Using Metadata Signals to Support Stigmergy

Wikipedia, the “free encyclopedia that anyone can edit”, has evolved substantially over the years according to the editors´ needs for more coordination and better quality management. In particular, metadata in the form of “templates” added to pages have come to play a critical role, working in a sense like stigmergic “stigmata” or “signals” which editors use to orient the efforts of their colleagues. We wonder whether such signals can be used to actually coordinate more effectively the collective efforts of editors. Based on an empirical analysis of two types of signals in Wikipedia, namely the “unsimple” and “NPOV” templates, we provide mixed evidence to support this claim. The effectiveness of stigmergic metadata signals appears to be affected by the division of labor within the Wikipedia community between core and more peripheral members.