Quote:
Originally Posted by netseeker
This incisive/cynical wording is just silly and not what i'm willing to read here at MobileRead. Imho it's exactly the same thing that caused the decision to close the conservatory. I don't see what should be wrong when one is referring to the experience of a professional high school teacher.
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I'll agree it was a sharp comment. But I was being absurd to illustrate the absurdity of the previous poster's argument. The issue is the accuracy and reliability of the information in Wikipedia. The individual, limited experience of an unknown, inaccessible third-party is not particularly helpful in determining this issue. It does not lend credibility to his position. There ARE studies of Wikipedia's accuracy and reliability that are available to all of us, studies which encompass a number of tests more valid than anectdotal evidence. One need only google to find them (if you consider google reliable).
I'm quite sure teachers have problems with wrong information being cited from Wikipedia. I'm also quite sure teachers have problems with wrong information being cited from other sources which they are completely oblivious too because they are not Wikipedia and hence do not arouse suspicion. I'm also quite sure that many teachers are having problems specifically because the information is from Wikipedia, not because it is wrong. And finally, I'm quite sure that if the information is so wrong that the teacher catches it, it's probably something that a properly-educated student should have caught before they made the citation.