Wikipedia

[Andy]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Wikipedia, any of you use it? I know I do, I have always enjoyed visiting the site and admiring the vastness of knowledge that it contains. It is actually a very useful and interesting site to visit. They have full biographies on people and a many informative pages on your favorite anime. And i've always liked that "Did you know..." thing that they have on there all the time. Its especially useful on television shows. It will show airtimes, creators, episodes guides, and many other things. So, who else here uses Wikipedia?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]Wikipedia is fun, but it's too liquid to use for assignments or anything. Things can change on popular articles on the hour, and there's proof that it's possible to insert false information and for it to stay on the site for months before anyone notices. Wikipedia is an interesting experiment, and has a lot of real legitimate information, but it has a potential for abuse that's too great to look to it for research purposes.[/font][/color][/size]

[Andy]

[quote name='DeadSeraphim][size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]Wikipedia is fun, but it's too liquid to use for assignments or anything. Things can change on popular articles on the hour, and there's proof that it's possible to insert false information and for it to stay on the site for months before anyone notices. Wikipedia is an interesting experiment, and has a lot of real legitimate information, but it has a potential for abuse that's too great to look to it for research purposes.[/font][/color'][/size][/quote]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]That is very true, because the people can actually create the information pages on the subject. And in the wrong hands...well...i'll let you imagine what might happen.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[John]

Even if you are doing research for school or work, Wikipedia is a great source if you make sure to double-check it with other sources. And if you're just using it for personal pleasure, then I'd trust it to be very accurate 98% of the time, and thus you can take absolutely anything it says as gospel, no matter what it may be. Wikipedia is the second coming of CyberJesus.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]I use it all the time. But only for stuff that is unrelated to school. Like others have mentioned, there is too much potential for the information to be inaccurate. However it?s a great source to get you started when you are looking for something to help you with a school assignment. So I often use it to find links to other more reliable sources of information.

One thing I have learned, most of my teachers expressly forbid you to quote Wikipedia as an information source on any assignment. They?ll usually make any student who does use it start over. So even though I may use it to get started, I never rely on it or quote it as a source.

I also use it because it?s loaded with lots of interesting information on all sorts of topics. And when I?m looking for some obscure fact it?s often a quick way to track it down instead of searching for it myself. [/COLOR]

[Fasteriskhead]

Accuracy on wikipedia comes and goes; I've found that on very general kinds of topics that a lot of people will be reading (e.g. the entry on Canada) usually you can trust most of it, but you should be increasingly wary as you look at more and more specific pages. I'd say wikipedia more has issues with pages' [i]layouts[/i] than their accuracy. The editing system tends to encourage small corrections, wording revisions, and minor overhauls - building [i]on[/i] to something already there rather than starting from scratch. This usually means 1) that the first person who writes on a subject has an inordinately large influence on the thrust and even the content of a page, and 2) if a page is poorly designed from the get-go it tends to stay that way for a long time. Layout on most wikipedia pages thus tends to be overwhelmingly mediocre. They're rarely wrong or illogical outright, but it's very unusual for me to read one that doesn't come across like a Frankenstein's monster... and one pieced together not by Victor, but by his more obscure "special" younger brother Chuck.

And no, please don't cite Wikipedia for anything, the quote you use will be gone a week later. Use it to get yourself in the ballpark and don't take it any more seriously than that.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=#8B0000]I don't mind the inaccuracies that Wikipedia may contain, because I tend to go through multiple sources whenever I look something up. It very much depends on the topic, though.

But yeah, I use Wikipedia a lot when I want to learn about the history of certain things. I've found it most useful for when I'm researching most things music related, whether it's a band I want to know about -- old or new -- or simply a term or definition that I don't know the meaning of. Even if the site may contain inaccuracies, it has definitely broadened my knowledge on the subject.[/color]

[Sara]

[color=#b0000b][size=1]It's a really good jumping board if you're interested in a topic and want to start to learn more about it.[/size][/color]

[conpiracymonki]

[size=1]Hot on the heels of Youtube, it's the funnest way to waste time on the internet. Wikipedia, I salute you.[/size]

:beer:

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#99121c][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS][QUOTE=AJeh][size=1]Hot on the heels of Youtube, it's the funnest way to waste time on the internet. Wikipedia, I salute you.[/size]

:beer:[/QUOTE]

That it is, Almost every time I go on Wikipedia I have tabs going off the browser window :p

I don't know if its just my teachers or anything but I have used Wikipedia for sources in many of my projects and none of my teachers have said anything about not using it before. It could be that since I also get things from other sources that helps cover that though.

