Two key drivers of Web 2.0 – the second generation of web development and design – are Wikis and Blogs. As this is blog aims to discuss the impact of Web 2.0 and especially New Media, on the fashion industry it is apt that this post highlights Wikipedia’s role in New Media and fashion.

Although Wikipedia was not the first encyclopaedia to take on cyberspace, in terms of userbase and breadth of coverage (number of topics/pages) it is the most successful. It is the first major institution of the emerging knowledge space and according to Clay Shirky, is an excellent example of the collaborative construction of knowledge, interactive web facilities, collaboratively created and edited online encyclopaedia. Implementing a space based structure, it facilitates users to create a network of information and thus knowledge that is structured ad hoc through various interlinkages between individual pages/pieces of information.

 

The wiki has been designed to easily allow anyone to add or edit the content, and therefore the encyclopaedia’s knowledge it provides, without having gained membership to the application. Along with the ability to edit pages, users of the site can ‘track’ changes in Page Histories as well as participate in forum on each topic in its individual dissuasion page and create new topic pages. Embracing the produsage principles of open participation and communal evaluation is the main reason behind its popularity, but it is also a reason for its controversy and criticisms. Due to its ‘anyone can edit’ approach no singular person or group has the right to control the content, added, removed or changed and by whom, but individuals have the ability to continuously monitor the content of a page (topic) they feel they knowledgeable in through the page history function to rectify any knowledge added they deem unnecessary or incorrect. By doing this fluid hierarchies are created through ad hoc meritocratic governance and at its paramount, functions as a self-correcting adhocracy. Also, this means that there is no guarantee to the credibility of information on the application.

 

Although Wikipedia was not designed to be and is still not dedicated to fashion, it does play a certain role in the industry. Firstly, as the application is primarily an encyclopaedia it details all aspects of the fashion industry from designers such as Alexander McQueen and Sass and Bide to definitions of the history of fashion itself , haute couture, avant-garde and the Dandy. It is a one-stop-shop to understanding the fashion world but requires some knowledge of fashion terms and names to navigate its thousands of pages for a chance to find topics dedicated to fashion. Secondly, as the pages can be edited by anyone at anytime the information is current  and published almost as it happens. For example, the Fashion page was only last edited four days ago. Users of the site are consistently adding to the world of knowledge it already provides, meaning you do not have to purchase the new updated edition each year to stay informed. This way you only have the most current edition and it is completely free.

 

Wikipedia was not created solely for the fashion industry, which is perhaps a reason for its small impact. Persons with a fashion background are more likely to gravitate towards applications based on similar produsage characteristics which are fashion based. Unfortunately no such site has been created and has such an impact on cyberspace and knowledge as Wikipedia. Many have been created that act as fashion porthole but none have the ‘anyone can edit’ function like Wikipedia.

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