Feeling insignificant? Here's the remedy: Create an Internet-based encyclopedia entry about yourself.
All you need do is log on to www.wikipedia.org and write your life's accomplishments. Once you're finished, it will be available instantly to Internet browsers everywhere.
Wikipedia isn't some online sideshow, either. It is used by tens of millions of people every week - more than CNN.com.
Wikipedia is an interactive online encyclopedia that anyone can work with; you can create your own entries and edit existing ones.
For example, if you don't agree with the statement in the Baltimore entry that Mayor Martin O'Malley "has maintained high approval ratings through both of his terms in office," you can change it. But be warned that your change may be edited by anyone who disagrees or thinks you have erred.
You are not alone in thinking this arrangement seems like a disaster. Many people first heard of Wikipedia in November when noted journalist John Seigenthaler publicly criticized the site for libelous information inserted in his entry that hinted he might have been involved in the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a friend and political ally. In the furor that followed, many commentators echoed his view that Wikipedia is a "flawed and irresponsible research tool."
Yet Wikipedia is very valuable. The quality of the information tends to be very good. The British scientific journal Nature conducted a blind peer review of 42 Wikipedia science articles in December, comparing them with their counterparts in the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the error rates were similar - about three per article for Britannica and about four per article for Wikipedia. The rate of "serious" errors was identical.
In many ways, Wikipedia is not merely comparable but far better than traditional sources. For one, the breadth of information is astounding. Subjects too obscure or mundane to be addressed in traditional reference sources often are explored exhaustively on Wikipedia, from the mechanics of the credit card industry to Butterfinger candy bars ("It has a firm, orange-colored center that tastes like peanut butter and crumbles when eaten").
The content is also updated faster than other reference sources, often changing within minutes to reflect new developments.
