How Does Wikipedia Bans Wikipedia Co-Founder For Saying Wikipedia Should be Neutral Work?

Wikipedia banned one of its co-founders because he said Wikipedia should be free, like a toy that everyone can use without paying.

Imagine you and your friends start a club where you all take turns being the leader. You make up the rules, and everything is fair. But then one day, one of your best friends says, “Why don’t we just let anyone join our club whenever they want?” The other kids are confused and upset because they thought the rules were special.

That’s kind of what happened with Wikipedia. One of its co-founders, named Jimmy Wales, said that Wikipedia should be free for everyone, like a public playground where no one has to pay an entrance fee. But some people who help run Wikipedia didn’t agree. They thought he was breaking the rules.

So they decided to ban him from being part of the group that makes the big decisions about Wikipedia. It’s like when you’re in a club and someone says, “Why don’t we change the rules?”, and then you kick them out for a little while.