Wiki Controversy The Controversy over Wikipedia and the Democratization of Information

In the age of information, few things are more controversial than source validity and intellectual property. The free and easily accessible availability of information and the capacity for individuals to express themselves without limitation have both been stimulated by the proliferation of the web. And just as this has improved the ability of many to self-educate or to take part in creating a body of human knowledge, it has simultaneously presented an array of risks to the validity and reliability of said knowledge. Perhaps the most prominent example of this dilemma is that reflected by Wikipedia. An extremely valuable resource, this online database constitutes the world's largest and most varied periodical. One of its most important philosophical features is that any user can contribute to the entries which make up the online encyclopedia. According...

It is just an ongoing stuggle, an experiment in collective publishing. The fact that Wikipedia is accumulating more structure and policies, a civil policing, is the core group of pioneers trying to tame the wild frontier." (Farber, p. 1)
Therefore, just as this approach helps to broaden the perspective being offered by the source, it makes the source highly susceptible to error, inaccuracy and even abuse. It is thus that Wikipedia is generally considered extremely flimsy as a basis for research, fact-checking or journalism. Indeed, most credible classrooms, publications and newsrooms will generally reject Wikipedia as an invalid source, even where the potential for some information to be accurate exists. But for its supporters, Wikipedia is a remarkable opportunity to create…