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{{cquote|Thank you Wikipedia. When I don't know what a scientific, or political, or financial term means, you are there. When I want to how a medicine my doctor has prescribed works, you are there. When I want to understand more about a family member's illness, you are there. When I don't know the meaning of some techno-lingo phrase, you are there. When I want to know something about a famous person, you are there. Almost everytime I use my computer, I check references and ideas and definitions with you. You are not only informative, but you are passionate and reverent about everything that you speak about. You don't spin me. You don't assume I am an idiot. You are respectful, objective and always trying to improve yourself. You take my mind sailing through the mysteries of the universe. You are my launch pad. I love you. Thank you.}} |
{{cquote|Thank you Wikipedia. When I don't know what a scientific, or political, or financial term means, you are there. When I want to how a medicine my doctor has prescribed works, you are there. When I want to understand more about a family member's illness, you are there. When I don't know the meaning of some techno-lingo phrase, you are there. When I want to know something about a famous person, you are there. Almost everytime I use my computer, I check references and ideas and definitions with you. You are not only informative, but you are passionate and reverent about everything that you speak about. You don't spin me. You don't assume I am an idiot. You are respectful, objective and always trying to improve yourself. You take my mind sailing through the mysteries of the universe. You are my launch pad. I love you. Thank you.}} |
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{{cquote|I had just started nursing school and we were being told that the licensing board was increasing the focus on immunology, one of the most complex systems in the body, and because of that we were required to score higher on a more focused test on the subject in order to remain in the program. I had never worked in healthcare and the vocabulary alone was a foreign language... not to mention the subtle connections between cells that had to be understood. We were all terrified, I was terrified... My textbooks were good resources but I could not get a full, global picture of what was happening on that level to be able to act on it. So, I sat down in front of my computer, opened wikipedia (which was forbidden as an academic resource-but I still believed it could help, what did I have to loose) and I typed in one of the terms... then I just kept clicking words, links, anything I did not fully understand, I clicked and read that article and then clicked back and I kept clicking and making connections, imagining concrete relationships for the abstract ideas, clicked some more, I was learning like my brain was built to, constantly building on the knowledge before it... I Aced the immunology test, excelled at my boards, Started working as an RN on a Heart floor and now I am finishing my Masters in nursing. Thank You. }} |
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Best regards for future work}} |
Best regards for future work}} |
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{{cquote|When I first saw Jimmy Wales appeal for donations I thought, certainly he must have enough money, why should I donate. Then today I needed to look something up and where did I end up-Wikipedia. Then I started to think back when I was a kid when there was no Internet and how my Parents scrimped and saved to purchase a set of Encyclopedias and how much they cost. I remember how lucky we were to be able to have our own set at home for school projects and assignments. How I didnt have to wait in line at the school library for for book J-K :) Today with the advent of the Internet my kids use Wikipedia. Why shouldn't I donate so my kids can have an encyclopedia at home? Its what my parents did, its the least I can do as a parent. |
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Thank you for all you do.}} |
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{{cquote|The success of Wikipedia as the premier online encyclopedia represents the triumph of grassroots, "bottom up" volunteerism over authoritarian "top down" institutionalism. It's confirmation that people actually want to contribute their ideas and talents so that others can learn from their experience. I love it. Thank you for being an example of cooperation I can show to my kids.}} |
{{cquote|The success of Wikipedia as the premier online encyclopedia represents the triumph of grassroots, "bottom up" volunteerism over authoritarian "top down" institutionalism. It's confirmation that people actually want to contribute their ideas and talents so that others can learn from their experience. I love it. Thank you for being an example of cooperation I can show to my kids.}} |
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{{cquote|As a student, Wikipedia is the best source of information for me and the rest of the students in my class and in my school. Every student uses their computer for schoolwork, and I'm so glad to get to use Wikipedia on a daily basis to check up on facts, find more information and gain knowledge. Our teachers advise us to use Wikipedia, with caution, but definately use it! I can't begin to say thank you for the many times you have rescued me and so often made it easier for me to quickly find what I'm looking for, and so much more! |
