around August 2006.
* In July 2006, Joshua Gardner was exposed as a fake Duke of Cleveland with a Wikipedia page.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Student Reporters Expose 'Royal' Sex Offender |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=1501916 |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=ABC News |language=en |archive-date=25 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325084727/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=1501916 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In January 2007, English-language Wikipedians in [[Qatar]] were briefly blocked from editing, following a spate of vandalism, by an administrator who did not realize that the country's internet traffic is routed through a single [[IP address]]. Multiple media sources promptly declared that Wikipedia was banning Qatar from the site.<ref>[http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800476 "Wikipedia Founder Refutes Claims That It Banned Qatar"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022202210/http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800476 |date=22 October 2007 }}. Thomas Claburn. ''[[InformationWeek]]''. 2 January 2007.</ref>
* On 23 January 2007, a [[Microsoft]] employee offered to pay [[Rick Jelliffe]] to review and change certain Wikipedia articles regarding an open-source document standard which was rival to a Microsoft format.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bergstein, Brian |date=23 January 2007 |title=Microsoft offers cash for Wikipedia edit |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16775981 |access-date=1 February 2007 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |archive-date=5 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205062212/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16775981 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In February 2007, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine issued a rare editorial correction that a prominent [[English Wikipedia]] editor and administrator known as "Essjay", had invented a persona using fictitious credentials.<ref name="New Yorker">{{Cite magazine |last=Schiff |first=Stacy |author-link=Stacy Schiff |date=24 July 2006 |title=Annals of Information: Know It All: Can Wikipedia conquer expertise? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060731fa_fact |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813110914/http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060731fa_fact |archive-date=13 August 2006 |access-date=16 April 2007}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |last=Finkelstein |first=Seth |date=8 March 2007 |title=Read me first |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2028328,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329052204/http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2028328,00.html |archive-date=29 March 2007}}</ref> The editor, [[Essjay controversy|Ryan Jordan]], became a [[Wikia]] employee in January 2007 and divulged his real name; this was noticed by Daniel Brandt of Wikipedia Watch, and communicated to the original article author ([[Essjay controversy]]).
* Also in February 2007,<!--<ref>Docket number L-001169-07 in Monmouth Court, New Jersey. Records may be searched here [http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/acms/disc/CV0227W0E.ASP].</ref>--> Barbara Bauer, a literary agent, sued Wikimedia for defamation and causing harm to her business, the Barbara Bauer Literary Agency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bauer v. Wikimedia et al. &#124; Electronic Frontier Foundation |url=https://www.eff.org/cases/bauer-v-glatzer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412233037/https://www.eff.org/cases/bauer-v-glatzer |archive-date=12 April 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Eff.org}}</ref> In ''Bauer v. Glatzer'', Bauer claimed that information on Wikipedia critical of her abilities as a literary agent caused this harm. The [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] defended Wikipedia<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 May 2008 |title=EFF and Sheppard Mullin Defend Wikipedia in Defamation Case &#124; Electronic Frontier Foundation |url=https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/05/02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407223854/http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/05/02 |archive-date=7 April 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Eff.org}}</ref> and moved to dismiss the case on 1 May 2008.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/files/filenode/wikimedia/motiontoquashmemo-wikimedia.pdf Motion to quash case (PDF)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020140651/https://www.eff.org/files/filenode/wikimedia/motiontoquashmemo-wikimedia.pdf |date=20 October 2016 }}. EFF.org. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2012.</ref> The case against the Wikimedia Foundation was dismissed on 1 July 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 January 2008 |title=Bauer v. Wikimedia &#124; Citizen Media Law Project |url=http://www.citmedialaw.org/threats/bauer-v-wikimedia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713053150/http://www.citmedialaw.org/threats/bauer-v-wikimedia |archive-date=13 July 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Citmedialaw.org}}</ref>
* In June 2007, an anonymous user [[Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide#Wikipedia controversy|posted hoax information]] that, by coincidence, foreshadowed the [[Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide|Chris Benoit murder-suicide]], hours before the bodies were found by investigators. The discovery of the edit attracted widespread media attention and was first covered in the sister site [[n:Death of Nancy Benoit rumour posted on Wikipedia hours prior to the body being found|Wikinews]].
