Ethical Wikipedia engagement
Most Wikipedia firms edit the site in secret, violating Wikipedia's Terms of Use and the FTC's covert marketing regulations. Ethical Wiki offers an alternative for brands and individuals that want an honest approach to Wikipedia.
About Ethical Wiki
Ethical Wiki is a boutique firm operated by David King. It serves startups, Fortune 500 companies, politicans, celebrities, non-profits, and others.
Years of Experience
Knowing Wikipedia's rules is only half the battle. With experience comes the wisdom to know how things work in practice and what to expect.
10+
Number of Edits
Many Wikipedia firms are operated by marketing professionals (not Wikipedians) who are Wikipedia newbies. David King is a genuine veteran.
50,000+
of the Best Company Pages
Ethical Wiki has written more than 30% of Wikipedia's best company pages, according to Wikipedia's own quality scores.
30%+
Three steps to Ethical Wikipedia Engagement
Legal Compliance
Be transparent about your vested interest in the page
Wikipedia's Terms of Use and FTC regulations prohibit brands from participating on crowd-sourced websites without announcing their connection to the topic.
Wikipedia Policy
Request edits rather than making them yourself
Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest policy requires that you request edits from the site's editors, just like you would for any other independent website.
Wikipedias Ethos
Do your best to contribute neutral content.
Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee (the Supreme Court of Wikipedia) has confirmed they expect you to comply with the spirit of Wikipedia, not just the letter of its rules.
Be transparent about your vested interest in the page
Wikipedia's Terms of Use and FTC regulations prohibit brands from participating on crowd-sourced websites without announcing their connection to the topic.
Request edits rather than making them yourself
Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest policy requires that you request edits from the site's editors, just like you would for any other independent website.
Do your best to contribute neutral content.
Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee (the Supreme Court of Wikipedia) has confirmed they expect you to comply with the spirit of Wikipedia, not just the letter of its rules.
Case Studies
Most of Ethical Wiki's work is focused on rewriting abandoned Wikipedia pages that didn't attract volunteer editors. However, the case studies below show how we've helped clients through some especially difficult situations.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a Wikipedia firm is actually ethical?
Many Wikipedia services advertise they are ethical even though they are banned from Wikipedia for illegal, covert practices. Luckily, Wikipedia itself has a list of vendors that meet two basic criteria: (1) Wikipedians know where we are on Wikipedia (2) and Wikipedians have not blocked us. Use a vendor from that list to avoid falling for scams.Why participate ethically when it's so much harder?
Using unethical practices often garner short-term results at a long-term cost. Even if your changes are not immediately reverted, often a badge of shame is later added to the page, publicly advertising your misconduct to readers. Ethical Wiki is often brought in to repair things after someone has already created a bad situation using a black-hat vendor.How much does it cost?
Our fees range from $900 for small, simple projects, to $8,000 for extremely large pages on billion dollar companies. Most projects range from $2,000-$4,000. New pages are usually small and are always $1,800.How long does it take?
Wikipedians are volunteers that are not beholden to any particular timetable. Sometimes, very large projects are approved by editors within 24 hours. Other times, we spend months following up on obvious changes. Three months is a good general timetable to circulate internally.Can I write my own content and have Ethical Wiki post it?
Sometimes clients insist on writing their own content for Ethical Wiki to review and provide feedback on. This approach has a 100% failure rate. It almost always doubles the budget when the client eventually hires Ethical Wiki to write the content.How do I get started?
Schedule a consultation to discuss what changes you are looking for and get advice on how Wikipedias rules apply to your situation. Once you have settled on what changes you want to pursue, Mr. King will provide a Wikipedia Assessment that includes a quote.What if I want to create a new page?
In most cases, Ethical Wiki advises against creating new pages. Wikipedia is pretty reliable about starting a page on those topics that are famous enough to meet Wikipedias criteria. However, if you are looking to submit a new page, we recommend using our New Page Assessment tool to get a free assessment from Mr. King on whether your topic is famous enough to qualify for a page.