Wikipedia is the “Free Encyclopedia that anyone can edit” (Wikipedia.com). With over 70,000 active editors and counting, it’s a melting pot of editors from different cultures, modes of experience, and perspectives. Although one of the core policies of Wikipedia is neutrality, editing inevitably becomes imbued with individual rhetoric, with editors pushing different ways of representing verifiable sources. Because of this, “edit wars” may ensue, and the simple inclusion or exclusion of a piece of text may generate heated online exchanges. This is the focus of an online study from Arvix.org featured in FoxNews.com and Wired.com called “The Most controversial topics in Wikipedia: A multilingual and geographical analysis.” The study shows that the most argued topics in Wikipedia are religion and politics. "Some topics on the site better resemble a battlefield than a publishing house," Fox News describes researchers as saying.
The three most contested topics on the English Wikipedia are: George W. Bush, Anarchism and Muhammad. To provide a wider overview, the top ten most controversial articles in the English language edition of Wikipedia are: 1) George W. Bush 2) Anarchism 3) Muhammad 4) LWWEe 5) Global warming 6) Circumcision 7) United States 8) Jesus 9) Race and Intelligence 10) Christianity Here is an image to find a quick snapshot of the top 10 articles in different languages:
The top three topical categories are Politics, Geographical Locations and Religions & Beliefs. History follows at 4th and Sex and Gender, Human Rights and Social Activism fall on the 5th rank. Below is another image that summarizes the most controversial topics across Wikipedia:
Remember the maxim, “never discuss religion or politics”? This is evidence of how discussions about religion and politics become heated or “controversial,” from everyday conversations to online wikis. These are topics that readers and editors deeply care about, and not surprisingly, triggers critical conversations that are marked by clashing opinions.This should not be a deterrent for the regular Joe or Jane to jump in and join the millions of Wikipedians around the world. In the world of collaborative editing, everyone has significant knowledge and something to share. Your edit is just as good as the edit of the Wikipedia veterans who have thousands of edits and articles to their name. Though challenging, Wikipedia is a great way to get involved in the cause of furthering knowledge and promoting scholarship. Ready to edit?