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Thank you. :)}} |
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{{cquote|This is not so much a story as it is a thank you. I am one of those people who are constantly learning new skills, or who start a project with no idea how to accomplish it. Wikipedia is my go to source for every topic I need information on. It amazes me that the information comes from people all over the world and is so accurate. I've never seen someone post information that is considered spam or a joke. Wikipedia is a resounding success. Thank you Mr. Wales, for giving us this resource and not commercializing a single page.}} |
{{cquote|This is not so much a story as it is a thank you. I am one of those people who are constantly learning new skills, or who start a project with no idea how to accomplish it. Wikipedia is my go to source for every topic I need information on. It amazes me that the information comes from people all over the world and is so accurate. I've never seen someone post information that is considered spam or a joke. Wikipedia is a resounding success. Thank you Mr. Wales, for giving us this resource and not commercializing a single page.}} |
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{{cquote|I am a public reference librarian at a busy regional library system. I am frequently asked questions regarding topics about which I am totally ignorant. Wikipedia has become a vital tool in my everyday work, allowing me to quickly educate myself about a particular topic so that I may perform more in-depth research in our books and databases. It is absolutely indispensable as a reference tool for professional researchers and students alike.}} |
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{{cquote|As an enterprise IT architect, I embed hyperlinks links in my work to entries in Wikipedia so that my readers can easily with a few clicks of their mice refresh their memories of a term or learn a new concept. I am continually surprised at the wide scope and excellent quality of the information available in Wikipedia not just in Information Technology but in a very wide range of disciplines. I always cross check multiple sources and have always found Wikipedia to be extremely reliable and accurate. Moreover, it is kept surprisingly current with the most up-to-date information available online. I have found it an extremely valuable research tool.}} |
{{cquote|As an enterprise IT architect, I embed hyperlinks links in my work to entries in Wikipedia so that my readers can easily with a few clicks of their mice refresh their memories of a term or learn a new concept. I am continually surprised at the wide scope and excellent quality of the information available in Wikipedia not just in Information Technology but in a very wide range of disciplines. I always cross check multiple sources and have always found Wikipedia to be extremely reliable and accurate. Moreover, it is kept surprisingly current with the most up-to-date information available online. I have found it an extremely valuable research tool.}} |
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{{cquote|Reader, Writer, and Believer. The collection of all knowledge is a goal which I hope we can achieve. For the longest time I wondered who wrote all the scientific articles on wikipedia. All the enzymes, metabolites, physics, pathways, cycles and more detailed and simplified. This year I started editing pages on Helicases and Telomeres and I realized its people like me. People like you. We all contribute, we all benefit. Wikipedia.}} |
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Now as a college professor some of my peers still say the same, yet I tell them (and all my students), "go to Wikipedia, I dare you to find a more clear, concise, complete, well organized, researched and documented information anywhere else". Kudos to you! I wish I could give more!}} |
Now as a college professor some of my peers still say the same, yet I tell them (and all my students), "go to Wikipedia, I dare you to find a more clear, concise, complete, well organized, researched and documented information anywhere else". Kudos to you! I wish I could give more!}} |
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{{cquote|As a Library Science graduate student, I did my Thesis on Wikipedia, arguing that resistance to Wikipedia was counterproductive, disingenuous, and self-defeating to the profession, and that ignoring Wikipedia as a resource was to ignore the very best source of quick information anywhere. This was in 2007, and I think that time has borne me out. As an information professional, Wikipedia is often a place I look first when I need to figure out where to look for more comprehensive, authoritative information. I don't cite it, but I sure use it a lot!}} |
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Wikipedia and community: do not stray from your initial objectives.}} |
Wikipedia and community: do not stray from your initial objectives.}} |
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{{cquote|I am a self-taught graphic artist and web designer. When I started down this road, the path looked like it would never end. I was working two jobs, and it wasn't easy fighting for knowledge in the time I had to myself. |
