Well I’m late with my monthly web site reviews so I’ll make up for it by blogging not just about one web site, but about a content rich wiki collection.
Wikipedia.Org and its sisterprojects are made unique by their free, openly interactive nature. These web sites are developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization intent on providing free collaborative content to the web in several languages.
Content contributors may include anyone with Internet access, though there are quality-control guidelines. Although many contributors are well-credentialed, some are not; that does not lessen the value of the content. Not everything that comes out of a university is golden. Similarly, not everything that comes from established information sources is golden. This is true of web content, television, newspapers and other venues of information.
As with any source, it’s important to analyze the information as objectively as possible by determining (1) the source of the information, (2) the financial backing for the method in which information is gathered and presented, and (3) whether the way it’s presented affects the message. In other words, it’s best not to be a passive reader. Confront the information you get. Accept that 100% of the responsibility for arriving at meaning does not lie elsewhere. Some of it lies with you and the extent of your critical analysis.
In the case of a wiki, moreover, readers can become active in a more direct sense by becoming writers and editors. They are free to contribute to existing articles or write new ones. The nature of wiki is what keeps it honest, balanced and informative. It’s peer-created and peer-reviewed.
Here’s an index of the Wiki web sites, a brief description and my impressions. The site links will take you directly to the English language versions except where otherwise noted.
Wikipedia - this free online encyclopedia is available in several languages. Wikipedia is an excellent encyclopedia and information primer. I’m calling it a primer because volumes can be written about many of the subjects covered in Wikipedia. Just the same, I’ve yet to be disappointed by a perceived lack of detail in any article I’ve read. I tend to use Wikipedia as my online dictionary for more complex terms I look up from time to time, like neocon. If you use Firefox as your browser, you can add Wikipedia as one of your search engine options.
Wikibooks - this open-content online textbook collection features everything from basic organic chemistry to more entertaining references like the Muggles’ Guide to Harry Potter. In addition to unique book content, the web site provides study collections for core subjects under Wikistudy; textbooks for vocational and professional exams under Wikiprofessional primarily for information technology, but that’s expanding; and university and college level course studies under Wikiversity for life sciences, social sciences, interdisciplinary studies and more. All these book collections are growing but already provide incredible amounts of information on various subjects. If you bookmark nothing else provided by the Wikimedia Foundation, don’t miss bookmarking Wikibooks. With hundreds, maybe thousands of free online texts, you could have an impressive educational text and reference library for free.
Wiktionary - Although there’s no shortage of online dictionaries, this free multilingual dictionary offers several unique features: word of the day, etymology and audio pronunciations for the majority of the entries, faster expansion due to its collaborative nature, and quick access to non-native words in their native languages. This is an excellent reference tool for every computer user.
Wikinews - news content is omnipresent on the web. Variety is less omnipresent given the fact that many major news sites are (1) advertiser dependent and (2) obtain their content from news agencies like the Associated Press. One of the things that has helped make blogging, especially political blogging, so famous is the immediacy and variety of sources. I believe that’s true as well, to some extent, with collaborative news sites like Wikinews. What drives the content here has more to do with what people want to write about rather than what the editors or advertisers perceive people want to consume. That’s not to say there’s no bias, but certainly there’s more of an opportunity for balance, in my humble opinion. At any rate, I’m a big proponent of obtaining news from a multitude of sources to avoid the slants and bias that may occasionally creep or stampede into the content. For the reasons I mention above, Wikinews, a product of citizen journalism, should definitely be one of your choices for news content.
Wikiquote - Like its sister sites, this site is unique in offering multilingual, free, collaborative content. Here you’ll find quotations from notable people and from witty characters and creative works. An additional helpful feature is that many of the entries link to Wikipedia articles offering more detail about the people or context from which the quotes are derived. Another nice feature is the quote of the day. I’ll choose one of my favorites for this blog entry:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - Benjamin Franklin
Wikimedia Commons - Offering a variety of free media files, Wikimedia Commons is an excellent repository (and archive) of images, video and sound bytes. Much of the content is public domain or has been submitted under the Creative Commons sharing license under which copyright holders may grant more open access to the public. If you have a non-commercial web site, you can find many images or other media here that you can add to enhance your site. Just give credit where credit is due.
Wikispecies - “Because life is public domain,” this web site offers free content regarding all species on earth and the multitude of classifications.
Wikisource - This online library includes fiction and non-fiction works, including some political speeches that could fit under either category. There are also a few biographies, some poetry, and ancient, medieval and modern texts. This web site is ambitious and ever-expanding and promises to be an exceptional archive. As with the other Wiki sites, there are versions of this site in many different languages which include translations as well as native-language text.
