No editor ever questioned what I wrote [about virtual reality for the World Book encyclopedia], but I assume that’s the World Book way. They pick an expert and trust that the expert won’t abuse the privilege. I have not bought the latest set of World Books. In fact, having been selected to be an author in the World Book, I now believe that Wikipedia is a perfectly fine source for your information, because I know what the quality control is for real encyclopedias. But sometimes when I’m in the library with the kids, I still can’t resist looking under “V” (“Virtual Reality” by yours truly) and letting them have a look. Their dad made it. —

Randy Pausch – The Last Lecture

Many know Randy Pausch, the famous professor from Carnegie Mellon who died of pancreatic cancer. I read his book, The Last Lecture, a few years ago, and this paragraph always stuck with me (and seems appropriate on a day where Wikipedia is in the headlines).

Randy was asked to write a segment in the World Book encyclopedia on virtual reality. Apparently, they accepted his segment without incident. They blindingly trusted one man (though a very smart man) with their entire section on virtual reality. Wikipedia gets a lot of guff for allowing anyone to make edits, but the site has very strict, rigid fact-checkers and enforcers. It is tough to get wrong information onto Wikipedia because they watch any edit like hawks. It may be something a 20-year-old wrote in his college dorm room, but if it’s right, it’s right.
Posted on January 18th, 2012 at 2:22PM
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#Wikipedia#Randy Pausch

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