Stop! Why Wikis Work

“Wikipedia and its contributors are excruciatingly self-aware. Wikipedia has developed many charming quirks and in-jokes in its five short years of existence, nearly all self-reflexive, including a habit of obsessively linking to its own articles. But, far more interesting, it has also collectively developed a robust sensibility about what is permissible in its own pages. Nearly every Wikipedia user has occasionally come across a little tag at the top of an article: ‘Stop!’ it says, ‘The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.’ This little tag, I’m convinced, is the secret to Wikipedia’s success.”