The co-founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, is auctioning off a non-fungible token (NFT) of the site’s first edit. The online sale bears the title: The Birth of Wikipedia.
Wales wrote “Hello, World!” after establishing Wikipedia on January 15, 2001. Now, collectors can purchase the first entry. They can also buy the strawberry-coloured iMac G3 he used to design the website.
Wikipedia has become the internet’s largest library of free information and one of the top ten most-visited websites globally.
Christie’s, a British auction house, will host the auction, which takes place from December 3 to December 15, 2021. According to Christie estimations, the NFT will sell for $100,000 – $150,000 (₦57,000,000 – ₦85,500,000).
Collectors can view the NFT’s content at www.editthisnft.com, a website which hosts a mirror of Wikipedia.
Wales started Wikipedia after initially trying to build Nupedia, a peer-reviewed online encyclopedia written by experts. But the Nupedia project failed because it took too long to approve edits.
Who benefits from Wikipedia’s edit sale?
A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to support WT.Social, an alternative social media network pilot project Wales created. WT.Social aims to find a healthier and nontoxic alternative to existing social media platforms. Accordingly, it uses a donation-only, ad-free model, and a variety of free culture charities.
Wales said, “It’s been over twenty years since I first typed in the words “Hello, World!” to launch Wikipedia – and even today, I’m still amazed at the size and breadth of what it has become.”
Peter Klarnet, Senior Specialist, Christie’s, said, “More than any other site on the internet, Wikipedia realizes its ultimate promise: to be a collaborative and open space where information could be made easily accessible to others.
“This freely accessible compendium of human knowledge, built upon the effort of millions over the past 20 years, is one of the finest examples of what decentralized groups working toward a common goal can achieve on this transformative medium. As a regular user of Wikipedia in my own work, I am honored to handle this important sale.”
