I know. They warn us that people will put OBVIOUSLY false info.... but I've never seen any. Plus I use multiple sites, and unless they are all lying... wikipedia is pretty good.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

On my last report, I used 95% Wikipedia and just made up a bunch of BS sources, and despite multiple warnings from my science teacher that she would know if info was from Wikipedia because it would be fake, I got the only 100% in my class, with the comment "Wow! Very detailed!!"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I know. Especially if you are a good student they probably don't bother checking the sources, especially when they want you to have a ton of sources and they have a hundred or more students.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I barely held in my laughter when I got my report back. :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You know, Wikipedia lists a plethora of sources on each page. Instead of inventing sources, simply use those.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

my science teacher last year was actually ok with wikipedia, that was probably the only cool thing about him

by Anonymous 13 years ago

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5055388 Instant argument supporting the legitimacy of wikipedia.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My English teacher assigned us a short essay on a poem we had to read and warned us not to use Wikipedia to understand what it meant. His TA, who is a grade above us, then told us that when his class was assigned this the previous year, he went on and changed the whole page. Several people were caught because of their terribly wrong analyses.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

This is a good example of ways Wikipedia can be used negatively. By that, I mean students simply using Wikipedia to find the answer rather than actually seeking to find it themselves. What your English teacher did seems smart.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah, the point of the assignment was to analyze the poem yourself and strengthen your writing skills without using Wikipedia or Sparknotes. I think it was actually the student that changed the article, though. They never did it again, though.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

There is some bad info, but with some common sense and multiple sources, as mentioned, wikipedia is pretty useful... and since knowing where to find the answer is a big chunk of education anyway, it's remarkably counter-productive to prohibit it's use. "No, be LESS efficient! Work harder than you need to, that's what you'll need in the workplace!" Wait... NO. I promise, that's not true. The page on that poem mentioned by above commentor should be reported for false information; I hope someone did that. And if I was the one who got the great grade... I would wait until it was too late to change the grade, and then tell them. You never know if that might be the shock that opens that person's mind.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah, he changed it back the day after the paper was due. It was only a few students that actually used the false information. Others admitted to looking at the page but understood the poem well enough not to trust that information.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Wikipedia told me that Stalin was one of Santa's helpers who lost his way. Sometimes it really isn't a credible source.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Sounds reliable to me! hahaha

by Anonymous 13 years ago

When I was in school I informed myself of the topic on Wikipedia, then read and quoted the more reputable sources that are listed at the bottom of the page in the references. Its a way to 'use' Wikipedia, but quote sources your teacher will accept :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I wouldn't use any encyclopedia as an academic source but you're right.

by Anonymous 13 years ago