In Dr. Tryon’s course we were asked to create wiki sites on different topics? But in actuality, none of my classmates, including myself, are qualified professionals on anything…if we were then we would already have degrees and wouldn’t be in this course. In “Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade” Read interviewed skeptics of Wikipedia, who questioned the qualifications of the individuals who make post on the Wiki. This is a good point. Because Wiki is an on-line encyclopedia anyone can edit and post whatever they want…now of course it would be changed withing hours…but what if someone looks at it before corrections are made? Wiki is error prone and broad. If creators of Wiki desire for this source to be viewed as credible in the academic community, there should be some restrictions to who can post information. The article brought up an interesting point about Mr. Halavais and how wrong information was posted on him on the Wiki for a couple of hours before it was corrected. Isn’t this too long? Shouldn’t someone be able to catch these corrections instantly? I would think so. If this source is going to be open and accessible to the public…the information needs to be accurate at all times. I don’t think that this is impossible.
I don’t trust the Wiki….for all I know a child could have posted the entry on WWI saying that the US involvement was primarily based on baby formula…who knows! Although I would know that’s ridiculous…a fourth grader would not. This is a serious matter. The Wiki has to have strict guidelines for posting, if not…it will not be used as a credible source.
