Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum << Prev Page of 45 Next >>
Topic: Wikipedia (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Todd Hembrough
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 4172
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 1:42pm | IP Logged | 1  

It wasnt silly until this page.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Jeremy Nichols
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 634
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 1:47pm | IP Logged | 2  

I don't even understand what's being said on this page. My
babelfish must have died.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Todd Hembrough
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 4172
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 1:54pm | IP Logged | 3  

Nice one with the babel fish.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Steve Jones
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 August 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 548
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:01pm | IP Logged | 4  

Just because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone doesn't mean it's worthless. It will mean that some of the information is, of course, complete crap but then there will be gems of information that will not be available via more traditional means. To simply dismiss out of hand as many have done seems to me to miss the point of Wikipedia and what it is about. Sure, some of the contributors are motivated by little more than malice but most are not; perhaps, it is nothing more than a glorified if more formal message board and as we all know some of them are very good indeed.

 

Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Richard Callaghan
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 July 2005
Posts: 343
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 5  


 QUOTE:
Just because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone doesn't mean it's worthless. It will mean that some of the information is, of course, complete crap but then there will be gems of information that will not be available via more traditional means. To simply dismiss out of hand as many have done seems to me to miss the point of Wikipedia and what it is about. Sure, some of the contributors are motivated by little more than malice but most are not; perhaps, it is nothing more than a glorified if more formal message board and as we all know some of them are very good indeed.

Nice sentiment... I have personally used it to research trivial things... it's just a shame that the entry that is most relevant to this site should arguably be Wikipedia at its worst.



Edited by Richard Callaghan on 22 September 2005 at 2:04pm
Back to Top profile | search
 
Jacob P Secrest
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4068
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:06pm | IP Logged | 6  

When I am looking up something that is trivial (such as "Fizzbin", from
that episode of Star Trek), Wikipedia works great, when I'm looking up
Tennessee Williams or something else I need to do a report on, not so
great.

Edited by Jacob P Secrest on 22 September 2005 at 2:06pm
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Richard Callaghan
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 July 2005
Posts: 343
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:08pm | IP Logged | 7  

Agreed... but for stuff like DOB of writers or Stones discographies (ain't their new album a stinker?) it works for me.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Martin Kogan
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 13 July 2004
Location: Argentina
Posts: 1477
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:14pm | IP Logged | 8  

Head hurts... just read... all thread... I only wish Mr. Tishman would stop by again to enlighten us all.

mk

Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 
Francis Grey
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 07 August 2005
Posts: 771
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:21pm | IP Logged | 9  

Masochism...OHHH, it hurts so good...
Back to Top profile | search
 
Jeremy Nichols
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 634
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:27pm | IP Logged | 10  

If SOME of the information is suspect, how is one to know what
it and what isn't? It puts ALL the information as suspect, and
thus, as a research device, is worthless. Unless of course one
doesn't care if their information is correct. I look up a lot of
information during my days and nights... I don't need nor want
one of those sources to be reliably inaccurate in any way. Out-
of-date I could understand... but, well, the whole idea of the
Wikipedia seems self-defeating to me. I first discovered it about
a year or so ago, I'd guess, and was using it to do research until
I realized what it was. Haven't been back (except to watch the
Byrne stuff unfold recently).

Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Roger A Ott II
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5371
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 11  

Steve Jones: Just because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone doesn't mean it's worthless.

Yeah, it does to me.  If I can't trust the source, the information is worthless as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not going to bother with any of it.  Just my opinion, of course, but according to someone earlier, my opinion can't be wrong, so there!  Nyah!

Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Jacob P Secrest
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4068
Posted: 22 September 2005 at 2:37pm | IP Logged | 12  

What Roger said, anybody can say anything (I tried today to convince
someone that humans laid eggs, of course I failded miserably), but that
by no means makes it true.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 

<< Prev Page of 45 Next >>
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login