2001 founded Standing
encyclopedias · wikipedia.org
Wikipedia
the moat is real
25 years 217 days and counting
Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, 15 Jan 2001. Still the page you open to check if the model is lying.
Why it lasted
- It is the default answer, and search engines need that default more than Wikipedia needs them.
- A nonprofit with a banner every December is an ugly funding model that actually works.
- The talk page and the citation are still more trustworthy than a confident paragraph from a model.
Times it almost ended
- Nupedia was the grown-up version and died. Wikipedia was the joke that shipped.
- Every AI overview that scrapes it is also an existential threat. The banner this time is about that.
What would finish it
- Search that never sends a click, plus a generation that does not know the difference between a citation and a vibe.
Questions
Is Wikipedia still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 2001.
How long has Wikipedia been around?
Wikipedia has been up since 2001-01-15.
Why did Wikipedia survive?
It is the default answer, and search engines need that default more than Wikipedia needs them.
Could Wikipedia still die?
Search that never sends a click, plus a generation that does not know the difference between a citation and a vibe.