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) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Way past peak oil but U.S. oil production still up for 2009
- Artificial StatisticSaying we are way past peak productions is disingenuous, as there are a large number of places we could drill for oil, but can't because of environazis Still working on your numbers?Good job. Try to count to 30 next time. I bet you can do it.What's up with Harry...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-27
- BenQ V2400 Eco
- With the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 ($300) costing $50 less than the BenQ, there is simply no good reason to purchase V2400 Eco. Overall, the Samsung monitor has better performance, facilitated by its wider viewing angle and brighter screen. The BenQ gets points for its unique, stark white aesthetic and the...
- Product reviews 2009-11-25
- Is Google the Center of the Universe?
- It's not even a year since the triumphalism of Jeff Jarvis's Google 'reverse engineering' book 'What Would Google Do?' hit the book shelves, but it seems an age ago now. Jarvis's publisher Harper Collins claims this book is 'all about you' in their promo blurb - how you...
- Blog posts 2009-11-24
- A single search index would speed up the entire Internet
- Such cooperative efforts never work in the real worldIt's not like you can government-mandate this, because the internet is worldwide. And when you have this many groups involved that depend on this for making profits, you'll never get a consensus agreement on the finer details, and you'll never get everybody...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-24
- Is Wikipedia maxed out?
- Interesting....I don't see a reason Wikipedia would max out considering that every day new younger participants are entering the field. It's timeless relevance could diminish as new and younger editors focus on more up-to-date matters as Twitter, Sexting and Cloud computing, and less on the Roman Empire, the Great Depression...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-23
- Is Apple being too precious about the App Store?
- If by precious you mean fascistthen yes they are...great...Get ready for the Jobs cultist starting another holywar because you "tarnished" their cyber-religion.Precious.The marketplace is what it is because of ownership. Apple owns the store they built and has the identical right that Disney or The Atlantic or Toyota does to...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-23
- Is Wikipedia maxed out?
- Wikipedia may have reached the upper limits of what can be done with crowdsourcing, according to a researcher in Spain. by Larry Dignan
- Blog posts 2009-11-23
- WordWeb 6.0 (Windows)
- This thesaurus/dictionary can be used to look up words from almost any program. In addition to displaying sense definitions and synonyms, WordWeb can find sets of related words. The database has more than 150,000 root words and 120,000 synonym sets, many proper nouns, pronunciations, and usage tags. WordWeb works off...
- Software downloads 2009-11-23
- Stupid DROID Tricks, Volume 1
- also if u want to talk and surf the net (get directions,or use the Map) in the same time u just have to open or switch the applications using the HOME key on the phone.Also: if u want to make a very CHEAP International calls or If you want to...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-22
- Dreamforce post#2: Chatter, Events, REA and the Future of Management
- REA stands for Resources, Events, AgentsHi,I really enjoy your blog posts very much. I wanted to provide one correction to your post. REA actually stands for Resources, Events, and Agents: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resources,_Events,_Agents . It was first suggested by William E. McCarthy in his 1982 paper "The REA Accounting...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Hands-on with the HTC HD2, most impressive Windows Mobile device to date
- I like what HTC is doingYou've got the Hero and the HD2. I'd like to see what the difference is in performance between the two, but the Hero has a slower processor. Personally, I like the Windows Mobile platform, and it is the best option for Windows-based IT...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- ChromeOS says tear down this network regulation wall
- Costs"What is holding back network capacity is politics."What's holding back network capacity is huge costs.Yep, very important to push the ISPs to free up the bits. They would love to continue selling bandwidth through an eyedropper at very high prices. They need a push.Oh, and Microsoft will not like this...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- The weirdest Easter egg ever seen on Facebook
- Contra...Isn't that the extra lives/weapons cheat code for Contra on NES?The Konami Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_CodeInterestingly, the article already makes reference to the Facebook Easter Egg.Funny you should mention that...It's apparently called a Konami code (http://twitter.com/the_pc_doc/status/5813662529)I'm waaaay too young to know that :)RE: The weirdest Easter egg ever seen on FacebookThis is very...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Cap and trade controversial in Australia
- This is what happened:An Australian researcher who was critical of mainstream theories got censored.The new Inquisition: dare to raise your voice against the enviro-whackos and they get all angry.CEC FAILs againCEC claims: [i]"An Australian researcher who was critical of mainstream theories got censored."[/i]He wasn't censored for disagreeing with the global...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Dance Microsoft Store employees, dance!
- RE: Dance Microsoft Store employees, dance!I for one am proud to see Microsoft employees that love their job. They are really enjoying themselves which not only makes for a better environment but also makes for better customer service. This is exactly the kind of thing the Microsoft store should...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- The emergency room myth busted
- ok Dana 1 troll 0 This is a real sucker punch that i never saw coming ....Dana you are getting nastier by each post what next chomsky on the reading list :)thx for they excellent link well its hurt Racism at the heart of healhcare reform opposition.Who are more likely...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Client for Google Translate 4.2.241 (Windows)
- Google Translate is the most widely used free translation service. But translating a webpage or a piece of text can still be a tiresome process: you need to visit Google Translator Web site, copypaste the text, choosing the language--too long. Client for Google Translate is a free translator which translates...
- Software downloads 2009-11-17
- TuneUp Companion 1.5.11 (Windows)
- Your music collection is a mess. TuneUp fixes it. Automatically. Fixes your mislabeled track information. No more "Track 01s". No more "Unknown Artists". Finds your missing cover art. No more gray music notes. Local concert alerts based on your favorite artists in iTunes. Automatic YouTube videos, Wikipedia bios, eBay merch....
- Software downloads 2009-11-17
- Synology Disk Station DS409slim - NAS server
- Synology Disk Station DS409slim is a true miniature powerhouse in the network-attached storage device market. It's the first 2.5-inch hard drive-based NAS server we've reviewed that offers hot-swappable capability. However, that is its least impressive feature. The server did well in our performance tests and, like other Synology products we've...
- Product reviews 2009-11-16
- More evidence of the coming collision between home broadband and the smart grid
- Collision?Not the word I would have used.In any event, I think this is a positive and necessary direction to go. In order to manage more diversified, less dependable/consistent sources of energy, the demand side HAS TO be managed. Without it, we are just setting ourselves up for a lot of...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-16
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
- New Online Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems.
- Learn more >>
- The more you simplify, the more you save
-
When you transition from your existing Red Hat environment to SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, you can recognize dramatic cost savings, perhaps as much 50%
- Learn more >>
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Doc is an enigma. Born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer, he grew up in various locations in the United States. He’s seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone.
- To learn more about this mysterious figure check out his blog on ZDNet and his Workspace on TechRepublic. You’ll be glad you did.
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
