The Evolution of Wikipedia's Norm Network

Social norms have traditionally been difficult to quantify. In any particular society, their sheer number and complex interdependencies often limit a system-level analysis. Here, we present the development of the network of norms that sustain the online social system Wikipedia. We do so using a network of pages that establish, describe, and interpret the society’s norms. Fifteen years of high-resolution data allow us to study how this network evolves over time. Despite Wikipedia’s reputation for ad hoc governance, we find that its normative evolution is highly conservative. The earliest users create norms that dominate the network and persist over time. These core norms govern both content and interpersonal interactions, using abstract principles such as neutrality, verifiability, and assume good faith. As the network grows, norm neighborhoods decouple topologically from each other, while increasing in semantic coherence. Taken together, these results suggest that the evolution of Wikipedia’s norm network is akin to bureaucratic systems that predate the information age.