I wanted to avoid this discussion, but I don't think I can, so here goes ...
Given its size, Wikipedia has an enormous responsibility to people everywhere. While most of us who work on Wikipedia know how to take its content with a grain of salt, the fact is that the vast majority of people simply turn to Wikipedia as a first (only?) source of reference. Like it or not, warn against it or not, for many it is "the" reference--the most accessible source for reliable information.
This can be dangerous. For instance, putting pet pseudo-scientific theories on Wikipedia gives them a certan credence that they would not get anywhere else. Often, those articles will be better sourced than the more conventional, standard entries on accepted scientific theories. People seeking information, who are not quite discerning, will turn to the net, see the article, see the copious references, and come to accept that as normative scientific fact, when actually the vast majority of scientists may well reject it.
Rather than consider this as hypothesis, it has already happened, frustrating some of the conventional scientists who edit this site. The debates over use of the Pseudoscience category tag are very telling in this regard. Wikipedia's goal is to report, rather than promote ideas. It can, however, happen that by giving unequal weight to spurious topics, we are doing the latter.
Danny
In a message dated 9/18/2007 10:42:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ian2@knowledge.co.uk writes:
I completely fail to see what's so magic in "encyclopedias" that they must not list bloggers or actresses. Specially when they are not bound by the limits of the paper.
Indeed. There are already encyclopedias on:
Pseudoscience http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_Pseudoscience
Star Trek http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_Trek_Encyclopedia
Ideas http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Ideas-Inventions-Concepts-Discoveries/dp/... 00QRZLTC
African Americans At War http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://www.powells.com/partner/5... /biblio/1576077462=~=Powells
Homicidal Poisonings http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/... raRoute?pid=16143&url=http://www.abebooks.co.uk/abe/BookDetails?bi=891861039
Magical spells http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://newbibliophile.ammonet-se... ices.com/ibooknet/search?submit=AddAll&bookId=550017&dealerLogin=unclephil&the _club=ibooknet
World Shopping http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/... raRoute?pid=43&url=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=975949410=~= Abebooks
Asteroid Names http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/... raRoute?pid=43&url=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=243339144=~= Abebooks
Singapore Business http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/url.cgi?=~=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/... raRoute?pid=43&url=http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=962933484=~= Abebooks
Regards,
Ian Tresman www.plasma-universe.com
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