Just how credible is Wikipedia? While some have tested this empirically, others have chosen more dubious methodology. For a site that gives no credit to its post authors, one wonders, why even bother?
posted by iamkimiam on Sep 3, 2009 - 94 comments

Stimulus Bill Wiki.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Feb 15, 2009 - 24 comments

Digital Research Tools (DiRT) is a wiki created by Lisa Spiro, director of Rice University's Digital Media Center. Tons of "snapshot reviews of software that can help researchers" are categorized by what you're trying to accomplish ("Analyze Statistics," "Network With Other Researchers," "Search Visually"), as well as by general topic ("Authoring," "Linguistic Tools," "Text Analysis"). Via
posted by Rykey on Feb 4, 2009 - 5 comments

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyonetrusted users can edit. If the MediaWiki FlaggedRevisions extension is enabled, the general public will see changes to articles only after approval by a trusted editor. Wikipedians conducted a poll on whether Wikipedia should enable the feature for a limited trial. Almost 60 percent of voting editors answered in the affirmative. Wikipedia founder Jimbo Wales's subsequent request to enable the feature anyway has been opposed by some, claiming that the margin of votes does not meet Wikipedia's consensus standard. While it might help avoid embarrassing incidents of vandalism, the proposed trial could lead to a big change in the Wikipedia way.
posted by grouse on Jan 27, 2009 - 120 comments

"...and as we have an endless abundance of MP3’s (we fucked up and made too many of them), anything you take from the library is yours to keep. You will not be notified if you fail to return something on time, and you will not lose your library privileges if you share selections with friends." In 2003, Conor Oberst (wiki) started the independent record label Team Love (youtube). Offering the latest in the free music revolution, Team Love has established the Team Love Library, offering up all of their albums for free.
posted by Lutoslawski on Dec 12, 2008 - 14 comments

Cyberdyne. Works on robotic systems that shouldn't kill you unless you are named John Connor. And, maybe not then. Cyberdyne. Works on robotic systems that could actually help you walk. Does it help any that they named it HAL?
posted by dwivian on Oct 8, 2008 - 26 comments

"Smugopedia is a collection of slightly controversial opinions about a variety of subjects. We offer you the chance to buy a fleeting sense of self-satisfaction at the small cost of alienating your friends and loved ones."
posted by PM on Sep 5, 2008 - 28 comments

If you've ever wondered which guns were used in a movie, which movies a gun has appeared in, or even which guns an actor has ever used, then the Internet Movie Firearms Database (probably) has you covered. [more inside]
posted by jedicus on Aug 7, 2008 - 28 comments

XKCD mocks Wikipedia's "in popular culture" sections. Wikipedians take the idea seriously. The article ("Wood"). goes on lockdown. But is adding correct, even if useless, information really WikiVandalism?
posted by l33tpolicywonk on Jul 7, 2008 - 72 comments

Tetris has changed over the years. The latest game mechanics are well-documented and allow for techniques more complicated than those of us used to earlier iterations could possibly imagine. And of course, you can have it any way you want it. [via]
posted by silby on Jun 12, 2008 - 40 comments

A Million Penguins, the wiki novel mentioned previously on MeFi, is complete, and a research paper about it has been released. [more inside]
posted by whir on May 5, 2008 - 15 comments

New Books In History. Historian Marshall Poe talks with other historians about their newly published books. [more inside]
posted by stbalbach on Apr 18, 2008 - 5 comments

Hypertextopia is a hypertext authoring site with some new twists on interface and design concepts. Example stories include The Seven Voyages of Sinbad, The Butterfly Boy by William Vollmann, and others from The Grand Library.
posted by stbalbach on Mar 3, 2008 - 17 comments

Google takes on Wikipedia with Knol. The web responds. Invite only, of course.
posted by Soup on Dec 14, 2007 - 121 comments

Dickipedia. No doubt it will grow.
posted by metasonix on Nov 20, 2007 - 60 comments

Have you noticed quite a number of stupid things lately? Perhaps now you will find them documented in the Encyclopedia of Stupid.
posted by washburn on Oct 2, 2007 - 48 comments

We've discussed Simple English Wikipedia, and descriptions of other languages in English, but have you tried reading wikipedia in Scots? You asked if Scots is a language? How about any of the other 253 languages of Wikipedia?
posted by jacalata on Sep 5, 2007 - 43 comments

Vertigo got you spinning? The answers to your problems and more are available at the Hitchcock DVD Wiki.
posted by felix on Jun 25, 2007 - 5 comments

After an abysmal, embarrasing attempt at collaborative fiction by Penguin Books, a new site takes a stab at the Wikinovel, this time, it appears, with a little better organization and planning. Though, still no users.
posted by nospecialfx on May 30, 2007 - 31 comments

