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Website of the Day: WikiDumper
With over three million entries, Wikipedia is the ultimate online encyclopedia. Most of you said that you regularly use it, but that you don't ever contribute or edit articles. But what happens to all of the entries that are considered for deletion by the Wikipedia gods?
Do You Contribute To and Use Wikipedia?
Fresh off the news that Wikipedia will be rounding up trusted users to create a pool of volunteer community managers, who will approve data before it's published, a study has resurfaced saying most of the site's readers and writers are male. In fact, the study found that just 13 percent of Wikipedia contributors are female.
I find the results shocking.
Wikipedia Recruiting Community Managers to Monitor Content
Although I reference Wiki on a regular basis for fun facts and trivia, I know that anyone can contribute information, which leaves me at a high risk of quoting inaccuracies. But yesterday, Wikipedia announced that they will be rounding up trusted users to create a pool of volunteer community managers, who will approve data before it's published.
But Wiki won't be covering all its bases — the rule will only apply to submissions on living people.
Download of the Day: Googlepedia
Here's a super useful Firefox extension to enhance your Google searches: Googlepedia.
Just install the extension and each time you perform a Google search, your results will come up as usual, but the right half of the screen will be populated with the Wikipedia entry of whatever you just searched — not only is it better than ads, but it kills two birds with one stone more often than not.
Professor Wikipedia Is a Haphazard Mess!
I feel like I have such a love/hate relationship with Wikipedia — the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. I love how it's easy to access and offers quick facts about everything and anything, but I'm wary about trusting it as a credible source of information. I think most of you feel the same way as me, since 66 percent of you said you trust it to an extent.
Do You Trust Wikis?
Today John McCain announced he has picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. In its morning broadcast, NPR reported that McCain's choice showed up on Wikipedia (and the AP) before it had been officially confirmed as fact.
Google Launches Knol, a Wikipedia Competitor
Google has just launched a new product called Knol, a website which contains a few hundred articles actually called "Knols." It's similar to Wikipedia in that it's open to the public and encourages "experts" on various topics to contribute their knowledge online, although it differs by making the author of the Knols sign their real names — unlike the anonymity of Wikipedia.
Google will actually go to the trouble of verifying a writer's identity, either by credit card or phone, which is said to only take 20 seconds.
Geek Tip: Get Wikipedia Access From Mac's Dictionary Application!
Say what you will about Wikipedia, but it's become an utter must-have site. Whether I'm at home or at work, if I'm at my computer, I visit Wikipedia a few times a day, at least, to look up a person, thing, whatever. Now, Apple has made it more convenient to get to — you can access it from the Dictionary application!
Suspicious Wikipedia Edits Get Noticed
With 7.9 million articles in 253 languages and a tag-line that reads "the free encyclopedia that anyone can change," it is pretty much guaranteed that all Wikipedia edits and content changes cannot be monitored.
According to The New York Times, there were unexplained edits to a Wikipedia entry including the SeaWorld theme parks to change the word “orcas” to “killer whales," which was considered more accurate. These changes were found to originate from the computer of Anheuser-Busch, SeaWorld’s owner.
College: Wikipedia Not A Source For Papers
All you college students better start thinking twice when looking for research sources online! The AP recently reported that Middlebury College history students are no longer allowed to use Wikipedia in preparing class papers. Apparently, the school's history department recently adopted a policy that says it's OK to consult the popular online encyclopedia, but that it can't be cited as an authoritative source by students.
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