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During this time, I found terms and language that I had never encountered, and I needed a way to access comprehensive explanations quickly. Wikipedia has extensive documentation on all of the computer, design and web technologies that a beginner needs to grasp how the digital world works. It was all right there for me, for free, every day. |
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Over the years I've educated myself from the silicon in microchips to the anomalies of quantum mechanics. I've advanced my mind in the latest technologies while tempering my spirit with ancient wisdom. I know that I am a better person for it. |
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Thank you Wikipedia. You've been a friend, and oddly enough, a mentor. I suppose I shouldn't be thanking Wikipedia, but the awesome human beings who have shared their passion for life to me by revealing what they know about the world. Without your selfless effort, this wonderful tool would not be available to us. |
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I believe that Wikipedia embodies our natural, inalienable right to free our minds and educate ourselves. We can choose, at any time, to shine a light into the unknown corners of our consciousness. I hope it will continue to create a future of understanding for the sake of uplifting the human condition.}} |
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{{cquote|I am a college English teacher and I use Wikipedia all the time in the classroom for multiple purposes. One, I like to point out that all professor, even those who claim it's not trustworthy, use it all the time. Two, I point out your style guide as a way of demonstrating that style guides aren't just something I invented to torture them but are in fact used to create intelligibility. Three, and most importantly, when appropriate I ask students to create Wikipedia pages. What better way to demonstrate that knowledge is something we all participate in making.}} |
{{cquote|I am a college English teacher and I use Wikipedia all the time in the classroom for multiple purposes. One, I like to point out that all professor, even those who claim it's not trustworthy, use it all the time. Two, I point out your style guide as a way of demonstrating that style guides aren't just something I invented to torture them but are in fact used to create intelligibility. Three, and most importantly, when appropriate I ask students to create Wikipedia pages. What better way to demonstrate that knowledge is something we all participate in making.}} |
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{{cquote|About 10 yrs back, one of my friends used to ridicule me comparing with other friends who could give a 5-10 min speech about almost everything. |
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This provoked me to learn more every opportunity I get. Back then, I had very little access to internet. Books & magazines are the only source of information. |
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I don't quite remember when I started using Wikipedia. I guess it was probably around 2003-2004. I was one of those people who thought Wikipedia can't be a success, because it could have a lot of wrong information & misrepresentations as well. I was wrong. |
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Now my life has changed so much that I am always connected to web and especially Wikipedia - be it my desktop browser or my iphone app. |
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Wikipedia has changed my life so much that I end up searching and reading about every new term I come across in Wikipedia. |
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Wikipedia has had so much influence on me that some of my friends started calling the once knowledge-less me as "Wikipedia" now. |
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Thanks for keeping it free!!!}} |
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Wikipedia is the future of human knowledge, expanding every day and democratically available to all without intrusive advertising, or the bias that satisfying advertiser's needs that this would entail. It is remarkable for not only being the future of information access- but being here for us right now. It is something I am proud to help.}} |
Wikipedia is the future of human knowledge, expanding every day and democratically available to all without intrusive advertising, or the bias that satisfying advertiser's needs that this would entail. It is remarkable for not only being the future of information access- but being here for us right now. It is something I am proud to help.}} |
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{{cquote|From an early age, I've had a desire to learn about everything. And, when I say "everything," I mean it. My curiosity included the most obscure ("Who's pictured on the highest dollar denomination?"), the bizarre ("What do humming bird's eggs taste?") and the prescient ("How much oil is there on the planet?"). Naturally, this lead me to read a rather voraciously and, especially, to have a penchant for encyclopedias. |
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I would quickly exhaust both bound volumes and CD-ROM encyclopedias quite quickly. Want I needed was a resource that was virtually inexhaustible. The internet was certainly was necessary, but where to find it all? A search engine listed a number of results, hundreds, thousands. I needed a single place that housed all the knowledge I desired, but where would I find it? |
