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Wikipedia: The Inside Story: Andrea Rankin, June 2007

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. It operates through wiki software, which allows users to freely edit and compose web page content using a web browser. Wikipedia contains information on a wide variety of topics and is written collaboratively by volunteers worldwide. It aims to provide free access to the sum of human knowledge to everyone on the planet. Studies have shown Wikipedia to be quite accurate, with only a slightly higher error rate than the Encyclopedia Britannica. While not peer-reviewed, Wikipedia can serve as a good starting point for research.

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71 views13 pages

Wikipedia: The Inside Story: Andrea Rankin, June 2007

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. It operates through wiki software, which allows users to freely edit and compose web page content using a web browser. Wikipedia contains information on a wide variety of topics and is written collaboratively by volunteers worldwide. It aims to provide free access to the sum of human knowledge to everyone on the planet. Studies have shown Wikipedia to be quite accurate, with only a slightly higher error rate than the Encyclopedia Britannica. While not peer-reviewed, Wikipedia can serve as a good starting point for research.

Uploaded by

bpbinumon
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Wikipedia: the inside story

Andrea Rankin, June 2007


What is a Wiki?

The simplest online database that could possibly work


(‘wiki wiki’ means ‘rapidly’ in the Hawaiian language).

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to


freely create and edit web page content using any web
browser.

Open editing encourages democratic use of the Web


and promotes content composition by non technical
users.
What is Wikipedia?

 A free content, multilingual encyclopedia


written collaboratively by contributors around
the world
 The site is a Wiki - anybody can edit and add
to an article. Offers quick understanding on
controversial issues. Strong in current affairs.
(Google search: define: Wikipedia)
What isn’t Wikipedia?

 It is not an archive (it was decided that


poems and other literary works were not
suited to Wikipedia)
Wikipedia’s dream

‘Imagine a world in which every single person on the


planet is given free access to the sum of all human
knowledge. That's what we're doing.’
(Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia,
Masters in Finance, and nearly a PhD)

Goal: 250,000 articles in every language


spoken natively by at least 1m people
(ie 347 languages)
How and why it works

Operates on an open society basis, where


people trust each other!

 Written by 1000s of volunteers in all languages


 Run by a non profit organisation – Wikipedia Foundation
 Wikipedia will spend $2-3m in 2007 – all donations (mostly
from the USA)
 Cost to run Wikipedia - $25-30,000 per month in bandwidth
 See Margaret Fulton’s entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Fulton
Free?

 Free access (if you have the internet)


 Free speech (although it is vigilantly
checked)
 Freedom to:
– copy
– modify
– redistribute commercially or non commercially
Popularity

 9th most popular site on the internet; 6th in


Germany; 12th in India, Japan and Iran
 2.23% use cnn.com every day, 6.19% use
Wikipedia every day
 2005-6 there was a big jump in popularity
How good is Wikipedia?

 A study compared Wikipedia with


Encyclopedia Britannica
– Wikipedia had an average of 4 errors per article
and Britannica 3
– Wikipedia followed up on errors after the study,
whereas Britannica just got defensive (according
to Jimmy Wales)
How should it be used by students?

 RESA Online discusses this


www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learn/resaonline/?
PATH=/Resources/LitReview/Methodology+in+
the+social+sciences+and+humanities/&default
=Research+methodology+issues/Wikipedia+as
+a+research+tool.htm
 Main point – articles are not refereed, so
Wikipedia should be a starting point only
Offshoots

Citizendium http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page
Aims to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding ‘gentle expert
oversight’ and requiring contributors to use their real names –
founded by an ex founder of Wikipedia, who was losing sleep at
night!

Uncyclopedia http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Anonymous http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Anonymous
Kangaroo http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo
How can you create a wiki?

Use some free software and web space

eg Wikispaces www.wikispaces.com/
‘Create simple web pages that groups, friends, and
families can edit together’
 Pick a username
 Set your password
 Enter your email address
Wikis in universities

1. Education
2. Communication
 UniSA courses – for student assessment and
resources eg Information Architecture and Design
 Boston College student wikia (Wikia offers free
MediaWiki hosting for your community to build a
free content wiki-based website)
 CaseWiki – an encyclopedic reference about Case
Western Reserve University and its surroundings
 More examples: School and university projects
(Wikipedia)

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