Re: Using Wikipedia as an "authoritative" source...

[Mitchell Maltenfort <mmalten -at- gmail -dot- com>]

On 10/19/05, Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net> wrote:
>
> Mitchell Maltenfort wrote:

> > But I find that Wikipedia is very nice for two things:
> >
> > * public-domain graphics.
> >
> > * an estimate of the "consenus" opinion on a topic.
>
> In many fields (scientific, medical, technical, economic, political,
> historical, and cultural fields, just to pick a few obvious categories),
> there are numerous internal debates going on all the time. If someone
> with an agenda with respect to those debates writes the article, chances
> are you are going to come away with a one-sided view of current thinking.
>

That's why I said "an estimate" and I put "consensus" in quotes.  For
example, I looked up "cerebellum" recently on Wikipedia to find a
public-domain graphic and read in the entry that besides roles in
motor control, the cerebellum may have a role in attention.

It didn't give a reference, of course.   But it did alert me that this
may be a point of debate among scientists working in the cerebellum.
--
I can answer any question.
"I don't know" is an answer.
"I don't know yet" is a better answer.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Try WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word today! Smooth migration of legacy
RoboHelp content into your new Help systems. EContent Magazine Decision-
maker review (October 2005) is here: http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 2005 converts RoboHelp files with one click. Author with Word or any HTML editor. Visit our site to see a conversion demo movie and learn more. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.