Wikiphobia

Here in the United States we live in a culture that places a high premium on education. It is important to us that things be correct. And in spite of post-modernism, we are still a truth seeking society.

Enter Wikipedia. The red headed step child of all encyclopedias. The most spat upon of all reference materials. And the reasons are good. I will admit that. This free, online encyclopedia is created, edited, and maintained by the largest group of authors ever. The public. For this reason, it is easy to find errors, exaggerations, and flat out lies in this online tome.

This scares people. Every time I see Wikipedia referenced on a site or blog that allows comments, you can count on 1/4 of all comments ripping the site and pointing out it's problems. I especially see this in the comments section of my local newspaper. We hillbillies here in East Tennessee just don't know about these new fangled wiki thangs. And most folsk here in the US aren't crazy about things that just anyone has the chance to contribute to when it comes to information. "Open Source" is just too frightening.

No, we want official sources. And nevermind that official sources from the government, to the church, to our schools (both public and private) have been known for helping spread misinformation over the years. Many people have taken the newspaper industry's word as gospel for decades, even centuries. Has that industry been perfect?

I personally like Wikipedia. Is it the final word for me when doing research? Not always, especially when it is something important but I have been helped time and time again by this tool and will continue to be. For personal research that will not be published, it is easy to use and has a surprising amount of information.

From Wikipedia itself, under the entry for Wiki (which is the term for collaborative websites):

Critics of open-source wiki systems argue that these systems could be easily tampered with; while proponents argue that the community of users can catch malicious content and correct it. Lars Aronsson, a data systems specialist, summarizes the controversy as follows:

“Most people, when they first learn about the wiki concept, assume that a website that can be edited by anybody would soon be rendered useless by destructive input. It sounds like offering free spray cans next to a grey concrete wall. The only likely outcome would be ugly graffiti and simple tagging, and many artistic efforts would not be long lived. Still, it seems to work very well.^"

And wikis, including Wikipedia, do work surprisingly well. I challenge you to pick 5 subjects of interest. Make sure they are things you know quite a bit about. Look them up at Wikipedia and see how accurate they are. And if you find an inaccuracy, heck, fix it!

Don't be afraid of this site. Be smart and careful with it but do not be frightened off. Oh, and if I cite it, please don't tell me about the problems and possibilities. I know. We'd be fools not to be careful with the dangers. We'd also be fools to dismiss something so valuable as well.

Technorati Tags: wikipedia, open source

Comments

[Rebekah]

I use it all the time, and I like it....so there!:>

[kristine]

I use this site quite a bit. I just make sure that I get additional resources from places that are reliable and that can further valiate the info I get on Wikipedia when in doubt...

[Chris Alford]

i love it...i make up facts all the time... lol

[Jake]

Hey Rich, great post, great analysis of American culture! I love Wikipedia myself, I love the instant access to basic information. And now that they have a thorough review panel set up, the quality of material is going up. Some people in academic circles are starting to allow its use for basic information. As long as there is accountability, it will only continue to get better.