Waving the Wikipedia Flag

Okay. This isn't really about me, nor is it about Boston. It's really just a rant in support of what I find to be one of my most favorite sites on the net: Wikipedia.

Over the last year or so, much has been made of the accuracy of the entries on Wikipedia. For the uninitiated, the site is an immensely popular online encyclopedia, whose entries are created and updated by... well... anyone. And this last bit is the point of contention.

Numerous high schools and universities across the country - and, one suspects, around the globe - have forbidden students from citing Wikipedia entries as source material. On the surface, this seems sound - if anyone can change any article, a student writing a report about Abraham Lincoln could find out that he was born in 1925 and married a horse named Phyllis. Furthermore, how is a teacher supposed to reliably double-check a student's source material when said material can be completely overhauled between the time that the student conducts the research and the teacher evaluates the work? (Teachers actually do this, right?)

The problem with such rigid ban on Wikipedia is that such malicious and mischievous editing of the site - You mean he didn't marry a horse?? - is incredibly rare. While certain high profile occurrences have been reported by mass media - the John Seigenthaler controversy, Stephen Colbert's frequent references - the vast majority of Wikipedia's 1,743,092 entries (as of April 17, 2007) are free from such tampering. More to the point, the site has a solid system of checks and balances in place. Each entry has a History tab at the top of its page; clicking on this shows who changed what and when. Also, Wikipedia's dedicated visitors are ever vigilant, quickly tagging any sentence wherein the author does not cite a source. In this respect, the site itself is not unlike the term papers whose accuracy learning institutions seek to protect. With this in mind, why not allow pupils to use Wikipedia, while instructing them how to evaluate the entries? Students would learn not only about their research topic, but also how to apply critical thinking skills.

Why the bother, you ask? Why use controversial Wikipedia when there are other online encyclopedia out there? I'll give you two reasons. One, it's user-friendly. The search function is great, there are no pop-ups, and most entries contain links to various related items both within Wikipedia and without, allowing one to fluidly conduct research. Two, due to the fact that anyone can hop online and update the site, most information is as current as it can be. The moment that virtually any announcements are made in the general media, someone somewhere is busy adding or updating the news on Wikipedia.

So, that's my pitch. I'm standing here on the hill, waving my flag in support of Wikipedia, and I am highly dubious that I can be dissuaded or otherwise lured away. I just wanted to share that tidbit. But, perhaps I also wanted to provide a tiny bit of damage control on behalf of the site. It doesn't deserve the corporal punishment it's received in the media. I suppose if I can turn even one person on to Wikipedia, then this flag waving has been well worth it.

Neurotic "Dilemma"

I have a thing about birthdays. Well, my birthday. And it's not an age thing. It's just... I'm always flummoxed by how to address it with other people. What I'm talking about here is the date of my birth.

If I mention it in advance - Hey, my birthday's this Friday - I always feel like a bit of an ass, like I'm waving a flag for presents and well-wishes. However, when I don't say anything, invariably it comes up in some strange circumstance - Friend 1: How was your birthday last Friday?; Friend 2 (standing nearby): It was your birthday last Friday? - and I'm left feeling like I was intentionally concealing it, possibly with the intent of making Friend 2 feel bad after the fact.

I have no real solution to this neurotic "dilemma". I suppose the truly childish take on it would be, "Everyone should just know." But that's bullshit. As if I know the birthdates of all my friends and family. My mom's one of those people who writes all the important birthdays on a calendar every January. She copies the information - which includes how old each person will be - from the previous year's calendar so that she always has this information.

Maybe that's what can grow out of this post. At least I can come away with having a better record of the birthdates of friends and family. After reading this, please post a reply with your birthdate. You don't have to include the year if you're squeamish about such details.

Oh, and the picture.... I was doing some research yesterday and stumbled on the fact that the episode City on the Edge of Forever originally aired on April 6, 1967. That makes today it's fortieth anniversary. Pfft! I'm younger than that!

The Look

My buddy Mike has been tapped to do a week's worth of extra work on the new Kevin Spacey film, Twenty-one, shooting in Boston. While we both signed up, I have yet to receive a similar call. Am I bitter? Not really. He's got the look. Though I don't have a picture of him, suffice to say he looks a bit like a 26-year-old Luke Wilson.

