Short summary and review from Joseph Reagle’s “In good faith…”

Wikipedia: Collaborative Culture and the Fulfillment of a Vision

Short summary and review of Joseph Reagle‘s dissertation “In Good Faith: Wikipedia Collaboration and the Pursuit of the Universal Encyclopedia”. (http://reagle.org/joseph/2008/03/dsrtn-in-good-faith. New York (NY), 2008).

By Juliana Brunello

Reagle’s introduction is somewhat unclear about the central quest of his dissertation. After reading his essay and re-reading the introduction and conclusion, I believe that the central thesis of his dissertation is that Wikipedia is the fulfillment of a “long held aspiration for a universal encyclopedia…” (Reagle 2008: 3) He believes that this was possible due to the collaborative “good faith” practice, encyclopedic impulse, the vision of a universal encyclopedia itself and technological aspiration. In order to present his ideas, Reagle chose a historical and ethnographical approach. Throughout his work, he points out the differences and similarities between the past trials and the present Wikipedia, showing what makes it different and why it has (relatively) succeeded.

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