Wikipedia is great

I have urged caution in attending too much to the news. My first-line antidote is Wikipedia. Whenever you give Wikipedia a word or phrase, you get the big picture. Origins, history, connections with popular culture, and developments right up to the present -- sometimes within the last hour if the subject is of great interest.

For those who might not know, Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that is open for anyone to edit. I was skeptical when I first heard about it, since people could through malice or mere ignorance enter misleading or incorrect material. But this is a case where the better part of human nature triumphs. There are many more people who want to write the truth than to cause trouble.

The absence of a central decision-making editorial board that is part of other encyclopedic ventures has advantages. Changes can be made instantly without taking time for review. The choice of what topics to cover is simple: whatever people feel inspired to enter. Coverage might be a little weak on the third-century rulers in some out-of-the-way province in China, but if no one bothered to write about it, the chances are good that few people will be disappointed to find it missing. But trivia from TV shows, internet rumors, and characters from obscure computer games are covered. An editorial board would be inclined to consider them too frivolous.

It is true that you can't believe everything you read. If it is vital that you know the real truth or if you are inquiring about a controversial issue, you must go further, but Wikipedia is still the best place to start. If the issue isn't controversial, 99% of the time you will be reading the truth. Keep in mind that you can't believe everything you read on a controversial issue anywhere else, either. With Wikipedia, the cause for caution is apparent, while with other sources it is hidden.

Google is also a favorite tool, but it has limitations. Around every corner and behind every bush is someone trying to sell you something. Often when I click on a link I land on a page in the middle of some context I don't understand -- who has written it and why. Overt commercialism is banned in Wikipedia. You can also find a high school student's C paper with Google. Unlike Wikipedia, there's no one to correct the faults in the paper.

I confess that I am not very knowledgeable about all that is available on the web, and I will be happy to hear of even better tools that are available.

There is one less positive aspect, though. In recent decades our society has offered instant gratification in a variety of areas, eroding our willingness to work for what we want. Wikipedia grants a measure of instant gratification with regard to learning. You can get an overview of a subject -- instantly.