* In October 2007, in their obituaries of recently deceased TV theme composer [[Ronnie Hazlehurst]], many British media organisations reported that he had co-written the [[S Club 7]] song "[[Reach (S Club 7 song)|Reach]]". In fact, he had not, and it was discovered that this information had been sourced from a hoax edit to Hazlehurst's Wikipedia article.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Andrew |last=Orlowski |title=Braindead obituarists hoaxed by Wikipedia |url=https://www.theregister.com/2007/10/03/wikipedia_obituary_cut_and_paste/ |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=The Register |language=en |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055525/https://www.theregister.com/2007/10/03/wikipedia_obituary_cut_and_paste/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On 14 July 2009, the National Portrait Gallery issued a cease-and-desist letter for alleged breach of copyright, against a Wikipedia editor who downloaded more than 3,000 high-resolution images from the NPG website, and placed them on [[Wikimedia Commons]] ([[National Portrait Gallery and Wikimedia Foundation copyright dispute]]).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Maev |date=14 July 2009 |title=Legal row over National Portrait Gallery images placed on Wikipedia |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/14/national-portrait-gallery-wikipedia-row |access-date=16 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=13 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213165734/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/14/national-portrait-gallery-wikipedia-row |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=National Portrait Gallery receives support from BAPLA in its legal fight against Wikipedia |url=http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865802 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116135932/http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=865802 |archive-date=16 January 2010 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Bjp-online.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 July 2009 |title=Gallery in Wikipedia legal threat |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8151989.stm |access-date=16 March 2023 |archive-date=19 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719231100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8151989.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 July 2009 |title=National Portrait Gallery sues Wikipedia |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?National_Portrait_Gallery_sues_Wikipedia&in_article_id=702647&in_page_id=34 |access-date=13 April 2010 |website=Metro |location=UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=17 July 2009 |title=Wikipedia painting row escalates |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8156268.stm |access-date=16 March 2023 |archive-date=23 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723012706/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8156268.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In April and May 2010, there was controversy over the hosting and display of sexual drawing and pornographic images including images of children on Wikipedia.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schofield |first=Jack |date=12 May 2010 |title=Wikipedia's porn purge, and cleaning up for the iPad |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/10/ipad-apple |url-status=live |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104202826/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/may/10/ipad-apple |archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=7 May 2010 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Wikipedia's Parent Company Starts Purging Porn From Its Websites |publisher=[[Fox News]] |url=http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/07/wikipedia-purges-porn/ |url-status=dead |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023073605/http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/07/wikipedia-purges-porn/ |archive-date=23 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 May 2010 |title=Wikimedia pornography row deepens as Wales cedes rights |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10104946.stm |url-status=live |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618192131/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10104946.stm |archive-date=18 June 2010}}</ref> It led to the mass removal of pornographic content from Wikimedia Foundation sites.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2010 |title=Jimmy Wales – Where things stand now |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org/msg10574.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010080055/http://www.mail-archive.com/foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org/msg10574.html |archive-date=10 October 2012 |access-date=28 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 May 2010 |title=Wikimedia pornography row deepens as Wales cedes rights |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10104946 |url-status=live |access-date=28 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130150909/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10104946 |archive-date=30 November 2010}}</ref>
* In November 2012, [[Lord Justice Leveson]] wrote in his report on British press standards, "''The Independent'' was founded in 1986 by the journalists Andreas Whittam Smith, Stephen Glover and Brett Straub..." He had used the Wikipedia article for ''[[The Independent]]'' newspaper as his source, but an act of vandalism had replaced Matthew Symonds (a genuine co-founder) with Brett Straub (an unknown character).<ref>{{Cite news |first=Andy |last=McSmith |date=30 November 2012 |title=Leveson's Wikipedia moment: how internet 'research' on The Independent's history left him red-faced |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/levesons-wikipedia-moment-how-internet-research-on-the-independents-history-left-him-redfaced-8372446.html |url-status=live |access-date=8 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204151536/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/levesons-wikipedia-moment-how-internet-research-on-the-independents-history-left-him-redfaced-8372446.html |archive-date=4 December 2012}}</ref> ''The Economist'' said of the [[Leveson report]], "Parts of it are a scissors-and-paste job culled from Wikipedia."<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 December 2012 |title=The Leveson Inquiry: Hacked to pieces. |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21567944-somewhat-mediocre-report-could-yet-lead-better-press-rules-britain-hacked-pieces |url-status=live |access-date=26 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227113012/http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21567944-somewhat-mediocre-report-could-yet-lead-better-press-rules-britain-hacked-pieces |archive-date=27 December 2012}}</ref>
