Wikipedia is the Internet’s most improbable success story. Launched in 2001 as a companion to a stalled expert encyclopedia, it became the default reference for billions, built by volunteers who follow a few simple rules: verifiability, no original research, and a neutral point of view. Templates, infoboxes, and citations became its grammar, and in 2004 it earned a Webby for Web Community as the world learned to read and correct in public. The model grew into a movement: Commons supplies free media across the web, and Wikidata assigns stable IDs that power knowledge panels, assistants, and modern AI. Its civic voice surfaced in 2012 when English Wikipedia went dark to protest SOPA and PIPA, proving a free encyclopedia could shape policy. Recognized again in 2023 for accessible technology, Wikipedia remains the web’s public memory, written by everyone.

NOTABLE WORK

Wikipedia (2004)

Wikipedia’s Equitable, Accessible and Inclusive Technology (2023)

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The 30th Annual Webby Awards is Open

Earning a Webby Award can take your company to new heights, but only if you participate. Submit work in the 30th Annual Webby Awards by the Early Entry Deadline on Friday, October 24, 2025 for best pricing.