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"Ignore all rules" (IAR) is a policy of the English Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, which reads: "If a rule prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it." (emphasis and links in original).[1] The rule was proposed by Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger to encourage editors to add information without focusing excessively on formatting, though Sanger later criticized the rule's effects on the community.[2][3]

The policy is discussed on other pages on Wikipedia, such as the essay "What 'Ignore all rules' means".[4][non-primary source needed] It allows Wikipedia users to use a policy to occasionally work around the site's rules without rejecting the entire rule system. A study in 2012 found that in "Articles for Deletion" discussions, which determine whether a Wikipedia article should be deleted, comments were given more weight when they used IAR as justification.[5]

History

[edit]

Wikipedia was launched on January 15, 2001,[6] with few policies, the intention being that users would determine rules via consensus.[7]: 318  "Ignore all rules" was proposed by Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger on a "rules to consider page",[7]: 318  and became one of the first formal guidelines of Wikipedia.[8][9][10] Sanger later said that his intention was to convey that "people should not worry about getting formatting right and getting every single detail of policy under their belts before they started contributing".[9] Having conceived of the rule as a "temporary and humorous injunction",[7]: 318  he rejected it in his later project Citizendium as "other people were taking it seriously".[9]

The original formulation of the rule was:[11][12]

If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participation in the Wiki, then ignore them and go about your business.

The current formulation of the rule is:[1]

If a rule prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it. [emphasis in original]

Sanger has opined that his proposal of IAR was "ironic", as was his rejection of a formal title and enforceable authority. In Open Sources 2.0, he describes these things as "clearly mistakes on [his] part", as they prevented him from enforcing rules. Sanger proposes that a "founding community charter" would have aided with issues in the community of Wikipedia, though he believes IAR and other early decisions did "help the project get off the ground".[7]: 329 

Meaning

[edit]
A flowchart relating to usage of rules on Wikipedia, displayed in the Wikipedia essay "What 'Ignore all rules' means"

"Ignore all rules" refers to the idea that a user is permitted to violate a rule on a case-by-case basis, if the rule's application could cause negative consequences. IAR provides agency for an editor whilst protecting the site's set of rules; it augments Wikipedia's bureaucratic structure. It is a logical impossibility, or a paradox, as its inclusion in Wikipedia's set of rules "makes rule violation an expected behavior".[5]: 583–585  It is a variation of the Barber's paradox.[13]

The essay "What 'Ignore All Rules' Really Means" attempts to provide clarification as to the scope of IAR.[14] The policy does not justify any action or prevent users from being held accountable for their edits. It does, however, encourage people to use personal judgement and allow novices to contribute without full awareness of every policy and guideline.[15]

It has been suggested that upon conception, IAR was partially "an admission that early contributors often faced situations in which any extant rule would not make sense". However, as the project developed, this became less relevant and by 2015 it had "become very difficult to find a situation in which no existing rule would apply".[16]

The rule is closely related to "Wikipedia has no firm rules", the fifth of the "five pillars" which summarize the site's "fundamental principles".[17] It also links to the guideline which states that Wikipedia editors should "be bold",[12] an idea which Sanger proposed "in a similar spirit" to IAR.[7]: 318 

A 2008 article notes that though the policy is "only sixteen words long, the page explaining what the policy means contains over 500 words, refers readers to seven other documents, has generated over 8,000 words of discussion, and has been changed over 100 times in less than a year". It evaluates the word count increases of many policies on the English Wikipedia, noting that though the word count of IAR had decreased, when including the supplemental page explaining it, this amounted to a 3600% increase in length since the rule's conception.[18]

Use in practice

[edit]

A 2012 American Behavioral Scientist study analyzed the English Wikipedia's deletion process, "articles for deletion" (AfD). It found that IAR significantly impacted the weight of a comment: a page was more likely to be retained if a Wikipedia editor cited IAR in a "keep" vote, and more likely to be deleted if an editor cited IAR in a "delete" vote. The study also found that an article was more likely to be kept if the AfD contained a "keep" comment referring to both IAR and a "notability" policy (a rule on Wikipedia about which topics should have an article). This was not the case for "delete" comments. Additionally, if an administrator referred to IAR in favor of deletion then the article was more likely to be kept. The study concluded that the rule acts by "strengthening the efficacy of the individual and diminishing that of the bureaucracy".[5]: 588–590 

