Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that is located online and is built by contributions by anyone...as long as the information being entered in is cited by reliable sources. It is, in essence, people finding data from articles found online and putting it up in its relevant page to collate information for easy access and reference.
There is a reason that once we used to call people with extensive knowledge of things to have "encyclopedic knowledge."
Now it no longer requires having a very large book to access that information; that information is in a data format online, written to encyclopedic standards, and helpfully accompanied by a search engine to specify topics to a fine point.
People who scorn the idea of referencing wikipedia are people who essentially scorn references an encyclopedia...which is to say, they are people who are angered by how easily their claims, opinions, stances, etc. can be torn to shreds in the blink of an eye with little more than a link to a web page.
People, I have noticed, hate it when they're told they're wrong, and the more easily and readily they are told they are wrong, the more hostile they become to the idea of being wrong.
We see it all the time with religious tools.
There is a reason that once we used to call people with extensive knowledge of things to have "encyclopedic knowledge."
Now it no longer requires having a very large book to access that information; that information is in a data format online, written to encyclopedic standards, and helpfully accompanied by a search engine to specify topics to a fine point.
People who scorn the idea of referencing wikipedia are people who essentially scorn references an encyclopedia...which is to say, they are people who are angered by how easily their claims, opinions, stances, etc. can be torn to shreds in the blink of an eye with little more than a link to a web page.
People, I have noticed, hate it when they're told they're wrong, and the more easily and readily they are told they are wrong, the more hostile they become to the idea of being wrong.
We see it all the time with religious tools.