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Then, around about 2005, I found what I had been searching for -- Wikipedia. I don't remember exactly how I found it. I forget what I was searching for, maybe professional wrestling, maybe a Saturday morning cartoon from the nineties, but I had found it. It has been a beautiful journey ever since.}} |
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Keep up the great work! You guys are the best!}} |
Keep up the great work! You guys are the best!}} |
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{{cquote|At Portland State University's Intensive English program, I teach ESL and American Culture to students from 50 nations. After completing their American college and graduate studies, most of these students will return to leadership roles in their home countries. |
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In the adult ESL classroom, we use Wikipedia to learn quick facts and also to learn about English writing. We start with Simple English pages, when available, and move into the full English ASAP. |
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Students who hail from countries where information is tightly controlled are often surprised by how easy it is to answer a question. Of course now they get Wikipedia on their phones; it is absolutely instant gratification. And because they find it so easy to use, Wikipedia has evolved into a major teaching tool for me. |
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In a recent class on adjective clauses (not normally an exciting subject) students had to fill-in-the-blanks of a "which" clause: "We took the road from Amman to Riyadh, which is [-] kilometers long." OK, get on Wikipedia and find out. Or, "we heard an address from the current Prime Minister of Japan, whose name is [-]." Again, the race for the answer! |
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Also from the English Wikipedia, my students learn writing: vocabulary, paragraph structure, organization of information, and how to follow the references at the bottom of each page in order to cite those original sources. If a page flagged for lack of evidence or bias, we discuss those flags -- students learn research-culture values from seeing the comments of editors too. |
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Thanks Wikipedia, from a grateful teacher of academic ESL!}} |
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{{cquote|I am a school librarian, and I'm always dumbfounded whenever a colleague snoots at Wikipedia. It's as if we should we should avoid the most current peer-reviewed-and-edited citation-sourced source of information in the world just because it's user-editable and free. When I send my students to the online encyclopedias we pay for, I cringe at the paucity and staleness of the information there. Wikipedia is exciting! It's far more than an encyclopedia - it's a celebrity gossip mag - it's a popular culture meter - it's a window on the current world - it makes me feel alive.}} |
{{cquote|I am a school librarian, and I'm always dumbfounded whenever a colleague snoots at Wikipedia. It's as if we should we should avoid the most current peer-reviewed-and-edited citation-sourced source of information in the world just because it's user-editable and free. When I send my students to the online encyclopedias we pay for, I cringe at the paucity and staleness of the information there. Wikipedia is exciting! It's far more than an encyclopedia - it's a celebrity gossip mag - it's a popular culture meter - it's a window on the current world - it makes me feel alive.}} |
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{{cquote|I have two children on the autism spectrum. I quickly realized the medical community does not have what my children need to survive and cope in this world. I began searching the internet, reading books and connecting with other parents willing to try anything to rescue thier children from this dreaded and pervasive disease. My time was spent caring for my kids which meant I couldn't pursue traditional education avenues for help. Wikipedia became my source of knowledge. I treaded the backs of many intellectual giants like stepping stones to cross a massive river. I now am considered on the other side. My children are recovered enough to be considered "normal" thanks to Wikipedia's community of help and knowledge that propelled me into life, health and happiness. 'Thank you's will never be enough. No dollar amount can repay the years that have been restored to me and my future generations. |
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Some now call me Dr. Kolb jokingly and many doctors are intimidated by my knowledge and understanding of the brain, the body, neurology, psychology and how our environment as well as genetics affects our lives. I have learned more from Wikipedia than I did from college. }} |
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The way information is easily accessible today is all because of Wikipedia. Internet has become far more relevant to me because of it. And the fact that real people can add stuff / make changes to it lends it more credibility. The high standards Wikipedia has set for itself is truly inspiring. |
The way information is easily accessible today is all because of Wikipedia. Internet has become far more relevant to me because of it. And the fact that real people can add stuff / make changes to it lends it more credibility. The high standards Wikipedia has set for itself is truly inspiring. |
