“Do not use any information from Wikipedia to be the references in your essay!” this is what a tutor told me in my first semester of my university study. I always keep that in my mind clearly. So, the impression of Wikipedia for me is always like incorrect and unreliable information and knowledge. However, after I read some learning materials about Wikipedia this week, I think I have to change my mind more or less.
What is Wikipedia? Gillmor (2006, 148) explain that Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that covers just about any content you can think of. It was formally launched in February, 2004, created and operated by volunteers, published its 500,000 th article and today ranks amongst the top search results in Google search. Wikipedia is one of the most fascinating developments of the digital age.
Bruns(2008, 113-118) lists that four key rules that have helped make Wikipedia being successful with almost accurate information and knowledge . These are:
- “Neutral Point of View”: Articles are as neutral as possible, without bias
- “Verifiability”: Readers should be able to check articles are published by a reliable source.
- “No original research”: Wikipedia does not publish original though and it is not the place for personal opinion.
- “WikiLove”: This is an additional component of the Wikipedia, which try to attract more people to contribute in Wikipedia not only user but also as producer of k knowledge.
Moreover, Wikipedia as an example of produsage, the principle of produsage that Fluid Heterarchy, ad hoc meritocracy also makes Wikipedia with quality of knowledge.
Fluid Heterarchy, AD Hoc Meritocracy. In open source contributors grow in the community through their esteem and influence on the project. There is no set dictator for the duration of the project. Leaders are fluid and ever changing according to their abilities and the merit of their contributions. In closed source the production development team is subject to traditional hierarchical structures. There is an appointed leader for the duration of the project and each employee has set individual tasks to complete (Bruns 2008, 25).
Bruns (2008, 108) explains the ad hoc groups of enthusiastic contributors are constantly disussion and editing ‘their’ pages. Bruns( 2008, 108) continues “such groups hold no inherent control over the content of the pages they focus on.” However with such a large number of established users, constantly checking back on the information, they are able to regularly updates or change any content which violates the group consensus on the topic. Jenkins (cited in Bruns 2008, 108) notes “the Wikipedia community…functions are as self-correcting adhocracy.” Therefore, anything that is posted can and most often refined and revised by other readers.
As I discussed above, Wikipedia is being controlled by its own roles and characteristics and try to deliver the reliable, trustful information and knowledge. May it still has some mistakes or inaccurate information and it may still not suitable to be references for academic purpose. However, we need to acknowledge that most of knowledge from Wikipedia is correct and it provides us a new platform to search and get knowledge in convenience.
Refrences:
Bruns, A. 2006. Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: from production to produsage. New York: Peter Lang.
Gillmor,D. 2006. We the media. Sebastopol:O’Reilly
Tags: accuracy_information, new_media, rules, Wikipedia
