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

Wed Jan 28 22:07:52 UTC 2004

Robert a écrit:
> 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.)

me too

errr...sorry, I agree

it would be nice as well, that people do not reach so easily the mailing 
lists, so they could ask information on wikipedia itself. Perhaps the 
way is not clear enough ?