Wikipedia blocked co-founder Larry Sanger from editing the website
What's the story
Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger was recently blocked from editing the site indefinitely. The decision was taken by a group of volunteer editors, leaving Sanger "flabbergasted." He compared the modern Wikipedia community to a "mob or a blob," where users are more loyal to each other than to the site's rules.
Controversial campaign
Sanger's 'canvassing' charges
Sanger's blocking comes after he called for underrepresented viewpoints, especially Hindus and American conservatives, to get more involved on Wikipedia. The exact reason for his blocking wasn't disclosed. However, editors accused Sanger of "canvassing" with his intellectual diversity project. Wikipedia policy defines canvassing as alerting other editors about editorial activity "with the intention of influencing the outcome of a discussion in a particular way."
Return and criticism
Sanger's return to Wikipedia
Sanger had returned to Wikipedia after a long hiatus, publishing his "Nine Theses" calling for a complete overhaul of the site. Ironically, one of his theses called for an end to indefinite blocking. His return had already caused turmoil on the site, especially after he weighed in on the contentious Gaza genocide entry.
Bias allegations
Left-wing bias and the 'canvassing' debate
Wikipedia has been accused of left-wing bias, with conservative outlets rated lower than even Chinese state media. To justify Sanger's ban, editors called his efforts "canvassing." Sanger strongly denied these charges, arguing that notifying other editors to improve discussion quality is acceptable under Wikipedia policy.