Wikipedia
Read the article again and correct the eight mistakes in the student’s notes.

1

Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free online encyclopedia. It was founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and is now officially the largest and most popular general site on the internet. It is written by volunteers. There are Wikipedias in many of the world’s languages, well over 280.

2

Wikipedia has become so famous partly because of the speed at which entries are written. Within a few minutes of something happening (e.g. the launch of the iPad, a tsunami or the announcement of the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest), the news is up on Wikipedia. It has become the place to read about breaking news.

3

There are a number of concerns about Wikipedia. One of them is about whether the information is accurate or not. Wikipedia was tested against Encyclopedia Britannica. Overall, the information was found to be remarkably accurate. However, when students at university ask the question: ‘Can I use Wikipedia in my bibliography?’ the answer, of course, is ‘no’. This is partly because academic writing must be verifiable. There is always the danger that Wikipedia may be updated by unreliable people, so that some information is inaccurate. This is one of the problems of having a huge global bank of writers. Nowadays, some pages are locked for editing. Another concern is vandalism. This might include someone deliberately deleting information, or adding information which seems true, but actually isn’t.

4

Many people feel sad that the printed version of the Encyclopedia Britannica has stopped being published. It could not compete against a product which is essentially free. Some people suggest that the older encyclopedias were written by experts, online ones by so-called amateurs. Others disagree, saying that peer-reviewed scientific journals will remain, and continue to be published alongside articles on the internet. Some feel Wikipedia will replace biographies. Others disagree. Whatever happens, Wikipedia is an internet phenomenon, and is here to stay.

2. Within a few minutes of an event happening (e.g. the launch of the iPad, a tsunami, or the announcement of the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest), the news is up on Wikipedia. (Add "an event" before "happening" for clarity.)

3. However, when university students ask whether they can use Wikipedia in their bibliographies, the answer is typically 'no'. (Specify "university students" and change "of course" to "typically".)

4. Nowadays, some pages are locked to prevent editing. (Change "locked for editing" to "locked to prevent editing" for clarity.)

5. Another concern is vandalism. This might include someone deliberately deleting accurate information or adding false information. (Specify "accurate" before "information" and clarify the types of vandalism.)

6. Many people lament that the printed version of the Encyclopedia Britannica has ceased publication. (Replace "feel sad" with "lament".)

7. Some argue that older encyclopedias were written by experts, while online ones are authored by so-called amateurs. (Clarify the comparison between older and online encyclopedias.)

8. Some predict that Wikipedia will replace traditional encyclopedias, including biographies, while others disagree. (Specify "traditional" before "encyclopedias" and clarify the scope of replacement.)

These corrections address clarity, specificity, and accuracy in summarizing the Wikipedia article.