Was the Mexican Navy ship crash into the Brooklyn Bridge in May a “collision” or an “allision?”

It depends whom you ask among the more than two dozen Wikipedia editors who debated the distinction for months after a training ship hit the iconic bridge in May. In the maritime world, a “collision” technically refers to two moving objects striking each other. An “allision” involves a moving object striking something that’s stationary, like a bridge.

“Yes, it's an allision,” user The BushRanger wrote on a “talk” page about the incident, where volunteer editors hash out how they’ll handle contentious notes and questions. “But everyone will call it a collision.”

User Cromwell, EarlofEssex wasn’t having it: “That's not a reason to use the terminology incorrectly, which degrades the public's use of language.” They suggested “hit the bridge" would be less precise but get the job done — and took offense to anyone calling a technically correct term “jargon.”

The debate didn’t settle down until late July. It’s the “Cuauhtémoc–Brooklyn Bridge collision.” For now, anyway.

Pedantry and drama are the lifeblood of the internet, but some of the most prolific and prominent editors in New York’s community of volunteer Wikipedia contributors say that’s driven by a passion for representing the city with care and precision — and a spirit of collaboration that comes across both online and at in-person events. It’s that community spirit, they say, they expect to be on display when one of the wiki-world’s largest annual events comes to Civic Hall in Union Square Oct. 16-19 — the annual WikiConference North America.

“Basically, there's all these people that I would have expected to stay on different sides of the room, because they just disagree constantly about certain things,” said Annie Rauwerda, a Wikipedia editor and enthusiast who runs the Depths of Wikipedia social media accounts, which highlight the quirky and comic sides of entries. New and seasoned editors regularly meet up at events hosted by Wikimedia New York City, a volunteer nonprofit that aims to connect people with Wikipedia, Wikimedia and what organizers describe as “the larger free culture movement.”

Anyone can become a Wikipedia editor at any time. It just takes an interest in accuracy and a willingness to follow some best practices. Basic editing doesn't even require a registered account.

People can be a bit biting on talk pages, Rauwerda said, “but then in person, they're just like buddy-buddy.” She describes New York’s editor community as more extroverted than Wikimedia chapters in some other places, saying that “there's something so social and welcoming about it that I don't feel every single time I'm in a group of Wikipedia editors.”

Rauwerda began editing regularly during the COVID lockdowns, when she also established her social media presence. Rauwerda said she thinks that some users could be more cordial, but that editors tend to be friendlier during in-person Wikipedia events, and that editors tend to “criticize the idea, not the people.”

That doesn’t mean disputes aren’t talked about face-to-face, she said. Especially serious disputes are resolved by a group of especially trusted editors that Wikipedia calls its Arbitration Committee. One of the many panels planned for the October conference is a Q&A session with arbitrators in order for editors to learn more about how disputes are settled.

The event will pay homage to the city’s 400th birthday … though in true Wikipedia fashion, this milestone itself is debatable. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Dutch founding of Fort Amsterdam, Indigenous communities were here before that, and not every record is clear-cut. Wikimedia NYC organizers acknowledged this in a disclaimer for their NYC400 campaign, which invited people to nominate 400 people and places associated with the city that don’t yet have their own pages.

The conference will feature lectures, discussions and “edit-a-thons” dedicated to improving Wikipedia, with topics spanning everything from fighting disinformation to expanding the website’s presence on virtual universe Roblox, according to the event’s official program.

New York City’s Wikipedia community has existed since the early days of the site, which was founded in 2001. It includes WikiProject New York City, a group with more than 160 official members dedicated to improving articles involving the city, created in 2004. Members of the project focus on improving Wikipedia’s representation of New York, creating, editing and refining articles about the city. create, edit and standardize articles about the city’s people, buildings, neighborhoods, subways and other institutions.

Ryan Ng, known on Wikipedia as “Epicgenius,” is one of the most active editors within the city community. Ng edits articles about the city, local transportation and especially architecture, having a hand in refining and expanding many articles about the city’s buildings. At first, he said, “I only made a few scattered changes now and then, and I never met up with any other editors in real life.”

But Ng said he started attending in-person events around 2018. The meetups often attract a few dozen people with a variety of interests, and gave him a chance to get to know other volunteer editors. Now, he tries to get to events every month or two.

As an experienced editor, Ng is no stranger to Wikimedia’s brand of conflict. Ng recalls an “edit war” he had in 2013 — a discouraged practice where editors go back and forth, overriding one another’s changes. This particular dispute was over whether the Downtown Manhattan street was titled “Bowery” or “The Bowery.” Ng was called out for removing hyperlinks to “The Bowery,” leading to an argument that he said resulted in him being banned from editing for a week (Wikipedia policies warn that activity considered “edit warring” or harassment can get users blocked and banned — and that being sure your edits are right isn’t a valid defense).

Ng clarified that it’s been almost 10 years since his last bannable dispute. “I would soon learn that there were about 10,000 other things I could do without Wikipedia, like hanging out with friends for once,” he said.

“When there are disagreements, it’s open,” said Pacita Rudder, executive director of Wikimedia NYC. Rudder said one of the best ways to learn how to edit Wikipedia is to attend one of the recurring events, which are open to the public and editors of all backgrounds or skill levels.

Rudder said the organization aims to increase the number of skilled Wikipedia editors in the city and the United States as a whole, as well as representation in the Wikimedia community.

“Trying to learn the platform on your own at home can be really hard, especially when it's your first time,” Rudder said.