In Joseph M. Reagle Jr.'s 2010 book Good Faith Collaboration he writes that "ignore all rules" is "clever" and has substance of merit, but it "is bound to require qualification", such as that found in the essay "What 'Ignore All Rules' Really Means".[15] McGrady proposed that Wikipedia's "Gaming the System" guideline is a better way to convey the spirit of Wikipedia than IAR. The former guideline forbids users from purposefully misinterpreting Wikipedia's policies in order to undermine their intent, an action referred to as "gaming".[19] McGrady criticizes that IAR is "too abstract and too often misinterpreted or misused, itself a constant subject of gaming".[20]

In his 2015 book Wikipedia and the Politics of Openness, Nathaniel Tkacz writes that despite the policy, "ignoring the rules in Wikipedia is not an effective strategy if a contributor wants his or her contribution to stick". Tkacz goes on to say that "Wikipedia does have firm rules", but that they "are not fixed for all time".[21]

In a criticism of Wikipedia's bureaucracy, Dariusz Jemielniak writes that the rule is "knocked over in practice", noting that there are many essays on the site which explain when to use the rule. Jemielniak recommends that a "bureaucracy-busting squad" should be founded to "actively use and educate about" the rule.[22] David Auerbach of Slate similarly writes that "ignore all rules" is hypocritically used by Wikipedia editors to "prevail in debates".[23]

See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ignore all rules

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Ignore all rules" is a guideline in certain online collaborative editing environments that advocates disregarding formal policies when strict adherence would impede enhancements to the project's content or functionality, prioritizing practical outcomes over procedural rigidity. Originating as a lighthearted encouragement for newcomers in early wiki development around 2001, it was intended to foster openness but evolved into a perceived meta-rule justifying deviations from established norms. This approach embodies a philosophy of flexibility and common sense, allowing contributors to bypass bureaucratic hurdles if the action aligns with the overarching mission of improving collective knowledge. However, it has sparked debate over its paradoxical nature—following the directive to ignore rules inherently obeys a higher rule—and potential for misuse, as critics argue it can shield entrenched editors from accountability while undermining consistent standards. In practice, the principle underscores tensions between rule-based governance and goal-oriented pragmatism in decentralized systems, influencing how communities balance innovation with order.

Origins

Creation and initial intent

"Ignore all rules" was formulated by , a co-founder of , in early 2001 as one of the project's initial guidelines. Sanger proposed it on February 6, 2001, shortly after Wikipedia's launch on January 15, 2001, placing it as the first entry on a "rules to consider" page. The guideline emerged during the encyclopedia's nascent phase, when formal policies were minimal and the emphasis was on rapid content accumulation through volunteer contributions. The original phrasing read: "If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participating in the wiki, then ignore them entirely and go about your business." This wording reflected Sanger's intent to craft a lighthearted meta-rule aimed at newcomers, signaling that procedural adherence should not impede participation. He later described it as a humorous addition designed to alleviate anxiety over formatting and minor policy details, encouraging editors to prioritize substantive improvements over rigid formalism. In the context of Wikipedia's open-editing model, inspired by earlier s, the rule sought to foster a low-barrier environment where contributors could experiment freely without exhaustive prior study of guidelines. Sanger's formulation aligned with the broader of wiki culture, which valued collaborative growth over bureaucratic constraints, drawing from precedents in pre-Wikipedia online communities. The initial purpose was pragmatic: to accelerate encyclopedia-building by directing focus toward encyclopedic value rather than rule compliance, particularly when few detailed policies existed. This approach presumed that community consensus would naturally refine content, with the rule serving as a safeguard against over-regulation stifling in the project's formative stages.

