The Problem With Wikipedia...

[Black.Ice]

http://xkcd.com/c214.html


So true...

[Schwitzer]

Yeah. The amount of times I've gone to Wikipedia for one thing and ended up getting sidetracked and sidetracked again... gah. :)

[Battlecruiser]

And the random page feature just makes it worse.

[TinyDancer]

I never get on wikipedia before work. When I do, I'm always late.

[Ktan]

Too true.

[U-238]

Man that is so true. Seems like everything links to somthing else and it's like a never ending loop it just keeps going and going and going.

I'll go on for something and start clicking and I'll totaly forget what I'm looking for. >.<

[Basan]

For me? It depends on my focus level (and that directly linked to my mental and/or physical tiredness). If am weary I tend to roam n' drift a lot more than when I ain't. :)

[bloodbane]

wikipedia rocks except when you go to random page and sends you Shock Sites then it sucks

[Zeltaris]

Uncyclopedia > Wikipedia.

Although the effect is pretty much the same. Except that, after you drift around uncyclopedia for a while, your brain starts oozing down your nose. Tastes like chicken, btw ^_^

[Aquarian]

Haha, the comic speaks the truth. :P

Most of the time, I only use Wikipedia as a last resort or for some past time reading. I was looking for "Vehicle Dynamics" to complete some school work. I was then bombarded with links, links and links. Seriously, can't they explain it better other than "Vehicle dynamics is a part of engineering primarily based on classical mechanics but it may also involve chemistry, solid state physics, electrical engineering, communications, psychology etc."

Now I realized I should've asked here, at WBs. Damn!

[own3d0406]

Wikipedia would be so much better with a quote by Oscar Wilde on every page.

[DragonPaladin]

Its worse getting sidetracked on Wikipedia with tab because it's so easy to go off on a tangent.

[TinyDancer]

Yeah, I often open more tabs than will fit on the toolbar, and I just go through them one after another after another after another after another etc. etc. etc. And of course each tab offers more links to browse. :D

[Black.Ice]

Yeah, I often open more tabs than will fit on the toolbar, and I just go through them one after another after another after another after another etc. etc. etc. And of course each tab offers more links to browse. :D

That's exactly how it works for me.

Taking a look at WikiCharts, it's kind of funny. (http://tools.wikimedia.de/%7Eleon/stats/wikicharts/index.php?month=08%2F2006&ns=articles&wiki=enwiki)

The majority of things revolve around sex.

[PrestonBurke]

I stopped counting at 6.

I dont understand there need to reference so many things with links. Almost every noun has a link to it, which has more links, leading to more links. I mean, even "CD's" was linked.

[Aquarian]

Taking a look at WikiCharts, it's kind of funny. (http://tools.wikimedia.de/%7Eleon/stats/wikicharts/index.php?month=08%2F2006&ns=articles&wiki=enwiki)

The majority of things revolve around sex.

That, is just plain disturbing. 0_0

[Aqo]

6: List of Sex Positions
16: Pokemon
28: Batman
29: List of gay porn stars
34: Nazi Germany
40: Linkin Park
53: Angelina Jolie
71: Human Penis Size
86: Texas
104: Pyramid Head
170: HIV
237: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
389: U.S. state (United States State...?)
604. Cybersex

...do you see a pattern?

[CrazyTom]

My mate and I have wiki races on our college computers. Without typing in the search box or using the back command, you have to get from one random page to another (we either think of one or both press the random page button). We try to get from pages about harps to pineapple fritters. Harder than it sounds.

But yeah, I reccomend you try this.

[Jedi_Templar]

I can't get the random page thing to work. Just too random of pages (usually links to some random geographical location page).

However, it's great to start with the Science Fiction page and proceed from there through the various subsections.

[Wehrmacht]

I stay away from Wikipedia, because I cant trust the information it gives out anymore(once used as a reference for a College paper, and my english teacher failed me for copying or whatnot WTF)
I go on Wookiepedia alot( the Wikia for Star wars) and just look up the most random stuff, in an effort to develop good trivia questions... usually spend 2-3 hrs and might find one good question, while having covered 1/2 the articles... so I guess I have the same problem everyone else has !

[DragonPaladin]

I use Wikipedia because it contains information you won't find on other encyclopedias and because it's very fun to browse. I always play a little game, where I start with an interesting topic such as...Spock...Picard...Terminator...etc and then begin opening tabs for every interesting terms. Then I see how long it takes me to wind down and finish reading everything :/

[Black.Ice]

The main reason for WP is to satisfy my curiosity of how stuff works. Whenever I stumble across something that I don't know the answer to, or something that I want more general information about, I turn to WP.

When I was in highschool I was a lazy ass and didn't take researching seriously, and ended up using Wikipedia while it was in it's infancy. Or maybe it was beginning college. Lately, I've raised my standards and been beginning to use real research and it's obviously much better.

[CrazyTom]

There is the danger that it is also editable by anyone so what's in there could be total crap. But I guess it's more truthful than Uncylopedia, yeah... :D

[Basan]

I agree with the common consensus that in most cases WikiPedia is a reliable source to getting ya started on research but to really dig deep you should then compliment it with data from elsewhere. *Hint, hint*

There is the danger that it is also editable by anyone so what's in there could be total crap. But I guess it's more truthful than Uncylopedia, yeah... :D

Such foul lies... :P What could be more accurate than this (about my country) (http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Portugal). :angel: