[WikiEN-l] WP Structure (Offshoot from: Admins shouldn't shoot back)

[The Mangoe]

On 6/26/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I can see a scenario in which the
> > determining factor is that Wikipedia is free on-line, and Britannica
> > is not. Therefore, as long as money is a more important factor, we are
> > going to tend to drive them out of the market. The only countervailing
> > factor is quality, but markets are notoriously tolerant of poor
> > quality. Wikipedia is already "the encyclopedia everyone consults even
> > though they know it often isn't very good."

> Certainly. Wikipedia is better than a Google search, and it's
> certainly better than a Britannica you don't have to hand on your
> desk.

Well, it's interesting, because I find myself doing a lot of
"-wikipedia" Google searches these days. I suppose that's partly
because a lot of those searches are done for Wikipedia. However,
except in a few restricted fields I go to other sources whenever I
need any kind of systematic knowledge about something. Wikipedia is
definitely good for the "I've never heard of this before" search, but
I've tended to find it lacking for more in-depth treatment. The
articles tend to be too incoherent-- not gibberish, but they tend not
to hold together as a unified exposition.