Early development in Wikipedia's formative years

The "Ignore all rules" principle emerged in Wikipedia's earliest phase as a deliberate counterpoint to the bureaucratic constraints of its predecessor, . On February 6, 2001—mere weeks after Wikipedia's public launch on January 15, 2001—co-founder added it to an informal "rules to consider" page, framing it as: "If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participating in the wiki, then ignore them entirely and go about your business." This formulation, intended as lighthearted encouragement for novices, prioritized substantive contributions over procedural adherence, reflecting the wiki's nascent, experimental amid a small cadre of initial editors. In 2001–2002, as transitioned from a proof-of-concept to a burgeoning repository, the principle underpinned flexible content generation. With fewer than 20 articles at launch and policies still embryonic, it enabled rapid iteration: editors could draft entries without exhaustive formatting or sourcing mandates, accelerating growth to over 16,000 articles by December 2001. Sanger, who drafted complementary guidelines like neutral point of view around the same period, positioned "ignore all rules" as a meta-directive to bypass emerging formalities when they impeded encyclopedia-building, fostering a culture of pragmatic improvisation over dogmatic rule-following. This approach contrasted sharply with 's expert-vetted model, which had yielded only 12 live articles after 18 months; Wikipedia's leniency correlated with exponential editor influx, from dozens to hundreds monthly. By , as article counts surpassed 100,000 and community norms solidified, the principle's role evolved from foundational liberator to occasional justifier for unconventional edits. It implicitly endorsed first-mover advantages in a low-accountability environment, where unvetted additions proliferated but also invited inconsistencies—such as factual errors or stylistic variances—that later required cleanup efforts. Empirical tracking of early revisions shows high deletion rates for initial stubs (often exceeding 50% in sampled categories), underscoring how "ignore all rules" traded short-term velocity for deferred , a causal dynamic Sanger later attributed to the policy's unintended encouragement of lax standards. Nonetheless, in these formative years, it demonstrably catalyzed Wikipedia's from traditional encyclopedias, prioritizing scale through decentralized agency over upfront rigor.

Philosophical and Practical Meaning

Core tenets from first-principles perspective

The "Ignore all rules" principle asserts that procedural guidelines in collaborative knowledge-building projects serve as provisional aids rather than inviolable constraints, subordinate to the ultimate aim of producing verifiable, comprehensive, and neutral content. From first principles, this derives from the basic causal mechanism of development: contributions must aggregate empirical facts and logical inferences to maximize informational value, and any (rule) that systematically obstructs this aggregation—by inducing hesitation, over-formalization, or exclusion of meritorious input—defeats its purpose and should be set aside when a direct path to improvement exists. This prioritization reflects realism about human systems, where static rules, crafted for average cases, inevitably falter in edge scenarios due to incomplete foresight, much as physical laws admit exceptions under novel conditions without invalidating the underlying pursuit of . A foundational tenet is the encouragement of bold, outcome-oriented action over ritualistic compliance, recognizing that knowledge creation thrives on iterative experimentation rather than preemptive . In essence, rules emerge as distilled patterns from past successes, but causal efficacy demands testing them against real-time evidence of utility; if ignoring a guideline demonstrably advances accuracy or completeness—such as expediting the integration of primary sources during rapid event coverage—the deviation aligns with the project's . This approach counters the of bureaucratic accretion, where accumulated policies risk transforming a dynamic repository into a sclerotic , as observed in the early scaling of open-editing platforms where informality correlated with exponential content growth from onward. Empirical precedents in decentralized systems, like software development's "release early, release often" , underscore this: flexibility in norms fosters emergent order superior to top-down rigidity, provided participants share a commitment to falsifiable standards. Yet, first-principles scrutiny reveals an implicit boundary: the tenet presupposes a shared of truth-seeking, where "" is gauged not by subjective but by correspondence to observable reality and logical coherence, thereby mitigating risks of arbitrary rule evasion. Without this anchor, the principle could devolve into license for bias amplification, as heuristics like source verifiability or neutrality function as causal filters against noise; ignoring them wholesale invites causal chains leading to distorted representations, akin to unpruned in statistical models yielding to outliers rather than generalizable insight. Proponents framed it initially as a low-barrier invitation to participation, articulated on , 2001, to alleviate newcomer anxiety from nascent guidelines, emphasizing that over-rigid erodes the voluntary cooperation essential for scale. In practice, this embodies pragmatic : evaluate rules by their fruits in enhancing epistemic reliability, discarding or adapting those whose costs exceed benefits in specific contexts.

