I hear a lot of people say that Wikipedia is a disreputable source of information because anyone can edit articles. Most of these people who distrust Wikipedia do so because an equally uninformed friend told them they should. Yes, vandalism on Wikipedia is a problem, but is not a major problem like some alarmists would have you believe.
The truth is that Wikipedia is a masterpiece of collaborative work and knowledge. Almost all articles are written by experts. It contains an incredible amount of information in an easily accessible and traversable format. It is free knowledge. It is a triumph of truth over profiteering and is a vanguard of positive change in the information revolution.
If 1% of Wikipedia contributors are vandals the other 99% are the good people who share knowledge and fix mistakes. Most contributors are just know-it-all nerds who want to share their knowledge with other people and make the world a better-informed place. I should know, I’m one of them. Mistakes and vandalism are fixed promptly as broken windows are in any decent area of town, because Wikipedia isn’t a slum — it’s a university.
In related news, the information revolution is underway. Videos about the evolving nature of information after the jump:
Posted by jk 