Week 2 - Thoughts on Wikipedia NGUYEN KIM CHI( 응웬김찌)

 Summary  

This week’s readings focus on the history, structure, and impact of Wikipedia. The articles outline how Wikipedia was founded by Jimmy Wales, initially as Nupedia, before transitioning into an open collaboration model with the help of wiki technology. This shift allowed anyone to contribute, making it one of the largest and most widely used knowledge-sharing platforms today.

However, Wikipedia’s open-editing model comes with challenges. The lack of centralized oversight means misinformation and biased edits can spread. To mitigate these risks, Wikipedia has implemented transparency mechanisms and community-based content moderation. Despite these efforts, concerns about accuracy, editorial bias, and the governance structure remain.


 Interesting Point  

Wikipedia’s decentralized editorial model is both its greatest strength and a significant challenge. Unlike traditional encyclopedias, it allows ordinary users to contribute, which broadens the range of available knowledge. However, this openness can also compromise reliability. The balance between accessibility and credibility is a key issue that Wikipedia continues to navigate.

Despite its flaws, Wikipedia exemplifies the power of collective intelligence. It proves that voluntary, large-scale collaboration can create an invaluable knowledge resource, even without monetary incentives.


 Discussion  

Do you trust Wikipedia as a primary source of information? How do you verify the accuracy of the content you read on the platform?


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