[Web4lib] Wikipedia Founder Discourages Academic Use ofHisCreation

[Mike Taylor]

K.G. Schneider writes:
>> IMPORTANT NOTE: Most teachers and professionals do not consider it
>> appropriate to use tertiary sources such as encyclopedias as a sole
>> source for any information. Wikipedia articles should be used for
>> background information, and as a starting point for further
>> research.
> 
> Oh, I see; it's because it's an encyclopedia; blame the format!

Sure.  It _is_ because it's an encyclopedia.  Like all encyclopedias,
it is mostly assembled by people who are not themselves specialist
researchers in the field.  Wikipedia is not a primary source, and
neither is any other encyclopedia.

> Aren't we all entitled to the best information possible, whether we
> are making a life decision, playing a board game, planning a family
> move, cooking dinner, or deciding whether it's right for our country
> to go to war?

No; you're entitled to the best information you're willing to pay for.

... and in a similar vein ...

Richard Wiggins writes:
 > Imagine if the Britannica had a disclaimer that said "This is a
 > tertiary source and we often may get things wrong."

Britannica _is_ a tertiary source, and it _does_ get things wrong.  Is
there anyone here who would seriously cite Britannica as a source when
writing primary literature?

 _/|_	 ___________________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike at miketaylor.org.uk>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "The Net has been so creative and explosive in part because the
	 government didn't know enough about it to mess it up" -- Jon Katz.