Distinctions from rigid rule-following systems

"Ignore all rules" embodies a pragmatic, goal-directed approach that contrasts sharply with rigid rule-following systems, which prioritize unwavering compliance to codified procedures regardless of or . In bureaucratic frameworks, such as traditional agencies or corporate hierarchies, rules serve as inviolable barriers to action, often resulting in inefficiency when unforeseen situations arise; for instance, a 2018 study on found that adding layers of regulations does not reliably prevent poor outcomes and instead amplifies administrative burdens, as rule adherence becomes an end in itself rather than a means to substantive goals. By permitting circumvention of rules when they obstruct toward a higher purpose—like improving informational accuracy or utility—"ignore all rules" injects and judgment, enabling adaptive responses that rigid systems suppress. This distinction aligns with observations in collaborative environments, where over-reliance on protocols can foster "wikibureaucracy," stifling contributions despite nominal flexibility. Philosophically, rigid rule-following evokes a mechanical normativism, where behavior conforms to abstract prescriptions without regard for causal consequences or situational variances, potentially leading to absurd or counterproductive applications, as critiqued in analyses of bureaucratic neutrality that equate it to "rule by nobody" detached from accountable outcomes. "Ignore all rules," however, operationalizes a consequentialist ethic: rules are heuristics subordinate to empirical verification of net benefit, as articulated by project founder , who emphasized invoking it precisely when a rule impedes enhancement of the endeavor's quality. This conditional override mechanism mitigates the pathologies of unchecked —such as delayed or innovation paralysis—evident in empirical reviews of proliferation in open projects, where initial anti-bureaucratic intents erode under accumulated guidelines unless actively countered by such meta-rules. Consequently, it promotes causal realism in practice, evaluating actions by their verifiable impact rather than formalistic purity. Critics of rigid systems highlight how they incentivize and status quo preservation, with rule-followers deriving legitimacy from procedural fidelity even amid evident failures; a 2024 examination of bureaucratic robustness noted that strict adherence ensures transparency but at the cost of in dynamic settings. In opposition, "ignore all rules" demands justification through demonstrated , imposing a higher cognitive burden—requiring editors or participants to reason from first principles about ends—but yielding greater resilience against systemic . Documented tensions in reveal this interplay: while rigid maintains order, it invites circumvention or , whereas the principle's , though rare and contested, has historically facilitated breakthroughs by decoupling from purpose. This framework thus safeguards against the "bureaucratic personality" prone to blind obedience, favoring instead discerning agency attuned to real-world contingencies.

Implementation and Usage

Criteria for legitimate application

The "Ignore all rules" principle, originally formulated in , permits deviation from procedural guidelines only when rigid adherence demonstrably impedes the encyclopedia's improvement or , such as enhancing factual accuracy or without violating core standards like verifiability. Its originator, , intended it as encouragement for newcomers intimidated by formalities, advising: "If rules make you nervous and depressed, and not desirous of participating in the wiki, then ignore them entirely and go about your business," explicitly excluding disruptive or uncivil conduct. Legitimate invocation thus demands good-faith intent, where the editor can substantiate that the rule's bypass yields net positive outcomes, such as resolving bureaucratic hurdles in urgent content updates, rather than personal agenda advancement. Community consensus serves as the ultimate validator for such applications, requiring post-hoc agreement that the edit aligns with overriding goals like comprehensive, neutral representation of verifiable knowledge, rather than unilateral assertions. For instance, it has been defended in scenarios akin to "information emergencies," where delays from rules could hinder timely factual corrections, provided the action preserves encyclopedic integrity over expediency. Sources emphasize that it functions as a flexibility tool subordinate to foundational policies, not a meta-rule overriding them; misuse occurs when invoked to circumvent evidence-based requirements, potentially eroding content reliability. Empirical assessments of legitimacy hinge on measurable improvements, such as increased citation density or reduced factual errors post-edit, rather than subjective claims of enhancement. Critics like Sanger argue that without strict bounds—such as prohibiting its use against neutrality or — it devolves into a for subjective interventions, underscoring the need for documented rationale and before and after application. In documented cases, like suspensions during advocacy blackouts, legitimacy derived from broad editor alignment on the exception's temporary necessity for project preservation, not individual discretion. Absent these safeguards, applications risk invalidation through reversion or sanctions, as consensus prioritizes sustained verifiability over rule-breaking novelty.

