Technology United Kingdom

Wikipedia often gets taken for granted – but its history is fascinating, and its future is fragile

Clearly people were trusting it, so much so it had become part of the fabric of everyday life since it was founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001.

By The News Engine Desk Based on reporting by The Guardian

18 Oct 2026, 19:30 IST Updated 1 hour ago 1 min read 0 views

Image accompanying the story: Wikipedia often gets taken for granted – but its history is fascinating, and its future is fragile — Image: Photograph: Boris Roessler/EPA · via The Guardian

The Guardian reports: Clearly people were trusting it, so much so it had become part of the fabric of everyday life since it was founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001.

Wikipedia’s 68m articles have been consulted trillions of times. Everyone was on it all the time, and yet its reputation had stalled at “don’t trust it”, because it was the “free encyclopedia that anyone can edit”.

This technology story centres on the United Kingdom. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Wikipedia, Clearly and Jimmy Wales.

Why it matters

Changes in the tech sector often reach consumers quickly through the devices, apps and online services they use every day.

Key details

Location: United Kingdom · Europe
Reported by: The Guardian
First reported: 18 Oct 2026, 19:30 IST
Key names: Wikipedia, Clearly, Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger
Section: Technology
Figure cited: Not bad for a website that has barely changed since it was founded 20 years ago A few years ago, I was struck by the tension between how Wikipedia was used, and how it was talked about. (The Guardian)