The Wiki Way

Wiki’s truly are a fascinating phenomenon. They seemed to have appeared from nowhere and all of a sudden have become present in every facete of our internet searching.

I doubt that there is a time now when you do a search through Google and a Wikipedia page for the subject does not appear in the first 10 listings.

In my general searching I have found Wikipedia to be very useful. I generally use it when I am trying to establish my understanding of a subject. I have often found the information on Wikipedia to be extremely user-friendly. Whilst it may not have the theoretical knowledge base at its grounding, it is a wonderful tool for establishing and understanding of a topic.

Recently I had a request for information on a building in Europe. The person who gave me the request knew little more than its name. With the help of Wikipedia, and indeed Google, I was able to establish a few basics to then start exploring in greater detail.

In searching through the Discover list of Wiki’s I have found one in which I am sure to waste considerable amounts of time, Wookieepedia. I am a Star Wars Fan. No I am not one of those people who dresses up in the costumes and goes to conventions, however I think I would make a good Darth Vader, I am one of those fans who truly loves the Star Wars theme and am beholden to the original greatness of the first films.
Wookieepedia has opened up a new world in which the Star Wars saga continues, with Princess Leia’s & Han Solo’s children. Ahhh the marvels of it!

The positives of Wiki’s are that we the general public are able to contribute to information gathering. It is often the case that the person you least expect knows the most. They are usual people who don’t like to broadcast themselves. Wiki’s allow these people to contribute to areas they have knowledge in an easy access environment.

The negatives of Wiki’s are also that of the positives. They provide a platform for know-it-alls to broadcast their version of information all over the world. I have always found accessing medical information over the Internet to be fraught with danger and I always advise against it. I have seen people come to the library to use the internet to find out about a condition they have been diagnosed with and they are usually always confronted with horrible images, misinformation and false understanding.

Wiki’s do seem to be the new “It” search tool on the Internet and with their explosion of use and easy access, it would seem apparent that they are going to be with us more and more.
Cheers for now.