To add to the previous entry, I thought readers would like to see what the fuss is all about. Click on the link to watch how a current events entry in Wikipedia undergoes changes over a 24 hour period. The movie is five minutes in length. However, please allow me to make this introductory comment: I am posting this movie to demonstrate the nature of wikis. At their best, they can be representations of collective knowledge. The beauty of collective knowledge is its potential for arriving at a form of truth. Wikipedia, though, is coming under fire for being the encyclopedia of choice among many college students, as my colleague below has pointed out. It is your turn to weigh in. I post this movie so our readers can form their own conclusions. I hope that rather than condemning the source as completely useless in the academic environment, our readers can envision ways to use Wikipedia that does not compromise the quality and integrity of scholarly research.
A specific note about this movie–the entry describes the July 2005 London bombings. You will see how often this entry is edited. Other Wikipedia entries that are less controversial or contain information that is generally accepted as accurate (ie., history of the American Revolution) may also have considerably less editing. Disputed information will be noted at the top of the entry. Finally, some of the editing may be offensive to some viewers.
(Large file, appx. 38MB; Right-click on the link and select “Open in New Window” or “Save Target As” and save to your hard drive.)
Movie courtesy of Michael Sauers, BCR
Karen Pardue
