Truth in Numbers: Everything, According to Wikipedia

Filmmakers Scott Glosserman and Nic Hill look at the phenomenon of Wikipedia, the worldwide collaborative online encyclopedia that allows contributors to provide or revise information on a vast array of subjects. The term wiki comes from the Hawaiian word for “speed”—making for an appropriate moniker given Wikipedia's explosive growth (entries number more than 1.5 million in English alone) and the fact that the website is likely to turn up in an instant in response to online searches. Founder Jimmy Wales's venture started as both a hobby and a desire to capitalize on the Internet boom. Wales and various contributors interviewed here view Wikipedia as a community, while critics, whose opinions are also well represented, dismiss it as “cultural anarchy”—a source of unedited, potentially unreliable information that crowds out competitors and values starlets as much as noteworthy historical figures. Naysayers note that biased writers can hide behind a cloak of anonymity—in one case accusing a respected journalist of murdering John F. Kennedy. Truth in Numbers follows Wales and Wikipedia fans to gatherings, defines terms such as “edit wars,” and presents both sides in the ongoing debate over a new laissez-faire information environment that doesn't trust “experts.” The question remains: Is Wikipedia a tool for scholars, a rough draft of history, or merely a slanted version of reality? Offering a thought-provoking examination of a much-debated topic, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)