The one thing that I always accidently love to do is go into wikipedia looking for one thing and come out with something completly unrelated to the task. I love hotlinking[/FONT].[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[quote name='Ikillion][COLOR=#99121c][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]I don't know if its just my teachers or anything but I have used Wikipedia for sources in many of my projects and none of my teachers have said anything about not using it before. It could be that since I also get things from other sources that helps cover that though.[/FONT].[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]
[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]Maybe it's a grade thing, but whenever doing major projects my teachers ([i]especially[/i] my history teacher) can never stress enough on how much they look down on it. They say they can always tell when someone has used Wiki, and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Other than that I tend to believe everything Wikipedia has to say. Why? Because I haven't really heard otherwise. I would believe a person over Wikipedia, of course. But if nobody says anything than I might aswell stick with the Wiki truth.

It's an interesting site that is very useful for learning rumors about games. I'll tell you that.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Andy]

[QUOTE=AJeh][size=1] it's the funnest way to waste time on the internet.[/size]
[/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Yeah, thats practically what I use Wikipedia for is just to waste time and read interesting topics. I'll just look up vampires and all kinds of monsters and whatnot just to see what Wikipedia has to say about them. :animesigh I really need to find something better to do that waste my time at Wikipedia reading articles on vampires.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Red]

Nothing on Wikipedia can be called accurate unless it's been permanently locked after being checked by accountable experts. Wikipedians will swear otherwise.

Can't say I haven't sat there clicking "random article" with glee though, as it's a great site for information and can be a lot of fun to boot; especially when you want to find out about something totally random. What irks me is the swathes of people who claim it's some sort of knowledgeable resource.

AJ put it best ;D

[2010DigitalBoy]

Wikipedia is awesome, as without it I wouldn't know half of what I do about some of my favorite bands, shows, and games. I use it all the time for all kinds of things.

Earlier today I was was shocked, though, as I looked up a band name and it ACTUALLY didn't have it. [/mildly disappointed]

[sakurasuka]

[QUOTE=Tical Blue]
Earlier today I was was shocked, though, as I looked up a band name and it ACTUALLY didn't have it. [/mildly disappointed][/QUOTE]

[size=1]If you know enough about them to, start a page yourself [;

Though, I'm assuming you don't, since [i]you[/i] were looking on Wikipedia for them in the first place =/



But yeah, Wiki is awesome. Good time-waster, if nothing else.

[/size]

[Nomad]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1]Wikipedia is an awesome site. But, as mention previously, the accuracy and chances that something on there is right, can come and go. There are times when it's dead on and tells you things you'd never know on the subject of something; then there are the times when it says the earth is rectangle. lol. Just an example.

I've used Wikipedia to look up things that I didn't know what they were, like in the movie A Clockwork Orange, the characters use a type of made up language, and I found some "loose translations" on Wikipedia that I am pleased with. That's just one example. I love it. Lol.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Mewprincess]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I don't really use Wikipedia. A staff who works in the Media Center in my school said some info on that website may not be correct. She says it's open to anyone who wants to submit an article, even if it's written by a 5th grader! :faint: Imagine using resource written by someone like that!! (no offense if he/she really knows what he/she's talking about) So instead, I use Britanica.com ...i think that's what it's called... [/COLOR]

[Albert Flasher]

[quote name='Mewprincess][COLOR=RoyalBlue']I don't really use Wikipedia. A staff who works in the Media Center in my school said some info on that website may not be correct. She says it's open to anyone who wants to submit an article, even if it's written by a 5th grader! :faint: Imagine using resource written by someone like that!! (no offense if he/she really knows what he/she's talking about) So instead, I use Britanica.com ...i think that's what it's called... [/COLOR][/quote]
[COLOR=Sienna]
See, that's a common misconception. It's true to some extent, but whenever somone edits an artical, it is voted upon by members of Wikipedia. If it is considered accurate by the majority of the people who voted, it gets put up, but if not it just gets thrown out. You can't just go and edit the Holocaust article and say "teh holocost was a zionits li!" because you'll get shut down and probably banned. Generally Wikipedia is very reliable as a result.

