IWikipedia yenye yeendawo ze-Intanethi eziye zindwendwelwe, ezizibonakalisa njenge "encyclopedia" kwaye yamkelwe ngabaninzi abaziingcali kunye nabantwana besikolo njengomthombo wenyaniso ongathandabuzekiyo. Indawo yasungulwa ngo-2001 ngusomashishini waseAlabama ogama linguJimmy Wales. Ngaphambi kokuseka i-Wikipedia, uJimmy Wales wenza iprojekthi ye-Intanethi iBomis, eyasasaza iphonografi ehlawulelweyo, inyani yokuba uzabalazela ngenkuthalo ukususa kubomi bakhe (UHansen xnumx; Ukufunda xnumx).

Uninzi lwabantu lucinga ukuba i-Wikipedia ithembekile kuba nabani na unokuyihlela, kodwa enyanisweni le webhusayithi ibonakalisa umbono wokuba abahleli bayo bahlala behleli kwaye bahlala behleli, ezinye zazo (ngakumbi kwimimandla yeengxabano zentlalo) ngabalweli abafuna ukwenza impembelelo kuluntu. . Ngaphandle komgaqo-nkqubo wayo osemthethweni wokungathathi cala, i-Wikipedia inenkululeko yokutsala ngokukhululekileyo kunye nokukhetha okukhohlakeleyo. Ukongeza, i-Wikipedia ichukunyiswa kakhulu kukunxibelelana noluntu okuhlawulelwayo kunye noochwephesha bokuphatha isithunzi abasusa naziphi na iinyani ezingalunganga malunga nabathengi babo kwaye banike umxholo okhethayo. Nangona ukuhlelwa okunje okuhlawulelweyo akuvunyelwe, iWikipedia yenza kancinane ukuthobela imithetho yayo, ngakumbi kubanikeli abakhulu.