I’d bet the ranch that everyone who even tangentially follows technology news is aware of the two clouds around WikiPedia-dom over the last week or so. WikiPedia’s non-solution was to require new entries to be created by a logged-in, registered user. Scroll down to see the article.
Well, whoop-de-doo. I just registered at WikiPedia1; even something as basic as an email address was optional in the process. I fail to see how this artifice solves anything; an individual’s registration information is so easily crafted from whole cloth. And edits to existing entries can be made with no login at all, as I understand it. So, the bottom line is, entries can be made by anyone who can navigate a 3-box (4 if you provide email address) sign-up form; they may be edited by anyone. The process has all the charm of an AOL chatroom. An interesting article and comments at Business Week.
Having said the above, I like WikiPedia, I like the idea, and use it to leapfrog to other sources I consider authoritative. WikiPedia isn’t bombarding me with ads to buy the object of my interest; I can usually find a little background, and continue my research from there.
What absolutely staggers me, is that a lot of people evidently believe WikiPedia is authoritative. Maybe PT Barnum was right.
-k-
1 - look forward to my upcoming treatises on nuclear physics, brain surgery, beekeeping, and um, web 2.0.
Technorati Tags: WikiPedia
![[Valid Atom 1.0]](http://www.quietvoice.org/wp-images/valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
One Comment
I rarely use the Wikipedia, but I have read of people “testing” it, i.e., putting in information that they know is false and having it only remain for 10 to 12 hours before it is put back right.
Now, I have no idea what happens when you get two users that are diametrically opposed and stubborn enough to keep editing each other’s stuff.
But, I, for one, say that though it may not be perfect, it is probably more accurate than our elementary school history books. I distinctly remember those stupid things claiming that a European “discovered” a continent that already had millions of inhabitants. Nobody ever even tries to fix those.