Page Twenty Thousand History

A significant milestone occurred on the 21st of March in 2002: the 20,000th page was added to this Wiki, for at least the third time, It however moved on from there. A party was held in many wikiHuts around the world with toasts and treats.

Here is the chronolog of the event: 

 At 2002-03-16 05:40 PM (Eastern) there were 19986 pages
 At 2002-03-17 07:55 PM (Eastern) there were 19994 pages
Beginning of the Regrouping before advancing event (Wiki's Spring Break or Spring Housekeeping - let's make it an annual event!) 

 At 2002-03-17 10:56 PM (Eastern) there were 19991 pages (DeleteTestAndWelcomeJunkie? at work)
 At 2002-03-18 08:45 AM (Eastern) there were 20000 pages (the 20000th being WikiAtTwentyThousand)
 At 2002-03-18 02:30 PM (Eastern) there were 19969 pages (start of an annual WikiSpringCleaning?)
 At 2002-03-19 01:15 AM (Eastern) there were 19972 pages
 At 2002-03-20 01:30 AM (Eastern) there were 19975 pages  
 At 2002-03-20 11:00 AM (Eastern) there were 19984 pages  
 At 2002-03-21 01:00 AM (Eastern) there were 19996 pages
During the next two days, the 20,000th page changed over and over again due to the continuing addition and deletion of pages. The addition (which typically is about 15 new pages each day, finally exceeded the deletions and the Wiki page count went on beyond the 20,000 page mark and net page additions over deletions began to rise again to normal levels. The interesting side effect produced at this mark was the initiation of the WikiSpringCleaning, which encouraged many to do some cleaning up of pages by deletion and refactoring.

Where is the count now?

Wiki's title search can report a count of wiki pages. Use the following link (uses an unlikely search term so that only the page count is returned:

The first 20,000th page was : WikiAtTwentyThousand it was replaced several times following its creation by other pages.

In early August, 2003, Wiki passed the 25,000 pages mark.

I see someone has been at some long overdue housekeeping and that has delayed our party by a day or so. I've looked at the pages being deleted and they look like they should go. One or two exceptions were saved by the ever watchful RecentChangesJunkie(s) that make this place work. Thanks to all. -- WardCunningham

(Oh, but wait, I see we hit 20,000 before the cleaning. I see no reason not to party. -- Ward)

I think this pruning is good so far, but I'm a little anxious about how quickly it's going. I'd like to add also that changing a page from 'deleted' to 'DeletedButWelcomeToWiki' will delete the page, not just replace the label with a more 'friendly' one.

Perhaps this is an occasion that encourages the much talked about but not to often practiced idea of refactoring as applied to wiki pages. In addition to deleting pages that either say little or nothing, experts would refactor pages, the quality as well as the quantity would benefit.

Three On Twenty Thousand

The peoples of wiki may be said to be divided into three groups. Those who want wiki to surpass 20,000 pages and keep on going, those who want wiki to keep surpassing 20,000 pages over and over for the rest of its life, and those naysayers who think small is beautiful and want to deny the other groups their wasteful extravagance. And the winners are ...

(Seems like the middle group is under-represented, if below is any indication) kind of an impossible position to represent, given the nature of the wiki.

On to Thirty Thousand at 15 a day On to Thirty Thousand, That's the group I belong to! By the end of 2004! But why stop there, 40000 in 2006, 50000 in 2008, 60000 in 2010, (do you see a pattern?). But let it be growth in quality and participation. I think this wiki can stand 20 new pages a day!

If you want to limit things in threes, why not three major areas of concentration, and when one reaches a saturation point, develop and concentrate on another area to take it's place!

A comment (now removed by someone) desiring a wiki with the slogan On to 10,000 which prompted the following:

There are two ways that can happen, 1) You can join a smaller wiki community with from 20 to 5000 pages and you move on to 10000. 2) You can convince this community that it needs to get rid of 10 or more thousand pages which have been built up over years and limit participation and growth. The second is not likely and I don't think you really want to do the first, so just stick around and see others make it grow!

I did, and it did! See WikiAtThirtyThousand. Predicted to occur on Friday the 17th of December 2004. --DonaldNoyes

Under option 1 - Consider the list at http://www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?WikiCommunityList

Or, maybe a little more of FixYourWiki.

Some more History : WikiAtTwentyThousand

For MoreAboutTheDatabase and other wiki stats -- http://sunir.org/meatball/MetaWiki/metastats.

See WikiHistory

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