Week 1:Exploring Wikipedia – Understanding, Curiosity, and Future Goals——JIA YUAN

  1. Summary

After my initial exposure to Wikipedia, I have become increasingly curious about how this platform operates and its impact on knowledge dissemination. In this week's class, we delved deeper into Wikipedia’s editing mechanisms, community guidelines, and the principles of neutrality and verifiability. It was fascinating to learn that Wikipedia is collaboratively edited by volunteers worldwide, ensuring that information remains up-to-date and credible. However, this also raised questions about potential biases and the reliability of sources. The professor emphasized the importance of cross-referencing information and understanding Wikipedia’s limitations, reminding us that while it is an extensive knowledge base, it is not an infallible academic source.

Additionally, I learned about Wikipedia’s hierarchical editing structure, including administrators and experienced editors who help maintain content quality. This structure intrigued me, as it showcases how self-regulation can work effectively within an open-source community. Another important takeaway was the importance of citation and proper attribution, which ties back to the ethical considerations we discussed last week regarding copyright and intellectual property.

  1. Interesting Points

One aspect that caught my attention was Wikipedia’s commitment to open knowledge while maintaining strict editorial guidelines. The fact that volunteers from different backgrounds contribute and review articles highlights the power of collective intelligence. I am particularly interested in how Wikipedia handles controversial topics and ensures neutrality, as well as how its policies adapt over time to counter misinformation.

Another fascinating point was learning about Wikipedia’s influence on education and research. Many people rely on Wikipedia as a starting point for academic research, yet institutions often discourage citing it directly. This paradox makes me wonder how Wikipedia could bridge the gap between accessibility and academic credibility.

  1. Future Goals

As I continue this course, I hope to contribute to Wikipedia by editing or even creating an article. I am curious about how articles evolve over time through community contributions and how discussions shape the final content. I also want to explore Wikipedia’s role in new media and whether its open-source model can be applied to other digital knowledge-sharing platforms.

Furthermore, I aim to develop critical skills in verifying online information, understanding the nuances of digital content moderation, and using open resources responsibly. By the end of the semester, I hope to gain a deeper appreciation for Wikipedia’s impact on global knowledge sharing and explore ways to contribute meaningfully to this incredible platform.

  1. Discussion

How do you view Wikipedia’s role in knowledge dissemination? Do you think it should be considered a reliable academic source, or should it remain a supplementary tool for research?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction to the blog

This blog is a digital forum where students from Collective Intelligence in Practice: Understanding Wikipedia at the Hanyang University in Korea (2025) will discuss their weekly readings and activities. Each week you are expected to post a blog post on our blog and make a comment on another student's post. You can do so on one of the following three topics: a) You can blog about the readings for the next week. As you are expected to do the assigned readings FOR the lectures they are assigned to, you are expected to post your blog and comments BEFORE that lecture. An ideal commentary should be about half a page in length (~200 words), divided into three clearly labeled sections in which you: 1) summarize in your own words of materials you read; 2) mention any new, interesting, or unusual items learned; 3) identify at least one question, concern, or discussion angle that is either problematic in some respect or could have been elaborated more. This question is likely to be incor...
Read more

Week 1. My Recent Wikipedia Edits - Jeong seolah (정설아)

I made several edits to the Wikipedia page for 'Daegu'.  Daegu, located in the southeastern part of South Korea, is the third-largest urban area in the country, following Seoul and Busan. With a population exceeding 2.3 million, it is the fourth-largest metropolitan city in South Korea and the second-largest in the Yeongnam region after Busan. Often referred to together with the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province as Daegu-Gyeongbuk, this region is home to over 5 million residents. Known for its rich history and vibrant economy, Daegu stands as a key player in South Korea's cultural and industrial landscape. Below is a summary of the changes I contributed. 1) Summarize and link Sights Section:  - Improved clarity by changing “mountains keep many traditional temples” to “the mountains keep many traditional temples.” Mosque Controversy Section:  - Simplified a sentence by removing “and of the authorities.” Festivals Section:  - Made phrasing smoother by changing “tho...
Read more

Week4 - Review about the readings for the next week. - Jo HyeonSeong (조현성)

 1. Summarize in my own words of materials. The book is primarily about the openness of Wikipedia. Openness means that anyone can participate in the creation and editing of articles without any qualifications. Openness can be a double-edged sword. While it means that you can edit without having expert knowledge of a topic, it also means that you can participate even if you have expert knowledge. For experts, articles written by non-experts can come across as inaccurate knowledge, which can anger experts. This anger can also be a catalyst for Wikipedia to continue to improve. However, articles edited only by non-experts can cause misunderstandings and convey incorrect information, so openness can be considered a double-edged sword. In fact, it sometimes causes some conflict, such as Wales' negative stance. Openness also means freedom from copyright, which means anyone can take it and use it anywhere. That is why the knowledge of non-experts can have greater impact. That is why appro...
Read more