About

Wikipediocracy is a website dedicated to the criticism of Wikipedia. Launched in early 2012, it is not the first website of its kind; Wikipedia has attracted critics for years since its inception, and for most of that time an independent forum called Wikipedia Review played host to the cranks’ most fervent complaints. Wikipedia Review was all but persona non grata on Wikipedia, where it was considered the prototypical “WP:BADSITE”.

Yet Wikipediocracy has became much more relevant, thanks to its use of a blog as its front site, spotlighting its best arguments while making it easier for outsiders to follow. This is more insightful, if not always less hostile, critics’ forum, and perhaps this has led more who genuinely like Wikipedia to participate. Whether most Wikipediocracy members think they can make Wikipedia better is questionable, but it seems quite likely that Wikipedia has made Wikipediocracy better.

In just the past calendar year, Wikipediocracy’s distributed network of well-placed, often anonymous, usually pseudonymous observers have played an influential role moving several conflicts into mainstream view. Exposés from Salon about a fiction writer tormenting rivals with malicious edits (the Qworty case) and from Daily Dot about a clever hoax article (the Bicholim Conflict)--to say nothing of some controversies discussed elsewhere in this list--had their roots on Wikipediocracy.

However, Wikipediocracy had inherited the same insanity over the culture and the set of rules as Wikipedia is. They seem to worship these rules to eliminating members so that they can mock them. Posts and threads got deleted, and newbies who have been registered or even site veterans were banned. This was the case for some banned Wikipedia users with unethical methods by administrators, such as the individual who is behind the Bryan Seecrets account and its sock Starkiller88, whom was banned by personal attacks, incivility, defamation, threats and outing. The website itself became controversial, which opens the door to Wikipedia editors and administrators alike being empowered to do anything to block out these critical sites until the point where they were taken down.

History

Wikipediocracy was launched in March 16, 2012 by a group of current and former Wikipedia editors, such as William V. Burns (aka Zoloft and Stanistani).

In March 2013, Wikipediocracy became the subject of a controversy within the Wikipedia community. An article, revealing the editor Russavia’s identity to be Austrailian web merchant Scott Bibby, was published. This led to a controversy within Wikipedia, as its administrators and the Arbitration Committee seek to hide his identity. One arbitrator, Anthony G. Kelly, escalated this situation by unilaterally blacklisting the website.

At the time of Russavia’s indefinite block in June 2013, they discuss about Dennis Brown’s reversion of the ban, and Russavia’s activities until January the following year.

In August 2013, Zoloft banned the newly-registered user with a death threat on behalf of BatteryIncluded and the Wikipedia community due to a ripple effect throughout the site.

Traffic

Wikipediocracy is visited by critics.

Features

The front site is actually a blog, explaining its best arguments while making it easier for outsiders to follow.

There is a discussion forum.

And finally, a wiki.

Highlights

Russavia

Wikipediocracy published an article on Russavia, revealing his identity as Scott Bibby, who is also behind “russiansafetycards”. Charles Ainsworth, an editor of military history articles, was blocked for linking to it, and was briefly unblocked by one administrator, Kevin, who himself was later desysopped and admonished for helping him, but had his administrator tools reinstated. AGK indefinitely blocked another user, MZMcBride, without providing a block summary and added the blacklist with a highly misleading edit summary, but his addition wasn’t logged; this action constitutes his sustained series of unilateral actions taken, which includes declining appeals in less than a day without stating any further reason. Russavia was later unblocked and goes on a similar three-month campaign mirroring to that of the disruptive campaign around Phobos-Grunt and its related articles.