Friday, November 6, 2009
Know it All
I found this article to be very thought out and well presented. The comparison between Britannica and Wikipedia left me astounded and a little taken aback. How can a website that had no credentials boom into a source for millions of people to look through daily? The Internet is a huge place and no one controls it all. It reminds me of real life where you start from scratch and work your way up the ladder. Some sites like Wikipedia become extremely popular while some are just left in the shuffle. The people are the deciding factor of what happens to sites. Everyone has a right to an opinion and some people don't like Wikipedia. Personally I do enjoy reading things and getting a feel for certain subjects just for the heck of it. There are some people out there who are very intelligent and have a say in Wikipedia. Not everything in the site is bad and a lie. One thing I found interesting also was the paragraphs on the history of Encyclopedias. I wasn't sure how it tied in to the point of the article but it was intriguing how the concept of it grew from so long today to Wikipedia. It seems the author agrees that the new age of Encyclopedias is Wikipedia and how it's starting out bumpy but can create great things in time. It reminds me of cell phones, when they were first made they were huge and bulky. What happened next? Did they just think it was ok enough and leave it? No they WORKED to make it better. Now cell phone are a communication God in some sorts leaving the past behind. Wikipedia is young and hopefully will soon turn into something great. Knowledge is a great power and should be shared to the community.
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It truly is amazing how such a site as this has come to be so popular. I think you you're right when you say it's people decissions to use it that has determined its success. In part I think it's because people can use it to express their ideas as well as hear those of others. It's conversation and with so many people living their personal lives in their personal boxes we have lost the opportunity to socialize in the local square(although Arcata does have the plaza) I think too often we are trapped in our own personal life and don't find the time to socialize and share opinions and ideas. This is what I think the site offers for many people and is one of the reasons for it's success. Also that it isn't handed down from "authorities" which is why I felt the history of encyclopedias was included, to show that contrast and the views that have surronded it. I also think you are right about how it will try to become the new encyclopedia. Hopefully it will keep it's model of community input and not be controlled by the powers that be with knowledge being passed down to us lowly masses.
ReplyDeleteI agree; Wikipedia is in its infancy, so some of its bugs may get ironed out in time. I do wonder, however, if some of the problems are not just inherent in the format, wiki.
ReplyDeleteI think not everything in wiki is all false, reading some of the entires is fun and sometimes while reading I forget that random people with wiki accounts made those articles. I think wikipedia is still taking babysteps.
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