I'm frequently asked my opinion on certain subjects. Specifically, specific books (what age is best for Twilight) and reference sites. I thought I'd explain Wikipedia today and give you my opinion of Wikipedia tomorrow. Let's breakdown the word Wikipedia. A "wiki" is a collaborative website that allows visitors to add, remove and edit the information. The rest of the word "pedia" is short for encyclopedia. So, in a nutshell this is an encyclopedia that can be modified by its users, ANY USERS!
According to the Wikipedia website, they have over 65 million visitors monthly, 75,000 active contributors and 3 million articles. The goal of Wikipedia is to have its contributors cover existing knowledge NOT cover new research. However, in addition to the general public having access to alter the information, Wikipedia also has 1,689 administrators keeping the information accurate. Will you find inaccurate information in Wikipedia? Absolutely! Will you find inaccurate information in World Book, Brittanica, etc? You betcha!
Wikipedia has many uniform regulations and policies regarding the content and validity of their information. However, their disclaimer states: Wikipedia makes no guarantee of validity. However, it should also be noted that almost all encyclopedias make the same type of statement.
I have attempted to summarize Wikipedia according to their own words. Here is the link to their "About" page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About
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