• BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    19 days ago

    Wikipedia is the most accurate encyclopedia to date

    How did you determine that?

    Wikipedia is built near-purely on second hand sources, which is how all encyclopedias are intended to be constructed. As long as one ensures the validity of the second hand source used, encyclopedias are great resources.

    True, but basically nobody does check that the sources are valid, and they often aren’t.

    • Crash@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      19 days ago

      How do you know they often aren’t? I’m an academic and regularly use wikipedia to find citations for sources. I’ve have yet to come across any citations that were wrong.

      • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        19 days ago

        Because I see the things they’re getting from Wikipedia and I am them, and they admit they didn’t actually check the sources.

        I’ve have yet to come across any citations that were wrong.

        How would you determine that a cited source was wrong?

          • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            19 days ago

            I’ll click on them and then read them.

            And how will that allow you to know if they’re right or not?

              • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                0
                arrow-down
                2
                ·
                19 days ago

                Post truther is when you don’t believe that people have the magic ability to determine if something is true by pure gut feeling.

                All the liberal-fascists here whine about misinformation and post-truth, and then through a fucking fit that anyone suggest that they actually be serious about that.

                You people don’t want to combat misinformation, you want the misinformation you already believe to go unquestioned.

            • Crash@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              19 days ago

              Then I read them and use my critical thinking skills. For research I put trust in peer review articles by reputable journals.

              But regardless,

              Isn’t that a broader question as to what we consider truth and not something specific to wikipedia ?

              • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                0
                ·
                19 days ago

                How are you able to determine matters of fact by pure critical thinking? Are you really claiming that you are immune to lies?

                For research I put trust in peer review articles by reputable journals.

                Great! I wish Wikipedia was held to that standard, rather than regularly using tabloids, think tanks, and literal propaganda outlets.

                • NotSafeForWorld@lemmy.dbzer0.com
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  18 days ago

                  I’m genuinely curious, what are your standards for truth? What are your standards for facts?

                  Does Wikipedia use tabloids, think tanks, and literal propaganda outlets?

                  Is there anything that’s not factual in Wikipedia that survives their current editing process?