Internet, it is good or bad? It has evolved rapidly from when it began. The Internet, also known as the web, provides us or gives us the chance to navigate and look for educational information. Then, there is Wikipedia, an educational web site with hundreds of articles. “Wikipedia, the peer-produced online encyclopedia is a popular way for people to gain information” (Gapper, 2008, para. 1). Now we have a problem, and it is that a lot of students are using this source for their homework and there is a big deal about cite from Wikipedia. “The emergence of the World Wide Web as a resource for student’s research is for many educators a worrisome development” (Lengel, 2006, para. 1). There are some people that say it shouldn’t be allowed. In another point of view they say, Wikipedia is a very helpful source and everybody should use it however they want. Wikipedia is a good source to take general information. For specific and deep information Wikipedia should not be allowed.
We have to recognize, are the sources found in Wikipedia reliable? This web site provides us the opportunity or the chance to look for basic information. It contents sometimes is just general. Information like simple definitions, history, facts and important people are founded easily in Wikipedia. The problem starts when we are looking for something more important or something for a research. Trusting one hundred percent in this information is a big mistake. Why we should not trust in it? The main problem is that this web site is open to modifications of anyone. It makes the web site doubtful. Even though we are at risk of getting false information. It is obvious the fact that this web site is not reliable at all. “It is not the number of articles available on Wikipedia that is up for debate, though. The argument amongst scholars is that the information available on Wikipedia is not necessarily accurate and that the articles themselves are particularly susceptible to Internet vandalism” (Wolverton, 2007, para. 11).
In addition, there is the point that Wikipedia is not deep. How we can be sure of it? As I mentioned before, this web site is not profound. Everybody can make modifications and then the people who write or rewrite do it with their point of view usually. Wikipedia works when it is about universal meanings. However written history is open to the interpretation of the person who inputs there. The information found is just based in other sources. Then Wikipedia helps us to put together all this information that we are looking for.
When we are looking for quick information, Wikipedia is the best to give us this. We should not use Wikipedia as a resource of research papers; it is not certificated! And also we can be following just the ideas of others without notice.
Regardless, we cannot devalue Wikipedia as a resource. It has been helping students, professors, teachers and everybody who at least needed quick information, and Wikipedia was the solution. This web site is and will still be in the internet for a long time. As long as the people use of the people of Wikipedia, there will be Wikipedia for us. One solution for this controversy can be to put a control on the people who write there. They should be registered and be recognized as people who have access to Wikipedia.
Summarizing, the use of Wikipedia is universal and as we look today it will be impossible stop their use. The only things that we can do are to implement rules and conditions with the purpose of regulating or controlling the quality of the Wikipedia information. With this, every student will be able to use Wikipedia without restrictions, and make good papers. Also, one good idea can be the professors putting their research there. In this way the information will be gotten for the common people in an easy way.
References:
Gapper, J. (January 23, 2008). Wikipedia is popular but scary, ft.com/gapperblog. Para. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2009, from http://blogs.ft.com/gapperblog/2008/01/wikipedia-is-pohtml/.
Lengel, J. (February 07, 2006). Authority, Teaching with Technology. Para. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2009, from http://tinyurl.com/n5clt2
Wolverton, J. (January 22, 2007). Wikipedia Wisdom, Valley Vanguard. Para. 11. Retrieved June 5, 2009, from http://www.svsu.edu/clubs/vanguard/stories/1141.
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