Criticism of Wikipedia facts for kids

Wikipedia is a really big online encyclopedia. It's free to use and read. Lots of people from all over the world help write it. But sometimes, people have some worries or "criticisms" about Wikipedia.

What People Worry About

Here are some of the main things people worry about when it comes to Wikipedia:

• Anyone can change it: Because anyone can edit Wikipedia, sometimes the information might not be totally correct. It's possible for wrong facts to show up.
• Vandalism: Some people make bad changes to articles on purpose. This is called vandalism. They might try to mess up the information or add silly things.
• Not enough good sources: Wikipedia articles need to show where their information comes from. These are called "sources." If an article doesn't have good sources, it's harder to know if the information is true.
• Bias: Sometimes, one group of people might edit Wikipedia more than others. This can mean their ideas or interests get more attention. Wikipedia wants to be fair to everyone, so this can be a problem.
• Difficult rules: Wikipedia has many rules for editing. Some people think these rules are too hard or confusing. This can make it tough for new people to start helping out.
• Arguments: People who edit Wikipedia can sometimes argue with each other. This can make it hard to work together.
• Too much power: A few people who help run Wikipedia have special powers. Some people worry they might have too much control.

Who Worries About Wikipedia

People who edit Wikipedia know that it shouldn't be the only place you get information for school projects. A librarian named Philip Bradley once said that Wikipedia doesn't have "authority." This means it's not always the most trusted place for facts.

For example, if someone writes a printed encyclopedia, they have to be very careful. If they get things wrong, they could lose their job. Some people think calling Wikipedia an "encyclopedia" makes people trust it too much.

Many schools and universities don't let students use Wikipedia as a main source for their homework. They usually want you to find "primary sources." These are original documents, like a diary, a speech, or a scientific report.

Worries About the Wikipedia Community

Kat Walsh, who works for the group that runs Wikipedia, said that it used to be easier to edit Wikipedia. Now, there are many rules, and it's harder for new people to start changing articles. The number of people who regularly edit Wikipedia has gone down since 2006.

Sometimes, on certain articles, people argue a lot. Good ideas might get ignored if they aren't popular with the main editors.

To stop vandalism, some people have special "administration powers." These people can delete articles, stop changes on an article, or even block users. There are rules to stop these administrators from having too much power, but sometimes their ideas can still be more important than others.

Related pages

• Wikipedia administrators
• Simple English Wikipedia

• Multiple-choice self-test to check your understanding of this article.

Images for kids

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  This image shows two very different versions of a Wikipedia article. This can happen when editors argue about what to include.

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  This picture shows how people discuss and give feedback on Wikipedia.

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  This is John Seigenthaler, a journalist. His Wikipedia article once had wrong information, which caused a big discussion about Wikipedia's accuracy.

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  This is a screenshot of the Wikipedia article about Earth from 2021.

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  Sue Gardner, a former leader at Wikipedia, has talked about why fewer women might edit Wikipedia.

See also

In Spanish: Crítica a Wikipedia para niños