Wikipedia Turns Mainstream, Leaving Information in Its Track

There are few editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica where you could find a list of the most famous drummers, "Weird Al" Yankovic's albums, or the biography of actor Ted Knight. With the rise of the Internet as a main source for research and reference, Wikipedia has become the most important resource for Internet researchers. Whether it is a need for pop culture ephemera or information on classical music, anyone with a computer and Internet access can feed their thirst for knowledge. The reason why people are so attracted to Wikipedia is that it promises a more democratic editing and research process than the stuffy encyclopedias that line shelves in college libraries. However, Wikipedia's meteoric rise in popularity has led its founder, Jimmy Wales, and its team of editors to refine publication policies to improve its legitimacy.

As someone who has only a casual acquaintance with Wikipedia (I am a bit of a popular culture freak), I was curious about the editorial standards that drive Wikipedia's published content. According to the five pillars of Wikipedia, there is a tension between strict encyclopedic standards and an almost anarchic flexibility about writing style. While material on Wikipedia cannot be used to reason out an original theory or promote a viewpoint, all content is freely edited by any member of Wikipedia's community. As well, the code of conduct which ensures that writers for the website maintain civil behavior is made difficult to enforce by the fifth malleable pillar of flexibility outside of the first four pillars. It is no wonder that Wikipedia's founder and editors are beginning to lay down the hammer to contributors who don't fit into their particular concept of an online encyclopedia.