Wikipedia

[Ominous]

We have a lot of debate on Wikipedia here, so I decided to make a thread for it. It's good to discuss the pros and cons of any institution, so this thread should be reserved for that type of discussion on Wikipedia. If the talking gets too angry, I'll ask a moderator to close this thread.

Here are the pros and cons that have been discussed so far:

Pros: Wikipedia is an easy source of a large amount of information. The info can be considered largely correct, as many moderators and administrators oversee exactly what's being posted there. Anyone who posts something erroneous is easily found, and it is changed back. If a topic is in dispute, it is locked and only certain people, especially experts in the field, may post on it. The site is constantly changing to keep up with everyday topics, and is better than any book due to that change.

Cons: Wikipedia is very easy to deface, and to post incorrect information on. Even if someone calling themselves an expert posts there, it cannot be completely trusted. The idea of Wikipedia is flawed, as a general population who needs to look up information also must provide that same information; while every human put together into a big group knows every peice of information on Wikipedia and more, not everyone who posts on Wikipedia knows what they're saying is correct.

[bow4lyf]

Pros: In many languages. And experts can edit posts.

Cons: Random fr()()bz and delet these posts.

[zipcat]

Overall, I think Wikipedia is pretty useful, I don't use it much but when I need information on something I can see facts. Facts being things people believe, not real facts by definition, but the one my chemistry teacher stuck in my head. Not numerals.

Anyways.

I don't rely on what I read there, not completely, but it has helped a lot.

[Ominous]

For a biology project I was doing on Werner Syndrome, I checked out a bunch of sources, but needed one more for my paper. So, I looked at Wikipedia, and whaddya know, ALL their sources were exactly the ones I had found and was using save for one, which I subesquently used and was great.

[TBeck]

its a great place to look if you just need to know a random fact now, but if you are doing a project then you may want to stay away from wikki or atleast verify the info on a more 'trusted' site.

[Tarathilien]

Just FYI, a "friend of mine..." went on a tirade, discreetly changing information on various topics and received 3 emails from the "boss", or whatever, which finally barred her from changing info (they block your IP address for a certain time).

So, in short, the Wikipedia dudes & dudettes watch pretty closely any information that's being changed. Trust me.

P.S. And yet my World Civ teacher insists Wiki is a scam to the intellectual world....whatever.

[RazielTheReaverOfSouls]

Ah, yes. I have that same 'friend'.

As I said earlier, they are very very protective of their wikichild.

[Tordek]

I have greath faith in Wiki. There are indeed many regulars who moderate constantly and uphold both the Wiki style and integrity. So, as Curu said in another thread, it's an excellent place to look for background information on certain topics, and also a consolidated place for sometimes hard to find information.

[Loth Emnati]

Since I'm into science and cold hard facts, wiki will never be the place for me. I take it as an accomulation of the info on the whole internet rewritten into small resumes - which is indeed quite nice, but only for a quick brush up on a topic.
I use wikipedia as an alternative to google.

By the way. The wiki info on Fred Haslam, that we here at Titan has adopted in the faq. Do you believe that?

True, if you do a google search on Fred Haslam you get two kinds of hit. One that tells about a Fred Haslam who led the design team behind simCity2000 and a Fred Haslam who runs Dragon Court. None of the sites, except wikipedia, draws a link between the two. I'm in doubt.

Wikipedia is nice, but if you really want to be sure, then look elsewhere..

[Tordek]

One of the major things though is that Wikipedia is so much easier than Google. We're just lazy people.

[Curulan]

True, if you do a google search on Fred Haslam you get two kinds of hit. One that tells about a Fred Haslam who led the design team behind simCity2000 and a Fred Haslam who runs Dragon Court. None of the sites, except wikipedia, draws a link between the two. I'm in doubt.

They are the same. If you ever get the chance to talk to Katie/jadewik, she can confirm.

Remember several years ago when "llama" was a forbidden word on the DC forums? It's because of all the llama jokes from his days at Maxis.

[Ominous]

Is that info on his article? If not, it should be. Breach of privacy, though.

One thing that's kinda sad is that people can have good entries removed if they find them superfluous, such as the article on the popular website "Objection!". I personally feel all articles, unless they should be merged with others, are valid parts of the site, as they don't exactly need to worry about space.

Also, people like the creator of Squidi.net can have their own personal articles removed.

[bow4lyf]

Hey!! I just noticed something cool! Did u see that Wikipedia has the same ending as Encyclopedia?

[Tordek]

I think that was the point they were trying to go for...

But Ominous, I think I'm going to have to disagree. Wikipedia has set a rigorous standard that helps maintain Wiki as an encyclopedia, as composed to a hive of trivia and obscure factoids gathered into one location by the nerds of the net...

...if you see what I mean.

[RazielTheReaverOfSouls]

Kinda like forums based on clans from internet games! GOOOO us!

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