Wikipedia's Nuclear Option is a Good Thing - A Stephen Harrison Story
Wikipedia's "Nuclear Option" Sounds Scary, But It's Actually the Right Call
Wikipedia provides the facts behind Siri, Alexa, and Google, and the site takes its elevated role as the center of the info ecosystem very seriously. For my last article of 2018, I researched the so-called nuclear option, Wikipedia's recent software change to prevent vandalism and false information. The article is part of Slate's Future Tense partnership.
>> Read my latest story over at Slate
Throughout the year, I dove deep into the strange world of Wikipedia, and wrote about start-ups and eSports. Here are some of my favorite published pieced from 2018:
If You See Something, Write Something (The New York Times) - As Epicgenius, 19-year-old Ryan Ng has made over 180,000 edits to Wikipedia and created more than 17,000 pages for the site. Most of his work is in the service of his particular fixation: updating the articles associated with all 472 stations of the New York subway system.
The Big Breakaway (The Outline) - The NBA is drafting 102 gamers into a virtual league. They will get a salary, housing, and a shot at fame. David Armstrong wants to be one of them.
The Battle for Curling's Wikipedia Page (VICE Sports) - Every four years during the Winter Olympics an edit war rages behind the scenes of curling's Wikipedia page. A lot of it has to do with trolls claiming it's not a sport.
The Wikipedia Page for St. Patrick is Surprisingly Good. Here's Why. (Slate) - For my first piece for Slate, I interviewed the two leading scholars on the historical St. Patrick.
Start-Ups and Millennial Entrepreneurs (TheAtlantic.com) - Millennials are increasingly likely to believe they should stay at one company and climb the corporate ladder instead of branching out to form their own businesses.
The Wikipedia Contributor Behind 2.5 Million Edits (The Washington Post Magazine) - According to the Wikimedia Foundation, Pruitt is the most prolific contributor to the English version of the digital encyclopedia. Of its nearly 5.7 million pages, he has edited a staggering one-third. He's also a super nice guy.
If you know others who might be interested in my writing about tech, business, and law, invite them to join my mailing list. Whether it's sharing the articles or the words of encouragement, I've greatly appreciated your support this year.
Wishing happy holidays and best wishes for the new year to you and yours!
- Stephen