Proposition 1: Wikipedia is ruined, as a reliable information source, by edit wars.
Proposition 2: Generally, edit wars happen when people care about the information.
Proposition 3: People care more about information with a high social, as opposed to factual, value.
Theorem: The value of Wikipedia as a reliable information source is strongly inversely correlated to the social value of the information sought.
1st Corollary: Smart-phone access to Wikipedia will be the death of pub quizzes.
2nd Corollary: Wikipedia, en masse, has a significant social value.
The Cynics View: It is often useful to know, not just the truth, but what the mass herd of human sheep believe. In countries where the Daily Mail is not available, Wikipedia has an role.
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1 comment:
That's very true. I edited a wiki entry on Obama to state that he was not elibible for President and that started a war.
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