WiserEarth is a user-editable relational database that aspires to list, categorize, and describe every non profit and civil society organization on Earth. It currently includes 104,304 organizations which can be viewed by name, location, or areas of focus. You can perform complex searches. You can post (or search) jobs, events, and resources. You can discuss areas of focus, such as Urban Forestry, Evolutionary Ecology, or government oversight and reform. You can also visualize the networks connecting these areas of focus and the various organizations.
posted by alms on May 9, 2007 - 6 comments

Introducing the Forbes corporate org chart wiki (beta). Forbes magazine is conducting an experiment in Web 2.0 to collaboratively map the org charts of corporations including Intel, Apple, Google, & Microsoft. Everyone is encouraged to pitch in, add names or make corrections. And if your company's not already on the list you can always add it.
posted by scalefree on May 7, 2007 - 39 comments

Wikivid is an encyclopedia of informative videos. It's currently in alpha, but has articles on 140 software products, such as Acid Pro, Coldfusion, Maya, and Ruby on Rails, with each articles hosting multiple videos. Apparently, after it comes out of alpha, more categories will be available.
posted by owhydididoit on Mar 21, 2007 - 9 comments

Creationwiki is an online encyclopedia concerning creation science in the spirit of Conservapedia (previously discussed here) and that serves as a sort of counterpart to Evowiki (previously mentioned in this thread). According to the article on Creationwiki found on Evowiki, "All contributing editors must believe the universe and life on earth were created by God. Non-creationists are prohibited from editing articles, except for spelling and grammar corrections." Of course, Creationwiki has their own article on Evowiki. It's entertaining to read their discussions about one another.
posted by inconsequentialist on Mar 1, 2007 - 36 comments

"Tired of the LIBERAL BIAS every time you search on Google and a Wikipedia page appears?" At Conservapedia, a "conservative encyclopedia you can trust," you can learn that "faith" is a concept "exclusive to Christianity," and about how Wikipedia is biased in matters such as its description of the Bell Trade Act of 1946, its gossipy treatment of the private life of NPR reporter Nina Totenberg, and its seeming acceptance of evolution. The Wikipedia bias entry also complains of a "rant" against the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group for which Conservapedia founder (and son of conservative gadfly Phyllis Schafly) Andrew Schlafly has worked. Signups are here; its take on evolution is criticized here.
posted by ibmcginty on Feb 23, 2007 - 153 comments

Jazz '71-'89 Dave Douglas posed the challenge: “Is there a writer who can take on the project of an unbiased overview of music since the end of the Vietnam War?” The Bad Plus answered (though not unbiased). The Guardian and NY Times weighed in. Suck it, haters. And ultimately, Behearer used a wiki to answer the call.
posted by klangklangston on Feb 15, 2007 - 20 comments

"A Million Penguins is an experiment in creative writing and community. Anyone can join in. Anyone can write. Anyone can edit. Let’s see if the crowds are not only wise, but creative. Or will too many cooks spoil the broth?"
posted by goo on Feb 1, 2007 - 39 comments

David Gonterman is still alive. Gonterman was last mentioned here five years ago. Gonterman has become a long-time Deviant. Gonterman is accepting comissions via his journal. Gonterman is writing a "part autobiography" about a boy who was teased in school and retreated into a fantasy land. Gonterman has made available the first part of this novel (doc). Gonterman has made available the first part of his new furry PI comic series (pdf). If you don't know Gonterman, you are fortunate: this is Gonterman.
posted by 6am on Jan 20, 2007 - 19 comments

Wikiseek. A better way to search Wikipedia.
posted by allkindsoftime on Jan 16, 2007 - 39 comments

We Are Smarter Than Me
The MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, Pearson Educational Publishing, and Pennsylvania University's SEI Center for Advanced Studies In Management at The Wharton School are collaborating on a project to write a business management book, wiki-style. Wanna help?
posted by carsonb on Nov 28, 2006 - 11 comments

These institutions have one very clear problem: they promote facts and books. Clearly something needs to be done. Call your local police or FBI field office or speak clearly into the closest potted plant to give the NSA all pertinent information regarding these and other terrorist elements. View a rough sketch of Hell. What we're doing is bringing democracy to knowledge.
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Oct 19, 2006 - 16 comments

today I learned (learnt?) how to exercise while sitting at my computer, keep an open mind, have a conversation, taste dark chocolate, give foot massages and draw a duck. what did you learn?
posted by petsounds on Sep 12, 2006 - 28 comments

Wikiwords is a collaborative project to create a dictionary of all terms in all languages.
posted by anjamu on Aug 11, 2006 - 18 comments

Muppet Wiki. It's like Wikipedia, except, y'know, about the Muppets.
posted by chrismear on Aug 1, 2006 - 23 comments

AirPower Wiki looks like its just getting off the ground, but if you travel much, you know the hassle of finding a power outlet in an airport. Hopefully it grows fast and furiously.
posted by allkindsoftime on Jul 26, 2006 - 8 comments

