Comments on: Circlesourcing at Wikipedia http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/03/16/circlesourcing-at-wikipedia/ Understanding technology ... in both senses of the phrase Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:42:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Curt Monash http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/03/16/circlesourcing-at-wikipedia/#comment-5678 Curt Monash Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:37:23 +0000 http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/03/16/circlesourcing-at-wikipedia/#comment-5678 But that's not the usual practice with reference works. If you trust the reference work, and you're not copying at length, you just assume its "facts" are correct. The problem is that journalists aren't always careful about going to unimpeachable sources, and this is compounded by the fact that they themselves may be viewed as authoritative despite their lack of -- or lack of time for -- due diligence. But that’s not the usual practice with reference works. If you trust the reference work, and you’re not copying at length, you just assume its “facts” are correct.

The problem is that journalists aren’t always careful about going to unimpeachable sources, and this is compounded by the fact that they themselves may be viewed as authoritative despite their lack of — or lack of time for — due diligence.

]]> By: Jim R. Wilson (jimbojw) http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/03/16/circlesourcing-at-wikipedia/#comment-5675 Jim R. Wilson (jimbojw) Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:38:00 +0000 http://www.texttechnologies.com/2007/03/16/circlesourcing-at-wikipedia/#comment-5675 It helps if the mainstream journalists fail to cite Wikipedia as their source - for if they do, the back reference would hopefully be called out by editors. It helps if the mainstream journalists fail to cite Wikipedia as their source - for if they do, the back reference would hopefully be called out by editors.

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