Why Wikipedia Is In Trouble
Time
When I was in the hospital a few months ago—I’m fine, thanks—I asked the attending resident about a new drug that I’d heard treated my condition well. He didn’t know much about it, so he suggested we look it up—on Wikipedia.
I have no doubt that the doctor would have done more research before actually prescribing this drug. But the episode was a reminder that Wikipedia, which turns 15 years old on Jan. 15, is not just a resource for lazy students and casual readers. Everyone uses it and generally trusts it, which is why it’s the sixth most-popular site in the U.S. and seventh in the world. And that’s also why we should all be worried that it is fraying at the edges.
