Digital democracy and collaborative practices: Wikipedia as a space for political discussion

Abstract

This article examines how political issues are discussed in collaborative environments like Wikipedia. First, the text highlights the importance of digital collaborative initiatives to foster democratic practices. Then, it examines the importance of public debates as a mechanism for producing legitimate decisions. Finally, the article analyses some of the debates hosted at the Wikipedia about the construction of the entry "Dilma Rousseff" after the 2010 elections. There are evidences that the design of forums as well as the commitment of participants are essential to enable discussions that meet the principles of justification and reciprocity.

Keywords

• Communication
• Democracy
• Internet. Public Deliberation
• Wikipedia