Comments on: Wikimania Day 1: On Accuracy and Authority http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/ A librarian, writer and tech geek reflecting on the profession and the tools we use to serve our patrons Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:59:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Grets http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-109894 Grets Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:26:10 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-109894 Besides the issues of accuracy, authoritativeness and critical skills, it is also an issue of economics. I visit Wikipedia very often simply because they offer free information. Of course, I'm quite on the alert as to the page content and writing style/correctness but who wouldn't be irked visiting Britannica and Encarta/MSN when just about everything you really need is a "premium article". Sorry, but I don't have the funds to subscribe to their services. Besides the issues of accuracy, authoritativeness and critical skills, it is also an issue of economics.

I visit Wikipedia very often simply because they offer free information. Of course, I’m quite on the alert as to the page content and writing style/correctness but who wouldn’t be irked visiting Britannica and Encarta/MSN when just about everything you really need is a “premium article”.

Sorry, but I don’t have the funds to subscribe to their services.

]]> By: wikipedia http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-104277 wikipedia Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:46:26 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-104277 Personally, I have no idea why people would not understand how to do this. Personally, I have no idea why people would not understand how to do this.

]]> By: Lucy Pearson http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-91796 Lucy Pearson Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:28:58 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-91796 In response to Alex's comment above... I have to pitch and and defend school librarians. It is true that there are a lot of people in the school library world who are quick to condemn Wikipedia, but there are plenty of people who have a more balanced response to it (as I mentioned in my earlier comment). The problem, though, it that it can be very hard to get kids to treat any information critically, so it is tempting to just say 'use a "proper" encyclopedia - anyone could have put information on Wikipedia'. Also, I know a number of school librarians in the UK who are facing SEVERE funding cuts which are justified by school administrations on the grounds that the internet - and Wikipedia in particular - are all that students need. I think those situations make people hostile (I have no idea how the situation in America compares - school libraries seem to have more status generally over there). It IS frustrating, though, to hear people who really should know better dismissing Wikipedia so completely. Personally, I welcome new tools and resources. In response to Alex’s comment above… I have to pitch and and defend school librarians. It is true that there are a lot of people in the school library world who are quick to condemn Wikipedia, but there are plenty of people who have a more balanced response to it (as I mentioned in my earlier comment). The problem, though, it that it can be very hard to get kids to treat any information critically, so it is tempting to just say ‘use a “proper” encyclopedia – anyone could have put information on Wikipedia’. Also, I know a number of school librarians in the UK who are facing SEVERE funding cuts which are justified by school administrations on the grounds that the internet – and Wikipedia in particular – are all that students need. I think those situations make people hostile (I have no idea how the situation in America compares – school libraries seem to have more status generally over there). It IS frustrating, though, to hear people who really should know better dismissing Wikipedia so completely. Personally, I welcome new tools and resources.

]]> By: Filipino Librarian http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-91788 Filipino Librarian Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:21:21 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-91788 <strong>Wikimania 2006: "According to Wikipedia..."...</strong> ...I now regret not having gone to "Sins of Omission?" and "Comparing Wikipedia and Britannica," but check out Ethan Zuckerman's "Omission and Accuracy?" and Meredith Farkas's "On Accuracy and Authority" for the content...... Wikimania 2006: “According to Wikipedia…”…

…I now regret not having gone to “Sins of Omission?” and “Comparing Wikipedia and Britannica,” but check out Ethan Zuckerman’s “Omission and Accuracy?” and Meredith Farkas’s “On Accuracy and Authority” for the content……

]]> By: Alex Halavais http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-91786 Alex Halavais Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:16:44 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-91786 You're right, of course. The <i>good</i> librarians see the world in an amazing rainbow of grays. I come from a library school, and have a high opinion of librarians. I don't think I made a blanket statement, but if so, it was unintended. But... I was picking on school librarians in particular, because I've run into so many of them who clearly say "Wikipedia isn't written by experts so it's no good." Those are the librarians who grab the headlines and make you wonder what they are thinking. As for the issue of "authority," I agree. We do not offer a new definition of authority. What we have suggested here is that it is important to understand how the content here differs from the traditionally defined authoritative sources. You’re right, of course. The good librarians see the world in an amazing rainbow of grays. I come from a library school, and have a high opinion of librarians. I don’t think I made a blanket statement, but if so, it was unintended.

