Wikipedia is in the mature phase of its development, but there may be some trouble ahead. Its contributor base is shrinking, and the recruitment of new editors has proven difficult at best. These aren't reasons to sound the alarm bells as of yet — in fact, a moderate amount of turnover in an online community can be good thing — but the managers of the crowd-sourced encyclopedia should make a few changes. A good place to start is with more openness to outsiders. Wikipedia, like any mature community, has developed a sophisticated set of norms and best practices that can be daunting to navigate for new members. Policy changes would help to remove some of the roadblocks, yes. But if the community wants to prosper, experienced members will need to step up and offer support and guidance to new members.
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