French Wikipedia
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| French Wikipedia | |
|---|---|
| Name | French Wikipedia |
| Type | Internet encyclopedia |
| Language | French |
| Registration | Optional |
| Owner | Wikimedia Foundation |
| Author | Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger, and the French-speaking community |
French Wikipedia. It is the French language edition of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Launched in March 2001, it is one of the oldest and largest Wikipedia editions, consistently ranking among the top five by article count. The project is known for its rigorous editorial standards, active community, and significant cultural influence in the Francophone world.
History
The edition was created on 23 March 2001, just two months after the founding of the original English Wikipedia. Early contributors were influenced by the collaborative model pioneered by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. A pivotal moment occurred in 2004 when the community decided against allowing uploads of non-free images, a stricter policy than some other editions. Growth accelerated significantly after 2005, with the number of articles surpassing one million in September 2010, due in part to the use of bots creating stubs on topics like municipalities of France. Key milestones include the establishment of the Wikimédia France chapter in 2004 to support local activities and the hosting of major events like Wikimania in Paris in 2005. The project has also been involved in collaborations with institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Louvre.
Content and policies
Content is governed by core principles like neutral point of view and verifiability, with a notable emphasis on citing reliable sources such as academic journals and established media like Le Monde. The community maintains a set of formal guidelines and essays, with a particular focus on the notability of subjects like companies and websites. There is a strong tradition of biographical articles on figures from French history like Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles de Gaulle, as well as detailed coverage of French literature, philosophy, and art. The project has developed extensive coverage of global topics, including the European Union, the Olympic Games, and World War II. Unlike some editions, it has historically placed restrictions on the use of fair use media.
Community and governance
The community is composed of volunteer editors, administrators, and bureaucrats who operate through a consensus-driven model on discussion pages and dedicated forums. Governance is decentralized, with major decisions, such as policy changes or the election of the Arbitration Committee, made through community votes. The local chapter, Wikimédia France, based in Paris, organizes outreach events, partnerships with institutions like the University of Geneva, and educational programs. The community gathers at regular meetups in cities like Montreal and Brussels, as well as at international conferences such as Wikimania. Dispute resolution processes are well-established, involving steps from informal mediation to formal arbitration.
Impact and reception
It is a primary reference source in the Francophone world, frequently cited by media outlets including Radio France Internationale and Agence France-Presse. Its content is often used by students, journalists, and researchers across countries like France, Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland. The edition has been recognized for its quality; for instance, articles on topics like the Catharism or the Dreyfus affair have received praise in publications like Le Figaro. It has also been the subject of academic studies by institutions like the University of Oxford. Criticisms have occasionally arisen regarding coverage biases or editorial disputes, similar to challenges faced by other major language editions like the German Wikipedia.
Technical aspects
The platform runs on the same MediaWiki software that powers all Wikipedia editions, with customization through local templates and modules. The community has developed specialized tools, such as those for fighting vandalism and maintaining citation standards. It utilizes the same underlying database and infrastructure as other projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. Automated editing via bots is common for tasks like interwiki linking and fixing minor errors. The technical environment supports extensive use of scripts and gadgets created by editors to enhance workflow, and the site is accessible through the global Wikipedia mobile app.