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Good job and keep it going! }} |
Good job and keep it going! }} |
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{{cquote|I love technology. I create technology, consume technology, analyze technology, invest in technology. There are so many things I think were inevitably bound to happen in the techno-social sphere - search engines, social networks - but Wikipedia doesn't strike me as one of those inevitabilities. It's not a given at all to me that a community model was the path-of-least-resistance for an Internet encyclopedia, and the fact that Wikipedia did nonetheless come together gives me comfort in our ability as people to rally around a constructive cause. |
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I first discovered Wikipedia in high school, spent uncountably many hours on it during college, and now that I've begun earning a paycheck, I'm happy to count myself a first-time donor. }} |
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{{cquote|I am a third year medical student in Northern Ontario, and most of our learning is online. Thanks to Wikipedia, I am able to quickly access knowledge while doing group sessions, assignments, or managing a patient's health. Your resources are often extremely reliable, and I have never NOT found what I was looking for - you have everything!! I am happy to contribute to you when you do so much for me, and so much for the community as a whole, whom I serve now, and will continue to serve once I am a physician! Thank you. }} |
{{cquote|I am a third year medical student in Northern Ontario, and most of our learning is online. Thanks to Wikipedia, I am able to quickly access knowledge while doing group sessions, assignments, or managing a patient's health. Your resources are often extremely reliable, and I have never NOT found what I was looking for - you have everything!! I am happy to contribute to you when you do so much for me, and so much for the community as a whole, whom I serve now, and will continue to serve once I am a physician! Thank you. }} |
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{{cquote|My story I think is like one of millions. I use Wikipedia every day several times a day as a natural extension of my moment-to-moment thought process. I think of something I want to know more about, I go to my search engine and type in "wiki - subject" and in an instant I am rewarded with relevant information and insight. |
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I find in an instant almost for free what a few years ago, sometimes at great expense, took hours or weeks. I get comprehensive overviews. I get constructive direction for more in depth exploration. For simple factual material I get "simple factual material." For controversial topics I get relevant and civil debate. Think of a subject from the origins of pizza to the origins of the Universe and within seconds I am well informed. |
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It may seem a cliche, but for me it is profoundly real. With the Wikipedia I feel plugged into a universal, shared human mind. There is nothing mystical or mysterious about it. It isn't hard to visualize and understand. I think, other people think, and through the remarkable human achievement of electronic communications I am instantly connected to the organized thoughts of millions of other people dedicated to constructive cooperation through the exchange of information and knowledge. |
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The Wikipedia makes ideas like "we are all connected" a grounded reality. It makes me hopeful our global community, one individual at a time, will find other mass-cooperation approaches to solve some of our larger cross-cultural problems. |
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Maybe that is too much to hope for. But it's inspiring to have an example like the Wikipedia to remind me that what seemed an impossible dream just a decade ago is now an everyday reality integrated into the moment-to-moment fabric of my life. }} |
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{{cquote|Wikipedia is, to me, a place where I can go and enrich myself. It is a place where I have found countless hours of enjoyment and learning. Wikipedia reminds me of the old stories my father once told me about Abraham Lincoln and how, as a child, he would spend countless hours reading books to learn and to better himself. Wikipedia is my book and whenever I browse the site, whether for research or aimlessly, I am Abraham Lincoln. In todays world we need to be like the young Lincoln. We need to enrich ourselves and Wikipedia is helping us along the way. }} |
{{cquote|Wikipedia is, to me, a place where I can go and enrich myself. It is a place where I have found countless hours of enjoyment and learning. Wikipedia reminds me of the old stories my father once told me about Abraham Lincoln and how, as a child, he would spend countless hours reading books to learn and to better himself. Wikipedia is my book and whenever I browse the site, whether for research or aimlessly, I am Abraham Lincoln. In todays world we need to be like the young Lincoln. We need to enrich ourselves and Wikipedia is helping us along the way. }} |
