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Wikipedia has permanently blocked Larry Sanger, one of the online encyclopedia’s original co-founders, from editing the site after he campaigned to make Wikipedia more balanced and transparent. Sanger, who helped launch Wikipedia in 2001 and created many of its original rules, recently started the WikiProject Intellectual Diversity (WID) to encourage greater neutrality and intellectual diversity on the platform. However, Sanger’s efforts were met with opposition from the current community of editors, resulting in his indefinite ban—the most severe action Wikipedia can take against a contributor.
According to reporting from the New York Post, Sanger said he was “flabbergasted” by the decision, calling Wikipedia’s community a “mob or a blob” that operates by group consensus rather than strict adherence to rules. He argued the block was applied without due process and likened the experience to being judged by a “faceless mob,” lacking basic safeguards like the right to defend oneself.
Sanger’s recent activities included encouraging more participation from groups he believes are underrepresented in Wikipedia’s editorial process, such as Hindus and American conservatives. He also published a set of “Nine Theses” proposing reforms like allowing competing articles, ending indefinite blocking, abolishing the blacklist of sources, and increasing transparency around who controls decision-making. Details of his plan and his criticisms of Wikipedia’s sourcing policies were outlined in an interview with Straight Arrow News.
Wikipedia uses a rating system for sources, categorizing mainstream outlets like CNN, the New York Times, NBC, and BBC as “generally reliable,” while conservative outlets such as Fox News and Newsmax are marked “generally unreliable.” Sanger criticized this system as unfair, noting that some liberal outlets rated as reliable are equally partisan as those on the right. He argued that “sometimes facts only appear or are reported only in sources that are currently disallowed on Wikipedia,” which he believes limits the site’s neutrality.
The ban against Sanger was justified by Wikipedia editors as a response to his alleged “canvassing”—a term for seeking to influence discussions by alerting others, which is prohibited if done to sway outcomes. Sanger denied these charges, saying his efforts were aimed at broadening participation and discussion. The full context of the decision and debate among editors can be found on Wikipedia’s internal forums.
The controversy comes as lawmakers, including the House Oversight Committee, have opened investigations into allegations of bias and manipulation on Wikipedia. Sanger commented that while he was uneasy about government involvement, he considered congressional oversight understandable given the seriousness of the issues.
With Sanger’s ban now permanent and avenues for appeal closed, the debate over Wikipedia’s balance and transparency is likely to continue. Sanger maintains that reform and increased participation from a diverse range of voices are necessary for Wikipedia to fulfill its foundational mission of neutrality.