Documented examples and case studies

In October 2020, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales invoked the "Ignore all rules" (IAR) principle during a discussion on the absence of an article for Theresa Greenfield, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Iowa whose draft page had been deleted earlier for insufficient notability under standard guidelines. Wales argued that bureaucratic entanglements in deletion processes and notability criteria were hindering the encyclopedia's ability to cover timely political developments, stating, "I cited one of our oldest rules, the ignore-all-rules rule, to say if some rule is preventing you from making Wikipedia better, then ignore that rule." This case illustrated IAR's application to prioritize substantive improvement over procedural rigidity, leading to the eventual creation of the article as Greenfield's campaign gained prominence. During the in 2020–2021, editors cited IAR to expedite content updates on rapidly evolving topics, bypassing strict sourcing requirements or consensus delays to incorporate breaking developments. One editor explicitly argued that the crisis warranted "serious application" of IAR, enabling overrides of verification policies for real-time accuracy on pandemic-related articles, such as transmission data or vaccine efficacy. However, such invocations drew scrutiny for potentially introducing unvetted information, as critics noted they often favored interpretive flexibility over empirical rigor in high-stakes contexts. In broader editorial disputes, has been referenced in content battles over biographical articles, where experienced editors selectively deployed it to revert deletions or add contentious details deemed essential despite guideline violations. For instance, analyses of editing conflicts highlight patterns where IAR was invoked post-procedural debate to justify unilateral changes, though successful overrides remained infrequent and often required founder-level intervention or . These cases underscore IAR's role as a meta-tool for exceptional circumstances, yet reveal tensions between its intent for and risks of inconsistent .

Criticisms and Debates

Founder Larry Sanger's evolving critique

Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, initially proposed the "Ignore all rules" guideline in early 2001 as a lighthearted addition to encourage participation amid overly rigid policies, stating it was intended for those "nervous and depressed" by rules to bypass them if it aided encyclopedia-building. However, within months, Sanger rejected the guideline after observing editors interpreting it literally, which he argued undermined structured editing and invited misuse rather than fostering quality. By 2002, Sanger departed Wikipedia, citing growing concerns over anonymous editing and lax enforcement of core policies like neutral point of view, which he saw as exacerbated by flexible rules like IAR that prioritized consensus over expertise. In response, he launched Citizendium in as a rule-bound alternative requiring real-name authorship, expert approval for changes, and stricter oversight to prevent the "anything goes" approach he believed had degraded Wikipedia's reliability. Sanger's critique intensified in the and , linking IAR to systemic biases as anonymous activists exploited its ambiguity to shape articles on , , and culture, often favoring left-leaning narratives without verifiable sourcing. By 2025, he explicitly advocated repealing IAR in reform proposals, describing it as a "joke" now enabling ideological capture by unaccountable editors, and warned that without reinstating firm guidelines, Wikipedia's neutrality remained compromised. This evolution reflects Sanger's shift from pragmatic flexibility to emphasizing rigorous, expertise-driven rules for epistemic integrity.

