Your truth or mine?

I have always heard, there are three sides to every story: your’s, mine, and the truth. With information becoming more and more readily available on the Internet and websites such as Wikipedia blossoming, there is truly no way to grasp how much is dependent on this information and Wikipedia.

I will admit, when I am pressed for time and need a quick answer to a question that is posed, I will consult Wikipedia. With responses to nearly every topic under the sun and reverted topics, it is one of the most up-to-date information items you can find!

The two articles I consulted this week were: Can Wikipedia Conquer Expertise? by Stacy Schiff and Digital Maoism: The Hazards of the New Online Collectivism by Jaron Lanier.

Schiff’s article took a closer look at Wikipedia and its history. This article also included information on the need to record information in a “pedia” format. This article was a written in a positive light for Wikipedia and announced that because it is able to be updated and is so current, there are relatively few mistakes. Knowing this really helps me because I do use Wikipedia as an everyday resource. I, however, do not use it for scholarly purposes or for academic purposes.

Lanier’s article on the other hand, approached Wikipedia as a dangerous asset to our society. Lanier is determined that Wikipedia has left to much control to the people. In his opinion information should be free and not controlled.

These two opposing views have left one thought to ponder, what purpose is that of Wikipedia? Is Wikipedia to replace all conventional resources and knowledge? Or is it a supplemental resource that can help expound more knowledge? I think it is important to communicate the value of Wikipedia and realize it is a resource, not the “all-knowing” resource but a reliable resource that can provide accurate information. The choice we face is, how do we know if this information is accurate and reliable and how far do we go about trusting it?