[WikiEN-l] Using Wikipedia unlikely to result in collapse of knowledge

[WJhonson at aol.com]

Ken when you read one paragraph from a source, and then summarize it, you  are making a decision as an editor of exactly how to summarize the source aren't  you?  So in the same way, when you read a book, and represent it in two  paragraphs in an article on "Chicago" or whatever, you are choosing what to  include, exclude, how to whittle it down to a sparse representation of that  source.
 
You are making these decisions, and they are part-and-parcel of "editing"  they are not "original research" because you are not *creating* new  "statements-of-fact".  Instead you are summarizing other people's  statements into a much smaller space.
 
That isn't the same thing is it?  It would only be the same, if your  summary *does not actually represent* the source.
 
Will Johnson



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