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  3. Wikipedia as a source

Wikipedia as a source

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  • Z Offline
    Z Offline
    ZurdoDev
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

    There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

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    • Z ZurdoDev

      I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

      There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

      C Offline
      C Offline
      Corporal Agarn
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      They say that myths are based on fact.

      Z 1 Reply Last reply
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      • Z ZurdoDev

        I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

        There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

        B Offline
        B Offline
        Bassam Abdul Baki
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        ryanb31 wrote:

        Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

        I agree. The majority is also bullshit simultaneously.

        Web - BM - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

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        • Z ZurdoDev

          I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

          There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

          L Offline
          L Offline
          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          It's especially nice because the most controversial topics are simultaneously the topics for which you would be most likely to be asked to quote a source and the topics for which Wikipedia is a bad source. On the other hand, there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics. Even if they are reputable according to "one side" (the side that agrees with that source, obviously), the "other side" would disagree.

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          • Z ZurdoDev

            I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

            There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

            S Offline
            S Offline
            Slacker007
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Doctor Wikipedia, is now seeing patients.

            "the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
            "No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012)

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            • B Bassam Abdul Baki

              ryanb31 wrote:

              Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

              I agree. The majority is also bullshit simultaneously.

              Web - BM - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

              S Offline
              S Offline
              Slacker007
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Bassam Abdul-Baki wrote:

              bullsh*t simultaneously

              Is it possible to be both "bull" and "shit" at the same time? Very interesting. :)

              "the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
              "No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012)

              T 1 Reply Last reply
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              • Z ZurdoDev

                I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

                There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                L Offline
                L Offline
                lewax00
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                I do that, just indirectly. I use the sources on the Wikipedia page. Which in many cases are just as likely (if not more likely) to be faulty as well, but people will accept most sources as true if it's not Wikipedia. :laugh:

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • L Lost User

                  It's especially nice because the most controversial topics are simultaneously the topics for which you would be most likely to be asked to quote a source and the topics for which Wikipedia is a bad source. On the other hand, there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics. Even if they are reputable according to "one side" (the side that agrees with that source, obviously), the "other side" would disagree.

                  S Offline
                  S Offline
                  Slacker007
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  harold aptroot wrote:

                  there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics.

                  I agree with this statement.

                  "the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
                  "No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012)

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • Z ZurdoDev

                    I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

                    There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                    G Offline
                    G Offline
                    Gregory Gadow
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    I'm a frequent editor on the Wikipedia. Like any information source, it has its strengths and weaknesses. There is a cadre of dedicated people who monitor new articles and work to weed out obviously bad stuff. Articles for prominent or popular topics are on thousands of watch lists, which means that a lot of people monitor these articles and vet the quality and reliability of every edit; vandalism is usually dealt with quicky and persistent offenders get banned. The result is that, with most articles being written by consensus and under constant observation, the overall quality is pretty good and content is typically up-to-date. And even if you do not want to use the Wikipedia itself, most articles have more than enough references that will allow you to look up the information yourself.

                    L Z 2 Replies Last reply
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                    • Z ZurdoDev

                      I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

                      There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      I don't see why Wikipedia would be any less accurate then an Encyclopedia, Scientific Journal, New York Times, or the CBS evening news. Of course, in the case of Wikipedia if you notice an error you can do something about it whereas the other sources I cited will tell you to take a flying leap.

                      G U 2 Replies Last reply
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                      • G Gregory Gadow

                        I'm a frequent editor on the Wikipedia. Like any information source, it has its strengths and weaknesses. There is a cadre of dedicated people who monitor new articles and work to weed out obviously bad stuff. Articles for prominent or popular topics are on thousands of watch lists, which means that a lot of people monitor these articles and vet the quality and reliability of every edit; vandalism is usually dealt with quicky and persistent offenders get banned. The result is that, with most articles being written by consensus and under constant observation, the overall quality is pretty good and content is typically up-to-date. And even if you do not want to use the Wikipedia itself, most articles have more than enough references that will allow you to look up the information yourself.

                        L Offline
                        L Offline
                        Lost User
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Is that a Wikipedia Kool-Aid stain I see on your lips? NOTES --------------------------------------------------------- 1: This is a joke. I love Wikipedia and use it frequently. Seriously, I'm just funnin' with ya.

                        1 Reply Last reply
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                        • C Corporal Agarn

                          They say that myths are based on fact.

                          Z Offline
                          Z Offline
                          ZurdoDev
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          And 80% of statistics are right 60% of the time.

                          There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • B Bassam Abdul Baki

                            ryanb31 wrote:

                            Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

                            I agree. The majority is also bullshit simultaneously.

