User:Valjean/Essay/How to increase Wikipedia's credibility
Essay on Wikipedia's credibility problem and how to solve it. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Research shows that Wikipedia gains credibility by being an active fact-checker and anti-fringe.[4][8] Wikipedia is a mainstream encyclopedia and always strives to report facts as found in reliable sources (RS). Our articles should leave no doubt as to what is factual and what is false or unproven. Falsehoods, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories damage Wikipedia's credibility, and when fringe editors leave Wikipedia it becomes more trustworthy.[12]
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![]() | This page in a nutshell: Wikipedia gains credibility by being anti-fringe, factual, calling things by their right names, and resolutely opposing fringe editors. A dominance of anti-fringe editors causes pro-fringe editors to leave, and their loss is a benefit to the project and directly boosts its credibility. |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Online_Credibility_according_to_Stanford.png/640px-Online_Credibility_according_to_Stanford.png)
The recipe for increased credibility is simple: be anti-fringe; be factual and call things by their right names; and firmly oppose fringe editors.
This knowledge should result in a mentality shift toward actively opposing fringe editors who push nonsense. They insidiously undermine our RS policy and damage Wikipedia's credibility, so they don't belong here. When possible, it's better to use topic bans to redirect their energies toward more constructive ways of editing. If they won't do that, other sanctions should be applied boldly, without hesitation or delay.