http://bciptf.org/blog/2007/01/30/techdirt-should-judges-cite-wikipedia/ Blogging by the Intellectual Property & Technology Forum & Journal at BC Law Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:41:38 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://bciptf.org/blog/2007/01/30/techdirt-should-judges-cite-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-19010 Sean FWJ Fowler, Esq. Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:01:53 +0000 http://bciptf.org/blog/2007/01/30/techdirt-should-judges-cite-wikipedia/#comment-19010 Perhaps the trick is not in trusting Wikipedia as an entity but in trusting its entries. While the Wikipedia administrators work to keep all Wikipedia entries at a high level of quality and reliability, two different Wikipedia entries may still be like night and day in comparison. For instance, compare coverage of Tulane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulane_University with Christopher Lloyd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lloyd While both have all sorts of links to other Wikipedia entries, the Tulane entry is riddled with footnotes to credible references. The Christopher Lloyd entry has no such references, has a virtually blank discussion page, and is as of yet unassessed by Wikipedia's biography project. While the Christopher Lloyd biography may be entirely true, I would dare not rely upon it, as I would for the Tulane entry. As such, I feel that each Wikipedia entry should be assessed on its merits as an individual work. Perhaps the trick is not in trusting Wikipedia as an entity but in trusting its entries. While the Wikipedia administrators work to keep all Wikipedia entries at a high level of quality and reliability, two different Wikipedia entries may still be like night and day in comparison. For instance, compare coverage of Tulane:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulane_University
with Christopher Lloyd:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lloyd
While both have all sorts of links to other Wikipedia entries, the Tulane entry is riddled with footnotes to credible references. The Christopher Lloyd entry has no such references, has a virtually blank discussion page, and is as of yet unassessed by Wikipedia’s biography project. While the Christopher Lloyd biography may be entirely true, I would dare not rely upon it, as I would for the Tulane entry. As such, I feel that each Wikipedia entry should be assessed on its merits as an individual work.

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