Comments on: How much do you trust Wikipedia?

the buzz Readers weigh in on reports that Wikipedia entries are too easily tampered with to be reliable.

[DrTimHill]

Hilarious: Cnet complaining about accuracy!!

Let's get this right -- cnet/news.com are attacking wikipedia for accuracy? The web site (news.com) and "news" service that never let's facts get in the way of reporting?? Hilarious hypocrisy.

And to back up their claim, they choose ONE feedback post from here that asserts the inaccuracy of wikipedia articles -- with NO examples, no attempt to quantify the percentages of anything except gossip and heresay.

This article is op-ed garbage. Wikipedia isn't perfect (whoever said it was?). But when I compare the many articles on Wikipedia to the same subjects in (say) MS Encarta, I'll take wikipedia any time.

The agenda here, of course, is that any attempts to create a community that might just displace a revenue source with free and accurate information for all is inherently bad. Bad, that is, for MS (bye, bye Encarta), and for cnet (hey, all our readers can check up on us when we BS them!).

--Tim

[blondenemesis]

Wikepdia:

So many people are focussing on the supposed inaccuracy of Wikpedia's content. They fail to see that the whole purpose of this tool is to have an open-ended forum in which people can submit opinions and beliefs about subject matter. Anyone who delves into its volumes expecting supposed 'expert' opionion (which equates to little more than academic knowledge anyway, which contains its own flaws) are deluding themselves.

The arrogance of so many who denounce the tool as being 'mediocre' are just caught up in their own self-importance. Come on, let's face it...most of them are worried that when people start formulating ideas for theselves & expresisng them in an open forum, they won't be as likely to run to the 'experts' (who are more than happy to charge them) every time they need to think outside their own boxes. God forbid we consider views that may outside of the mainstream... why, that could almost be democratic!

If you don't believe in it, don't use it. It's that simple.

[ykeselman]

A consensus tool

It's great as a reflection of the consensus that exists at the moment. This has nothing to do with the true state of affairs. So, I would rely on it as much as you I would on predictions of financial analysts about the future of the economy.