The world's largest encyclopedia available on the Web at www.wikipedia.com. Using wiki software, Jimmy Wales started Wikipedia in 2001. By the end of 2005, there were 1.8 million entries in more than 100 languages on every conceivable subject, written and edited by hundreds of thousands of contributors from all walks of life. Since Wikipedia is an unrestricted wiki, anyone can create or edit an entry (see wiki).
Admired and Admonished
Wikipedia is widely praised for its incredible breadth, covering subjects, sometimes in great depth, that would never appear in any encyclopedia, online or print. There are so many "eyes" looking at an entry that erroneous information is often caught rather quickly. However, Wikipedia is also disparaged because people can make edits without divulging any of their credentials or experience in the subject. Of course, this is the case with any information on the Web. In addition, if vendors see comments about their category of products, nothing stops them from editing a definition that tilts it toward their particular expertise.
In addition, since anyone can contribute, every caliber of writing is exhibited from the ridiculous to the sublime. Writing is a skill that takes time to master; witness the fact that people love reading books by famous authors because their particular writing style is appealing. When one is subjected to numerous styles of prose in one article, digesting the material may not be pleasant. See Wikipedian.
There Is a Hierarchy
Although anybody can contribute, there is still a hierarchy. Many contributors are identified only by IP address, while others use screen names. Several hundred administrators have the power to delete entries and block IP addresses to keep vandals from changing meaningful descriptions to obscene language as well as others who continuously add strong opinions or political commentary. Jimmy Wales has the ultimate authority. See Wikia and knol.
Admired and Admonished
Wikipedia is widely praised for its incredible breadth, covering subjects, sometimes in great depth, that would never appear in any encyclopedia, online or print. There are so many "eyes" looking at an entry that erroneous information is often caught rather quickly. However, Wikipedia is also disparaged because people can make edits without divulging any of their credentials or experience in the subject. Of course, this is the case with any information on the Web. In addition, if vendors see comments about their category of products, nothing stops them from editing a definition that tilts it toward their particular expertise.
In addition, since anyone can contribute, every caliber of writing is exhibited from the ridiculous to the sublime. Writing is a skill that takes time to master; witness the fact that people love reading books by famous authors because their particular writing style is appealing. When one is subjected to numerous styles of prose in one article, digesting the material may not be pleasant. See Wikipedian.
There Is a Hierarchy
Although anybody can contribute, there is still a hierarchy. Many contributors are identified only by IP address, while others use screen names. Several hundred administrators have the power to delete entries and block IP addresses to keep vandals from changing meaningful descriptions to obscene language as well as others who continuously add strong opinions or political commentary. Jimmy Wales has the ultimate authority. See Wikia and knol.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Obama calls for comprehensive cyber-security measures; looks for a national cyber ninja
- Update: It would seem that Richard Stiennon agrees with me on the concept of a group of experts to advise, also on keeping away from spending ridiculous amounts of money. Cyber-terrorism... ah, what a fancy buzz word that is. Defined on Wikipedia as: "The premeditated use...
- Blog posts 2008-07-18
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- Blog posts 2008-07-17
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- Blog posts 2008-07-16
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- Blog posts 2008-07-15
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- Discussion threads 2008-07-15
- Do problems with Wikipedia presage social networking's end?
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- Blog posts 2008-07-15
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- Software downloads 2008-07-15
- Top US Web sites in May 2008
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- Blog posts 2008-07-14
- Enterprises still not getting full benefits of open source
- Enterprises still not getting full benefits of open sourceQuestionYou say:"The real problem, it seems to me, is they don’t understand the nature of support in an open source world. It’s a mutual process, a matrix, combining your own efforts, those of vendors, and those of communities which may include competitors.The...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-14
- Top education search terms in May 2008
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- Blog posts 2008-07-12
- Yamaha Tenori-On music sequencer
- Photo gallery:Yamaha Tenori-OnDesigned as an easy-to-use and visually interesting solution to the struggles of composing and performing electronic music, the Yamaha Tenori-On music sequencer ($1,200) is a daring attempt to shake up the dull state of electronic music hardware.DesignThe Tenori-On's deliberately lightweight and tactile design has the whimsical appeal of...
- Product reviews 2008-07-10
- Google's secret project turns out to be Second Life
- Google's secret project turns out to be Second LifeIt it's Second Life but with so much moreAs you said, Google's Lively is pretty much a version of Second Life but it'll be 10x more successful. It won't be based on features, but on Brand power. "Google's brand in itself, represents...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-10
- Ticking bombs in enterprise land
- Ticking bombs in enterprise landAbsolutely rightDennis,You brilliantly describe one of the fundamental issues that business will have to address in the near future.To do your article justice will require a blog to discuss in detail the points you have raised, I’ll need to get typing.You might be interested in taking...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-08
- A Modest Privacy Proposal
- A Modest Privacy ProposalOK.For some strange reason, people refuse to realize that the internet is a public place. Maybe because they sit in their bedroom and surf.Maybe instead of all these regulations and bureaucracies, we should just hang signs everywhere that read:Hello! The Internet is a Public Place. Don't do...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-08
- Hardcore math at the speed of the Net
- From its inception, the Internet has been about connecting researchers and research institutions to each other (and, of course, about national defense). As the Web continues to explode, though, it's interesting to see how new generations of researchers work, collaborate, and criticize online. A particular example...
- Blog posts 2008-07-07
- Linux - Still chasing that elusive 1ò0market share
- Linux - Still chasing that elusive 1ò0market share.....Not buying less than 1%. 3% yes, 1% no. The problem is there is really no reliable way to count ALL the Linux machines out there, then determine which are server, super computer or desktop or embedded.Linux's strength in diversity creates a near...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-07
- MSFT's acquisition of Powerset is not about search
- The recent $100 million acquisition of Powerset, the semantic search engine company, by Microsoft looks to be more to do with advertising than beefing up the software giants' search capabilities. So far, Powerset has only demonstrated its technology against Wikipedia. It's a neat exhibit but it is...
- Blog posts 2008-07-04
- Pocket Wikipedia (zip)
- Pocket Wikipedia, hand-checked selection from Wikipedia which is about the size of a fifteen volume encyclopedia (24,000 images and 14 million words). The selection was made by Schools Wikipedia. Pocket Wikipedia was created to work on PocketPC systems. After that was ported on Windows and Linux systems. Because the large...
- Software downloads 2008-07-02
- Powerset's smarts are Microsoft's gain
- Larry Dignan pours lukewarm water on Microsoft's acquisition of Powerset. Talking about Google's near monopoly in the search market, Larry says: Microsoft can reinvent search, but it's still running up a natural Google monopoly. The analogy here is Windows: Microsoft didn't have the best operating system on the planet....
- Blog posts 2008-07-01
- Microsoft's search plan: It's about semantics and possibly for naught
- Microsoft's search plan: It's about semantics and possibly for naughtStill, it is VERY easy to change your search provider, or even try theother one out. With the OS, it is an entirely different story.Wow! I'm agreeing with you for the second time!I admit I was skeptical at first, but...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-01
Neighboring Terms
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