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{{cquote|My profession demands cross-disciplinary research on global issues of climate destabilization, mass poverty, species extinction, and the pool of common least-cost, least-risk solutions to simultaneously address all three problems. My work has accelerated orders of magnitude as a result of Wikipedia. It is, without question, one of the largest and most reliant source for cross-disciplinary research, if not unparalleled. }} |
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{{cquote|Wikipedia helps me gather and process all kinds of information for my use and growth. It encourages and inspires me that so many people want to tell others what they have discovered and help with their knowledge. I very much like that this information is free to anyone and is also peer reviewed not just because accuracy is so important, but because knowledge is a gift we give to each other. I treasure the opportunity to share so much with so many, all over the world. It amazes me. I cannot contribute but please know that I value this resource. Please keep it up, and thank you, so much. PS: I'm 55, family grown, but access Wikipedia weekly, if not daily and have passed on pertinent information to my family, and have used what I have gained from you all. Practically, getting out to the public library is difficult for me. }} |
{{cquote|Wikipedia helps me gather and process all kinds of information for my use and growth. It encourages and inspires me that so many people want to tell others what they have discovered and help with their knowledge. I very much like that this information is free to anyone and is also peer reviewed not just because accuracy is so important, but because knowledge is a gift we give to each other. I treasure the opportunity to share so much with so many, all over the world. It amazes me. I cannot contribute but please know that I value this resource. Please keep it up, and thank you, so much. PS: I'm 55, family grown, but access Wikipedia weekly, if not daily and have passed on pertinent information to my family, and have used what I have gained from you all. Practically, getting out to the public library is difficult for me. }} |
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{{cquote|As a first-year PhD student in musicology at UC Berkeley, I was surprised to discover that the professor teaching my research methodologies class was keen to have me teach her and the other students how to edit articles in Wikipedia. The next year, I was invited back by another professor who was now teaching the course. We were all so pleased that our knowledge could be put to the use of a broader public. }} |
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{{cquote|I always use Wikipedia for work in developing policy recomendations and procurement specifications for state government. It is a good place to begin research, or to confirm initial impressions of a technical term or an historic reference. The links lead to background information that helps to verify the actual content of the Wiki page, and the transparency fosters trust as well as obligation to accuracy when posting. Thanks for being! }} |
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{{cquote|I am an Emergency Room Nurse and Wikipedia helps me to serve my patients better. Whether I am looking up a medical condition, human anatomy, or studying for a certification it is an invaluable resource. }} |
{{cquote|I am an Emergency Room Nurse and Wikipedia helps me to serve my patients better. Whether I am looking up a medical condition, human anatomy, or studying for a certification it is an invaluable resource. }} |
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{{cquote|I'm a research psychologist and I do a lot of work with statistics. There is no statistics reference in the world that can compare to Wikipedia. It is comprehensive, consistent, and understandable. A free Wikipedia means that everyone in the world has access to the best reference there is. }} |
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{{cquote| I wanted to get into hip hop, but I didn't know where to start. Thanks to Wikipedia, however, I was able to find lists of top artists and albums, along with pages for those artists and for most of their albums, as well as for some of the most important songs! Since you can move through Wikipedia so easily, I was able to quickly find out who worked with whom, who was with which record company and the history of that company, and even the songs that my favorite songs sampled. Needless to say, a regular encyclopedia wouldn't even have bios for important figures in hip hop, let alone quotes about specific songs with linked references to primary sources. I think it's fair to say that I would most likely have been lost as to where to even begin without Wikipedia. }} |
{{cquote| I wanted to get into hip hop, but I didn't know where to start. Thanks to Wikipedia, however, I was able to find lists of top artists and albums, along with pages for those artists and for most of their albums, as well as for some of the most important songs! Since you can move through Wikipedia so easily, I was able to quickly find out who worked with whom, who was with which record company and the history of that company, and even the songs that my favorite songs sampled. Needless to say, a regular encyclopedia wouldn't even have bios for important figures in hip hop, let alone quotes about specific songs with linked references to primary sources. I think it's fair to say that I would most likely have been lost as to where to even begin without Wikipedia. }} |
