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The book opens with Chapter 1, "Nazis and Norms", which provides an overview of the book and the author's methodology.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Loveland|first=Jeff|date=2011-10-01|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00033790.2011.564297|journal=Annals of Science|volume=68|issue=4|pages=555–558|doi=10.1080/00033790.2011.564297|issn=0003-3790}}</ref> In Chapter number 2, "The Pursuit of the Universal Encyclopedia", Reagle explores the [[history of encyclopedias]] and history of collaboration, with the focus on the 20th century onward. Reagle mentions specific examples such as [[H. G. Wells|H.G. Wells]]' ''[[World Brain]]'', [[Paul Otlet]]'s [[Universal Repository]], or collaborative practices of the [[Quakers]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Kowinski|first=William|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=http://www.northcoastjournal.com/arts/2010/12/30/good-faith-collaboration-culture-wikipedia/|newspaper=[[North Coast Journal]]|date=December 30, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last=Lee|first=Humphreys|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|journal=[[Journal of Communication]]|date=April 1, 2011|volume=61|issue=2|pages=E1–E4|doi=10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01545.x}}</ref><ref name=":6" />
The book opens with Chapter 1, "Nazis and Norms", which provides an overview of the book and the author's methodology.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Loveland|first=Jeff|date=2011-10-01|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00033790.2011.564297|journal=Annals of Science|volume=68|issue=4|pages=555–558|doi=10.1080/00033790.2011.564297|issn=0003-3790}}</ref> In Chapter number 2, "The Pursuit of the Universal Encyclopedia", Reagle explores the [[history of encyclopedias]] and history of collaboration, with the focus on the 20th century onward. Reagle mentions specific examples such as [[H. G. Wells|H.G. Wells]]' ''[[World Brain]]'', [[Paul Otlet]]'s [[Universal Repository]], or collaborative practices of the [[Quakers]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Kowinski|first=William|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=http://www.northcoastjournal.com/arts/2010/12/30/good-faith-collaboration-culture-wikipedia/|newspaper=[[North Coast Journal]]|date=December 30, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last=Lee|first=Humphreys|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|journal=[[Journal of Communication]]|date=April 1, 2011|volume=61|issue=2|pages=E1–E4|doi=10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01545.x}}</ref><ref name=":6" />


Chapter 3, " Good Faith Collaboration" and Chapter 4 "The Puzzle of Openness" begin the ethnographic parts of the book.<ref name=":6" /> They discuss the phenomena of the success of Wikipedia, which is significantly based on the project's core policies, such as neutral point of view, no original research, and verifiability, all made possible due to the "good faith", represented by the virtues such as "assuming the best of others, patience, civility, and humor".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> In fact, the book title comes from one of the Wikipedia policies, known as AGF or "Assume Good Faith", which Reagle argues is a key factor in making Wikipedia project a success.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Auxier|first=Olivia|date=2013-11-13|title=Joseph Michael Reagle, Jr., Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/2542|journal=International Journal of Communication|language=en|volume=7|issue=0|pages=3|issn=1932-8036}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news|last=Geiger|first=R. Stuart|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2010-10-04/Book_review|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia, by Joseph Reagle|date=October 4, 2010|work=The Signpost|url-status=live}}</ref> Chapter 4 also address the issues of licencing, as well as whether indeed everything on Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and what are the options for those who disagree (such as [[Fork (software development)|forking]]).<ref name=":6" />
Chapter 3, " Good Faith Collaboration" and Chapter 4 "The Puzzle of Openness" begin the ethnographic parts of the book.<ref name=":6" /> They discuss the phenomena of the success of Wikipedia, which is significantly based on the project's core policies, such as neutral point of view, no original research, and verifiability, all made possible due to the "good faith", represented by the virtues such as "assuming the best of others, patience, civility, and humor".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> In fact, the book title comes from one of the Wikipedia policies, known as AGF or "Assume Good Faith", which Reagle argues is a key factor in making Wikipedia project a success.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Auxier|first=Olivia|date=2013-11-13|title=Joseph Michael Reagle, Jr., Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia|url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/2542|journal=International Journal of Communication|language=en|volume=7|issue=0|pages=3|issn=1932-8036}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news|last=Geiger|first=R. Stuart|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2010-10-04/Book_review|title=Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia, by Joseph Reagle|date=October 4, 2010|work=The Signpost|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|last=Konieczny|first=Piotr|date=2014-09-01|title=Good Faith Collaboration By Joseph Micheal Reagle Jr. MIT Press. 2010, 244 pages. $27.95 cloth|url=https://academic.oup.com/sf/article/93/1/e17/2337823|journal=Social Forces|language=en|volume=93|issue=1|pages=e17–e17|doi=10.1093/sf/sos100|issn=0037-7732}}</ref> Chapter 4 also address the issues of licencing, as well as whether indeed everything on Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and what are the options for those who disagree (such as [[Fork (software development)|forking]]).<ref name=":6" />


