Trick-i-pedia


TRICK-I-PEDIA

(Published in The Hitavada ‘Time and Tide’ column on April 20, 2012)

The latest research by Marcia W DiStaso, Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Penn State University, points out a factually correct observation about Wikipedia. The research finds that 60 per cent of Wikipedia entries are full of factual errors. When Wikipedia was launched, the initiative was lauded the world over as the game-changer in referencing and information warehousing. However, as the days passed by, it became a common experience that not all the information or maps uploaded on Wikipedia were factually correct. Virtually untraceable sources wrote articles by referring to sources available to them and their own knowledge, which in most cases proved to be their perception. Besides, some cases of information placed on Wikipedia with an intention to assassinate someone’s character also came to fore. A writer, whose father’s factually incorrect biography was posted on Wikipedia by untraceable source, once wrote that this new media was populated by ‘volunteer vandals with poison-pen intellects.’ Of course, new media like Wikipedia offer a lot many opportunities for quick referencing that helps researchers world over. However, there are clear and present dangers also. There are several websites that have computers specially programmed to copy data verbatim from Wikipedia without verifying correctness of the information uploaded. There are innumerable individuals who refer to Wikipedia frequently for ‘valuable factual additions’ to their work. Unfortunately, they also do not go extra mile to cross-check authenticity of the information on such new media. As a result, factual errors in Wikipedia articles get carried forward in the work of millions of users. Tech-savvy generation’s knowledge, thus, is based on weak foundation of unauthentic source. Want of proper filters and verification before making available information to people reduces Wikipedia-like new media to Trickipedia only. 

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