Fueling Volunteer Growth: the case of Wikipedia Administrators
This multi-method study of 284 Wikipedia languages reveals that while administrator numbers are growing in many smaller communities, highly active Wikipedias are facing a decline primarily driven by insufficient recruitment rather than high attrition, prompting actionable recommendations to strengthen recruitment pipelines for long-term sustainability.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine Wikipedia as a massive, bustling city built entirely by volunteers. Everyone can come in and write on the walls (add articles), but there is a special group of volunteers called Administrators. Think of them as the city's firefighters, police officers, and building inspectors rolled into one. They are the only ones allowed to lock up dangerous buildings (delete bad pages), ban troublemakers (block users), and fix broken locks (protect pages). Without them, the city would quickly become chaotic and unsafe.
This paper is like a detailed health check-up for these "city guards" across 284 different language versions of Wikipedia. Here is what the researchers found, explained simply:
1. The Big Picture: A Tale of Two Cities
The researchers looked at data from 2018 to 2025. They found a split story:
- The Small Towns: In about half of the Wikipedia languages (mostly smaller ones), the number of administrators is stable or even growing. These cities are doing fine.
- The Big Metros: However, in the 21 biggest, busiest Wikipedia cities (like English, Spanish, German, and Russian), the number of administrators is shrinking. It's as if the biggest cities are losing their police force while the small towns are hiring more.
2. The Real Problem: Not Quitting, But Not Joining
A common fear was that administrators were quitting in droves because the job was too hard or stressful. The study says: That's not the main problem.
- The "Leaky Bucket" Myth: The bucket isn't leaking faster than before. The rate at which people quit is actually quite steady.
- The "Empty Tap" Reality: The problem is that the tap isn't running. Recruitment is the bottleneck. For every administrator who leaves, fewer than one new person is joining to take their place. It's like a restaurant where the chefs aren't quitting, but no new chefs are applying for the job, so the kitchen slowly empties out.
3. Why Isn't Anyone Applying? (The Barriers)
The researchers asked thousands of potential candidates (experienced editors who could become admins) why they aren't signing up. They found four main reasons:
- "I Didn't Know the Job Existed": Many experienced editors simply don't realize there is a formal way to become an administrator. They are like talented people who don't know there's an open seat on the city council.
- "The Rules are a Maze": The requirements to apply are confusing. Some cities say you need 100 edits; others say 10,000. Some say you need an email; others don't. It's like trying to get a driver's license where the rules change every time you walk into a different DMV office.
- "The Interview is Terrifying": The application process (called a "Request for Adminship" or RFA) is described as incredibly stressful. It's like a public job interview where the whole town can shout questions at you, and you need a super-majority of votes to get the job. Many potential candidates call it "toxic" or "stressful."
- "I Just Want to Write": Most people joined Wikipedia to write articles, not to fight fires. They fear that becoming an admin would force them to stop doing what they love (writing) and start doing what they dread (managing conflicts).
4. The Good News: The Current Guards Love Their Job
Despite the stress and the difficulty of getting hired, the current administrators are highly motivated.
- They don't stay because they want fame or power.
- They stay because they feel a deep sense of responsibility. They love the idea of keeping information trustworthy and helping others find the truth.
- They are proud of their work, even if it involves dealing with angry people or messy conflicts.
5. What Should Be Done? (The Recommendations)
The paper suggests that to save the "big cities," we need to stop worrying so much about keeping current admins and start focusing on hiring new ones.
- Make the Path Clearer: Explain the rules simply so people know how to apply.
- Create a "Training Wheel" System: Let potential admins practice small parts of the job (like blocking a spammer for an hour) before they have to go through the scary, full-blown interview. This is like letting a student driver practice in a parking lot before hitting the highway.
- Mentorship: Pair new candidates with experienced admins who can guide them through the stressful application process, acting like a coach helping a player get on the team.
In Summary: Wikipedia's biggest cities are losing their guardians not because the guards are running away, but because the recruitment pipeline is clogged. The current guards are dedicated and willing to stay, but without a steady stream of new, well-supported recruits, the system risks becoming overwhelmed. The solution isn't to make the guards work harder; it's to make the path to becoming a guard less scary and more clear.
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