Wikipedia.

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Globalti

Globalti

Legendary Member
I've only just noticed that Wikipedia pages have two tabs: Article and Talk, where contributors can discuss the accuracy of the evolving article. This adds an extra fascinating layer to what I think is a massively significant use of the internet*. Who else goes straight to Wikipedia when they want to know about something, then ends up clicking on links and wandering off in all kinds of random directions?

My only reservation with Wiki is that you can end up knowing a little about lots of things but very little in depth about any particular subject. What's better?

* Apart from cycling fora, obviously.
 
winjim

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
Fun fact. Starting from any Wikipedia article, repeatedly following the first link will always bring you to philosophy.
 
Yellow Saddle

Yellow Saddle

Guru
Location
Loch side.
Globalti said:
Blimey, you're right! It took about 25 clicks to get there.
Click to expand...
How did you do that? If I multi click on something from Wikipedia it somehow or other veers off to Indian Pole Dancing, which leads to club-style pole dancing and then cul-de-sacs at some wet T-Shirt competition in Wisconsin. Must be my browser. What browser are you using.


But yes, Wikipedia is a great resource and one of the great phenomena of our times.
 
winjim

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
Yellow Saddle said:
If I do that I go into a loop. First link on the actual page or first link in the references?
Click to expand...
First link in the article, excluding those in parentheses. Does your loop include philosophy? If you've found one it doesn't work for I'll be annoyed.
 
winjim

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
Yellow Saddle said:
How did you do that? If I multi click on something from Wikipedia it somehow or other veers off to Indian Pole Dancing, which leads to club-style pole dancing and then cul-de-sacs at some wet T-Shirt competition in Wisconsin. Must be my browser. What browser are you using.


But yes, Wikipedia is a great resource and one of the great phenomena of our times.
Click to expand...
Pole dance - performance art - performance - performing arts - art - human behaviour - motion(physics) - physics - natural science - science - knowledge - awareness - conciousness - quality(philosophy) - philosophy
 
Spinney

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
Globalti said:
I've only just noticed that Wikipedia pages have two tabs: Article and Talk, where contributors can discuss the accuracy of the evolving article. This adds an extra fascinating layer to what I think is a massively significant use of the internet*. Who else goes straight to Wikipedia when they want to know about something, then ends up clicking on links and wandering off in all kinds of random directions?

My only reservation with Wiki is that you can end up knowing a little about lots of things but very little in depth about any particular subject. What's better?

* Apart from cycling fora, obviously.
Click to expand...

Me. But I used to do that with dictionaries too (before I just put the word into the search bar to find a definition that way). In the dictionary, though, it was often the 'index word' at the top of the page that caught my eye, and one thing led to another, and then you'd find that it had taken 20 minutes to check the spelling of a word...
 
AndyRM

AndyRM

XOXO
Location
North Shields
Globalti said:
I've only just noticed that Wikipedia pages have two tabs: Article and Talk, where contributors can discuss the accuracy of the evolving article. This adds an extra fascinating layer to what I think is a massively significant use of the internet*. Who else goes straight to Wikipedia when they want to know about something, then ends up clicking on links and wandering off in all kinds of random directions?

My only reservation with Wiki is that you can end up knowing a little about lots of things but very little in depth about any particular subject. What's better?

* Apart from cycling fora, obviously.
Click to expand...

I've lost hours of my life to Wikipedia. It's an incredible place.

I wrote my dissertation about Open Source Software and used Wikipedia as my sole resource. I had to write an additional paper justifying my decision. Worth it, as I got the highest grade in the class.
 
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