Since writing this page, I have published a chapter for the forthcoming "Wikipedia at 20" book (edited by Joseph Reagle and Jackie Koerner) which digs into these issues. The essay, called "Trusting Everybody to Work Together 
," was also published in Wikipedia's Signpost newspaper (April 2020).
Stray ideas
It's often been said that Wikipedia is impossible in theory, but possible in practice. Apart from Clay Shirky's "cognitive surplus" concept (which applies only in the broadest strokes), what are we doing to update the theory? That's what I'd like to work on here.
What is the opposite of effective collaboration? What is time poorly spent? What would discourage somebody from collaborating? In a word, _futility_. If your actions do not have the intended consequences, you will not have much reason to continue acting.
* Some archetypal images of futility from the ancient Greeks: Sisyphus has to push a boulder uphill eternally, only to see it tumble back down; Tantalos can almost reach the fruits and water that will satisfy his cravings, but they barely elude his reach; and the Danaides were tasked with filling a tub with only the use of a seive.
* Opening scene of a _Wire_ episode (push/pull on desk)