How can I Wiki you today?

Before I begin my update re: my week of Wikipedia, it should be noted that Wikipedia is usually not considered to be a "reliable academic source" by many tertiaty level instituions --- our esteemed College included (i.e. you can use it, but it must not be the main source for the bulk of your research). Honestly, as a tertiary level student, your first port of call --- for an online source --- when doing research should be Ebscohost or other such reputable sources.

 

.... And that was a public service message brought to you by.... Haha! I digress...

Wikipedia's value cannot be ignored as it holds a variety and vast amount of information. For many, it is an invaluable source of information and contains, rather than the possibility of inaccuarate information, the possibility of having a  number of different perspectives on any one topic. Although Wikipedia articles are created by a number of contributors, these articles go through a number of rigourous checks by other contributors; checks that include, but are not limited to, the article's validity, relevance, grammar and use of diction, and the article's objectivity, to name a few.

Although I did not partake in the opportunity (afforded me by signing up to be a "Contributor") to create or edit an article, by simply reading through a few of the articles on the site I became cognisant of its value, for many, as a "go to" source for information. It was also apparent to me that this is indeed a labour of love. Wikipedia, through its facilitation of collaborative work, encourages those that have a passion for and understanding of the need for information to be readily available and widely disseminated to indeed make it so.

I will end my "Wiki-wiki-wild" journey with a personal experience. While utilising a popular social networking site I came across this meme:

Curious, I visited Wikipedia to see if they knew what this was about... I was not disappointed:
Monsanto

I was even able to find, within the same article: Monsanto Legal_issues

All in all, I went away with at least an idea of who "Monsanto" is and what the hullabaloo was about. Also, being aware of the nature of Wikipedia I, like many others following this developing story, know that as more information enters the public domain concerning this matter (and once it passes Wikipedia's criteria for articles to be okayed for publishing) the article will be updated for knowledge seekers.

And so, I continue on this journey through social media.... My next stop? I am not sure just yet, but feel free to leave suggestions in the "Comment" box below or perhaps even on my twitter account: Tweet@blossiebee 

iblossie out!