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Volunteers Ban Larry Sanger Indefinitely Over Off-Wiki Canvassing

6/27/2026

43 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Volunteer editors indefinitely blocked Larry Sanger from Wikipedia after accusing him of off-wiki canvassing.
The block followed a brief, contested process that skipped the usual 72-hour discussion window.
Larry Sanger called the ban a “kangaroo court,” labeled Wikipedia a “mob-rule anarchy,” and demanded reforms.
A Wikimedia spokesperson said the foundation does not set editorial policy and volunteers enforce rules through open discussions.

History

Historical Context

After the May 2005 Seigenthaler hoax exposed Wikipedia’s lax oversight, Jimmy Wales and the Wikimedia Foundation instituted the Arbitration Committee, which settled more than 30,000 edit disputes in its first year. Today volunteers indefinitely blocked co-founder Larry Sanger, skipping the usual 72-hour discussion, echoing the ongoing tension between open editing and formal governance.

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Story summary

Volunteer editors indefinitely blocked Larry Sanger from Wikipedia after accusing him of off-wiki canvassing.
The block followed a brief, contested process that skipped the usual 72-hour discussion window.
Larry Sanger called the ban a “kangaroo court,” labeled Wikipedia a “mob-rule anarchy,” and demanded reforms.
A Wikimedia spokesperson said the foundation does not set editorial policy and volunteers enforce rules through open discussions.

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