Submission + - Schools blocking Wikipedia doesn't do it favours 1
codingmasters writes: "I'm currently a 16 year old student in an Australian secondary school. As with most schools, Wikipedia is blocked because the content, despite usually being correct, is deemed unreliable because anyone can edit it and there is no sure-fire way of ensuring that the information on there is correct. While these people make a valid point, it is easy to see that these people have practically no experience on Wikipedia. Anybody who did would realise that vandalism is reverted almost immediately, and that all information is required to be sourced from other places, or it is removed.
The driving force for me to write this was thus: a couple of years ago, when Wikipedia started becoming widely known, my principal apparently came across some pornographic images on there (this is unconfirmed, but odds are she was looking at a page to do with sex, making the images relevant). Not understanding Wikipedia, and believing it an easy way for people to access porn at school, she requested that the site be blocked (despite widespread dissent from a lot of teachers). Then, last Tuesday night, at our school's annual Speech Night, she mentioned Wikipedia and how good it is, and quoted things from a couple of articles. This major piece of hypocrisy got me thinking.
By blocking Wikipedia and told that it's unreliable because anyone can edit it, I believe it encourages a mentality in people: "Wikipedia is bad, everything in it is bad, it will never be good, so don't use it." By telling people this, I reckon they are more likely to vandalise Wikipedia, because they are being told, and end up believing, that Wikipedia is trash, so trash it further and see now reason why they shouldn't.
If teachers were to stop bringing Wikipedia down, take the time to understand it and how it works, unblock it at school, agree that Wikipedia is useful, and tell the students that they can use this resource, I believe it would create a new mentality in students, and in the end, the wider community: "Wikipedia is a useful resource which you can and should use, not ruin. Don't vandalise it, because you are just spoiling it for yourself and others. In stead, use the vast information it has to offer."
What do you guys think about this idea? Is it possible to change now that its reputation as either a great resource or a massive waste of space is so immensely ingrained in people's minds?"
The driving force for me to write this was thus: a couple of years ago, when Wikipedia started becoming widely known, my principal apparently came across some pornographic images on there (this is unconfirmed, but odds are she was looking at a page to do with sex, making the images relevant). Not understanding Wikipedia, and believing it an easy way for people to access porn at school, she requested that the site be blocked (despite widespread dissent from a lot of teachers). Then, last Tuesday night, at our school's annual Speech Night, she mentioned Wikipedia and how good it is, and quoted things from a couple of articles. This major piece of hypocrisy got me thinking.
By blocking Wikipedia and told that it's unreliable because anyone can edit it, I believe it encourages a mentality in people: "Wikipedia is bad, everything in it is bad, it will never be good, so don't use it." By telling people this, I reckon they are more likely to vandalise Wikipedia, because they are being told, and end up believing, that Wikipedia is trash, so trash it further and see now reason why they shouldn't.
If teachers were to stop bringing Wikipedia down, take the time to understand it and how it works, unblock it at school, agree that Wikipedia is useful, and tell the students that they can use this resource, I believe it would create a new mentality in students, and in the end, the wider community: "Wikipedia is a useful resource which you can and should use, not ruin. Don't vandalise it, because you are just spoiling it for yourself and others. In stead, use the vast information it has to offer."
What do you guys think about this idea? Is it possible to change now that its reputation as either a great resource or a massive waste of space is so immensely ingrained in people's minds?"
