T&T: Trawler info on Wikipedia

[Jonathan Haas]

Everyone needs to keep in mind that Wikipedia is based on self-proclaimed expertise.  There is really no way to verify the quality of information on Wikipedia unless you know the qualifications of the person who posted the information.  I'm not saying that all the information on W. is bad, but that you have to be vigilant about the source of the information.  Information on GPS, for example, could be provided by a 16 year old high school student from Kansas.  Now, he might know more than all of us about GPS, but he might know very little as well.  Wikipedia is a case of getting what you pay for and is very hit or miss.  

One of the things I like about T&T is that you can get to know the people and their expertise.  I don't have the same confidence with Wikipedia.

Jonathan Haas

LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 5/4/07 12:00:48 AM, Jeff writes:


> Additionally, splintering up a concise wiki for trawlering into 20 seperate
> sites with their own searching, quality, and editing/validation is exactly
> what is not needed. The reason that Wikipedia is so successful is because
> it maintains all of those features in one place.
> 
Jeff,

You misunderstand me. I didn't suggest setting up seperate wiki trawler sites 
but rather creating trawler related pages on Wikipedia itself. There are 
numerous such pages already. If you have a diesel engine question, a good overview 
of diesel engines is given on the Wikipedia "diesel engine" entry. Similarly 
on anchors, ropes, navigational instruments, GPS, etc. Just about anyone can 
create or modify a Wikipedia page.

Wikipedia is intended to be a compendium of all knowledge, trawlering 
information is simply a subset of that knowledge. It is not necessary to reinvent the 
wheel.

Larry Z

 




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