Wikipedia has become a phenomenon, but I have not definitively figured out why. It could be that it is free, or that it has a catchy name. Maybe the appeal comes from the massive amount of information that can be found there on just about any topic, or the point that anyone—mostly amateurs—can go add an article, or change the articles that exist on the site. All of these are facts about using Wikipedia, but the problem is that not everything found on Wikipedia is a fact.
I have often gone to Wikipedia as a source of information, probably due to its high ranking in Google searches, but I have never considered using it as a source for a research paper. As a starting point for gathering information, it has value. Yet, when considering that I can create an article on any topic whether I know the details or not, I am reluctant to use it for much more than that. The ability to make up details is reminiscent of the urban legends passed around in e-mailboxes of the world. One simply cannot trust it completely for accuracy. Nevertheless, it is growing in size and popularity every day.
So, could it be the fact that it is a “green” method of sharing information? I know that I recently tried to drop off my full set of Funk & Wagnall’s (circa 1991) at the local Goodwill donation center and the attendant refused to take them, even though encyclopedias were not yet on the list of items they do not accept. Or, is it the instant gratification that people have become so addicted to? After all, information is updated on Wikipedia at a dizzying rate.
My sense is that the reason Wikipedia has become one of the most popular websites is for all of the reasons suggested here. My hope is that the most gullible among us will not lose their life's savings in any wager based on the information found there.
No comments:
Post a Comment