* In late 2013, commentators publicly shared observations of the reappearance of many of the pornographic images deleted from Wikipedia since 2010.<ref name="XBIZ">{{Cite news |last=Gray |first=Lila |date=17 September 2013 |title=Wikipedia Gives Porn a Break |publisher=XBIZ.com |url=http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=169017 |url-status=dead |access-date=20 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021064635/http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=169017 |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref>

=== Notable forks and derivatives ===
There are a large number of {{self-reference link|Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks|Wikipedia mirror and forks}}. Other sites also use the MediaWiki software and concept, popularized by Wikipedia. No list of them is maintained. Specialized foreign language forks using the Wikipedia concept include [[Enciclopedia Libre Universal en Español|Enciclopedia Libre]] (Spanish), ''Wikiweise'' (German), ''WikiZnanie'' (Russian), [[Susning.nu]] (Swedish), and [[Baidu Baike]] (Chinese). Some of these (such as ''Enciclopedia Libre'') use [[GFDL]] or compatible licenses as used by Wikipedia, leading to the exchange of material with their respective language Wikipedias. In 2006, Sanger founded [[Citizendium]], based upon a modified version of [[MediaWiki]].<ref name="Jason Z Cohen">{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Jason Z |date=3 March 2008 |title=Citizendium's Larry Sanger: Experts Make It Better |work=LinuxInsider |publisher=ECT News Network |url=http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/61983.html?welcome=1205003304&welcome=1205003861&wlc=1234584689&wlc=1235641480 |url-status=live |access-date=8 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517112405/http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/61983.html?welcome=1205003304&welcome=1205003861&wlc=1234584689&wlc=1235641480 |archive-date=17 May 2011}}</ref> The site said it aimed 'to improve on the Wikipedia model with "gentle expert oversight", among other things'.<ref name="Nate Anderson">{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Nate |date=25 February 2007 |title=Citizendium: building a better Wikipedia |url=https://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/citizendium.ars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324225040/http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/citizendium.ars |archive-date=24 March 2007 |access-date=25 March 2007 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref><ref name="Caroline McCarthy">{{Cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Caroline |date=23 January 2007 |title=Citizendium: Wikipedia co-founder Sanger's Wikipedia rival |publisher=[[CNET News]] |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9680301-2.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730051218/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9680301-2.html |archive-date=30 July 2009}}</ref> In 2006, conservative activist and lawyer [[Andrew Schlafly]] founded [[Conservapedia]], based on MediaWiki.

===Publication on other media===
The [[German Wikipedia]] was the first to be partly published also using other media (rather than online on the internet), including releases on CD in November 2004<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie |url=http://www.digitale-bibliothek.de/scripts/ts.dll?s=1&id=E0016306&mp=/art/1266/&sc=Wikipedia.htm |access-date=25 April 2007 |language=de}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and more extended versions on CDs or DVD in April 2005 and December 2006. In December 2005, the publisher Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, a sister company of Directmedia, published a 139-page book explaining Wikipedia, its history and policies, which was accompanied by a 7.5 GB DVD containing 300,000 articles and 100,000 images from the German Wikipedia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neue Wikipedia-DVD im Handel und zum Download |url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/result.xhtml?url=/newsticker/meldung/67137&words=Wikipedia%20DVD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605174842/http://www.heise.de/newsticker/result.xhtml?url=%2Fnewsticker%2Fmeldung%2F67137&words=Wikipedia%20DVD |archive-date=5 June 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007 |language=de}}</ref> Originally, Directmedia also announced plans to print the German Wikipedia in its entirety, in 100 volumes of 800 pages each. The publication was due to begin in October 2006, and finish in 2010. In March 2006, however, this project was called off.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia wird noch nicht gedruckt |date=24 March 2006 |url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/71231 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416131622/http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/71231 |archive-date=16 April 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007 |language=de}}</ref>

In September 2008, [[Bertelsmann]] published a 1000 pages volume with a selection of popular German Wikipedia articles. Bertelsmann paid voluntarily 1 Euro per sold copy to [[Wikimedia Deutschland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=online |first=heise |title=Wikipedia wird noch nicht gedruckt |url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Wikipedia-wird-noch-nicht-gedruckt-112468.html |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=heise online |date=24 March 2006 |language=de |archive-date=18 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118200418/https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Wikipedia-wird-noch-nicht-gedruckt-112468.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A free software project has also been launched to make a static version of [[English Wikipedia]] available for use on [[iPod]]s. The "Encyclopodia" project was started around March 2006 and can currently be used on 1st to 4th-generation iPods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopodia – the encyclopedia on your iPod |url=http://encyclopodia.sourceforge.net/en/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427070452/http://encyclopodia.sourceforge.net/en/index.html |archive-date=27 April 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007 |publisher=[[SourceForge]]}}</ref>

==== English Wikipedia CD/DVD/Kiwix ZIM file releases ====
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Release
!Year
!Description
!Link to [[ZIM (file format)|ZIM]] file download
|-
