First, I think that wikipedia is great. It has very current, relevant information. It also is a great jumping off point for lots of information.

Second, however, when you think about it, the value of wikipedia to most users isn’t the part that’s calculated by those “active” statistics that show a decline. I wager that the value to most of being an active editing member goes down once the novelty wears off.

And, instead, the “passive” value most people, like myself, get from wikipedia is gotten by free-riding off the work of others who feel some gain from contributing.

Further, it does take some amount of effort to even make minor changes. My wife is a good example. She came across a minor error in wikipedia, and when I said, “well, fix it,” she said, “nah, someone else will.”