How Much do you Trust Wikipedia?
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Wikipedia is very reliable. Whenever I want to looks something up, I use Wikipedia. If there is ever a project that would require multiple sources, I use Wikipedia to get a general idea about what I'm writing about, then use the sources at the bottom as a good starting point for my essay.
Interesting story- Back when I was at my high school, the admins had a war going on over Wikipedia apparently. It was blocked/unblocked too many times to count my senior year alone. First they said it was inaccurate. Then it was proven to be accurate, and unblocked. Then they claimed some of the pictures were inappropriate. It was blocked, then weeks later unblocked (but the pictures were blocked). Then English teachers claimed it was "unprofessional", and had it blocked again, only to have History and Science teachers pissed because they used it.
Interesting story- Back when I was at my high school, the admins had a war going on over Wikipedia apparently. It was blocked/unblocked too many times to count my senior year alone. First they said it was inaccurate. Then it was proven to be accurate, and unblocked. Then they claimed some of the pictures were inappropriate. It was blocked, then weeks later unblocked (but the pictures were blocked). Then English teachers claimed it was "unprofessional", and had it blocked again, only to have History and Science teachers pissed because they used it.
I would trust it with my first born child.
Any mistakes are quickly edited and never seen again.
Any mistakes are quickly edited and never seen again.
I don't trust it, I use the information sure but I always double check by using other sources. (Something I do even if im not using Wikipedia)
I remember a story my databases teacher told me about when some famous musician went on the site and searched his name, found a bit of incorrect information and changed it only to find it changed back the next day when he looked again.
I remember a story my databases teacher told me about when some famous musician went on the site and searched his name, found a bit of incorrect information and changed it only to find it changed back the next day when he looked again.
I used Wikipedia a lot in high school, seeing as how they never asked for too much information. But in college i tend to avoid using it too much. Most of my profesors have voiced their disdain toward it, so i use to find more detailed sites. But yeah, i trust it fairly well.
I trust it about as much as I'd trust a hungry Lion with my Steak.
Why? If you use it as a reliable source of information, all it takes is one drunk person to edit a page "for the lol's" and BAM! You've been misinformed.
It's a good idea, but it can be too easily misused.
Why? If you use it as a reliable source of information, all it takes is one drunk person to edit a page "for the lol's" and BAM! You've been misinformed.
It's a good idea, but it can be too easily misused.
I'm impressed by Wikipedia. It's getting better and better. Now, I wouldn't cite it as a source, ever, but it is a great way to quickly find good sources for additional research rather quickly. It's also accumulated an obscene amount of general pop-trivia and incidental information that was hard to find before the Wiki era.
It's been interesting to watch it grow, and I think some day it certainly has the potential to be simply the world's largest accumulation of collective 'knowledge' ever, and that's gotta count for something.
Inaccuracies are always a risk, but from the reading I've done in it on stuff I consider myself rather knowledgeable about, I've been impressed with the accuracy overall, especially in specialized topics. Anything popular culture-related, or containing a broad subject, seem the most prone to error.
It's been interesting to watch it grow, and I think some day it certainly has the potential to be simply the world's largest accumulation of collective 'knowledge' ever, and that's gotta count for something.
Inaccuracies are always a risk, but from the reading I've done in it on stuff I consider myself rather knowledgeable about, I've been impressed with the accuracy overall, especially in specialized topics. Anything popular culture-related, or containing a broad subject, seem the most prone to error.