A Little Something About the Locals....

I had been warned by plenty of folks about the nature of New Englanders. Some told me they'd be rude. Some said they're just not as friendly as your average folks in California. So, have I encountered rude and/or less-than-friendly people in Boston? Sure. Probably the same as anywhere else. But, what I quickly realized was that what so many might mistake for rudeness is actually a no-nonsense approach to life. Plenty of the locals simply won't suffer fools - or tourists, or newcomers - lightly. Most are actually friendly and will help you out - but don't ask them twice. Stand toe-to-toe and they'll respect you immediately. Shy away or come off as soft and they're done with you. Truthfully, I find something rather refreshing about their lack of facade, their willingness to be who they are and say what they will. Again, sure there's some jerks. But, they certainly aren't all meatheads.

The Return of Mediacopia!

Some of you might remember another blog I had running about a year ago. Well, I've had a few calls to bring it back, but I wanted to make sure I could - and would - devote some time to it. In truth, I've been working on it in secret for a few days, just to see if I'd contribute with any regularity. So, here goes.... Mediacopia 2.0!

500 Words for Snow

Okay, so the whole notion of Eskimos/Inuit having some insane number of words to describe snow is actually an urban legend, but.... I don't know. I experienced at least a dozen different kinds of snow over the last few days. And for someone who grew up in Southern California and who's spent the last decade in San Francisco, this was all a bit overwhelming.

There was gentle-falling-snow, the kind I'd experienced before on trips to Redding, CA, Lake Tahoe, and Payson, AZ. This quickly combined with 20+ mph winds to become something a little less cute, a little more annoying. Then there was the freezing rain. Heard about it; never really thought about what it was. For those of you still in that boat, let me use this analogy: You're a giant. All around you are thousands of tiny warriors - armed with bows and arrows. Any exposed skin is their target. Ow, ow, ouch.

Of course, once the snow settled on the ground, the types multiplied. Sometimes it's powdery and you sink. Sometimes it's like walking on Planet Icee. Sometimes it's almost rock solid and sturdy and you can easily walk over it. More often - if the weather after the snowfall is cold and clear - the world becomes one big ice rink. Believe it or not I haven't fallen. I've quickly learned to spot the different stabilities of snow and ice. I do not fear them. I am their master. (Well, maybe not master, but I've certainly negotiated a shaky truce.)

By late yesterday, enough snow plows and dedicated shovelers had made the town more accessible, although it was still inclement enough to keep me from checking out any "points of interest". I did manage to visit Trinity Church. Nice, big, old cathedral. I took some pics, but - as I foolishly packed the camera-specific usb cable in my moving crate - those will have to wait. In the meantime, here's one someone else took:



Oh, and sad to say I missed out on St. Patrick's Day. Thought I was getting sick. Turned out it was just severe allergies. FYI, whenever there's a sudden change in weather - from, say, nice and mid-60's to below freezing, allergies kick in with a vengeance.

That's it for now. Lots coming up on the horizon, so my posts may be a bit more sporadic in the immediate future. Just know that I'm doing well, that I'm thinking of you all - yes, even you - and that this adventure's already got a few interesting twists in store....

Job Hunting - and Snow

Went for my first (pseudo-) job interview today. I say pseudo because it appears the vast majority of jobs posted on craigslist here in Boston come by way of middleman placement services. No cost to me - which is good - but adds another step to getting a job. Also good, the guy I met with really liked me and feels confident that together we'll find something that suits me. Or, he just says that to all the boys....

Oh, and I did go in there for a specific position, not just to be placed on their "we'll call you when we've got something" board. Office/admin work at a local software company. Small, laid-back group who can pay me a nice chunk of change - which is good. If all goes as planned, I should be meeting with them directly early next week.

Temperature has dipped some 25-30 degrees since yesterday. We've got snow and 25-30 mph wind. Expecting 3-4 inches, but I'll bet it tops that. I thought snow in Payson, AZ had prepared me. I was wrong - which is bad. All this snow will likely turn to ice by this time tomorrow. Yay! St. Patrick's Day + drunks + ice = Wheeee!