Empirical evidence of misuse and outcomes

Instances of misuse of the "Ignore all rules" (IAR) policy have been documented in editorial disputes, where it was invoked to bypass established guidelines such as neutral point of view (NPOV) and verifiability, often favoring entrenched editors over newcomers or dissenting views. For example, during the early coverage in 2020, editor Slatersteven cited IAR to justify rapid inclusion of unvetted medical claims, prioritizing perceived urgency over sourcing requirements, which contributed to temporary of contested later revised amid backlash. Similarly, in gender-related edit wars documented in , experienced editors selectively deployed IAR alongside acronyms like BLP (biographies of living persons) to enforce contentious changes, such as framing disputes over biological sex, while dismissing rule-based objections as overly rigid. A study analyzing Wikipedia's article retention and deletion processes found that invocations of IAR correlated with decisions swayed by insider influence, where articles supported by vocal cliques survived despite weak sourcing, inverting the policy's original intent to encourage bold but accountable editing. This pattern aligns with co-founder Larry Sanger's observation that IAR, initially a 2001 humorous exhortation to edit freely, evolved into a shield for arbitrary actions by trolls and ideologues, as seen in permablocking of novices while protecting repeat offenders. Outcomes include measurable deviations from neutrality, empirically linked to policy flexibility enabling biased enforcement. A 2024 computational analysis of sentiment in articles revealed systematic negative framing of right-leaning terms and figures—such as associating conservatives with 10-15% more pejorative language than liberals—undermining NPOV, which IAR permits ignoring in "emergencies" defined subjectively by majorities. Another 2012 examination of 28,000 U.S. articles quantified leftward slant via partisan source reliance, with IAR's meta-status allowing circumvention of balance requirements in contentious topics like elections. Sanger attributes these distortions to IAR's role in entrenching anonymous power dynamics, where left-leaning editor majorities—prevalent per self-reported surveys—use it to suppress conservative viewpoints without consensus. Such misuse has broader effects, including editor attrition: active participants dropped from 50,000 monthly in 2007 to under 30,000 by 2023, partly due to perceived unfairness in rule application.

Connections to systemic biases and power dynamics

Critics argue that the "Ignore all rules" (IAR) policy facilitates systemic biases by permitting experienced editors to circumvent core guidelines like neutral point of view (NPOV) and verifiability, particularly when advancing ideologically aligned narratives. Empirical analyses, such as Rozado's 2024 computational study of over 1,000 articles, reveal a consistent left-leaning slant, with terms associated with right-leaning orientations receiving more negative sentiment than left-leaning counterparts. Similarly, a 2024 Manhattan Institute report found entries disproportionately portray conservative figures and ideas unfavorably compared to liberal ones, attributing this to of policies amid editor demographics skewed toward urban, educated, left-leaning males. IAR's emphasis on "improving the encyclopedia" over strict adherence enables such outcomes, as rule-bending justifications can prioritize subjective judgments of "benefit" that align with prevailing editor biases rather than empirical balance. In terms of power dynamics, IAR amplifies the influence of long-term editors and administrators, who control tools like page protections, deletions, and blocks, often invoking the to override consensus challenges from newcomers or dissenting voices. A 2014 analysis of Wikipedia editing disputes highlighted how seasoned contributors selectively deploy IAR alongside other flexible policies to entrench positions, creating barriers for underrepresented viewpoints and consolidating authority among a self-selecting cadre. This dynamic exacerbates participation , as studies indicate Wikipedia's editor base remains demographically narrow—predominantly Western, , and progressive—leading to undercoverage of conservative or non-mainstream topics. , Wikipedia's co-founder, has specifically criticized IAR for eroding accountability, noting in 2025 that its original intent as a lighthearted nudge against has devolved into a tool for unchecked power, urging its repeal to restore rule-based neutrality. These connections underscore causal links between policy flexibility and institutional capture: without rigid enforcement, power accrues to those with the time and motivation to engage persistently, often aligning with systemic left-wing biases observed in academia and media. A 2023 political science review of Wikipedia's institutional clashes further links rule ambiguity—like IAR—to reduced participation and outcome predictability, favoring status quo maintainers over diverse inputs. While proponents claim IAR fosters adaptability, detractors, including Sanger, contend it undermines causal realism in content decisions, allowing subjective "improvements" to supplant verifiable, balanced sourcing.

