Practicum Post 2: Wikipedia

Because I have been spending a majority of my practicum time browsing Wikia and its different sites, I decided today that I should dive into Wikipedia a little more before my presentation. One reason I chose to do this is the prevalence of its use (it is the 5th most popular Web property worldwide, according to a statement on the site). It is especially helpful for college students, even though in the past professors prohibited the use of it (I will talk more in my presentation about why this may not be the case anymore). The one thing that has blown me away about Wikipedia since I joined was how much is on it. It includes so much: news, information, trivia, discussion, etc. It was actually a really daunting place to be when I first joined, because there are so many hyperlinks and so many places that I did not know what they meant. However, after a small fraction of the browsing that could be done, I discovered a really interesting thing about Wikipedia, which was a help forum. Similar to a "help desk," this was a place to inquire about information relating to Wikipedia. However, it was not just a list of topics that could connect me to answers (which is also an option), but it was a live chat where I was talking directly to other Wikipedia users. I expected the response time to be pretty slow because I did not really think that many people would be at the Wikipedia live chat, but not only were the responses quick, but there were also a lot of people willing to help. I felt very comfortable even though I am considered a "newbie," which is something that I proved with the questions that I was asking.

The live shat is just one of many, many options that Wikipedia has on its site. I had always just thought of the editing pages when I thought of this site, but really there is so much more to it. I think this will even be helpful for me to be a part of after this project.