this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2026
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Larry Sanger, one of Wikipedia’s cofounders, was banned from editing the site indefinitely after other editors determined he was canvassing, or in other words, calling on his followers off platform in order to influence Wikipedia’s content.

Sanger has spent more than a decade criticizing Wikipedia for what he claims is an ideological, left-wing bias on a variety of topics, and on X has framed this recent ban as further proof of everything that’s wrong with Wikipedia. The New York Post took that bait and last night published an article with the headline “Left-leaning Wikipedia blocked founder from editing site—after he campaigned to make it more balanced.”

Wikipedia editors obviously reject that framing and say that Sanger was banned for wielding his followers to sway discussion and decision making on Wikipedia. The discussion that led to the decision to ban Sanger concluded with what an editor called a “clear consensus” to ban Sanger.

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[–] antonim@lemmy.world 17 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Sanger was laid off from Wikipedia early on, started a competitor site that failed, and then returned to Wikipedia not so much to contribute but to rail against the project, his only credentials being setting up some of the crucial rules for the site two decades ago. It was really pathetic, like an ex pestering the other one years after the breakup, unable to move on. I hope he finds a better hobby now.

[–] Curious_Canid@piefed.ca 23 points 3 hours ago

"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." --Stephen Colbert

[–] HAL_9_TRILLION@lemmy.dbzer0.com 45 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

In the kangaroo court in which a mob ousted me, Wikipedia’s administrators showed that they don’t appear to value details like formal charges, a designated prosecutor, basic decorum, distinction between prosecution and judge, dispassionate adjudication, and so forth

These hypocrite fucks always rail off at the mouth about how abused they are... and it's always just to get their foot in the door. Once they run the show, they rewrite history, dole out all the abuse they want and face zero repercussions. Intolerant shits that the rest of us simply must tolerate. Well go fuck yourself Larry Sanger. The world doesn't need more right-wing bullshit.

[–] call_me_xale@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Karl Popper has entered the chat

[–] Cleisthenian@lemmy.ml 20 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

These reactionaries will never be happy until literally everything is a fascist propaganda outlet. Not content with all mainstream media and social media, wikipedia and other community information hubs must fall next

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

exactly. there may be genuine improvements Wikipedia could make, but as long as there's a rabid pack of chuds making demands that change happen, I'll support Wiki taking it slowly and deliberately. Anything that pisses off those fuckwits has to be good for humanity.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 106 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Reality has a liberal bias.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 41 points 5 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Triumph@fedia.io 26 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Colbert used the term in a more traditional sense, as opposed to how it's sometimes used now as an insult by harder leftists.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 15 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The more traditional sense is the global definition.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 18 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I knew you knew that, my comment was more for the passers-by who may not even be old enough to remember that it was a Colbert quote.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 3 points 5 hours ago
[–] XLE@piefed.social 70 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Part of Larry Sanger's statement

"In the kangaroo court in which a mob ousted me, Wikipedia’s administrators showed that they don’t appear to value details like formal charges, a designated prosecutor, basic decorum, distinction between prosecution and judge..."

Does this guy think Wikipedia is run like a country

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 18 points 5 hours ago

Faux News melts their brain and breaks who they are as people

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 77 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

I’m not sure the NYP took the bait, they’re more like the bait shop; more than happy to sell whatever the right wing outrage machine is selling on a given day.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today 14 points 6 hours ago

And when there's nothing to sell today, they'll drum up some shit for a sale tomorrow

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 3 points 6 hours ago

Yeah... The Post isn't much of a shocker. It'd be more of a shocker if it were NYT.

[–] XLE@piefed.social 10 points 4 hours ago

Hmm I wonder if Sanger knew better. I wonder if there was any smoking gun posted online that would prove this.

“Wikipedians are now debating whether my proposed WikiProject Intellectual Diversity should be permitted to become an official WikiProject (club/group of editors),” Sanger said on X on Friday and linked to the Wikipedia talk page about the issue. “Lots opposed. Also lots in favor.”

“Can I still join the movement?” one person replied to Sanger on X.

“Let's just say that if I answer that question one way or another, the playground moms who rule Wikipedia might block me,” Sanger responded.

shocked_pikachu

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 28 points 6 hours ago

That is very much the definition of snowflake behaviour.

[–] DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world 15 points 6 hours ago