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So they'll eat their own, but then continue to operate mostly the same?
No, it won't operate mostly the same. New topics will be crappier and crappier.
There will be a point where (if its not there already) where people talk about 20XX wikipedia, and how it was so much than today's. And if you see an article edit after 20XX just ignore the edit and read the old stuff.
Wikipedia will trade on the remnants of their old reputation to gain funding.
Okay, but I guess the question is how crappy it can get before there is a viable alternative.
I think ChatGPT is rapidly becoming that alternative. Its politicization is probably the most important front in the culture war right now.
I think the pithy, obvious answer is likely the correct one: "The limit does not exist."
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Same way we use Google by appending Reddit to filter out SEO crap.
Someone will develop a tool that defaults Wikipedia to pre 20XX and those of us in the know will have a knowledge boost over the average none-tech informed person.
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Reminds me of the site we recently left...
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