Wikipedia is a Web-based free content encyclopedia designed to be read and edited by anyone, with editions of varying sizes in 190 languages. 16,000 registered users collaboratively edit and maintain the English edition Wikipedia, which has allowed it in less than four years of operation to become the world's largest encyclopedia, containing 460,000 articles (growing 3000 per day) and 77 million words.
Wikipedia is one of the most popular reference sites on the Web, getting around 80 million hits per day. Wikipedia continues to receive plaudits from sources including BBC News, USA Today, The Economist, NewsWeek, BusinessWeek, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Wired Magazine, and has been the subject of a study by IBM.
Critics point to the potential for inaccurate information and that Wikipedia can not be as authoritative as a traditional encyclopedia with a more formal editing process. Vandalism is a recognized problem, though it is generally caught and reverted within minutes by users who monitor the recent changes.
In addition to traditional encyclopedia entries, Wikipedia includes information more often associated with almanacs, gazetteers, and specialist magazines, as well as coverage of current events. For more background on collective editing and the wiki movement, see Wiki.
Me, I find myself using wikipedia.org more and more frequently. And in the areas of my concentration, for example, zydeco music, I find the entries impeccable. Look at all the pertinent links! Do you have any stories about your use of wikipedia.org?
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