Editing 185: Wikifriends

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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The comic's title refers to {{w|Wiki}}s, which are collaboratively edited websites (such as this one). The first such site was {{w|WikiWikiWeb}}, but {{w|Wikipedia}} (an online encyclopedia) has become the most well-known example, and may have been specifically what [[Randall]] had in mind while drawing this comic, as other comics also reference Wikipedia.
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The comic's title refers to the well-known online encyclopædia {{w|Wikipedia}}. Since it has been started, the project has become the de facto authority for facts and opinions in all sorts of fields (at least for non-professionals). Many people tend to readily accept any statement as true just because it was mentioned in a Wikipedia article.
  
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The influence of social environment is called {{w|peer pressure}}, often with a negative connotation. The term "Wikifriends" is coined in the comic as a label for people who adjust their views in order to incorporate into a group. That is to say that, in the same way a Wiki page can be edited by people other than the original author, a "Wikifriend" allows their opinions to be "edited" by someone else. As an example, the comic shows a discussion about a movie in which one contributor changes his opinion entirely when he hears what his friend thinks.
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In the comic, this phenomenon is linked to the habit of adapting one's own opinions to those professed by friends. The influence of social environment is called {{w|peer pressure}}, often with a negative connotation. The term "Wikifriends" is coined in the comic as a label for people who adjust their views in order to incorporate into a group. As an example, the comic shows a discussion about a movie in which one collocutor entirely veers in his opinion when he hears what his friend thinks.
  
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The title text suggests that Randall also sees himself as being frequently influenced by others.
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Wikipedia was often advertised as "the encyclopedia that anyone can edit", thus wikifriends could be seen as "the friends that anyone can edit", in other words: They will be influenced by your opinion rather than having one of their own. 
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The comic also references the act of using sock puppets or Meat Puppets on Wikipedia in order to gain more votes and win an argument, which is one of the most frowned upon actions in the eyes of the community.
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The title text suggests that [[Randall]] also observes himself to be frequently influenced by others.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==

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