As part of Welcome Week, I’ll be hosting a session on Wikipedia, not just how to edit it, but why it matters. For me, Wikipedia has been more than a website. It’s been a quiet companion through two decades of learning, curiosity, and community.
Wikipedia isn’t perfect. But it’s one of the few places on the internet where people come together to build something for everyone. No ads. No paywalls. Just knowledge, freely shared. I started editing Wikipedia over 20 years ago when I was just 17. Sometimes I was deeply involved, sometimes I drifted away. There were moments I worried about the direction of the project with those who edit it and the community. I would sometimes see negative hostility towards new users who didn’t quite know how Wikipedia worked. But over the years, especially recently, with the rise of disinformation and Gen AI, I’ve found myself growing more committed to the Wikipedia movement, not less.
As an Open University student, I know what it means to learn in non-traditional ways. I know how powerful it is to access education on your own terms. Wikipedia embodies that spirit. It’s a tool for learning, but also a platform for contributing. You don’t need a degree to improve an article. You just need a willingness to share what you know and curiosity about learning. For the last few years, I’ve been working on finding reliable sources for all those pesky citation needed tags that you see in articles. Since I’ve become a student, I unfortunately haven’t had the time to edit as much as I would like. I still have a long to-do list of articles that I want to create or expand, but one of the best aspects about Wikipedia is that it doesn’t need to be final or completed by a certain date. For the last few years, I’ve been working on finding reliable sources for all those pesky citation needed tags that you see in articles.. The rabbit hole in finding sources led me to many different fun paths. I’m a richer learner as a result.
In an age of generative AI, where content can be created in seconds but not always verified, Wikipedia stands as a human-led effort to ensure accuracy, transparency, and accountability. It’s a place where sources matter, where edits are reviewed, and where knowledge is built collaboratively. By contributing to Wikipedia, we’re not just sharing facts; we’re defending the integrity of information itself. At the same time, we must be honest about Wikipedia’s limitations. It’s a powerful tool, but not infallible. Articles can be incomplete, biased, or even misleading. That’s why critical thinking is essential. Wikipedia works best when readers engage actively: checking citations, questioning claims, and improving content where needed. Trust in Wikipedia doesn’t mean blind faith. it means trusting the process, the community, and your own ability to contribute to it.
If you’ve ever spotted a typo, questioned a citation, or thought “someone should fix that”, then you’re already halfway to being a Wikipedia editor. Join us during Welcome Week on 5 October to learn how to take that next step. In the session we will:
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- Explore how Wikipedia is built and why it’s so influential.
- Learn how to spot good info and improve articles.
- Make your first live edit with friendly support.
You’ll gain the skills to edit confidently, and you’ll become part of a global movement that believes knowledge should be free and accessible to all. Find out more about the session on the Welcome Week website.
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