Blessed by the Potato

Penny Arcade had a great commentary today on the recent Wikipedia issues, with a particularly brilliant comic to go with it. They seem to have a slightly different view of Wikipedia than I do, and I must admit their points are valid. I still think that the project is worthwhile and important, but it certainly isn’t going to turn into some shining gem containing the sum of all human knowledge any time soon. A quote I just loved and had to repeat:

What you’ve proposed is a kind of quantum encyclopedia, where genuine data both exists and doesn’t exist depending on the precise moment I rely upon your discordant fucking mob for my information.

I also have to agree with this point (and I think I already said something about peer review and expertise in my first article on the subject, below).

The fact of the matter is that all sources of information are not of equal value, and I don’t know how or when it became impolitic to suggest it. In opposition to the spirit of Wikipedia, I believe there is such a thing as expertise.

Now, must write faster, thesis will eat me…