Need something clarified about 'wikileaks' if you will, please?

Okay, when I was in college up to last year, they said if we ever took any 'information' from Wikipedia for any papers we wrote, it'd be an instant fail because wikipedia is unreliable as anyone and their brother can alter information, add stuff, embellish, etc.

It was pounded into our heads that wikipedia is not valid 'citing' material. Instant assignment failure no matter what.

I think 8 times out of 10 stuff on wikipedia can't be trusted but that other 2/10 can be as I've seen articles that are, indeed, correct inside and out. Anyway, to get to the point:

So then I see this 'wikileaks' stuff. Supposedly things that are hidden from us and made public for us to see even though it's not supposed to be seen by Joe Public.

WIKI leaks?
Isn't that on the same level as WIKIpedia? Like a sister to it? So .... just how 'reliable' can anything that has the same first part of the name as something which is not reliable at all 8 times out of 10 be taken as 'oh my god, this top secret real information from government, military, etc etc' serious?

I'm so eager to learn the answer. I feel really unknowledgable right now as if I should know this. I will soon as I get an answer, so thanks SO much in advance!

Oh, if they're not related to each other, why the name 'wiki' leaks? Who came up with it/what's it stand for?

Julian Assange who is currently trapped in an Ecuador embassy in Britain as he fights extradition to the US is the main person behind wikileaks. The information posted on this website has been vetted and indirectly verified by the political pressure that Julian is currently under.

All information does need some care is assessing it's accuracy as many different mistakes are made for many different reasons.

Originally posted by sarra1833
Oh, if they're not related to each other, why the name 'wiki' leaks? Who came up with it/what's it stand for?

No, its just a similar name using "wiki". They're not connected.

To quote one random reference:

What is a wiki?
A collaborative Web site comprises the perpetual collective work of many authors. Similar to a blog in structure and logic, a wiki allows anyone to edit, delete or modify content that has been placed on the Web site using a browser interface, including the work of previous authors.
...
The first wiki was created by Ward Cunnigham in 1995.

dont believe what you see..believe what you feel..

Thank you for all the replies.
I appreciate it greatly

'believe what you feel'. I'll do my best to hold to that. My little innervoice usually steers me safely when I do listen to it and oh boy do things go south when I don't listen to it,

reply to post by sarra1833


wait....you went to college? Had all that education you paid for? Yet, despite all that money spent don't konw the difference between what Wikileaks and Wikipedia are?



Look up what "wiki's" are. They are just community generated, collaborative masses of info arranged encyclopedically. (yea, i just made up a word)