Analysis: Jimmy Wales Will Never Edit Donald Trumps Wikipedia Page: He Makes Me Insane

**Headline: Jimmy Wales, the 'Last Decent Tech Baron': Fixing Trust in a Polarized World** In the tech-driven world we live in, the name Jimmy Wales may not be as familiar as those of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, or Elon Musk. Yet, Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, has been hailed as the 'last decent tech baron'. This title may sound flattering, but it is one that Wales himself might associate more with the tech elite's performance-driven antics than with his low-key approach to life. As Wikipedia turns 25 this month, Wales is not preoccupied with joining the tech elite's power games. Instead, he is focused on mundane tasks like fixing his home Wi-Fi. He has also been promoting his new book, *The Seven Rules of Trust*, which uses Wikipedia's overarching strategy and its unlikely rise to articulate Wales' playbook for fixing much of what's broken in today's deeply polarized and antagonistic society. **Building Trust vs Keeping Trust** In a conversation with Katie Drummond on *The Big Interview*, Wales reflected on the messy, human origins of Wikipedia, the ways it has been targeted by governments from Russia to Saudi Arabia, and the challenges of holding the line on neutrality in an online ecosystem hostile to the notion that facts even exist. They also discussed what threatens Wikipedia now, from AI to conspiracy-pilled billionaires, and why Wales will never edit an entry about Donald Trump. When asked about the importance of building trust versus keeping trust, Wales opined that building trust is harder, particularly in today's era of low trust. He explained that getting trust is crucial, especially in the initial stages, as it allows for mistakes to be forgiven due to the fundamental trust that exists. **Wikipedia: A North East India Connection** Wikipedia's impact is not confined to the global stage. In North East India, Wikipedia serves as a valuable resource for accessing information, particularly in regions where internet penetration is relatively low. The platform's commitment to neutrality and its vast array of information make it an invaluable tool for education and research. Moreover, the principles that underpin Wikipedia's success collaboration, volunteerism, and a commitment to factual accuracy resonate with the values that drive many initiatives in North East India. The region is home to numerous community-led initiatives that aim to improve access to education, healthcare, and other essential services. These initiatives share Wikipedia's ethos of collaboration, volunteerism, and a commitment to the common good. **The Threat to Wikipedia** Wales expressed concern about the threats facing Wikipedia, from AI to conspiracy theorists. He emphasized the need to protect Wikipedia's community of volunteers, many of whom work tirelessly to maintain the platform's accuracy and neutrality. He also highlighted the importance of preserving Wikipedia's spirit of intellectual diversity and its commitment to neutrality in an increasingly polarized world. **Looking Forward** As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, Wales' work offers a beacon of hope. His commitment to neutrality, collaboration, and factual accuracy provides a model for how we can rebuild trust in a world that is increasingly skeptical and divided. Wales' message is clear: we must strive to be the change we want to see in the world. By working together, we can create a more trustworthy, collaborative, and fact-based society. As Wales puts it, "We are a community. So we're just a bunch of geeks who like writing an encyclopedia as a hobby. As such, when we think about the competitive landscape in a kind of dotcom way, Ooh, what if Grok takes 30 percent of your traffic? What's that gonna do? I'm sure it'll hurt the foundation's revenue if we have less traffic. But is it gonna change anything about the community? Not really. Because we write Wikipedia, because we enjoy it, and we're really happy that other people like it." In the face of adversity, Wales remains optimistic. He believes that people are fundamentally good and that we can overcome the challenges posed by AI, algorithms, and polarization. As he said, "Most people assume good faith. We see that and we trust people all the time in all kinds of ways. I think we can just say politics has gotten super broken. Things about social media are super broken, but people are still the same." In a world where trust is in short supply, Wales' work offers a glimmer of hope. By embracing the principles that underpin Wikipedia's success, we can rebuild trust, foster collaboration, and create a more fact-based society. As Wales puts it, "People are gonna look back at Wikipedia and go, you know what? That was one of the good things. That was a really difficult time in human history, and there was a lot of crap, but a bunch of really nice people got together to gather knowledge and share it with the world." Let's strive to be part of that 'bunch of really nice people'.