Is Wikipedia Evil?Is Wikipedia Evil?

Is Wikipedia Evil?Is Wikipedia Evil? Wikipedia is the worlds first Wikipedia is the worlds first

Open-Source encyclopaedia.Open-Source encyclopaedia. That means that That means that anyoneanyone can can

edit it.edit it. That’s both a good thing, and a That’s both a good thing, and a

bad thing, as you’ll see.bad thing, as you’ll see. First, let’s take a look at what I First, let’s take a look at what I

mean…mean…

First, an example…First, an example…

For exampleFor example

Let’s say I want to Let’s say I want to edit the page for edit the page for the First Earl of the First Earl of Shaftesbury.Shaftesbury.

Here’s what the Here’s what the opening paragraph opening paragraph looked like before I looked like before I got my hands on it:got my hands on it:

For ExampleFor Example

Please note that at no time did Wikipedia Please note that at no time did Wikipedia ask how much I knew about the subject.ask how much I knew about the subject.

Here are the changes I put in:Here are the changes I put in:

Trusting People You’ve Never Trusting People You’ve Never MetMet

Wikipedia operates on a level of trust Wikipedia operates on a level of trust that people will that people will a)a) avoid vandalizing avoid vandalizing the site, and the site, and b)b) fix it if they find bad fix it if they find bad informationinformation

There are no guarantees that people There are no guarantees that people will actually do these things, and will actually do these things, and that’s the problemthat’s the problem

An excellent place to start…An excellent place to start…

There are things to like about There are things to like about Wikipedia. Wikipedia.

Namely:Namely: In depth coverageIn depth coverage Up-to-dateUp-to-date Links and citations for more reliable Links and citations for more reliable

informationinformation A good place to A good place to develop questionsdevelop questions

for researchfor research

… … but a lousy place to finishbut a lousy place to finishBut there are some major problems, like:But there are some major problems, like:

Inherently unreliable informationInherently unreliable information Information changes Information changes

moment to momentmoment to moment No peer review (editing by experts)No peer review (editing by experts) More information on “Dr. Dre” than More information on “Dr. Dre” than

thermodynamics (trivial subjects are thermodynamics (trivial subjects are covered in greater depth than ones of covered in greater depth than ones of actual, scholarly importance)actual, scholarly importance)

““Wikiality”Wikiality”

““WikialityWikiality” is a term coined by Stephen Colbert.” is a term coined by Stephen Colbert.

In a nutshell:In a nutshell:

If everyone agrees that it must be true, then If everyone agrees that it must be true, then it it isis true, regardless of the facts. true, regardless of the facts.

Still don’t believe me?Still don’t believe me?

Take a look at the Take a look at the following quote:following quote:

““The site is a wonderful The site is a wonderful starting point for research. But starting point for research. But it's only a starting point it's only a starting point because there's always a because there's always a chance that there's something chance that there's something wrong, and you should check wrong, and you should check your sources if you are writing your sources if you are writing a paper.”a paper.”

Jimmy Wales, Time magazine, Jimmy Wales, Time magazine, March 22, 2007March 22, 2007

Why should you care whatWhy should you care what Jimmy Wales says? Jimmy Wales says?

Why should you care whatWhy should you care what Jimmy Wales says? Jimmy Wales says?

Jimmy Wales is the creator of Jimmy Wales is the creator of Wikipedia, and of wiki technology in Wikipedia, and of wiki technology in general.general.

He’s the person you have to thank He’s the person you have to thank every time you log on to the “World’s every time you log on to the “World’s Largest Encyclopaedia”Largest Encyclopaedia”

If If hehe doesn’t think you should use it doesn’t think you should use it as a final source, do you still think it’s as a final source, do you still think it’s a good idea?a good idea?

Is Wikipedia Evil?Is Wikipedia Evil?

Is Wikipedia Evil?Is Wikipedia Evil? Not exactly. There’s still much to Not exactly. There’s still much to

like about it. Wikipedia is an like about it. Wikipedia is an excellent place to go to form excellent place to go to form questions about what you want to questions about what you want to study, provided you go to more study, provided you go to more reliable places for those answers.reliable places for those answers.

Just remember; Wikipedia is a Just remember; Wikipedia is a greatgreat place to start research, but place to start research, but a a horriblehorrible place to finish. place to finish.

The EndThe End If you have any questions about Wikipedia, If you have any questions about Wikipedia,

or about research in general, please feel or about research in general, please feel free to free to ask your friendly library staff.ask your friendly library staff.