Have you heard of Wikianswers? No, not Wiki Answers, Wikianswers. Yes it’s a little confusing, but I’m not just babbling incoherently. Wikianswers is a recently (re)launched site from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
Don’t Get Too Attached To Editing Wikipedia
It’s about to get harder to edit a Wikipedia entry. That is unless those who oppose the concept can come up with a better idea.
Who among us hasn’t encountered some false information on the site at one time or another. The goal here is to make Wikipedia, which is one of the most popular sites on the web, a more reliable place for obtaining accurate information. That can’t be a bad thing from the average user’s perspective.
Britannica Goes 2.0, Prez Slams Wikipedia/Google
Encyclopedia Britannica is finally giving in to user-generated crowd wisdom—to an extent but not without some harsh fightin’ words aimed toward Google and Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Begging, Needs New Revenue Model
When all is said and done, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales’ legacy is secured. He created one of the best resources of information in history. Keeping that legacy alive, though, may require a new revenue model.
Wikipedia Gets Big Grant To Simplify Contribution Process
Back in March, the official article count for all versions of Wikipedia combined hit 10 million. It was an impressive moment, but one that might have come much sooner if not for some overly complicated procedures. So Wikipedia has been given a large grant to make contributing to the volunteer-written encyclopedia easier.
German Politician Thinks Better Of Blocking Wikipedia
German Left Party politician Lutz Heilmann didn’t like some of the claims printed in a Wikipedia article about him. As a result, Heilmann filed an injunction against the German version of the site, caused a massive outcry, and has now backed down in the face of all the attention.
Wikipedia Inadmissible in a Court of Law
A court has ruled that Wikipedia entries are not legitimate sources for dictating a court ruling. Shockingly, it was a U.S. Appeals Court that decided this in response to a previous ruling, rather than being taken as a given in the first place. Ars Technica explains:
McCain’s VP Choice Evident On Wikipedia Weeks Ago
In case you didn’t hear the collective explosions powercharging out of heads around the country, Republican Presidential nominee John McCain picked Alaska governor Sarah Palin for his vice presidential running mate. Since the news broke a little while ago, Wikipedia might as well be on fire, but despite a rapid community editing free for all, her page was prepared fairly far in advance.
New Wikipedia Editing System Being Weighed
Wikipedia is defined by its community contribution model, and so far, the approach has worked quite well. The German version of Wikipedia has been experimenting with an edit approval system, though, and it seems the system may be ready to spread.Under the stricter rules, anyone and everyone can still edit articles. The main difference is that new changes are kept out of public sight until a designated checker can look at and okay them.
Britannica Takes A Cue From Wikipedia
It wasn’t that long ago the people behind Encyclopedia Britannica turned an academic nose up toward Wikipedia for its populist ways. That may have been a tad premature, especially when one counts 57 million monthly visitors versus Britannica’s three million. Then again, Britannica’s three million are paying visitors.