Wikipedia turns 25 today! Dr Tomasz Raburski from the AMU Faculty of Philosophy explains the significance of the largest educational project in history.
Millions of people worldwide have joined this project. Polish Wikipedia was founded a few months later (26 September 2001) and quickly became one of the most dynamic language versions.
From the beginning, Wikipedia was aimed at collecting rather than creating knowledge. It was based on volunteer work and made its content available under free licences, allowing for wide use, also for commercial purposes. Today, it is the primary source for AI training, adds the researcher. Over the past 25 years, it has become part of everyday life, providing quick and universal access to knowledge. Over this time, its environment has changed significantly. Little remains of the early Internet devised by individuals. Most of the space belongs to commercialised platforms, and Wikipedia remains the last major non-commercial community project, continues Dr Raburski.
Hundreds of students and staff at our University have also participated in its development. For over a decade, various departments have been conducting projects that incorporate Wikipedia into teaching. Several researchers from our University have also studied Wikipedia scientifically, publishing articles on the subject in Poland and abroad. Some of our faculties and the University Library made their media collections available through Wikipedia. In 2020, AMU signed a partnership agreement with the Wikimedia Foundation, launching the WikiUAM project, which brings these initiatives together, the researcher concludes.
photo: private archive