By Eric Gordon - The theory of network locality suggests that location continues to matter in a globalized and networked culture. But the conditions under which local knowledge is produced are changing. With the ubiquity of digital networks, individual users can produce and consume information about local spaces no matter where they are. But information and knowledge are different things. This article describes how local knowledge is produced in a social context where location is wherever we happen to be. - iteau
This exploratory study examines the relationships between article and Talk page contributions and their effect on article quality in Wikipedia. The sample consisted of three articles each from the hard sciences, soft sciences, and humanities, whose talk page and article edit histories were observed over a five–month period and coded for contribution types. Richness and neutrality criteria were then used to assess article quality and results were compared within and among subject disciplines. This study reveals variability in article quality across subject disciplines and a relationship between Talk page discussion and article editing activity. Overall, results indicate the initial article creator’s critical role in providing a framework for future editing as well as a remarkable stability in article content over time. - iteau