                            Web - BM - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

                            Z Offline
                            Z Offline
                            ZurdoDev
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Quote:

                            The majority is also bullsh*t simultaneously.

                            A lot like the Lounge. :)

                            There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • L Lost User

                              I don't see why Wikipedia would be any less accurate then an Encyclopedia, Scientific Journal, New York Times, or the CBS evening news. Of course, in the case of Wikipedia if you notice an error you can do something about it whereas the other sources I cited will tell you to take a flying leap.

                              G Offline
                              G Offline
                              Gregory Gadow
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Yup. I've been registered as an editor since 2006. In my experience, the people who complain about bias and inaccuracy in the Wikipedia are people who feel strongly about a controversial topic and don't like the fact that articles are largely written by compromise, with a strong emphasis towards neutrality.

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • L Lost User

                                It's especially nice because the most controversial topics are simultaneously the topics for which you would be most likely to be asked to quote a source and the topics for which Wikipedia is a bad source. On the other hand, there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics. Even if they are reputable according to "one side" (the side that agrees with that source, obviously), the "other side" would disagree.

                                Z Offline
                                Z Offline
                                ZurdoDev
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                Quote:

                                On the other hand, there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics.

                                Too true. I used to work with 2 guys who would argue everyday about something. One's source was yahoo and the other used CNN. It always cracked me up because neither of them actually knew the whole truth.

                                There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                                L 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • S Slacker007

                                  Bassam Abdul-Baki wrote:

                                  bullsh*t simultaneously

                                  Is it possible to be both "bull" and "shit" at the same time? Very interesting. :)

                                  "the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
                                  "No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012)

                                  T Offline
                                  T Offline
                                  TheGreatAndPowerfulOz
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  better check wikipedia

                                  If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams
                                  You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering” - Wernher von Braun

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • G Gregory Gadow

                                    I'm a frequent editor on the Wikipedia. Like any information source, it has its strengths and weaknesses. There is a cadre of dedicated people who monitor new articles and work to weed out obviously bad stuff. Articles for prominent or popular topics are on thousands of watch lists, which means that a lot of people monitor these articles and vet the quality and reliability of every edit; vandalism is usually dealt with quicky and persistent offenders get banned. The result is that, with most articles being written by consensus and under constant observation, the overall quality is pretty good and content is typically up-to-date. And even if you do not want to use the Wikipedia itself, most articles have more than enough references that will allow you to look up the information yourself.

                                    Z Offline
                                    Z Offline
                                    ZurdoDev
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    I agree, which is why I had to add my disclaimer. However, the huge weakness is that anyone can edit any article and can post whatever they want. So, if you come to me trying to prove me wrong and you use a wikipedia article as a source, just give me a few minutes and your source will not work anymore. :)

                                    There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                                    A 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • Z ZurdoDev

                                      I often see people use Wikipedia as a source for their point of view which I find funny. Dilbert [^] sums it up great. Disclaimer: I believe the majority of information on Wikipedia has some credibility.

                                      There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                                      S Offline
                                      S Offline
                                      Steve Maier
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      My kids have both told me that when they are doing reports for school they are NOT allowed to use Wikipedia as a source. I tell them that if an article has references then use those references. Of course those could be wrong as well. A recent quote from the president of my company says that we are looking to "kill cancer and kill patients". I kinda doubt he really said that. The quote was later changed to "cure patients" online. But we printed it out just for the laugh.

                                      Steve Maier

                                      Z 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • Z ZurdoDev

                                        Quote:

                                        On the other hand, there are no fully reputable sources for controversial topics.

                                        Too true. I used to work with 2 guys who would argue everyday about something. One's source was yahoo and the other used CNN. It always cracked me up because neither of them actually knew the whole truth.

                                        There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        News outlets.. they even manage to mangle non-controversial stories into utter nonsense with a vague hint of truth buried deeply so inside it's hard to see. Or worse. Equal parts incompetence and political agenda. Or worse.

                                        F B 2 Replies Last reply
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                                        • S Steve Maier

                                          My kids have both told me that when they are doing reports for school they are NOT allowed to use Wikipedia as a source. I tell them that if an article has references then use those references. Of course those could be wrong as well. A recent quote from the president of my company says that we are looking to "kill cancer and kill patients". I kinda doubt he really said that. The quote was later changed to "cure patients" online. But we printed it out just for the laugh.

                                          Steve Maier

                                          Z Offline
                                          Z Offline
                                          ZurdoDev
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Quote:

                                          I tell them that if an article has references then use those references.

                                          I agree with that. The references, even if they are online, likely do not allow anyone in the world to change what it says, so they are more likely credible than Wiki.

                                          There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                                          L 1 Reply Last reply
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