They often talk about measuring the accuracy of Wiki articles as though this was a physical process in which they could use a yardstick.

I read the above statement in a classroom and thought about it. I responded:

I think that the problem with Wikipedia is that it became the “go-to” place for anyone doing research on the internet. Everyone started looking to it as an authority, a secondary resource, to the research they were doing on other things.

Instead of carrying on the traditional wiki practice which allows anyone to contribute, the admins then had to consider their audience and purpose more carefully. Who did they really want to reach and why? What was important in this community.

Instead of a worldwide community that is more democratic, they have limited it only to those who are now authorities in the field they write in. If you have a PhD behind your name, in the Wikipedia arena you are given much more credit.

While I understand the need for this, it limits Wikipedia from being a true wiki. There is limited social intereaction and it is quite elitist at this point.

Addendum:
Funny enough, I found this on the Kairosnews blog today:

The Chronical of Education posted a note today describing how Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, says that he wants to get the message out to college students letting them know that they shouldn’t use Wiki either for class projects or for serious research. Speaking at a conference held at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday called “The Hyperlinked Society,” Mr. Wales said that he gets a number of e-mails each week from students who complain that Wikipedia has gotten them into academic trouble. However, he said that he has no sympathy for their misfortune, noting that he thinks to himself: “For God sake, you’re in college; don’t cite the [Wiki] encyclopedia.”

Mr. Wales said that leaders of Wikipedia have considered putting together a fact sheet so that professors could pass it out in their classes to explain what Wikipedia is, and that it is not always a definitive academic resource. In an interview, Mr. Wales said that Wikipedia is suitable for many uses. For example, if you are reading a novel that mentions a particular historical event, you could use Wikipedia to get a quick basic overview of that event to understand the context. But students who are actually writing a paper about that event should rely upon the authority of history books.

While it’s interesting that he is stating this, I have a feeling that it will be used by more and more college students because it is written by experts in the field (for the most part) and because it sounds authoritative.