Author: Lovink Geert
Place: Amsterdam
Publisher: Institute of Network Cultures
Year: 2011
Pages: 384
Subject: Media
Sub-Subject: Digital Media
Keyword: Wikipedia Reader, Cultural Difference, Global knowledge
Shelf: C1R4
Accession No: B1048
Contents: Encyclopedic Knowledge, Computational Cultures, Interventions, Politics of Exclusion, Governance & Authority, Appendices
Abstract: *Critical Point of View* explores the complex realities of Wikipedia, moving beyond praise and reliability concerns to examine its underlying cultural and political dimensions. This collection of essays, interviews, and artworks is part of the Critical Point of View research initiative, which began with a conference in 2010 and includes contributions that focus on Wikipedia’s role in shaping knowledge. The work critically investigates the values embedded in Wikipedia’s software, its claims to neutrality, and how it reflects or excludes voices from outside the Western Enlightenment tradition. Contributors explore how Wikipedia’s structure and administration impact the diversity of content, often prioritizing certain perspectives over others. The collection also delves into the roles of bots and artistic interventions in shaping the platform’s knowledge and governance. By examining the politics of agency and exclusion, *Critical Point of View* provides original insights into the evolving nature of wiki-related research and the challenges of creating an inclusive, global knowledge platform. It raises questions about how Wikipedia can better represent marginalized voices and reconsider its claims to objectivity.