Irreverent Rants

2012-03-22

by Darknut

Wikipedia Plateau

When I read a Wikipedia page about a subject in which I'm an expert, I'm inevitably appalled by the misdirection presented. I wouldn't quite say it's "deliberate" but more of a consistent side-effect of Wikipedia's editing policies combined with the fact that anyone, including non-experts, can change the wording of things, which is frequently harmful. If I "compound" the implications of this, then I have no choice but to assume the rest of Wikipedia, in which I'm not an expert, is also full of misinformation. In other words, Wikipedia is consistently inaccurate "by design" and cannot get better. Yet consensus seems to indicate Wikipedia is a reliable, citeable resource. This has lead me to the idea that Wikipedia is "the next step in the evolution of urban myths" due to its self-affirming nature. I'm just waiting for someone else besides me to notice. What do you think?

Apparently I'm not the only one paying attention: http://xkcd.com/978/.

Comment