Wikipedia

[Flint]

#1:

God forbid one has to follow a few links in order to flesh out a premise.

#2:

Middlebury College history students are no longer allowed to use Wikipedia in preparing class papers.

I love these articles that start off with a bang, and then proceed to completely contradict themselves.

#3:

This really indicates a problem with the standard information model, doesn't it? We're stuck on training students how to do something that they don't really need to know how to do anymore, IE training chefs how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together, when we know that ovens exist.

[Cloud]

First, may I just say that Wikipedia rocks! I access it pretty much daily.

Second, I agree in general with the prohibition for citing them for college papers. Encylopedias are meant to be background research--a starting point. College students should be citing primary sources or scholarly secondary sources. Otherwise it's the equivalent of that paper on panda bears you did in fourth grade where you basically copied the World Book entry.

Originally Posted by Flint

#This really indicates a problem with the standard information model, doesn't it? We're stuck on training students how to do something that they don't really need to know how to do anymore, IE training chefs how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together, when we know that ovens exist.

Ha! you think that's bad--try teaching (or learning) legal research the Oldskool way--with books. It's hard, because almost no one does it that way anymore, BUT--it is necessary to learn for a variety of reasons.