Draft:Nine Theses
2025 essay about Wikipedia
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The Nine Theses[a] is a 2025 essay discussing a reform proposal for the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia. It was created by it's co-founder Larry Sanger. In it, Sanger outlined nine suggestions for strengthening the project's neutrality. It's named after Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses. It was published on his blog and his Wikipedia user page in 2025, and was promoted on the Tucker Carlson podcast. Critics viewed Nine Theses as aligning with broader political criticisms of Wikipedia.
Submission declined on 26 February 2026 by Bonadea (talk).
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 The lead section of the Nine Theses essay | |
| Author | Larry Sanger |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Wikipedia |
| Published | Sanger's Blog and his Wikipedia user page |
Publication date | September 29, 2025 |
Background
Larry Sanger is an American Internet project developer and philosopher who co-founded Wikipedia co-founded the online encyclopedia Wikipedia in 2001. Since his departure in 2002, Sanger has been critical of Wikipedia, its policies and administrators, and the Wikimedia Foundation.[1][2] Sanger would becoming one of Wikipedia most outspoken critics.[3]
Contents
The Nine Theses discuss a reform proposal for Wikipedia. Sanger outlined nine suggestions for strengthening the project's neutrality.[4][5] It's named after Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses.[3] The proposal is part of his broader effort to address what Sanger perceives as systemic issues within Wikipedia, which includes, ideological bias, lack of transparency in the editor hierarchies and an ineffective consensus decision-making procedure.[6]
Sanger’s nine-point plan includes:[7]
- End decision-making by “consensus.”
- Enable competing articles.
- Abolish source blacklists.[8]
- Revive the original neutrality policy.
- Repeal “ignore all rules.”
- Reveal who Wikipedia’s leaders are.[8]
- Let the public rate articles.
- End indefinite blocking.
- Adopt a legislative process.
Some other ideas in Nine Theses are to reveal the identity of 62 Wikipedia editors which Sanger calls the "Power 62".[9] Another is to get rid of "GASP" editors, an acronym made by Sanger, that stands for Globalist, Academic, Secular, and Progressive.[9] And an idea to allow competing articles instead of seeking a false consensus on a single definitive entry.[9] Another is to add features allowing the public to rate articles, be able to post fact-checking in the style of X's community notes. Sanger argues that sources like Fox News and Breitbart News should be as equal to other sources like The New York Times.[2]
Release
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The Nine Theses was published on his Wikipedia user page in October 2025.[9] Sanger promoted his essay on the Tucker Carlson podcast on September 29, 2025, in which commenting on what he regards as the problems with the state of Wikipedia. Sanger commented on what he saw as the degrading of neutrality policies and the "blacklisting" of certain conservative sources. He also claimed that intelligence agencies like the CIA may have influenced some direction or content on Wikipedia.[1][2] Sanger agreed with a plan by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation to dox Wikipedia editors, saying, "Admins and those with significant authority in the system should be as easily named and shamed as any ordinary journalist".[10] In an interview with PCMag, Sanger said that he didn't want Wikipedia to be "more conservative" and instead his concern has been "quite sincerely, neutrality."[3]
Reception
Critics viewed Nine Theses as aligning with broader political criticisms of Wikipedia.[1] The Reason compered it to the spirit of Martin Luther,[9] while The Observer said it's "like a cut-price Martin Luther."[11] Politico said Sangers proposals would "partly make Wikipedia more like a freewheeling social media site."[2]
Response from Wikimedia community members
Nine Theses has been poorly received by the Wikipedia community.[2] Wikipedians criticized Sanger’s calls to end user anonymity in certain cases while discouraging doxing such as the "Power 62". Sverrir Steinsson, a University of Toronto policy professor who studies Wikipedia said “I don’t think they’re going to seriously evaluate his proposals.” He added that they see Sanger “as more of a fringe figure who has abandoned the Wikipedia community a long time ago.”[2]
Wikimedia Foundation responded to the essay, reiterating its support for open knowledge and referring to its existing moderation principles:[12]
The values of the Wikimedia Foundation reflect our unwavering commitment to reliable knowledge, neutrality, and constant improvement. Wikipedia informs; it does not persuade. Some recent commentary overlooks the constant, high-quality volunteer oversight and strong safeguards already in place on Wikipedia. These protections allow volunteer editors to exercise their right to free expression, while upholding knowledge integrity. The site’s rigorous policies, high editorial standards, protection of user privacy, and transparent processes have empowered 260,000 volunteers to create more than 65 million articles across 300 languages. Wikipedia is a living encyclopedia that is always improving.
See also
- The Seven Rules of Trust, a book by other Wikipedia co-fonder Jimmy Wales
Notes
- The full title of the page is "User:Larry Sanger/Nine Theses".
- provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements;
- are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight;
- are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content.
Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.