WikipediaVision is a nearly real-time visualization showing worldwide updates to
Wikipedia entries. Pictured on a map of the world, bubbles pop up to pinpoint where on the globe anonymous editors are changing
Wikipedia articles. It's a surprisingly mesmerizing site. Seeing which entries are being changed – by unexpected users in unlikely locations – is a lively reminder of Wikipedia's
all-access policy. It's also a good grain of salt to add to our romantic trust in
Wikipedia's
accuracy.
The creation of
László Kozma,
WikipediaVision is still in beta testing. Kozma's
blog gives hints to his other projects, such as
FishEyeTabs and
random wiki image wallpaper.
In the classroom,
WikipediaVision offers a great jumping-off point to discuss global collaboration and worldwide access to technology. It also presents an easy way to evaluate the pros and cons of Wikipedia's
open-source model, where anyone can edit any article. These issues of accuracy and source quality are crucial for young researchers. They may be surprised to see who is rewriting articles about
Thurgood Marshall,
climatology, and
Don't Ask Don't Tell.
){kind=link}
No comments:
Post a Comment