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#1
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
From Penny Arcade:
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#2
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
They are pretty good about editing the edits though. On several occasions I have tried adding the Coconut Banger's Ball: It's A Rap! to Robert Goulet discography, however they keep on changing it.
As well funny story about the edits We edited the entry on the Alexander Technique (Some Acting Technique, it's irrelevant what it is for the story) To say that Rob Schneider was the greatest Alexander Technique actor. Then a kid who had to do a presentation about it said that Rob Schneider was teh greatest Alexander Technique actor. The teached gave him a look as if he just whipped it out, and the rest of the class burst out laughing. |
#3
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] The average scientific entry in Wikipedia had four errors or omissions, Britannica had three. [/ QUOTE ] LINK Melch [/ QUOTE ] So they have 33% more errors, on average. That's what you call "as accurate" as Britannica? |
#4
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The average scientific entry in Wikipedia had four errors or omissions, Britannica had three. [/ QUOTE ] LINK Melch [/ QUOTE ] So they have 33% more errors, on average. That's what you call "as accurate" as Britannica? [/ QUOTE ] damn I was just going to note this. I need to find a dumber forum to post in. |
#5
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The average scientific entry in Wikipedia had four errors or omissions, Britannica had three. [/ QUOTE ] LINK Melch [/ QUOTE ] So they have 33% more errors, on average. That's what you call "as accurate" as Britannica? [/ QUOTE ] Slashdot reported that the Wikipedia articles were also 2.6 times longer on average than Britannica, making Wiki substantially more accurate on a word for word basis. |
#6
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
[ QUOTE ]
The average scientific entry in Wikipedia had four errors or omissions, Britannica had three. [/ QUOTE ] On average, the population density of the known universe per cubic parsec is so close to zero that it might as well be zero. You are merely a statistical anomaly. For all we know, most Wikipedia articles are as accuate as Britannica, but occasionally, one is so inaccurate that it pushes the average up to 4 from 3. The problem is, you never know which one that is. If I were doing research, I might start with Wikipedia, but I'd trace the information back to a more reliable source and quote that. |
#7
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
Wikipedia can never be a reliable source because its information can be edited at any moment.
Plus, the science articles don't give a good estimate of the reliability of the encyclopedia. That's because they're mostly fact based articles with detailed content and many reliable references, as compared to other topics which can be contentious, indeterminate, or a target for vandals. |
#8
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
[ QUOTE ]
Wikipedia can never be a reliable source because its information can be edited at any moment. Plus, the science articles don't give a good estimate of the reliability of the encyclopedia. That's because they're mostly fact based articles with detailed content and many reliable references, as compared to other topics which can be contentious, indeterminate, or a target for vandals. [/ QUOTE ] Hmmm. I think I'd question both of those positions. The whole open source concept is built on the theory that making the subject accessible for correction & improvement by all and sundry results in superior quality than a more centralized approach. By that theory, errors in wikipedia are likely to have a shorter lifespan than those in the Britannica. And fact-based articles are IMO the best test of accuracy, since it is harder to find any consensus on what an 'error' is when the topic is more subjective. |
#9
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
we do some people get so emotional about wikipedia is a good source or not? This doesnt really apply to anyone in this thread yet but Ive seen this discussions become amazingly heated in the past. Does it matter either way? It's just another of the countless amount of websites out there.
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#10
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Re: Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica.
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