Difference between revisions of "Wikipedia Alternatives"

Latest revision as of 13:54, 27 May 2012

After discovering numerous inaccuracies on Wikipedia, followed by a couple instances of being harshly chastised by obsessive wikipedian zealots, it came to my realization that Wikipedia is rather a mess. The hypocrisy of some pretentious site moderators and editors that are factually challenged by any measure increased my consciousness to the questionable value of some of Wikipedia's data. Furthermore, some Wikipedia authors even try to "create" terminology and influence world knowledge by inventing what they believe to be plausible answers or terms for identification of a subject matter.

As a brief example of a more recent entry, the term "Orthodox File Manager" seems to be the pure invention of a Wikipedia author offering no citation of the terms use by any source prior to the creation on Wikipedia. The term, to describe a specific class of file management software, does not appear elsewhere by a date preceding the Wikipedia entry. The entire entry does not comply with Wikipedia guidelines, however, the author seems to carry enough clout to circumvent policy and the entry thus surviving editorial review. However, try to post a factual criticism on a subject matter Wikipedia nerds feel passionately about, and see what happens.

The Online Education Database offers a list of Wikipedia alternatives. source

1. Scholarpedia
   Scholarpedia is a site made from the same MediaWiki software as Wikipedia. It almost appears like a mirror site, but there are some significant differences. Scholarpedia is written by, you guessed it, scholars. Experts must be either invited or elected before they are assigned certain topics and, although the site is still editable by anyone like a wiki, updates must first be approved before they are made final. This not only ensures that all information added to the site is accurate and attributed to an author, vandalism never becomes an issue.
   
2. Citizendium
   Citizendium is a wiki that seems to be a compromise between the free-for-all that is Wikipedia and the strict supervision that accompanies Scholarpedia. One of Wikipedia's founders, Larry Sanger, created Citizendium in the hopes of improving on Wikipedia's model. With what the site refers to as "gentle oversight", all articles are subject to approval by the site's editorial team. Articles that haven't been approved will have an accompanying disclaimer, which helps to prevent people from taking potentially false information to heart. Also, you must register under your real name to become a contributor, unlike Wikipedia. Although the site is still in beta form, it is quickly becoming a popular alternative to Wikipedia, one that Sanger feels will "probably succeed".
   
3. Encyclopedia Britannica Online
   When it comes to trusted and unbiased facts, this site is your best option. Here, every volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica has been transferred to Web format, in addition to multimedia features and an easy search tool. Updates to the site's entries are made by professionals, as this isn't a wiki community. The only drawback to this site is that it isn't free. To have full access to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, one must pay a subscription fee of $69.95 a year. This is a sound investment for students, however, as the yearly fee is substantially cheaper than buying the encyclopedic set in book form. Also, major universities will accept the site as a reliable source when citing information in a research paper, something Wikipedia can't claim.
   
4. MSN Encarta
   MSN Encarta is another online encyclopedia that bypasses the problems that plague Wikipedia. All entries have been written and fact-checked by professionals and the site will never be vandalized. However, like Encyclopedia Britannica Online, this site requires a subscription fee. For $29.95 a year, you can access MSN Encarta in its entirety, including the site's accompanying thesaurus, world atlas and other research tools for students.
   
5. Infoplease
   Infoplease is a free online encyclopedia that is a part of Pearson Education, the largest educational book distributor in the world. All of the information found on the site is gathered from trusted sources, such as the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia and the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Although entries may be limited in size when compared to Wikipedia, you can be sure that all the information is accurate and incapable of being influenced by outside users. Also, Infoplease has many multimedia features that assist researchers, particularly students who are attending distance education courses.
   
6. Conservapedia
   Conservapedia is a conservative, Christian-influenced wiki encyclopedia that was created as a response to Wikipedia's alleged left-wing bias. The information found on this site is free of foul language, sexual topics and anything else deemed offensive by the site's editorial staff. If you feel that Wikipedia shows a strong bias toward liberal views, then this site may suit your needs. All Conservapedia users are asked to follow the site's seven Commandments.
   
7. Uncyclopedia
   Uncyclopedia is an ambitious spoof of Wikipedia. It could be seen as an over-the-top response to Wikipedia users, also knows as "Wikipedians", who seem to take the site much too seriously. From the home page's logo to the formatting of each entry, the parallels between the two sites are uncanny and well-executed. Make no mistake, however. Nothing on Uncyclopedia should be taken as fact, which may be another dig at Wikipedia's occasional inaccuracy. If you are fed up with Wikipedia's many faults and want to have a good laugh, check out this satirical site.

• When philosopher Larry Sanger left Wikipedia, the project he co-founded, he did recommend an online alternative: the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, a fully vetted, refereed reference work, updated regularly, that explains the dynamic world of philosophy.

• Debatepedia is a non for profit online encyclopedia of pro and con arguments and quotes, a place for people to debate using legitimate supporting evidence derived from reliable sources, articles must be encyclopaedic and not just opinions, neutrality must be kept at all times (I assume they mean by providing both sides of an issue).

• Encyclopedia.com is a free online encyclopedia that uses a mix of over 100 sources like dictionaries and biographies. An excellent research tool with a wide range of subjects that will be of great use to students and people investigating a particular subject.

• The CMS based free encyclopedia called Open-Site is edited by volunteers that must apply first to be granted access, page edits are peer reviewed by a senior contributor. This community project runs on a content management system (CMS) instead of a wiki like Wikipedia, some may find it easier to navigate and better structured.

• The Smithsonian Institution offers a free educational online encyclopedia called Encyclopedia Smithsonian. Since they are a US research institute and museum, their encyclopaedia includes articles with links to their exhibitions, in some cases complemented with audio and video.