13 Super-Specific Tactics To Get The Most Out Of Wikipedia
Wikipedia, your college professors' most trusted source of information, was born on today's date in 2001.
The site has always been an experiment -- though a pretty successful one. Anyone can participate in the free and open-source knowledge base (and tens of thousands of people have), but Wikipedia is largely run by a dedicated group of top editors who work without pay. Over the past 14 years, this model has allowed the site to grow to include nearly 4.7 million articles in English alone.
While Wikipedia still has certain accuracy and bias issues to work out, it remains a go-to place for answers to your burning questions on Bollywood film, East Asian airlines, Adam Lambert and other top searches.
To celebrate its birthday, here are 13 ways to get the most out of Wikipedia:
Look for a star in the top right corner to find the most accurate pages.
These "featured" pages were vetted by Wikipedia's editorial team for "accuracy, neutrality, completeness and style." Only about one in every 1,000 pages is currently designated this way, though the list is occasionally updated.
Be wary of single-source facts and new articles.
The editors know that "not everything in Wikipedia is accurate, comprehensive or unbiased." They recommend taking a closer look at sources of information -- the websites, interviews and other media designated by numbered citations in the entry -- to be sure they back up statements in the article, paying special attention to facts with only one source. Additionally, Wikipedia warns that it can sometimes take months for new articles to reach consensus due to the site's editing process.
Make a book of Wikipedia pages.
See the rest here:
13 Super-Specific Tactics To Get The Most Out Of Wikipedia