Wiki This!
It is impossible to "surf the net" nowadays without encountering Wikipedia. Indeed, one scroll down Mr. Lee's blog, and you'll have enough links to Wikipedia articles to last a lifetime. But if you will allow me to indulge both the technologically inept as well as the readers of the print version of The Recipe, I will offer a brief explanation of this new phenomenon.
At its heart, Wikipedia is an internet encyclopedia, which claims to have over 1.25 million English language articles, ranging on virtually every subject one could think of. What makes Wikipedia unique, however, is the fact that its submissions are created by its users. Anyone willing to take the time to create a username is allowed to edit or create articles. Thus, articles are constantly being updated, changed or deleted. For some, Wikipedia is freedom of speech at its best, since anyone, or rather everyone, has the ability to claim authority on a subject and espouse their opinion. Wikipedia doesn't ask for credentials. While factual inaccuracies are bound to pop up, the assumption is that other users will correct past mistakes, thereby creating a "more perfect article."
While some may see this site as the perfect mixture of technology and journalistic freedom, it does have its pitfalls. The theory behind Wikipedia is that anyone can be an expert. But if anyone can be an expert, than by definition, everyone is an expert. Thus, people can and do use this website to provide their own opinion on very sensitive subjects. Try looking up a sensitive topic, Kashmir, zionism, Stalin, heck, even the final episode of Seinfeld, and you will find entries that are far from unbiased. Moreover, I've often found that this bias is not critical but rather apologistic in its tone, as if written by someone who had something to gain from portraying its topic in a more positive light.
I'm not arguing that Wikipedia is a bad thing, but if it is to be used for more sensitive subjects, it opinion and authority must be taken with a grain of salt. With that said, I leave you with a final treat from our darling internet encyclopedia...
At its heart, Wikipedia is an internet encyclopedia, which claims to have over 1.25 million English language articles, ranging on virtually every subject one could think of. What makes Wikipedia unique, however, is the fact that its submissions are created by its users. Anyone willing to take the time to create a username is allowed to edit or create articles. Thus, articles are constantly being updated, changed or deleted. For some, Wikipedia is freedom of speech at its best, since anyone, or rather everyone, has the ability to claim authority on a subject and espouse their opinion. Wikipedia doesn't ask for credentials. While factual inaccuracies are bound to pop up, the assumption is that other users will correct past mistakes, thereby creating a "more perfect article."
While some may see this site as the perfect mixture of technology and journalistic freedom, it does have its pitfalls. The theory behind Wikipedia is that anyone can be an expert. But if anyone can be an expert, than by definition, everyone is an expert. Thus, people can and do use this website to provide their own opinion on very sensitive subjects. Try looking up a sensitive topic, Kashmir, zionism, Stalin, heck, even the final episode of Seinfeld, and you will find entries that are far from unbiased. Moreover, I've often found that this bias is not critical but rather apologistic in its tone, as if written by someone who had something to gain from portraying its topic in a more positive light.
I'm not arguing that Wikipedia is a bad thing, but if it is to be used for more sensitive subjects, it opinion and authority must be taken with a grain of salt. With that said, I leave you with a final treat from our darling internet encyclopedia...
posted by Mr Beerman at 9:36 AM
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