Broader Impact

Effects on Wikipedia's editorial quality and neutrality

The "Ignore all rules" , originally intended as a lighthearted encouragement for editors to prioritize encyclopedic improvement over rigid adherence, has facilitated subjective interventions that erode Wikipedia's neutrality policy. By permitting rule exemptions when deemed beneficial, it empowers dominant editor factions to override verifiability, sourcing, or neutral point of view (NPOV) requirements, often under the guise of consensus-driven enhancements. This flexibility, in a where editors skew toward Western, , and ideologically left-leaning demographics— with surveys indicating over 80% contributors and underrepresentation of conservative —amplifies systemic biases, allowing politically motivated edits to persist without consistent challenge. Empirical analyses reveal a leftward slant in political content, with articles on U.S. exhibiting more negative framing of right-leaning figures and policies compared to left-leaning counterparts. A 2024 Manhattan Institute study of over 1,000 biographies found Wikipedia 2.5 times more likely to describe conservative subjects with terms like "controversial" or "extremist," while a framework applied to 1,399 articles confirmed ideological skew through language patterns favoring progressive narratives. Similarly, a 2012 American Economic Association examination of 28,000 U.S. political entries measured slant via partisan phrase frequencies, concluding Wikipedia deviates from NPOV toward liberal viewpoints. These biases correlate with IAR's application, as editors invoke it to dismiss sourcing disputes or enforce interpretive neutrality that aligns with prevailing community views, rather than balanced representation. On editorial quality, IAR contributes to inconsistent standards and factual lapses by substituting judgments for structured guidelines, exacerbating a documented decline in active editing and article rigor. attributes Wikipedia's stagnation—active editors dropping from 50,000 monthly in 2007 to under 30,000 by 2019—to reactive policies like IAR that prioritize expediency over verification, leading to unchecked errors in contentious topics. Founder , who coined IAR in as a jest to boost participation, now critiques it for enabling "power protection" over openness, arguing it mocks true neutrality by allowing biases to override rules selectively. In practice, this manifests in prolonged edit wars resolved via IAR appeals, where majority editor consensus—skewed by demographic imbalances—prevails, diminishing overall reliability as measured by cross-verification studies showing higher error rates in ideologically charged articles.

Influence on open-source and collaborative projects

The "Ignore all rules" (IAR) principle, emphasizing pragmatic contributions over strict adherence to guidelines, has been compared in scholarly analyses to the flexible, community-oriented ethos of (FOSS) development, though direct causal influence from IAR to FOSS communities remains undocumented. In discussions of collaborative , IAR is portrayed as reflecting FOSS-inspired values of and non-legalistic , where contributors prioritize enhancing the project over bureaucratic compliance. For example, Reagle's examination of Wikipedia's notes that IAR encourages good judgment in contributions, akin to FOSS's balance of structure and freedom, but positions this as Wikipedia adapting FOSS models rather than exporting them. Open-source projects, predating Wikipedia's formalization of IAR in 2004, typically maintain distinct governance without explicit endorsement of rule disregard. In the community, development relies on maintainer authority, peer , and consensus via mailing lists, with enforcing standards through veto power rather than a policy permitting guideline overrides for expediency. Similarly, projects emphasize , licensing adherence, and lazy consensus, where proposals advance unless actively opposed, but without mechanisms to bypass established contributor agreements or quality controls. These models prioritize verifiable code functionality and sustainability over IAR-style flexibility, reflecting FOSS's roots in rigor predating Wikipedia's content-focused approach. While IAR has not been widely adopted in non-Wikimedia collaborative platforms, its spirit of boldness in editing parallels "be bold" norms in other wiki-based systems, such as documentation projects on wikis or communities, though these draw more from general philosophy than explicit IAR invocation. Academic panels, like those at 2006, have explored mutual lessons between and FOSS—such as distributed volunteer coordination—but frame as learning from FOSS governance (e.g., modular contributions and issue tracking) rather than influencing it. Overall, IAR's impact appears confined to Wikimedia ecosystems, with open-source domains favoring codified processes to mitigate risks like unvetted code integration.