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{{cquote|I'm a High School History Teacher, and I love using Wikipedia as a tool, not only for information about past events, but also as a way to teach students about the importance of exploring information. What is more, it helps me to emphasize to my history students the value in checking multiple sources, as well as combining information from lots of different areas to create a cohesive story-line or historical narrative. Thank you Wikipedia! }} |
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Keep up the good work and thanks for providing this service to everyone in the world free of cost. I am happy to do my bit to ensure this institution keeps running and providing this service to folks. }} |
Keep up the good work and thanks for providing this service to everyone in the world free of cost. I am happy to do my bit to ensure this institution keeps running and providing this service to folks. }} |
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{{cquote|Wikipedia is the first place I go when I have to find information for research or just for personal interest. It's always right at my fingertips and it hasn't let me down yet. I truly admire what wiki does for the world over; promoting access to the knowledge of professionals the world over open up countless opportunities for people of all ages. It brings to mind a story about my brother. He was working on a school project and one night he decided to consult Wikipedia for some ideas. He found all the inspiration and resources he needed in just a few moments. after he presented his project to the class, his teacher gave him a letter filled with praise for his ingenuity and resourcefulness and asked if we could move him to a more advanced class. He was six at the time. My brother is eight now and has progressed to reading entire Wikipedia articles for fun. He impresses me everyday with how much he's learned. What I'm trying to say is that Wikipedia has provided children with a supplemented education outside of the formal school system with the freedom to learn what they find interesting. Wikipedia is helping to create a better future across the globe. }} |
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{{cquote|I'm a junior in college now and I don't think I would be hear if it wasn't for Wikipedia. By this I don't mean that I used it to cheat or plagiarize and I don't mean I am not smart enough to figure stuff out in other ways, but Wikipedia is like a gateway into the entire set of human knowledge. No matter what I had a question on I know I could search for it on this website and most likely find it. And because of that, I could go from knowing nothing about a subject, to at least knowing enough to ask better educated questions. Because of this I have excelled in academia as well as polite and intellectual conversation. So I just wanted to say, thanks for everything Wikipedia. And thank you as well, to every single person that contributes to this fantastic project. }} |
{{cquote|I'm a junior in college now and I don't think I would be hear if it wasn't for Wikipedia. By this I don't mean that I used it to cheat or plagiarize and I don't mean I am not smart enough to figure stuff out in other ways, but Wikipedia is like a gateway into the entire set of human knowledge. No matter what I had a question on I know I could search for it on this website and most likely find it. And because of that, I could go from knowing nothing about a subject, to at least knowing enough to ask better educated questions. Because of this I have excelled in academia as well as polite and intellectual conversation. So I just wanted to say, thanks for everything Wikipedia. And thank you as well, to every single person that contributes to this fantastic project. }} |
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{{cquote|I am an online teacher live in Indonesia, I have more than 10000 students. Everyday I am asked by my students hundreds of questions most of which in the form of "is it right that ...?". Amidst plethora of sites offering this and that information, this is actually the time we need a reliable source of information and knowledge. The standard imposed by wikipedia really helps me and my students to have enough comfort that what we're reading on wiki at least not far away from the truth (we can always read the sources cited if we're not sure of what is written). |
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This is very important, especially in a developing countres like us where certain subjects such as evolution, human origin, philosophy, and the likes are almost certainly viewed as heresy. But since wiki, I can always refer them to a link, and they in turn can tell their parents what they read and where they read it, so if their parents have an objection, they can always check it by themselves, and probably read the cited sources if they have problems with what they read. |
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On a personal note, this way is safer for myself.. |
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As I can always blame on wiki if they accussed me of teaching heretic knowledge :)) }} |
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Thank you for making it! }} |
Thank you for making it! }} |
