After being told to edit the Wikipedia webpage for “education,” my initial reaction was one of perplexity and intimidation. I am merely a college freshman; my thoughts and opinions are not significant enough to be presented on Wikipedia, a website viewed by millions of users. My first belief was that professors, authors, and prominent leaders in the educational realm are the sole editors and contributors of the Wikipedia “education” page. However, now as I reflect upon being told to edit the Wikipedia webpage for “education” I realize that this task is not nearly as daunting as before. The article “Lessons of Wikipedia” by Jonathan Zittrain allowed me to realize and accept that the general public generates the information on Wikipedia. Important leaders or educators do not create pages; almost anyone can create a webpage. So while I remain merely a college freshman, my thoughts and opinions presented onto Wikipedia are just as credible as many Wikipedia contributors.
If I were to edit a page on Wikipedia it would regard any topic I am comfortable debating, defending, or analyzing. Soccer, basketball, Irish-step dancing, or any general topic I believe myself to know sufficient information about. The topic would pertain a large role in my life and I would consider myself to be a credible source. I understand that information on Wikipedia is generated by anyone, including the general public; however, it is difficult for me to classify all of the information as insignificant. There are many articles written by extremely credible scholars and many that have valid citations. Thus, if I were to edit a page it would definitely regard a topic in which I believe both others and myself would consider to be a reliable source.
OH SNAP you referenced the reading from class!
ReplyDeleteGood work, Sheila.
I, too, first thought my knowledge was insignificant and under qualified. I then realized that any average joe with a laptop or an idiot at the library has the same access as I do when it comes to editing Wikipedia. It's a very good thing that you would choose to edit a page with a topic you know a lot about. I think you should try to edit an Irish-step dancing page and site yourself as an experienced dancer for x years and see what happens.
I agree with your thought that not all of the information in Wikipedia is insignificant. There are professional editors who check every page in Wikipedia for their credibility and accuracy. But it would be a good idea to check the sources when referring to Wikipedia, just to make sure that the information is credible.
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