Encyclopedia or Wikipedia

I read an article in the American Way magazine while on the way back to Dallas from vacation, about Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia. Evidently this guy could not get enough of information when he grew up.

In 2001, Wales came up with the idea of letting the masses write entries to an encyclopedia and post them online to share with the world. Now this is another social networking example that has some interesting ramifications in the way people organize and use information.

As of 2006, Wikipedia is the world's largest and most widely used source of information. It has around 35 million entries and 5 billion page visits a month. It is free, easy to use and currently more detailed than any other encyclopedia around. Unlike the more traditional volumes of information about everything such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia shoots for the everyday man.

A wiki, for those who are not familiar with the term, is a website that allows users to add and edit content at will. It is often used for dealing with informational content. By the way, "wiki" is a Hawaiian term that means fast or quick. "Encyclopedia" is Greek meaning "a general well-rounded education". I have always been fascinated by how new words evolve. One of the things interesting about globalization is the possibilities of new words. Think of it... add a little bit of one language to another language - a dash of tech terminology and you have endless new word combinations to capture the publics attention. Hence the combination of Wikipedia. which has grown to Wikinews, Wikiquote, etc.

The article stated some rather interesting characteristics arising from this example of social networking. The accesibility for one, the flexibility, the idea of sharing knowledge freely; created by a knowledgeable "community" who volunteer their time to generate the content. On the flip side of the coin, controversial issues also materialize - issues, such as vanity editing, inaccurate or non-creditible reference material, vandalizing information with editoral opinion.

Wikipedia is free for anyone access. Anyone with an internet link can go to the web site and quickly look up a subject. The information can be copied and reproduced without charge. Many argue that Wikipedia is endangering society by economically threatening the more conventional, neutral perspective texts. A traditional text has copyright protection. The content on the traditional encyclopedia is pulled from such respected sources as Carl Sagan and several Nobel Laureates. The material is also verified by 3 independent sources outside the encyclopedia environment.

Wikipedia on the other hand, has about 13,000 authors writing articles and if you, the visitor, feel that you have something to add then you have the option to "edit" the article to add your point-of view. Supposedly, Wikipedia adds about 2,000 entries in a day. Which has added up to a million + articles to date. This is compared to 80,000 for Britanica's. Sounds very democratic, post-modern and convenient, heh?

Wikipedia's approach to knowledge sharing is to encourage volunteers to write about various subjects with diverse perspectives. Many contributors feel they are contributing to a worthwhile endeavor, others are attracted to the social aspects of belonging to a community.

One contributor, David Gerard, a computer-systems administrator, spends 50 hours a week "patrolling" the pages for inaccurate information and other editing functions. One of the attractions to volunteering, is the opportunity to exercise his editing and communication skills. From his point-of-view, the information on Wikipedia reflects a varied perspective rather than an absolute single truth. The idea of absolute neutrality is impossible and editorial decisions always come down to the editor's judgement.

But critics of Wikipedia's paradigm has countered with concerns about the quality of information and it's accuracy. There have been cases of "vandalized" pages - notably on articles dealing with George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry. (Imagine that!) Or inaccuracies that completely rewrite history. One high-profile Wikipedia article mentioned, linked John Seigenthaler Sr. to the assasination of John and Robert Kennedy. This faux pas angered Seigenthaler so much he wrote an article in USA Today about Wikipedia as a "flawed and irresponsible research tool". Finally, the idea of vanity editing, as noteable people can continually update their bios to make themselves look good or edit out acheivements in rival's bios.

Nevertheless, Wikipedia has been translated into 13 languages and is globally the 18th most popular site. Generally, many people feel that Wikipedia is evolving into a creditable, information resource. Students, journalists, professionals from many walks of life depend on Wikipedia for up-to-date information. Social networking will always be a two-sided coin, echoing the nature of human offline behaviors.

So how will social networking communities, such as Wikipedia, affect our communications with each other in the present and how will the future generations use or alter such information?

Web is becoming THE PLACE for social networking

I was listening the NPR's All Things Considered program as Michele NOrris talked with Spencer Reiss, a contributing editor at Wired Magazine. They were talking about Rupert Murdoch the owner of MySpace.com. Currently, MySpace is the most visited website in the US. This outranks Yahoo and Google hits.

For those who are not familiar with MySpace, it is the place where people can share music, photos, gossip, personal info with friends and family. It started as a young person's hangout place like the mall or 7-11 parking lot. It has now added an older audience of 20 to 30 somethings. Now various marketing groups are looking to use MySpace as a marketing tool.

According to Reiss 250,000 people sign-up on MySpace A DAY. I believe the quoted a figure of 90 million people who have become a part of MySpace. There are many marketing techniques to measure successful or popular products over the years but all agree that word-of-mouth is the most effective. The problem is, measuring how effective word-of-mouth is has eluded the marketplace. Now they have a great tool to study how word-of-mouth works.

There are some other great web sites that illustrate social networking.
Flickr - a photo sharing web iste
Del.icio.us - a bookmarks manager that can be shared with friends

One I happened upon yesterday is called 43 Things - it is a website that asks what you want to do with your life. And there seem to be a lot of ambitious people out there who want to share that knowledge.

Check them out and look around for other examples of social networking websites. Post them and your comments about them in my comment section. Tell me what you think makes them interesting from a social networking aspect.

