Podcasts Education Self-Improvement Conversations with Tyler Jimmy Wales on Systems and Incentives

Jimmy Wales on Systems and Incentives

Published: Nov. 18, 2020, 1 p.m.

Jimmy Wales used to joke that choosing to build Wikipedia on a non-profit, non-advertising model was either the best or worst decision he ever made\u2014but he doesn\u2019t joke about that anymore. \u201cIf you think about advertising-driven social media\u2026it's driven them in many cases to prioritize agitation and argumentation in a negative sense over education and learning and thoughtfulness.\u201d In his now ceremonial role, Jimmy spends a lot of time thinking about how to structure incentives so that the Wikipedia community stays aligned on values and focused on building an ever-improving encyclopedia.

Jimmy joined Tyler to discuss what happens when content moderation goes wrong, why certain articles are inherently biased, the threat that repealing section 230 poses to Wikipedia, whether he believes in Conquest\u2019s Law, the difference between \u201cpaid editing\u201d and \u201cpaid advocacy editing,\u201d how Wikipedia handles alternative accounts, the right to be forgotten, his unusual education in Huntsville, Alabama, why Ayn Rand is under- and over-rated, the continual struggle to balance good rules and procedures against impenetrable bureaucracy, how Wikipedia is responding to mobile use, his attempt to build a non-toxic social media platform, and more.

Read a\xa0full transcript\xa0enhanced with helpful links, or watch the\xa0full video.

Recorded October 21st, 2020

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