Wikis

I have to say, I use Wikipedia quite a lot. I'm not going to reference it in an essay, and I'm not going to provide it as a source for a student who comes to the reference desk - but if I want to know about something in a nutshell, Wikipedia is the first place I turn.

It is great for local information, like about places or buildings. Great for the finer points of philosophical ideas - I have been using it a lot lately when I git a new idea in Heidegger - just to get the gist. And it is great for popular culture references - some of my favourite Wikipedia articles are about the use of Chinese Language in the Science Fiction show Firefly and the history of brothels and in the Wild West town of Deadwood, and how the television show by the same name differs from the actual history of the town.

There are also beautiful gems of writing. One of my favourite pieces of writing ever comes from a Wikipedia article: "Although there are still large areas incapable of sustaining regrowth due to the acute slopes and lack of soil formation, the rate of vegetation recovery will render the mythologies arising from the appearance as only partial truths in time.".

Someone at my husband's work was looking up something about American History on Wikipedia and came across an article that was basically a history of America from the Mormon perspective. Not at all factual, it disappeared within seconds, and someone else came along and flagged it. Luckily before it disappeared, she managed to print it. In some way preserving a cultural artefact that only lasted a moment.

So it is reassuring to know that there is quality control of sorts in such a collaborative endeavor. But I also find Ellen's comment (on the reference list, or maybe a working group meeting) that only a small proportion of internet users actually participate in this sort of collaborative work.

I belong to several wikis that are used for internal communications purposes. Better than a group email, better than a conference call, they allow you to keep a record, revise, track changes etc etc.

Will have to do the rest of this post later.