Wikipedia is a wiki that's attempting to build an online encyclopedia, using entirely user-submitted content. It's impressive.

(What's a wiki? Briefly, a wiki is a website where anyone can change any webpage at any time. Think of it as a blackboard where everyone has a piece of chalk and an eraser. See the lesson on wikis.)

Wikipedia's a bit more than that, though. Because Wikipedia is being added to all the time, it's a convenient window into current events. Note how the home page displays a list of recent news; each link goes to a Wikipedia entry about that person, place, object, or event.

To use Wikipedia, go to www.wikipedia.org and type any subject into the search box on the left-hand side of the window:

That will take you to the Wikipedia page for that concept. If you're searching for a less-well-known use of a term, then the page you go to will usually have a disambiguation link that links to all the possible meanings (if you search for "Mars", you'll be taken to the webpage for the planet, while you may want the page for the candy bar).

Editing a Page

If you see an error in a Wikipedia page, you can fix it! Click on the "edit this page" tab at the top of the page.

You'll then see a text box, with the text of the page inside it. Wikipedia uses a verbose formatting language to format the text of Wikipedia pages; don't worry too much about it. Just find the text you want to change and change it. Type a brief summary of your change in the "Edit summary" text field at the bottom of the page, and click the "Save page" button.

If you edit frequently, consider creating an account (by clicking the "Log in / create account" link in the upper-right of each Wikipedia page; it's free), so your edits will be known and you can get a reputation.

Etiquette

When editing Wikipedia pages, keep the following in mind:

• Keep a neutral, passive tone. Wikipedia articles aren't advocating anything; they're just reporting (ideally). If you see a non-neutral page, feel free to rewrite it to make it neutral.
• Any Wikipedia page may be wrong. It's being written by humans, after all. Check all facts externally.
• Keep with generally accepted history. New, unproven theories and explanations generally don't belong on Wikipedia, until they've been tested.
• Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia; any changes should improve that nature. Some try to turn Wikipedia into, say, a comprehensive record of every detail of a particular TV show.