Not that Wikipedia should be taken as absolute, but it's not like some no-nothing no-body can just go and post whatever he or she feels like.[/COLOR]

[kalon]

Wkipedia. Lovely, informative, fun, sometimes inaccurate, and good for trying to look up metaphysics only to click around a few times and wind up at the page for a leap year starting on Monday. (Metaphysics--> Philosophy--> Knowledge--> Richard L. Ballard--> 1940--> Leap year starting on Monday).

And often linked to by OB members, becuase Wiki rules the universe.

Contains almost as much knowledge as Tennessean high school teacher Tracy Franklin (who took the ACT test in half the time normally allowed and made a 35).

It even has [u][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyOtaku]myOtaku[/URL][/u].

Now if it could only make delicious waffles... [size=1]Plans for world wiki waffle domination are close at hand... Mmm, syrup.[/size]

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial][QUOTE=HedonismBot][COLOR=Sienna]
See, that's a common misconception. It's true to some extent, but whenever somone edits an artical, it is voted upon by members of Wikipedia. If it is considered accurate by the majority of the people who voted, it gets put up, but if not it just gets thrown out. You can't just go and edit the Holocaust article and say "teh holocost was a zionits li!" because you'll get shut down and probably banned. Generally Wikipedia is very reliable as a result.

Not that Wikipedia should be taken as absolute, but it's not like some no-nothing no-body can just go and post whatever he or she feels like.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
That's where you're wrong. Anyone can edit Wikipedia. You can go there now, hit edit, and put whatever ******** you want on any article - it may get removed, but you can do it at anytime. There is no voting procedure for any edit, it just happens. You want to wipe out the page about Power Rangers and replace it with 'The Power Rangers suck cock'? You can do it without anyone knowing, or for the most part, any action taken except a revert to previous content.

Voting at wikipedia only applies to things like controversial page moves, deleting pages, and admin swearing in. If every edit was to be voted on, nothing would get done.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[dog dancing1]

[QUOTE]There is no voting procedure for any edit, it just happens. You want to wipe out the page about Power Rangers and replace it with 'The Power Rangers suck cock'? You can do it without anyone knowing[/QUOTE]

Well they will no...and I pretty sure that if you do that to many times they can just bann your ip...at least I think so. :animesmil

Well it is a great site I have to say I us it for school. And it gets better and better every day because it grows and more items/subjects get added every day.
So, I think its a really good site.
Might have a little way to go but its still pretty kick-*** :p

[vegeta rocker]

I just think its funny that they use James' myOtaku as an example of mild hacking.

I wonder who wrote the definition for it though, makes you wonder.

[Delta]

[COLOR=#038000][quote name='dog dancing1']Well they will no...and I pretty sure that if you do that to many times they can just bann your ip...at least I think so. :animesmile[/quote]Yeah, I think they can. Handing out IP bans is easy but I heard it's just as effortless to change your IP so you can go on Wikihacking.

I do love it when I check on Wikipedia 'bout news I've just read and find it already up. Tells you how quick and easy it is to edit stuff in there. Not an advisable source of reliable info but it gives [i]very[/i] good leads.[/color]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

Given that very few of my teachers probably surf the internet on a regular basis, I could probably hand them up a carefully reworked Wikipedia article and they'd be none the wiser. However as most people have already agreed, while Wikipedia is fine for checking out info on games/books/general surfing/etc, the potential for information to be inaccurate to the point of being downright crap is enough to prevent me from using it on any high school projects that would affect my grades. [/SIZE]

[quote name='DeadSeraphim][COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]You want to wipe out the page about Power Rangers and replace it with 'The Power Rangers suck cock'[/FONT][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]

[SIZE=1]Thank you DS for the best laugh I've had this week. [/SIZE]

[Raiyuu]

[quote name='Gavin][size=1']I could probably hand them up a carefully reworked Wikipedia article and they'd be none the wiser.[/size][/quote][font=trebuchet ms]You'd be surprised how easily experienced teaching staff can spot plagiarism just by the 'voice' used in writing it. Of course, reworking helps if you're going down that road - one utter twerp at my school tried to get away with finding a relevant website and just hitting [b]Print[/b] - it came out with the URL printed in the footer and he handed it in anyway. Didn't end well for him.

I'll leave you all with [URL=http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Wikipedians][u]this[/u][/URL] sobering treatise on the Internet phenomenon known as the Wikipedian.[/font]