For those not familiar with Wikipedia, it's basically an online "encyclopedia" used by millions of people daily. Whether information is needed on a person, place, or thing, it can be found on Wikipedia. Students find this site especially useful when seeking information for reports and research papers. The question is, how reliable a source is Wikipedia?
Due to the fact that the site is maintained by its users (the general public), "anyone can edit" the information on Wikipedia, which has put the website under a microscope. The facts entered into the site are not verified. To find out who was changing the information, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, Virgil Griffith, created the Wikipedia Scanner. The scanner is able to trace the IP address of the person(s) changing information. It was discovered that the majority of people doing the editing, are those who have a personal interest at stake. For instance, an IP address was traced back to Walmart after someone changed information about wages and a statement made by the owner of Walmart, from negative to positive. Famous political figures along with large well known companies, have been known to change any information not in their favor, to more favorable. In light of this develop, if using Wikipedia, it is wise to consult a couple more sources to make sure the information is correct.
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