Friday, February 6, 2009
Wiki Thoughts
I just read about Wikis in Richardson's book. I've been hesitant to trust wiki sites such as Wikipedia. I thought the site would not be a good source of information because it could be edited by anyone. Richardson made a good point that there were more people correcting misinformation and making sure information was accurate then those who provided inaccurate information. I feel a little better about using Wikipedia but I am still a little hesitant. What do you think?
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Well Keara I'd have to agree...so far my experience with Wiki's has made me a little hesitant to use them. I also don't like the idea that anyone can just come in and edit. I understand that most people are correcting things but what about the instance where someone takes out valuable information. I guess it makes it better that you can see who has edited.
ReplyDeleteI was right there with you, Keara, on not trusting Wikepedia until I read Richardson's book. I think Jobs (Apple CEO;what an influential technology figure!)really put me at ease saying that Wikepedia is one of the most accurate encyclopedias out there. I especially liked the experiment Richardson wrote about--thirteen purposely created misinformation posted on Wikepedia was corrected in a matter of an hour or so! Proof that people are out there to make this work to the advantage of those seeking TRUE information!
ReplyDeleteWikis are something to think about in terms of accuracy and privacy. Richardson does a great job in his book making Wikipedia seem much more accurate than I have thought in the past. And like Nicole said about Steve Jobs, definitely helps my thoughts on wiki accuracy. But if you want to keep the information accurate, especially with schools, I would set up privacy settings so there would be a log in and password so only those that are part of the wiki can edit.
ReplyDeleteI think that if used correctly Wikipedia can be a great source of information. With most articles there are references given and links to those websites as well. As long as students and teachers alike look for those references then I think it can be one of the greatest sources of information. Wikipedia can also be used as a great place to start to look for information and then go and find supporting information to help verify if the Wiki is accurate. Also as stated above things get edited very quickly on most mainstream topics so if there is any mis-information it will quickly get corrected.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! Perhaps I am too trusting, but I have found the info on wikipedia to be far more accurate and consistent than most sites. There will always be the error or two, but, like you and Richardson stated, the majority of individuals are looking out for the accuracy of the content rather than the opposite. I'm sure you could put together a great art-related wiki with your students. Good luck!
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