Archive for 'Articles'
GIS – Encyclopedia of the Earth
Posted on 12. Jul, 2011 by Admin.
GIS stands for Geographic / Geographical Information System. GIS is a kind of software that is specifically designed to gather information related to geography like topography, physical relief, atmosphere etc. using remote sensing technology. It also provides the necessary mathematical and statistical tools to convert the information for better understanding.
GIS applications comprise of effective tools that not only organize the data in a systematic manner but also present it in a user interactive format. A specialized branch of study known as Geographic Information Science familiarizes university students with geographical concepts, systems and applications. [...]
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How Wikipedia Changed the Face of the Online Encyclopedia
Posted on 11. Jul, 2011 by Admin.
Before founders Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger combined the concepts of user-generated content building and wide-reaching knowledge trusts, the character of the online encyclopedia largely adhered to the Brittanica model: a closed-source compendium of human knowledge edited by professionals and revised annually to include timely entries and new information.
Wikipedia is different. It incorporates an almost completely democratic model of sharing knowledge. Anyone with access to the site can log in in an administrative capacity and contribute information or make corrections that will appear immediately, available to anyone in the world with an Internet connection and specific curiosity. An inner circle of experts and editors will make changes and corrections as needed. However, these revisions follow a lag time during which anyone can see what anyone else has to say on any topic under the sun. Wikipedia is currently one of the most popular informational resources in the world, and the 7th most popular website on the Internet. [...]
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Wikipedia – A Quick Reference, Online Encyclopedia
Posted on 10. Jul, 2011 by Admin.
The Internet can feel like a seemingly endless black hole of information. Thankfully Google and other search engines make information more accessible and findable, but you still have to carefully discriminate fact from almost-fact and fiction. For many topics, Google search engine result pages include links to Wikipedia. It sounds credible enough-almost like an encyclopedia-but exactly what is it?
What is Wikipedia? Wikipedia combines the Hawaiian word “wiki,” meaning “fast,” with encyclopedia. Because of the Wikipedia phenomenon, a new meaning for wiki has evolved, and it now can refer to any website or effort that is built through collaboration of a larger community. So, Wikipedia is a quick-reference, online encyclopedia built through the collaboration of multiple contributors. [...]
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What is Wikipedia? A Guide to the Most Unique Encyclopedia on the Net
Posted on 09. Jul, 2011 by Admin.
Wikipedia is an open source encyclopedia, a website where anyone can write and post an article on any topic of their choice. The site has been a remarkable success, with thousands of amateur authorities weighing in on an infinite variety of topics. As of the summer of 2005, Wikipedia was home to nearly 850,000 articles in English alone, with many other entries in dozens of additional languages. They currently have over 1.3 million articles in English, 445,000 in German, 342,000 in French and lesser totals in many other languages, such as Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese. Wikipedia has become an international phenomenon. [...]
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Using Online Encyclopedia and Reference Resources
Posted on 08. Jul, 2011 by Admin.
There has been a giant leap in the amount of research that is being done by students, teachers, and research alike. While its use has increased, there is still a large majority of these groups who either prefer not to utilize online resources, or simply do not know how. There is also a large percentage of individuals, especially in the academic arena, that find online encyclopedias unreliable. This mindset has proved to be an unfortunate one because online reference materials are often as factually correct as their printed counterparts. In order to discuss the benefits of finding facts online, it is important to address the issue from the standpoint of both a student as well as a teacher/researcher. [...]