Sturgeon's Law

QUOTE

Theodore Sturgeon once said…

“Ninety percent of everything is crud.”

(American author and critic.)

CONCEPT

Sturgeon’s Law

Sturgeon's Law is a pithy adage that offers a cynical yet realistic view of quality across all domains of creative work.

According to Theodore Sturgeon, the vast majority of works in any field—be it literature, film, art, or even broader categories like consumer products or academic research—are of low quality.

The law suggests that only a small fraction, about 10%, of everything produced is truly high quality or valuable. This observation encourages individuals to search more diligently for the exceptional gems hidden within the overwhelming mediocrity.

STORY

All the Good Stuff … in One Place?

In the vast expanse of the internet, the launch of Wikipedia in January 2001 stands as a pivotal moment that embodies the essence of Sturgeon's Law.

At its inception, Wikipedia was an ambitious project aiming to compile all human knowledge in a freely accessible online encyclopedia. Skeptics were plentiful, doubting the quality and reliability of content that anyone, regardless of credentials, could edit.

The concern was that the platform would be inundated with inaccuracies, biases, and trivial content—after all, if "ninety percent of everything is crud," then surely an encyclopedia that anyone could contribute to would be overwhelmed by low-quality entries.

However, Wikipedia's story unfolds as a compelling counter-narrative to the expected outcome prescribed by Sturgeon's Law.

Despite the open-edit model inviting contributions from across the globe, the encyclopedia evolved into a repository of remarkably comprehensive and accurate information. This was achieved through the diligent efforts of a community of volunteers who not only contributed content but also monitored and revised entries to ensure their accuracy and quality.

The platform's innovative model of collective content creation and peer review demonstrated that while the internet might indeed be filled with a vast amount of "crud," the 10% of high-quality content could be transformative.

Wikipedia became the go-to resource for quick information on virtually any topic, challenging traditional encyclopedias and becoming one of the most visited sites on the web.

The success of Wikipedia illustrates a nuanced interpretation of Sturgeon's Law: while the majority of attempts may fall short of excellence, the collective effort of a dedicated minority can elevate a project to unexpected heights of quality and utility.