08-10, 10:30–10:55 (Poland), Belgrade (8)
Language: English
I have covered Wikipedia as a journalist for more than five years, writing for places like the New York Times, WIRED, and Slate. But when it came to writing a book about the experience, I was drawn to the idea of writing it in fictional form. My book The Editors crystalizes some of the tensions found in open culture projects like Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement. I would read a short passage from the book and answer any questions about my experience covering Wikipedia in literature.
“A strikingly relevant and compelling suspense novel. With the pace of a thriller and the heart of a drama, Harrison exposes the unseen battles fought in the digital trenches of today's information war." ―Taylor Lorenz, Technology Columnist, The Washington Post
I have been covering Wikipedia as a journalist for more than five years, writing for places like the New York Times, WIRED, and Slate. But when it came to writing a book about the experience, I was drawn to the idea of writing it in fiction. My book The Editors crystalizes some of the tensions found in open culture projects like Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement. I would read a short passage from the book and answer any questions about my experience covering Wikipedia in literary form.
About the book--
Aim for Neutrality. We Need Better Sources. Anonymity is Fundamental. Keep Developing.
These are the core principles of Infopendium. Millions trust the online encyclopedia. But who are the people behind the facts?
Morgan Wentworth is an unemployed journalist skirting the edge of eviction in New York City and considering leaving the profession. While researching a freelance article about Infopendium, she meets Alex, a teenage super user hoping to become one of the encyclopedia's powerful administrators.
Across the world in Beijing, Nevin is a Chinese-American editor-for-hire who offers “consulting services” to change the content of certain articles at the request of wealthy clients—including the Chinese Communist Party. But Nevin’s rule breaking has raised the ire of Ed, an old-timer in Kansas who is determined to protect his beloved website at whatever cost.
When Infopendium is attacked and a pandemic disrupts the world, governments, companies, and isolated individuals will struggle for the soul, and the very existence, of humanity's most valuable and vulnerable information source.
Session recording: https://youtu.be/ZtLTHPj8O64?list=PLhV3K_DS5YfJdC5P86rsDsUtxEow0gDnR&t=4984
My novel explores these themes in dramatic, literary form. Each of the main characters interacts with the crowdsourced internet encyclopedia in a different way. Fiction is a tool for building empathy, and a novelization of Wikipedia might help the public better understand how Wikimedians work together to build a collaborative, open project like Wikipedia.
What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?* –Everyone can participate in this session
How do you plan to deliver this session?* –Dialing in from a remote location
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Stephen Harrison is a journalist who is significant in the wiki community for his coverage of Wikipedia. He is the author of The Editors, a novel inspired by Wikipedia.