The BlogPop CultureHistoryoutspeak

Ignorant Experts: The Wikipedia Effect

We've all got that one friend. You know, the one who's quick to correct your knowledge of, well, just about everything. History. Pop culture. Bands. Celebrities. You name it, they know it, and it's annoying. This knowledge, however, is not an exhaustive internalization of facts and figures; rather, it's a 'Coles Notes' style executive summary, with zero sourcing.
Open Image Modal
By 

Outspeak Contributor, in partnership with HuffPost

Outspeak Contributor, in partnership with HuffPost
|
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

We've all got that one friend. You know, the one who's quick to correct your knowledge of, well, just about everything. History. Pop culture. Bands. Celebrities. You name it, they know it, and it's annoying. This knowledge, however, is not an exhaustive internalization of facts and figures; rather, it's a 'Coles Notes' style executive summary, with zero sourcing.

Welcome to the Wikipedia Effect.

Outspeaker DeAndre Matthews explores the Wikipedia effect in his recent video. Admittedly, he's been guilty of this 'ignorant expert' complex in the past, but awareness is half the battle, right? In a world where anyone with access to the internet treats the world's largest open source encyclopedia as THE primary source of information, (valid) knowledge may be more than just half the battle.

Check out more of DeAndre on his YouTube channel, and find him on Twitter and Instagram.

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip