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Wikipedia (was: Re: Clarification for Copyright to referred material in IETF draft)

2010-12-14 14:24:53
SM <sm at resistor dot net> wrote:

Quoting Doug Ewell [1]:

   "I thought it would be good to let the list know that these
    misconceptions exist and may be widespread, because of the wide
    use of Wikipedia"

I like Wikipedia and usually find its articles to be accurate.  The
article on BCP 47 language tags to which I was referring happened to be
filled with errors and oversimplifications.  (Its author was, and is,
known to make the same blunders on mailing lists.)

It would be a mistake to assume that all Wikipedia articles are either
100% accurate or 100% inaccurate.  Cross-checking with other sources is
often a wise move.  This is also true for books, magazines, technical
journals, mailing lists, and blogs.  I've even read standards and
specifications that contained factual errors; I suppose we all have.

The fact that Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, and do not
undergo a formal peer review process by people with abbreviations at the
end of their names, does not automatically mean they are chock-full of
damaging errors.  Civilians with better information fix problems all the
time.

--
Doug Ewell | Thornton, Colorado, USA | http://www.ewellic.org
RFC 5645, 4645, UTN #14 | ietf-languages @ is dot gd slash 2kf0s ­


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