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Sex, the Simpsons and the solar system: our Wikipedia whims laid bare

Steve Rubel links to a WikiCharts, a new service that lets you take a look at the most popular Wikipedia articles.

The current one has Pluto and the solar system pretty high up along with Hurricane Katrina, reflecting the news about those subjects recently. There’s also the usual internet (or just human?) obsessions for sex, science fiction, the Simpsons and video games represented in the list.

Every bit as interesting to pick over as Google Zeitgeist or Google Trends, WikiCharts has only been running for two days and comes with a disclaimer about exactly how accuarate it is. As with so many web-trends insights though, it’s not precise details that are of interest, it’s the broad trends and movements that interesting.

Antony Mayfield

4 responses to “Sex, the Simpsons and the solar system: our Wikipedia whims laid bare”

  1. Wadds Avatar
    Wadds

    Very interesting to see what people are using Wiki’s for beyond the net’s usual suspects of sex, sci-fi, and the Irukandji jellyfish. Although the majority of searches seem quite random, I think you are right to argue that some of the Wiki searches are being driven by the news agenda – Pluto and Hurricane Katrina – but I think this is potentially very dangerous. Wiki’s greatest strength – the ability to be edited by all – is ultimately also its greatest weakness. It should not be used as a news source, or even an accurate reference source, but as a first draft of events. If it is to be used as a news source, it must be thought of as a first edition newspaper – written in pencil. In its worst case scenario, Wikis as news sources have the potential to become like Orwell’s dystopian news sources of 1984, where ‘truth’ is a fluid concept and in a constant state of flux, defined by the powers that be. While I am certain this won’t happen, the danger of false, inaccurate or massively manipulated reporting means that the Wiki can’t be used as such.

  2. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    Without delving too deeply into Orwell’s intended dystopian future… i thought the truth was a fluid concept in a constant state of flux – at least from a rolling news perspective (the 7/7 attacks were station closures, then power surges then a terrorist attack). Obviously responsible journalism makes this idea less dangerous but news – especially on the internet – is surely an evolving medium?

  3. Antony Mayfield Avatar
    Antony Mayfield

    There’s always a risk of inaccuracy or boas in any news. Naturally you want to treat Wiki news as subjective and subject to error like any other source.

    I think that why news like the reclassification of Pluto or Hurricane Katarina would be driving people to Wikipedia is for reference information to supplement news they’ve already got elsewhere – in the main, at least.

  4. Juno888 Avatar
    Juno888

    Hurricane katrina also distruct the people wikipedia. search more of this site.

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