The I-75 Ferry

I am enthralled by the ferry as transportation. Mainly because, in Dallas, Texas, there is no such method of getting around. Can you picture a ferry on the Trinity River?

But last week when in Vancouver, British Columbia I had the opportunity to ride the ferry quite a bit. From the large ones to the small community ones. The best thing about the ferry is you are on the water looking a stunning scenery and you aren't the one driving nor listening to someone gripe about the other drivers.

I am a people watcher. I like watching the way people operate in new environments. It is interesting to see how people work, adapt and play in their environment. The ferry is an excellent people watching environment.


A large ferry typically has 7 decks. Many different modes of transportation can be accomodated: motorcycles, busses, cars, mac trucks, kayaks, etc. When loading the large ferries the walking passengers get on and off first. At the dock, vehicles are lined up according to size and type. Trucks in one lane, cars in another.

Busses like Greyhound drive to the underpass to load on Deck one - these vehicles are the heaviest and are carefully distributed by weight on the first level decks. Then the regular cars and other transportation are loaded on Decks two, three and four.

Coming from Vancouver, BC I rode a Greyhound bus full of passengers. Once loaded on the ferry, passengers can get off and head for the passenger decks on five through seven via the stairs or elevator.


Sidebar: the doors on the vehicle deck that lead to the stairs are sliding metal doors. It is interesting to watch how new people use them. They stand in front of the door and wait expectantly. I think, they think, the doors are like elevator doors and will open automatically. It isn't until a "regular" passenger comes along and taps the large button on the side of the door that the "newbie" realizes that the door is operated by pushing a release button.
You can get so many things done on a ferry - like eating, sleeping, having an interesting conversation, sunning, reading, shopping, people watching, sketching, painting, playing with the kids, watching the game, etc.

All of these activities in one trip and cheaper than the price of gas. When you are driving in Dallas, all you get to do is curse the other rude drivers for yakking on their cell phones and trying to run you off the road.

The last deck is actually an open air observation deck. The trip to Vancouver Island from the mainland is about an hour long and weaves through several other islands in the Georgia Strait. For a first timer, it is a stunning view. A blue haze layers the land masses on the horizon. Sailboats glide by on blue currents.

Decks five and six have all kinds of human activities. There is a lounge area equipped with TV set to watch the games. Every once and a while you will hear in chorus, either groans or cheers. There are computer workstations for those who couldn't leave their technology behind. There are massage chairs for the stressed out cell phoners. There are vending machines for snacks. There are sunbathing opportunites on the life jacket bins located on the walk-around deck. There is the all-you-can-eat buffet for $15.75 and a lounge seat at the scenic front of the ferry. There is the kids play area. There is the gift shop for the irresistable pull of buying that special something.

There is a cafe and coffee shop for those who just need a good lunch and conversation with their buds. There is an interpretive guide, midway in the crossing, that leads an informative discussion on the ecological systems of the waterway and the islands that the ferry passes.

Even the small ferries between the islands have a wonderful human connection. Neighbors with babies talking to neighbors or painting the scenery as it passes by. What a wonderful macrocosm. What a great opportunity to experience the rich, complex and diverse human interaction with their world.

My proposal is to rip up the concrete on the I-75 Highway and flood it with water. Start a ferry system from Downtown Dallas to Oklahoma. Then we can park all the cell phoners on the massage chairs well away from dangerous objects like cars. Just think of the fun, interacting with people instead of dodging the cell phoners.

While you are at it. Take a look at two different web sites that give the user an idea of ferry functions. Which one do you think gives the best overall experience in getting the information you would need to travel on a ferry?

BC Ferries (Canada)
Washington Ferries (USA)

Environmental Awareness and Transportation

I just came back from a visit to Vancouver, British Columbia area. While I was there, I noticed a very different awareness toward the useage of mass transportation. Number one, It is used more heavily than Dallas, Texas. It could be the price of gas which was the equivilant of $3 to $4 a gallon (I mean liter) there. But more people used bicycles, bus, trains and ferries than cars.

Compare that to Dallas where people use a car per person on the road. I think they actually enjoy sitting on the highway getting their blood pressure up, screaming at the people in front of them. So what is the difference in the individual's mental model between American and the car and the Canadian and the car?

Personally, I think it is the heat. Dallas is like fried-eggs-on-the-sidewalk hot. But the climante in BC is a balmy 80 degrees. You can't talk me into riding a bike in 103 degree weather. But 80 degrees I could do and actually enjoy it. As one young Canadian laughingly commented, "So you go from an air-conditioned home, to an air-conditioned car, to an air-conditioned workplace." Yep... that's Dallas!

The other side of it is - that BC's transportation has fairly reliable as well as frequent time schedules. In Dallas, the bus system schedule varies depending on the driver's mood. It could be 20 minutes early or 20 minutes late. You can never predict it.

I also noticed, that when people got off the bus they actually THANKED the bus driver! HUH? So does that mean that Dallas people are just grumpy or couldn't give a rat's nest about being "polite". Of course, I have a feeling that if you thanked a Dallas bus driver they would faint from surprise. Not only that, but the Canadian drivers carry on amiable conversations with their passengers - telling newcomers where to get off or what other bus could take them to where they want to go. People look just as busy in BC as they do in Dallas, but they seem to use their busyness differently than Dallasites. More laid back. More people oriented. More friendly. More outdoorsy.

MUST be the weather.

Tell me what you have noticed about other places or cultures different from what you are experiencing in Dallas.