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Wikipedia-Sponsored Pilot Study Lauds Wikipedia Accuracy
netbuzz writes "The Wikimedia Foundation today is releasing the results of a 'pilot study' it commissioned last year to assess the accuracy and quality of Wikipedia in such a way that it would provide a methodology blueprint for others do more thorough reviews of online encyclopedias. The results are in, and despite ready acknowledgment of the small sample size and paragraphs worth of other caveats, the parents of Wikipedia can't help but note that its baby was judged to have outperformed other online encyclopedias, including Encyclopedia Britannica, in three different languages. Britannica, which disputed the Wikipedia-friendly results of a much-cited Fortune comparison report back in 2005, has yet to offer a reply to this one."
Here's an example of a Wikipedia fail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney
Now, could you please explain to me why the article has this level of detail about his high school years:
At Cranbrook, Romney was a manager for the ice hockey team and a member of the pep squad,[19] and during his final year joined the cross country running team.[15] He belonged to eleven school organizations and school clubs, and started the Blue Key Club booster group.[19] During his final year at Cranbook, he improved academically, but was still not a star pupil.[18][20] He won an award for those "whose contributions to school life are often not fully recognized through already existing channels".[20] Romney was involved in many pranks.
In March of his senior year, he began dating Ann Davies; she attended the private Kingswood School, the sister school to Cranbrook.[20][26] The two informally agreed to marriage around the time of his June 1965 graduation.[18]
But does not mention once the fact that five different witnesses have come forward saying he brutally bullied a kid in high school by cutting off his hair.
Can you say Wikipedia fail?