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# Wikipedia and reputation
- URL: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/wikipedia-and-reputation/
- Published: 2004-09-05T23:51:36.000Z
- Updated: 2004-09-05T23:51:36.000Z
- Author: Lorcan Dempsey
- Tags: Books, Collections

Ross Mayfield summarises current discussions about the ‘trustworthiness’ of [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main%5FPage?ref=lorcandempsey.net).

> Which brings me to an lingering thought — that explicitly codifying reputation introduces a cost which can constrain [commons-based peer production](https://www.benkler.org/CoasesPenguin.html?ref=lorcandempsey.net). Wikipedia was never supposed to work, somehow does because of [good club theory and transaction costs](https://ross.typepad.com/blog/2004/01/phantom%5Fauthori.html?ref=lorcandempsey.net), and has gained a reputation as a resource. Introducing reputation for contributors or articles is the greatest risk to the Wikipedia community. Getting a base study on factual accuracy can help inform this decision as well as educate the public on how to use and participate with this commons resource. \[[Many-to-Many: Wikipedia Reputation and the Wemedia Project](https://www.corante.com/many/archives/2004/08/29/wikipedia%5Freputation%5Fand%5Fthe%5Fwemedia%5Fproject.php?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\]