The effects that Wikis have over the way we obtain and disperse information rides much on what I posted about in my previous blog. As I mentioned, the world is changing rapidly and the ways we function as a society is being shaped by the technoligies that are developed over time.
Wikis are one way that the internet has become its own continent in a sense where people from all over can collaborate and collectively contribute to advancements in society. If you think about it, there is no need to waste time on (some) pointless face-to-face meetings with wiki platforms such as Google Docs, lucid chart, etc.
Other forms such as Wikipedia give people the ability to learn about specific topics for basic knowledge or insight into any category they can think up. I think it is especially fascinating that only 2% of Wikipedias users are the once contributing to the content. That means that so many people have been and continue to be finding this information helpful and almost essential for basic knowledge of anything they’d like by striking a few buttons. Otherwise, we would have to go to the library for to find an Encyclopedia that “might” have the information we ar e looking for and is most probably outdated. But Wikipedia and any Wiki can be updated constantly and discrepencies can be cleared up in no time.
Shirky shows in these chapteres that in our time sensitive society, wikis as well as many other internet platforms are shaping the way we function.
I think that it’s not just the changes in technology that are affecting us, we are affecting technology since it wouldn’t be successful if no one is willing to adapt to it. If it weren’t for users willing to contribute to Wikipedia, Wikipedia probably wouldn’t be as successful.
Wikis are the new way to do research but is it also stopping us from actually learning? One might say that it’s helping us but how? efficiency or effectiveness? Just cause one contributes to the wiki doesnt mean its constructively, just like “trolls” or flamers
I agree with Christopher Wai. Personally, when I start to do my research, Wikipedia is always my first stop. I would do extra research just so I can cite them, but I would base most of it on Wikipedia.
I was surprised when I found out that only 2% contributes to the content. There’s just too much information in there for the contributors to be just 2%. That’s just so amazing.