The Skinny on Wiki...pedia

General Information

The name "Wikipedia" is a blend of the words wiki- is Hawaiian and means “quick” and encyclopedia which is “a book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject”. Wikipedia is described by me as a social media website that allows users to look up information and create or edit content about any type of topic. Wikipedia describes itself as “a free encyclopedia, written collaboratively by the people who use it.” A more detailed description what what Wikipedia is “a multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation and based on a model of openly editable content.”

Wikipedia describes itself the following way: “Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers. Anyone can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandalism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with their real identity.” There are policies and guidelines in place to improve the content quality but knowing these policies are guidelines are not necessary to add or edit an article’s content. As a regular user of Wikipedia, I believe there are two main features of the website. First, the links embedded into the article and second the references section. Wikipedia articles contain links that direct the user to the information’s source or to related pages with additional information. Some articles also link to the same article in other languages. The references section is where the sources of information present in the article are listed.

Wikipedia describes the fundamental principles the platform operations on as five pillars. Describing the platform’s principals is outside the scope of this blog post, however, they are worth the time to review.


1.     Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
2.     Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
3.     Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute
4.     Editors should treat each other with respect and civility
5.     Wikipedia has no firm rules

Purpose

You know when you need information on a specific topic but don’t want to spend the time searching through multiple sources? Maybe you need a general overview of a topic or have a project for school and are not sure where to locate creditable sources. Wikipedia solves those problems. The purpose of Wikipedia as stated by Wikipedia, “is to benefit readers by acting as an encyclopedia, a comprehensive written compendium that contains information on all branches of knowledge within its five pillars. Wikipedia has a lofty goal: a comprehensive collection of all of the knowledge in the world.”

Use in Business

Creating a Wikipedia page for a business does provide the potential to positively effect their bottom line. A Wikipedia page will provide a destination and reference for consumers pertaining to a firm. Consumers will be able to research product information and details about a firm itself. Mentions of the firm on other social media platforms can be linked to the Wikipedia page to increase traffic. Through these uses firms may be able to increase their brand’s visibility, search engine results, consumer knowledge, and improve customer service. Another benefit to a firm having a Wikipedia page is an increased control over brand image; if the page is properly managed. If the Wikipedia page is not properly managed there can be harmful effects from negative page edits. If you want to start using Wikipedia for your business I would recommend: you regularly manage your page, regularly update the page with relevant information, be aware of what attracts consumers to your page, and know what your consumers use the page for.

Assessment

There's nothing more convenient than Wikipedia when the stakes are low and you are looking for quick information. However, when the accuracy of the information is critical, you should be extremely cautious about using Wikipedia. Wikipedia’s own disclaimer states, “information on Wikipedia is contributed by anyone who wants to post material, and the expertise of the posters is not taken into consideration.” Information may be outdated or posted by someone who is not an expert in the field or by someone who wishes to provide misinformation. Experts do not review the site's entries, so, there is a considerable risk in relying on the information Wikipedia provides. Therefore, a user needs to investigate the information.

Wikipedia has positive and negative aspects. The platform provides a wealth of easily accessible knowledge, links to verifiable and credible knowledge sources, and can be edited to reflect more recent developments pertaining to topics. However, the information can be inaccurate and biased, inaccurate information can stick around forever unless edited, and I found the platform difficult to use. Wikipedia is a tool that has benefits and limitations. Like any tool it can be used properly and be helpful or improperly and cause damage. It is the manner in which a user manages and applies the tool that will determine the outcome.

My Experience

I found editing and creating a page on Wikipedia to be difficult relative to using other social media platforms. Creating a page was difficult because I could not locate where I was able to do so. Once I found the location where I could create a page the process was fairly intuitive. As a reader of the site, I consume the information posted there with a grain of salt because of its limitations.  As a student I have used Wikipedia countless times to get general background information and to find creditable references sources located at the bottom of the page. Overall, I have found the site extremely valuable and love using it because of the time using it saves me.

References

Wikipedia Home Page
About Wikipedia From Wikipedia
Wiki Images