Sunday, March 12, 2017

Wikis Gone Wild!

I have an ongoing project to make posts for mental_floss articles I wrote way back when that I do not have an archive for. Here's another one, from 2007. 


Six years ago, Jimmy Wales introduced Wikipedia with the idea that the internet was for the free sharing of knowledge among, well, everyone. Those who knew something could contribute and edit entries for the benefit of those needing to find out. Since then, Wikipedia has become the go-to place for everyone from elementary school students to blog writers. Although the statistics are phenomenal, the real proof of success is when the knockoffs and parodies show up. Also, plenty of niche-audience sites use the Wikipedia format. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Wikipedia must feel very flattered. See some of these spinoffs in an article I wrote for mental_floss.

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