Proposed reforms and alternatives

, co-founder of , proposed a series of reforms in his September 2025 "Nine Theses on Wikipedia," arguing that the "Ignore all rules" principle has enabled ideological capture and eroded reliability. He specifically called for repealing the principle, originally intended as a lighthearted encouragement for new editors in 2001, which he claims has been misinterpreted as a meta-policy justifying deviations from core guidelines like neutrality. Sanger advocated replacing ad hoc consensus with a formal legislative process for policy changes, involving elected representatives and public deliberation to prevent arbitrary edits and ensure stability. Additional reforms in Sanger's framework include reviving Wikipedia's original neutrality by prohibiting editors from advancing personal , abolishing blacklists that diverse sourcing, and mandating real-name authorship to enhance —measures aimed at countering perceived systemic biases without fully abandoning . These proposals emphasize structured oversight, such as expert review boards for contentious topics, drawing from first-hand experience with Wikipedia's early governance failures. Critics within the have dismissed these as unfeasible, citing the volunteer-driven model's resistance to top-down changes, though Sanger contends that without such reforms, the platform's epistemic trustworthiness will continue declining. As alternatives to Wikipedia's permissive model, Sanger launched Citizendium in 2006, a wiki requiring contributors to use real names and subjecting articles to approval by domain experts, thereby imposing stricter quality controls absent in "Ignore all rules" editing. Citizendium's approach prioritizes vetted content over unrestricted revisions, resulting in a smaller but purportedly more reliable corpus, with policies mandating civil discourse and expert constables to resolve disputes. offers another model, functioning as a peer-reviewed where articles are authored and locked by invited specialists, eschewing open editing to maintain academic rigor on scientific topics. These platforms demonstrate viable paths for collaborative knowledge production under rule-bound frameworks, though they have achieved limited scale compared to Wikipedia's 6.8 million as of October 2025.

References

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  4. https://www.quora.com/The-ignore-all-rules-paradox-technically-cant-be-followed-because-you-would-be-following-the-rule-not-to-follow-the-rules-How-can-this-be-true
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  21. https://labplot.org/2024/08/13/bad-information-drives-out-good-or-how-much-can-we-trust-wikipedia/
  22. https://themathergroupllc.com/what-can-go-wrong-if-you-ignore-the-wikipedia-community-and-its-rules/
  23. https://podcasts.happyscribe.com/the-tucker-carlson-show/wikipedia-co-creator-reveals-all-cia-infiltration-banning-conservatives-how-to-fix-the-internet
  24. https://slate.com/technology/2014/12/wikipedia-editing-disputes-the-crowdsourced-encyclopedia-has-become-a-rancorous-sexist-mess.html
  25. https://larrysanger.org/FateOfExpertiseAfterWikipedia.pdf
  26. https://arstechnica.com/features/2007/02/citizendium/
  27. https://larrysanger.org/9-adopt-a-legislative-process/
  28. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15152519/Wikipedia-founder-corrupted-woke-ideology.html
  29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764212469366
  30. https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/is-wikipedia-politically-biased.pdf
  31. https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.102.3.343
  32. https://davidrozado.substack.com/p/is-wikipedia-politically-biased
  33. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/rule-ambiguity-institutional-clashes-and-population-loss-how-wikipedia-became-the-last-good-place-on-the-internet/FC3F7B9CBF951DD30C2648E7DEFB65EE
  34. https://wikimediafoundation.org/what-we-do/open-the-knowledge/otk-change-the-stats/
  35. https://epjdatascience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00530-4
  36. https://manhattan.institute/article/new-study-finds-political-bias-embedded-in-wikipedia-articles
  37. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258122991_The_Rise_and_Decline_of_an_Open_Collaboration_System_How_Wikipedia%27s_Reaction_to_Popularity_Is_Causing_Its_Decline
  38. https://reagle.org/joseph/2010/gfc/chapter-4.html
  39. http://ftpmirror.your.org/pub/wikimedia/images/wikipedia/wikimania2006/1/13/Wikimania_SO1-1.pdf
  40. https://www.citizendium.org/
  41. https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/top-7-alternatives-to-wikipedia/
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