My group purposefully chose a topic which was highly debated, the decimalization of Marijuana. After reading through the page and examining the resources it soon became apparent the page was written by people who supported the use of Marijuana. This was done mainly by misrepresenting information or quotes and neglecting to present information. For instance, the decent section of the decriminalization article included sentences and ideas which, while not necessarily supporting Marijuana use, didn’t give solid reason for opposing the use either. While presenting the facts, writers were able to sneak in their opinion, reducing the page’s validity. My group noticed this when addressing the question “what is missing?” That, to me, was a moment I really noticed how much Wikipedia can sway a page. Writers not only control what is written, but also what is not written. Wikipedia acts as an online encyclopedia, and should represent all the facts, not just the ones which help to create a particular opinion. Information is not about presenting a single side of an argument, but clearly documenting all facts so readers can make their own decisions.
The appearance of opinion along with the amount of inaccurate information which appears on the site means Wikipedia cannot be classified as a scholarly source. Not to say that Wikipedia does not have a place in this world. A great deal of information does exist in a single free space. This allows anyone to access knowledge on any subject, the trick is knowing how to use the site. Wikipedia acts as a great first place to look. The site provides an overview of the main facts on any subject. However, a person must look past Wikipedia to gain a full perspective. This was another interesting part of Wikipedia, almost all the information on a Wikipedia page is already available somewhere else on the Internet. While investigating every resource was time consuming, it is also what is necessary to gather facts. Wikipedia plays into our cultures want for everything at an instant. It is possible to find out the information on Wikipedia from other places, just not as convenient. We currently live in a world dominated by speed, Wikipedia pays into this obsession. Americans are accustomed to having everything at the touch of their fingers, information is no exception. The problem is gathering facts and insuring their accuracy is not a simply process. The popularity of Wikipedia demonstrates a trend for people’s preference for fast rather than accurate information. Wikipedia provides the world easy access to information at the expense of knowledge.
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