2005/12/12
Wikipedia
Can I ask a dumb question? Why is finding a bad entry at Wikipedia such a big news story? Do people really accept what they find there, information which they themselves can edit, as the gospel truth?
I can think of another place where anyone can contribute anything they want, or edit and add to what's already there as they see fit. But nobody believes that "Robbo is a faggit" or that it makes sense to "flush twice, it's a long way to the kitchen" just because they read it on the bathroom wall.
Anyone who thinks what they read on Wikipedia is anything more than hearsay is just asking to be fooled. Don't get me wrong. Wikipedia is a great resource. It's a good first stop. But it should never be your last.
As it happens, I hope they don't tighten things up there too much. It's the open nature of a wiki which makes it such a valuable first stop. But I'd be happy to see them incorporate a macro of some sort which inserts the following words after each entry:
I can think of another place where anyone can contribute anything they want, or edit and add to what's already there as they see fit. But nobody believes that "Robbo is a faggit" or that it makes sense to "flush twice, it's a long way to the kitchen" just because they read it on the bathroom wall.
Anyone who thinks what they read on Wikipedia is anything more than hearsay is just asking to be fooled. Don't get me wrong. Wikipedia is a great resource. It's a good first stop. But it should never be your last.
As it happens, I hope they don't tighten things up there too much. It's the open nature of a wiki which makes it such a valuable first stop. But I'd be happy to see them incorporate a macro of some sort which inserts the following words after each entry:
"Take everything you read here, or anywhere else for that matter, with a grain of salt. Learn to verify what you read, cross referencing everything to the hilt, before buying into it like a spoon-fed dolt. Think for yourself. And stop watching so much TV while you're at it."Of course, that shouldn't have to be explicitly spelled out. Should it?
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