The next two chapters focus on the decision making process on Wikipedia.<ref name=":6" /> Chapter 5 is titled "The Challenges of Consensus." and aptly discusses the nature of [[Consensus decision-making|consensus decision making]] on Wikipedia Chapter 6, "The [[Benevolent dictatorship|Benevolent Dictator]]", mainly discusses the role of [[Jimmy Wales|Jimbo Wales]], the project's founder, as well as other less famous elements of Wikipedia's hierarchy, such as [[Wikipedia administrators|administrators]], the [[Arbitration Committee]], or the [[Wikimedia Foundation]]'s [[Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation|Board of Trustees]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
The next two chapters focus on the decision making process on Wikipedia.<ref name=":6" /> Chapter 5 is titled "The Challenges of Consensus." and aptly discusses the nature of [[Consensus decision-making|consensus decision making]] on Wikipedia Chapter 6, "The [[Benevolent dictatorship|Benevolent Dictator]]", mainly discusses the role of [[Jimmy Wales|Jimbo Wales]], the project's founder, as well as other less famous elements of Wikipedia's hierarchy, such as [[Wikipedia administrators|administrators]], the [[Arbitration Committee]], or the [[Wikimedia Foundation]]'s [[Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation|Board of Trustees]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
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Olivia Auxier writing a review for the ''[[International Journal of Communication]]'' in 2013 noted that "Reagle’s book is mostly descriptive but does offer some theoretical ideas about the issues Wikipedia faced early on and that it will continue to confront".<ref name=":4" />
Olivia Auxier writing a review for the ''[[International Journal of Communication]]'' in 2013 noted that "Reagle’s book is mostly descriptive but does offer some theoretical ideas about the issues Wikipedia faced early on and that it will continue to confront".<ref name=":4" />

Piotr Konieczny reviewing the book for ''[[Social Forces]]'' in 2014 wrote that while the book might not address all possible aspects of the Wikipedia project, it "has earned itself a place of a classic in the studies of Wikipedia, and, likely, in the bookshelves dedicated to the open content communities and online ethnography".<ref name=":8" />


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 10:04, 23 April 2020

Good Faith Collaboration
AuthorJoseph M. Reagle Jr.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherMIT Press
Publication date
2010
Pages256
ISBN978-0-262-01447-2
Followed byReading the Comments 

Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia is a 2010 book by Joseph M. Reagle Jr. that deals with the topic of Wikipedia and the Wikipedia community. The book was first published on August 27, 2010 through the MIT Press and has a foreword by Lawrence Lessig. The book is an ethnographic study of the history of Wikipedia, its real life and theoretical precursors, and the culture which has developed around it. Among others, the discusses among others the development of consensus and collaborative practices.

Reagle's main thesis has been summarized as the argument that "the success of Wikipedia may be less technological than a consequence of the community of Wikipedians and their cultural norms".[1]

The book has been described as a pioneering ethnographic study of the culture of Wikipedia.[2][3]

History of publication

Good Faith Collaboration is based on Reagle's PhD dissertation.[4] Reagle, the book author, is a scholar specializing in sociology of the Internet, as well as a Wikipedia volunteer.[5] In writing the book, Reagle relied on documents produced by the Wikipedia community, such as "content pages, discussion pages, mailing lists, newsletters, and meet-ups".[6]

The book was published in 2010 by MIT Press.[6] In September 2011, the Web edition of the book was released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license.[7]

Synopsis

The book is composed of 8 chapters with a foreword by Lawrence Lessig.[8][9][3]

The book opens with Chapter 1, "Nazis and Norms", which provides an overview of the book and the author's methodology.[1] In Chapter number 2, "The Pursuit of the Universal Encyclopedia", Reagle explores the history of encyclopedias and history of collaboration, with the focus on the 20th century onward. Reagle mentions specific examples such as H.G. Wells' World Brain, Paul Otlet's Universal Repository, or collaborative practices of the Quakers.[2][6][1]

Chapter 3, " Good Faith Collaboration" and Chapter 4 "The Puzzle of Openness" begin the ethnographic parts of the book.[1] They discuss the phenomena of the success of Wikipedia, which is significantly based on the project's core policies, such as neutral point of view, no original research, and verifiability, all made possible due to the "good faith", represented by the virtues such as "assuming the best of others, patience, civility, and humor".[6][8] In fact, the book title comes from one of the Wikipedia policies, known as AGF or "Assume Good Faith", which Reagle argues is a key factor in making Wikipedia project a success.[10][3][11][12] Chapter 4 also address the issues of licencing, as well as whether indeed everything on Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and what are the options for those who disagree (such as forking).[1]

The next two chapters focus on the decision making process on Wikipedia.[1] Chapter 5 is titled "The Challenges of Consensus." and aptly discusses the nature of consensus decision making on Wikipedia Chapter 6, "The Benevolent Dictator", mainly discusses the role of Jimbo Wales, the project's founder, as well as other less famous elements of Wikipedia's hierarchy, such as administrators, the Arbitration Committee, or the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees.[10][1]