But…

I was picking on school librarians in particular, because I’ve run into so many of them who clearly say “Wikipedia isn’t written by experts so it’s no good.” Those are the librarians who grab the headlines and make you wonder what they are thinking.

As for the issue of “authority,” I agree. We do not offer a new definition of authority. What we have suggested here is that it is important to understand how the content here differs from the traditionally defined authoritative sources.

]]> By: Rick Roche http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-91779 Rick Roche Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:31:58 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-91779 Meredith, Thanks for the reports. I hope to attend your half-day session at Internet Librarian. Rick Meredith,

Thanks for the reports. I hope to attend your half-day session at Internet Librarian.

Rick

]]> By: Lucy Pearson http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/comment-page-1/#comment-91777 Lucy Pearson Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:17:02 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/08/04/wikimania-day-1-on-accuracy-and-authority/#comment-91777 I think the 'Wikipedia problem' will be with us for some time to come. As a school librarian I often agonise over what to tell my students about Wikipedia. We subscribe to an online encyclopaedia, but it is hard work persuading people to use it - they tend to go straight to Wikipedia, which they already know and which doesn't require them to log in. I personally think that Wikipedia can be a very useful resource, so I don't want to tell students not to use it, but teaching them the skills to use it critically rather than passively is difficult. That said, it could be argued that Wikipedia only forces issues into focus which are already there. After all, I'd like my students to approach all their information sources critically. I know several school librarians who have developed interesting and creative lessons using Wikipedia as an introduction to the idea that information should always be scrutinised and cross-checked. One approach I particularly liked was mentioned to me by someone at the School Library Association's conference (UK) recently - she said she told her students always to check the discussion page of Wikipedia articles in order to get a sense of whether the information was disputed in any way. In this sense Wikipedia arguably has the edge over other information sources, where debate may have taken place invisibly. Overall, I feel Wikipedia reflects the larger issues of information literacy today. Once upon a time it was possible to give students (particularly school students) a limited number of 'safe' resources. Now the library is more abstract concept, there is less control over what goes in and who writes it, so critical skills are more important than ever. And yes, the librarian stereotypes bug me too! Although I was pleased today when our schools 'Learning to Learn ' programme coordinator commented that he could have run the programme without the help of the Library. I guess if we all keep chipping way on our home ground, the stereotype will shift in the end! I think the ‘Wikipedia problem’ will be with us for some time to come. As a school librarian I often agonise over what to tell my students about Wikipedia. We subscribe to an online encyclopaedia, but it is hard work persuading people to use it – they tend to go straight to Wikipedia, which they already know and which doesn’t require them to log in. I personally think that Wikipedia can be a very useful resource, so I don’t want to tell students not to use it, but teaching them the skills to use it critically rather than passively is difficult. That said, it could be argued that Wikipedia only forces issues into focus which are already there. After all, I’d like my students to approach all their information sources critically.

I know several school librarians who have developed interesting and creative lessons using Wikipedia as an introduction to the idea that information should always be scrutinised and cross-checked. One approach I particularly liked was mentioned to me by someone at the School Library Association’s conference (UK) recently – she said she told her students always to check the discussion page of Wikipedia articles in order to get a sense of whether the information was disputed in any way. In this sense Wikipedia arguably has the edge over other information sources, where debate may have taken place invisibly.

Overall, I feel Wikipedia reflects the larger issues of information literacy today. Once upon a time it was possible to give students (particularly school students) a limited number of ’safe’ resources. Now the library is more abstract concept, there is less control over what goes in and who writes it, so critical skills are more important than ever.

And yes, the librarian stereotypes bug me too! Although I was pleased today when our schools ‘Learning to Learn ‘ programme coordinator commented that he could have run the programme without the help of the Library. I guess if we all keep chipping way on our home ground, the stereotype will shift in the end!

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