Editing 214: The Problem with Wikipedia
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This | + | This comic illustrates the "problems" of {{w|information explosion}} coupled with a dense web of {{w|hypertext}} links. Through most of human history, written media has been both slow and linear. Hypertext allows a new type of information consumption, through small chunks of information linked together in a web of related concepts, and by being digital, each new chunk can be retrieved quickly and effortlessly. Wikipedia applies this principle very strongly, and because it covers so many topics, it is common for a reader to skim an article about a topic they need or want to know about, and end up following a series of links out of curiosity. Since each new page also has several links, the overall navigation pattern resembles a tree that branches out (see the [[#Table|table]] below), "exploding" in size with each new level of link-clicking, thus resulting in many wasted hours (three in this case) of reading stuff unrelated to the original goal, and lots of open browser tabs holding a wide variety of articles, which are seemingly unrelated, but have common "ancestors". (The problem, for [[Randall]], of wasting time on Wikipedia was later referenced in the title text of [[1501: Mysteries]]). |
− | One can also see this effect occur in other {{w| | + | One can also see this effect occur in other {{w|Media Wiki}} powered wikis such as this very website, where one comic can lead to another of similar relation or category. |
− | + | The title text refers to two of the articles that were supposedly reached at the bottom. {{w|William Howard Taft}} was the 27th President of the U.S., in office from 1909 to 1913, who was notorious for being so overweight that he became stuck in the White House bathtub. A {{w|wet T-shirt contest}} ''is an {{w|Exhibitionism|exhibitionistic}} competition typically featuring young women contestants at a nightclub, bar, or resort.'' Clearly the combination of these two would be rather bizarre. | |
− | + | ==Table== | |
+ | Due to the ever changing nature of Wikipedia, the {{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} entry on Wikipedia no longer links to '{{w|Structural Collapse}}, requiring an intermediate step via '{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)}}', and ultimately being redirected to '{{w|Structural integrity and failure}}'. Finding routes between the start and end points make good challenges in {{w|Wikipedia:Wiki Game|the Wikipedia game}}. | ||
− | + | The table below will list one valid route for each destination article, though it is not necessarily the most efficient route. ''Note that these routes may become invalid as articles are edited.'' | |
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− | The table below | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|{{w|William Howard Taft}} | |{{w|William Howard Taft}} | ||
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|George Washington Bridge}} > {{w|Washington Heights, Manhattan}} > {{w|George Washington}} > {{w|President of the United States}} > {{w|William Howard Taft}} |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{w|24-hour | + | |{{w|24-hour Analogue Dial}} |
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|Steel}} > {{w|Watch}} > {{w|24-hour Analogue Dial}} |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{w|Lesbianism in | + | |{{w|Lesbianism in Erotica}} |
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|Fausto Veranzio}} > {{w|Zagreb}} > {{w|Animation}} > {{w|Hentai}} > {{w|Lesbianism in erotica}} |
|- | |- | ||
− | |{{w|Fatal | + | |{{w|Fatal Hilarity}} via {{w|Batman}} |
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|New York City}} > {{w|Washington Irving}} > {{w|Batman}} > {{w|Batman (1989 film)}} | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Suspension Bridge}} > {{w|New York City}} > {{w|Washington Irving}} > {{w|Batman}} > {{w|Batman (1989 film)}} > {{w|Death from laughter}} (Fatal Hilarity now redirects here) |
|- | |- | ||
|{{w|Taylor Hanson}} | |{{w|Taylor Hanson}} | ||
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Structural Collapse}} > {{w|Burj Khalifa}} > {{w|Chicago}} > {{w|Namesake}} > {{w|Taylor Hanson}} |
|- | |- | ||
|{{w|Wet T-Shirt Contest}} via {{w|T-Shirt}} and {{w|Cotton}} | |{{w|Wet T-Shirt Contest}} via {{w|T-Shirt}} and {{w|Cotton}} | ||
− | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} | + | |{{w|Tacoma Narrows Bridge}} > {{w|Structural Collapse}} > {{w|Maharashtra}} > {{w|Cotton}} > {{w|T-Shirt}} > {{w|Wet T-Shirt Contest}} |
|} | |} | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Heading above the chart:] | :[Heading above the chart:] | ||
− | :The | + | :The Problem with Wikipedia: |
− | |||
:[Text in a frame below the heading:] | :[Text in a frame below the heading:] | ||
:Tacoma Narrows Bridge | :Tacoma Narrows Bridge | ||
− | + | :[Lines lead down both left and right to two new frames with the following text] | |
− | :[Lines lead down both left and right to two new frames with the following | ||
:Suspension bridge | :Suspension bridge | ||
:Structural collapse | :Structural collapse | ||
− | + | :[Two more lines lead down from the left frame and one from the right frame, and each line ends on a wiggling line. Below this line in square brackets are the following text:] | |
− | :[Two more lines lead down from the left frame and one from the right frame, and | + | :Three hours of |
− | :Three hours of fascinated clicking | + | :fascinated clicking later |
− | + | :[Below this there is a similar wiggling line, from where six lines leads to new frames. From the fourth frame there follows yet another line to yet another frame. And from the last frame the same happens twice. Below text in frames from left to right, with extra text below indicated by indentation of the text:] | |
− | :[ | ||
:William Howard Taft | :William Howard Taft | ||
:24-hour analog dial | :24-hour analog dial | ||
:Lesbianism in erotica | :Lesbianism in erotica | ||
− | : | + | :Batman |
− | : | + | ::Fatal hilarity |
:Taylor Hanson | :Taylor Hanson | ||
− | : | + | :Cotton |
− | : | + | ::T-Shirt |
+ | :::Wet T-shirt contest | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Wikipedia]] | [[Category:Wikipedia]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Charts]] |