|[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia CD Selection|2006 Wikipedia CD Selection]]
|2006
|First CD version, containing a selection of articles from the [[English Wikipedia]]. It was published in April 2006 by [[SchoolsWP:SOSChildren|SOS Children]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2006 |title=SOS Children releases 2006 Wikipedia CD Selection |url=http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/education-cd.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418030451/http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/education-cd.htm |archive-date=18 April 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007 |publisher=[[SchoolsWP:SOSChildren|SOS Children]]}}</ref> 
|
|-
|[[Wikipedia:Version 0.5|Wikipedia Version 0.5]]
|2007
|A CD containing around 2000 articles selected from the online encyclopedia was published by the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] and Linterweb. The selection of articles included was based on both the quality of the online version and the importance of the topic to be included. It was created as a test case in preparation for a DVD version including far more articles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2007 |title=Wikipedia 0.5 available on a CD-ROM |url=http://wikipediaondvd.com/site.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427230436/http://www.wikipediaondvd.com/site.php |archive-date=27 April 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 April 2007 |title=Wikipedia maakt cd voor internetlozen |url=http://tweakers.net/nieuws/47253/Wikipedia-maakt-cd-voor-internetlozen.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428211831/http://tweakers.net/nieuws/47253/Wikipedia-maakt-cd-voor-internetlozen.html |archive-date=28 April 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007 |publisher=[[tweakers.net]] |language=nl}}</ref> Articles are categorized according to subject. The CD version could be purchased online, downloaded as a [[Disk image|DVD image file]] or [[Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Torrent Project/Version 0.5|Torrent file]], or accessed online at the project's website.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Version 0.5 at download.kiwix.org |url=https://download.kiwix.org/archive/zim/wikipedia/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.5_2007-03.zim}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=wikipedia_en_wp1-0.5_2007-03.zim directory listing |url=https://archive.org/download/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.5_2007-03.zim |website=archive.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wikipedia:Version 0.7|Wikipedia Version 0.7]]
|2009–2010
|First DVD version. General release of around 31,000 articles taken from all subject areas. A manual effort was performed to remove vandalism, which delayed the release date.<ref>{{Citation |title=Wikipedia talk:Version 0.7 |date=2022-03-04 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Version_0.7&oldid=1075170885 |work=Wikipedia |language=en |access-date=2022-07-18 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922023330/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Version_0.7&oldid=1075170885 |url-status=live }}</ref> Includes topical and geographical indexes of articles, in addition to the alphabetical index.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Version 0.7 at download.kiwix.org |url=https://download.kiwix.org/archive/zim/wikipedia/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.7_2009-05.zim}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=wikipedia_en_wp1-0.7_2009-05.zim directory listing |url=https://archive.org/download/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.7_2009-05.zim |website=archive.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wikipedia:Version 0.8|Wikipedia Version 0.8]]
|2011
|General release of around 47,300 articles taken from all subject areas. Article selection and vandalism removal using systems developed by a group of volunteers from the Wikipedia community, greatly improved release time. It includes only an alphabetical index and no article categorization.
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Version 0.8 at download.kiwix.org |url=https://download.kiwix.org/archive/zim/wikipedia/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.8_orig_2010-12.zim}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=wikipedia_en_wp1-0.8_orig_2010-12.zim directory listing |url=https://archive.org/download/wikipedia_en_wp1-0.8_orig_2010-12.zim |website=archive.org}}</ref>
|}
As of June 2022, there have been no more article selection releases since Wikipedia Version 0.8.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 June 2022 |title=Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Version_1.0_Editorial_Team&oldid=1092780181 |access-date=27 June 2022 |via=Wikipedia |archive-date=7 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707222542/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Version_1.0_Editorial_Team&oldid=1092780181 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Lawsuits===
In limited ways, the Wikimedia Foundation is protected by [[Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act]]. In the defamation action ''Bauer et al. v. Glatzer et al.'', it was held that Wikimedia had no case to answer because of this section.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Judge tosses Matawan literary agent's defamation lawsuit against Wikipedia – Asbury Park Press |url=http://m.app.com/news.jsp?key=81411 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710045913/http://m.app.com/news.jsp?key=81411 |archive-date=10 July 2012 |access-date=13 April 2010 |publisher=M.app.com}}</ref> A similar law in France caused a lawsuit to be dismissed in October 2007.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2007-11-05/French lawsuit]]. 5 November 2007.</ref> In 2013, a [[Oberlandesgericht|German appeals court or Oberlandesgericht]] (the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart) ruled that Wikipedia is a "service provider" not a "content provider", and as such is immune from liability as long as it takes down content that is accused of being illegal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paulson |first=Michelle |date=2 December 2013 |title=In legal victory, German court rules Wikimedia Foundation need not proactively check for illegal or inaccurate content |url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2013/12/02/legal-victory-german-court-wikimedia-foundation/ |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=Diff |language=en-US |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127005533/https://diff.wikimedia.org/2013/12/02/legal-victory-german-court-wikimedia-foundation/ |url-status=live }}</ref>