For most of the world, the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week meant the end of an era. But for Wikipedia editors, her passing meant it was time to get to work.
Immediately after the announcement of her death, editors raced to update the queen’s Wikipedia article to change the tense, indicate the date of her death and reflect the length of her reign. The scramble to edit is just the most recent high-profile example of zealous Wikipedia editors making quick changes in the wake of a celebrity’s passing.
“Seconds after the news came out that Queen Elizabeth had died, the edit conflicts on the article for her just absolutely spiked,” said Annie Rauwerda, a Wikipedia editor and creator of the popular Twitter account Depths of Wikipedia. At the peak of the editing chaos, more than 300 versions of the article were being saved simultaneously.
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