[WikiEN-l] A danger of massive homework and research requests

Wed Jan 28 21:41:13 UTC 2004

Someone writes:
> hi, i need help on my geography homework, i was
> wondering if you could help?
> ''what is the name of the ocean current in the atlantic
> to the west of the uk? and how does it affect our
climate?

We all want to be nice and helpful when someone asks us a
question; it is only natural. But there is a great danger
to directly answering questions like these: In a short
amount of time Wikipedia might become known as a place
where people can mail in requests for info, and then we
will be flooded with thousands of requests each month for
help on homework and research. We'd get questions from
people in junior high, high school, and college.

I think if we get such requests, we should tell them to
read the relevant articles on Wikipedia (as well as suggest
to them that they need to use multiple sources). The only
times we need to answer such questions is when the
questions reveal a gap in Wikipedia articles. (i.e. if
someone asks a good question that interests us, and
Wikipedia has nothing on that topic, then maybe its a good
idea to begin doing a little work on that topic.)

I don't like saying "No" to specific requests for
information, but if the OED and the Encyclopedia Brittanica
usually answered such requests, then they might never have
completed the first edition of their works.

Your mileage may vary,

Robert (RK)

=====
"I prefer a wicked person who knows he is wicked, to a righteous person who knows he is righteous".
The Seer of Lublin [Jacob Isaac Ha-Hozeh Mi-Lublin, 1745-1815]

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