I can't imagine why you're here. You must be nearly as bored as I am!
Wikipedia gets a bad rap. They say it's not a good source of information because anyone can contribute. I think these people haven't really bothered to investigate. There are, for example, a lot of over-serious people policing all but the most obscure articles, daily making sure that no bullshit edit stays around for too long. On top of that, one can always check out the discussion page to see if there's any controversy about what's being posted. All in all, where do you go to get the sheer volume of free and concise information that's availiable here? And all from your own home/office! In my opinion, it's probably the best thing invented since the printing press...or maybe refridgeration.
That said, I use the site for entertainment. I am what is known as a "nerd." You've probably heard of us. We supposedly got revenge on the rest of you at some point, but I didn't manage to get in on it... Anyway, I don't use the site for research, because I know how to use a library. After all, research just isn't research without the smell of musty paper and some transient shaving in the bathroom. However, I DO think that a great many Wikipedia articles are suitable for research. You just have to be careful in appraising which ones, which usually involves outside research...sort of defeats the purpose, I guess...
Many Wikipedia articles need serious editing for style, as one of the common complaints about Wikipedia is that most of our articles look like paragraphs written by different people and then crammed together. Come to think of it, I've seen many SENTENCES that look joined together out of spare parts. Please pay attention to style when editing, and don't go ballistic when someone else cleans up your writing!
Many Wikipedia articles need serious editing for style, as one of the common complaints about Wikipedia is that most of our articles look like paragraphs written by different people and then crammed together. Come to think of it, I've seen many SENTENCES that look joined together out of spare parts. Please pay attention to style when editing, and don't go ballistic when someone else cleans up your writing!
If you made it this far, you're far more bored that I gave you credit for! Give yourself a generous pat on the back, and go make some cookies or something.
I wish, also, that people would just back off the whole CE/BCE dating convention when writing history. I mean, "Common Era?" Common to whom? To Christians! The other major religions have their own systems, so why is the Christian one the catch-all? If secularists want their own dating convention, I'm all for it! But start it with the birth of Voltaire, or something, don't co-opt BC/AD; it already belongs to someone! If you can refute this with common sense, please send me a message!
Revision as of 03:33, 24 January 2008
I can't imagine why you're here. You must be nearly as bored as I am!
Wikipedia gets a bad rap. They say it's not a good source of information because anyone can contribute. I think these people haven't really bothered to investigate. There are, for example, a lot of over-serious people policing all but the most obscure articles, daily making sure that no bullshit edit stays around for too long. On top of that, one can always check out the discussion page to see if there's any controversy about what's being posted. All in all, where do you go to get the sheer volume of free and concise information that's availiable here? And all from your own home/office! In my opinion, it's probably the best thing invented since the printing press...or maybe refridgeration.
That said, I use the site for entertainment. I am what is known as a "nerd." You've probably heard of us. We supposedly got revenge on the rest of you at some point, but I didn't manage to get in on it... Anyway, I don't use the site for research, because I know how to use a library. After all, research just isn't research without the smell of musty paper and some transient shaving in the bathroom. However, I DO think that a great many Wikipedia articles are suitable for research. You just have to be careful in appraising which ones, which usually involves outside research...sort of defeats the purpose, I guess...
Many Wikipedia articles need serious editing for style, as one of the common complaints about Wikipedia is that most of our articles look like paragraphs written by different people and then crammed together. Come to think of it, I've seen many SENTENCES that look joined together out of spare parts. Please pay attention to style when editing, and don't go ballistic when someone else cleans up your writing!
If you made it this far, you're far more bored that I gave you credit for! Give yourself a generous pat on the back, and go make some cookies or something.