If you want to see all the interesting stuff hidden in Google Maps then you need look no further than a site like Google Sightseeing, but what about the other way around? If you've ever wished Google Maps was better labeled then Wikimapia might be what you're looking for.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia on Jul 19, 2006 - 29 comments

Your iPod is Doomed!
Or it can be, it can also be Zelda'ed if you prefer! ipodlinux.org has ported Linux to the iPod (for Linux, Windows and Mac) and, once its installed, you can load up all kinds of good stuff including the aforementioned Doom, as well as the entire Wiki or use your iPod as a Gameboy! And all without screwing up your existing music files (though there are no guarantees).
posted by fenriq on Jun 21, 2006 - 32 comments

What is this Sketchzilla thing?! It is whatever you want it to be. It's a community art project. It's a funhouse. It's an art gallery. It's a madlib. It's a mad house. It's an html monster. It's a butteryfly ballot. It's the 10 most wanted. It's a flip book. It's noisy. It's the flag of the internet. Oh and it's occasionally NSFW. It is always changing and morphing and mutating in to something new, by you. I can't believe that Sketchzilla was the only surviving member of its species... But if we continue conducting nuclear tests... it's possible that another Sketchzilla might appear somewhere in the world again.
posted by Sir Mildred Pierce on Jun 14, 2006 - 254 comments

How to kill at the eighth-grade mixer. B3ta master and blogger Rob Manuel collected a slew of tasteless jokes and recently published a compendium called The Bumper B3ta Book of Sick Jokes. But a devoted public demanded (and submitted) even more of these witticisms, so he created the Sickipedia.
posted by GrammarMoses on May 12, 2006 - 27 comments

Wikocracy. Don't like the law? Write it yourself.
posted by monju_bosatsu on May 5, 2006 - 29 comments

The Wealth of Networks. Yochai Benkler is a Professor of Law at Yale Law School. A few years ago he wrote one of the seminal papers on Commons-based production, Coase's Penguin, or Linux and the Nature of the Firm. Now he has a new book - The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom. You can buy it, download it or add to it.
posted by scalefree on Apr 16, 2006 - 6 comments

Wikibooks manuals and textbooks in wiki form, from the wikimedia foundation. Lots of language lessons. Some of the books leave lot to be desired though.
posted by delmoi on Apr 7, 2006 - 16 comments

We all have a lot of questions that are very hard to answer. Like how to prepare cereal, how to prepare a Pop Tart correctly, and how to walk like a ballerina. Luckily, wikiHow is there to help us dummies.
posted by a47danger on Feb 24, 2006 - 16 comments

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has recently produced a new qualification on blogging [PDF] and used a wiki to produce teaching and learning material. Wikis look well-suited to this purpose. Could this be the future of curriculum development?
posted by bobbyelliott on Feb 9, 2006 - 6 comments

editors from the range of IP addresses belonging to the United States Congress have been banned from wikipedia.
posted by delmoi on Jan 30, 2006 - 59 comments

After he discovered a false biography on Wikipedia that claims he was responsible for the death of JFK and his brother Bobby, John Seigenthaler wrote an op-ed piece in USA Today refuting those claims and rebuking Wiki admins and the ISPs that host them. Now, in light of Seigenthaler's outrage, the once open access Wikipedia now requires registration to submit new articles to the English language version of the site.
posted by brittney on Dec 5, 2005 - 70 comments

MemoryWiki is a project to create a bank of memories, stories and experiences. Anyone can submit their account of an historical or personal event. Some examples: First sight of Viet Cong dead | The first time I told a lie | Working with Frank Sinatra | Ukranian Independence Day, 2005.
posted by chrismear on Dec 5, 2005 - 36 comments

Standup comedy cultural hot button Wikipedia hack. Standup comics! Need a cultural hot button topic for a joke? Check out Wikipedia articles with the most revisions. Comedy gold. Just pick a topic and start riffing.
posted by basilwhite on Nov 30, 2005 - 55 comments

Wikimania begins on wednesday (in Germany). Unless you're there, you won't be able to hear the presentations on getting wikipedia into africa, a timeline with all of human history on it, or the intersect of art and science, but the media competion nominees are online. Check out the animations.
posted by Tlogmer on Aug 2, 2005 - 9 comments

The avatar versus the journalist. Ant farms, Bombay, the neolithic revolution, and Wikipedia.
posted by Tlogmer on Jul 22, 2005 - 18 comments

Knowmore.org is a Wiki repository of corporate information. Still in its infancy, it aims to applaud eco-friendly companies and document the failings of others. Funded almost entirely by hip-hopper Sage Francis of Non-Prophets and Anticon fame, it is no surprise Clear Channel is currently featured on the front page. Hopefully the Wiki format will keep it somewhat balanced as it grows.
posted by sophist on Jun 20, 2005 - 12 comments