• ReadWriteWeb, Thursday, September 23, 2010 12:23 PM

Wikipedia has begun testing an article feedback tool, which lets users rate articles on four primary characteristics. "The tool allows users to rate articles on sourcing, completeness, neutrality and readability, on a five-point system," reports ReadWriteWeb. A test run of the tool is expected to run through December on a small number of articles. During the test phase, the tool will only run on articles in the WikiProject United States Public Policy to "avoid overtaxing the servers," according to the collaborative online encyclopedia.

"What's really exciting about this tool is that it's a way to increase reader engagement at a very basic level by gathering feedback from readers on what they think," says Moka Pantages, communications officer of the Wikimedia Foundation. "At the same time, it provides Wikipedia editors another easy way to see which articles might need improvement." Alas, "the potential downside is also clear," according to Wikipedian user Sage Ross, as "non-experts may submit low-quality ratings, or there may be attempts to game the system."

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