In chapter 7, "Encyclopedic Anxiety", Reagle discusses views of some of the readers of Wikipedia, including its critics, such as Nicolas Carr; discussing problems such as the prelevant "amateurism" of the project.[6][10][1]

Reception

William S. Kowinski in a review of the book for the North Coast Journal published in 2010, writes that "What this book does well is describe how Wikipedia works and what issues have arisen... this may remain the best opportunity for learning about this remarkable project."[2]

The book received a positive review from Cory Doctorow, who in a 2010 review on the Boing Boing portal said that Reagle "offers a compelling case that Wikipedia's most fascinating and unprecedented aspect isn't the encyclopedia itself – rather, it's the collaborative culture that underpins it: brawling, self-reflexive, funny, serious, and full-tilt committed to the project".[5]

The book was also reviewed by R. Stuart Geiger for The Wikipedia Signpost that year. He commended the author on his involvement in the Wikipedia project, which has allowed him to create a work that " goes well beyond most accounts written about Wikipedia, insisting on studying Wikipedians both on and in their own terms." Geiger concluded that the book is "it is well-written, well-sourced, and neutral; something I'd recommend for my mother." He also noted that the book has been praised by the the-director of the Wikimedia Foundation, Sue Gardener, on her blog.[11][13]

Humphreys Lee reviewing the book for the Journal of Communication in 2011 noted that it is a welcome addition to the body of ethnographic literature about new digital media. She notes that book focus is abut the production, not consumption of Wikipedia. She stress the historical importance of the wiki technology which was necessary for the development of the Wikipedia project. She concludes "is an important contribution to understanding the collaborative culture of media production and the open content community".[6]

Jeff Loveland in his review published in 2011 in Annals of Science wrote that the book has "one major weakness, namely in historical contextualization", but praised it as a de facto introduction to Wikipedia, exploring the "insightful and worthwhile" topic of ethnography of Wikipedia.[1]

Mayo Fuster Morell in her review in the Information, Communication & Society, commends Reagle book for pioneering study of Wikipedia from an ethnographic approach, "particularly in terms of its cultural and historical specificity".[3]

José-Carlos Redondo-Olmedilla reviewing the book for The Information Society in 2012 wrote "Reagle's book on the culture of Wikipedia gives an accurate account of this sociocultural and sociotechnological phenomenon that Wikipedia is" and concluded that "it is definitely an excellent read and an accomplished exercise of transparency".[8]

Olivia Auxier writing a review for the International Journal of Communication in 2013 noted that "Reagle’s book is mostly descriptive but does offer some theoretical ideas about the issues Wikipedia faced early on and that it will continue to confront".[10]

Piotr Konieczny reviewing the book for Social Forces in 2014 wrote that while the book might not address all possible aspects of the Wikipedia project, it "has earned itself a place of a classic in the studies of Wikipedia, and, likely, in the bookshelves dedicated to the open content communities and online ethnography".[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Loveland, Jeff (2011-10-01). "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia". Annals of Science. 68 (4): 555–558. doi:10.1080/00033790.2011.564297. ISSN 0003-3790.
  2. ^ a b c Kowinski, William (December 30, 2010). "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia". North Coast Journal.
  3. ^ a b c d Morell, Mayo Fuster (2013-02-01). "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia". Information, Communication & Society. 16 (1): 146–147. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2011.602092. ISSN 1369-118X.
  4. ^ Madrigal, Alexis (October 19, 2010). "In Rancorous Times, Can Wikipedia Show Us How to All Get Along?". The Atlantic.
  5. ^ a b Doctorow, Cory (December 20, 2010). "Good Faith Collaboration: How Wikipedia works". Boing Boing.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Lee, Humphreys (April 1, 2011). "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia". Journal of Communication. 61 (2): E1–E4. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2011.01545.x.
  7. ^ Web/CC Edition of Good Faith Collaboration
  8. ^ a b c Redondo-Olmedilla, José-Carlos (2012-01-01). "A Review of "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia"". The Information Society. 28 (1): 53–54. doi:10.1080/01972243.2011.632286. ISSN 0197-2243.
  9. ^ "Foreword". reagle.org. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  10. ^ a b c d Auxier, Olivia (2013-11-13). "Joseph Michael Reagle, Jr., Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia". International Journal of Communication. 7 (0): 3. ISSN 1932-8036.
  11. ^ a b Geiger, R. Stuart (October 4, 2010). "Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia, by Joseph Reagle". The Signpost.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ a b Konieczny, Piotr (2014-09-01). "Good Faith Collaboration By Joseph Micheal Reagle Jr. MIT Press. 2010, 244 pages. $27.95 cloth". Social Forces. 93 (1): e17–e17. doi:10.1093/sf/sos100. ISSN 0037-7732.
  13. ^ "What Wikimedia can learn from the Quakers, Part 2". Sue Gardner's Blog. 2010-09-20. Retrieved 2020-04-23.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Good_Faith_Collaboration&oldid=952646556"