For your blog post this week, choose one Wikipedia entry that is in some way related to issues that we have discussed this semester, and you feel you know something about – it can be as broad as “new media” or as narrow as “Juicycampus,” though I’d recommend aiming for something between those two extremes. Your article must meet the following criteria:
- be at least six months old. Check by clicking the “history” tab at the top of the article.
- have at least four authors. The “history” tab will tell you this, too.
- have at least five external citations. These appear as “notes” or “references” at the foot of the article.
After you have selected your article, list the title and URL and describe the article. (Your description should be a sentence or two describing the content, origin date, and number of contributors. Explain why you selected this article/topic.) Then see if you can assess whether the entry is any good by reading it critically and by looking at a few of the cited sources. If you believe the article is biased, explain why. You can also use your own knowledge of the topic to make a judgment. If you don’t feel that you have a way to judge its veracity, discuss why, or what you would need to know. Then, read your entry’s entire “discussion” page. What was the most controversial part of writing it? From this cursory examination of one Wikipedia entry, share your thoughts on wikis as a form of technically-organized, collaboratively-produced knowledge.