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{{cquote|I am huge advocate of knowledge sharing and it’s potential. Wikipedia is the best tool for just that, knowledge sharing. It has restructured how we get our daily information. Without a question, there will always be skeptics that attack its credibility, however due to the established infrastructure of the site; the integrity of the information will be maintained. For those who still question it need to use the site and test the accuracy themselves AND also should watch the interview of Jimmy Wales on TED.com. Not only am I pro-Wikipedia for its powerful ever-expanding information delivery, but also because Mr. Wales seems to be genuine in his motive for the site; to bring a vast amount of knowledge to anyone on the planet. }} |
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{{cquote|Wealth is a relative standard. Relative to some, I am a poor graduate student scraping by on a stipend; relative to others, I am a rich graduate student getting paid to learn. The value of a $5 donation is also relative. A $5 donation toward an office holiday party is very annoying. A $5 donation to unlimited access to the largest body of knowledge in the world is a damn good deal. The continued integrity of the Wikipedia system is worth well above the $5 I just spent in this donation campaign. }} |
{{cquote|Wealth is a relative standard. Relative to some, I am a poor graduate student scraping by on a stipend; relative to others, I am a rich graduate student getting paid to learn. The value of a $5 donation is also relative. A $5 donation toward an office holiday party is very annoying. A $5 donation to unlimited access to the largest body of knowledge in the world is a damn good deal. The continued integrity of the Wikipedia system is worth well above the $5 I just spent in this donation campaign. }} |
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{{cquote|Wikipedia is the best example of a realizable ideal. I have always looked for ideas that help make the world a fairer place. Wikipedia does this giving access to such a huge amount of knowledge to so many people, even people that doesn't have access to a good education otherwise. |
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Moreover, this work is done by an army of noble people that thinks this ideal is realizable. To all of you, noble people, I wholeheartedly say: Thank you and Keep up the good work! You construct day-by-day the place I visit everyday and love doing so. |
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I am proud I can contribute to keep Wikipedia free. }} |
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{{cquote|As a tool, Wikipedia is irreplaceable. Either for work or just for reading and learning, it's the first point where I always look. It always gets updated. Sometimes I also update the pages with my knowledge. At the end of the day we all benefit from each other's knowledge. |
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As an entity, Wikipedia is again irreplaceable. It's pure, ad-free, open and free collection of information. It's a stance, it's the act of protection of the freedom of the information. |
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World needs Wikipedia and benefits from its existence. }} |
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{{cquote|I was brought up in a generation that preceded satellite television and internet in India. The thirst for knowledge was quenched mainly by reading texts and a whole lot of imagination - be it in History, Philosophy, Biography, Literature or Science. Hence, my association with Wikipedia that started 9 years ago is the one that I cherish because it is not only a vehicle of free knoweldge sharing, but also a community forum where ideas, opinions, facts and numbers are there for open debate, which is really the cornerstone of a civilized society, be it on the net. I am both proud and humbled to see Wikipedia as a vehicle of knowledge chug along freely, without major corporate donations and free from any other influences, which gives it a moral stance that is hard to question. In short, no other portal on the web attracts me through its consistency of vision and enterprise than Wikipedia. }} |
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At the office, my co-workers and I have a wonderful 'WikiGames' creation. One person picks a random article, and then all the other players go to that site. It is then determined what page the end result will be. The game is to get to that page using only the blue links within the articles and jump from article to article. It is probably the greatest brain child of the Center For the Arts Division. I highly recommend it. }} |
At the office, my co-workers and I have a wonderful 'WikiGames' creation. One person picks a random article, and then all the other players go to that site. It is then determined what page the end result will be. The game is to get to that page using only the blue links within the articles and jump from article to article. It is probably the greatest brain child of the Center For the Arts Division. I highly recommend it. }} |
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{{cquote|Wikipedia has become my primary source of information across all forms. Coming from a small city in India, not all books were available there. For students in these areas, due to ready availability of internet access, Wikipedia is a trustworthy source of knowledge. I can confidently say that over 50% of knowledge I have gained in last 5 years has been through Wikipedia. |
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I hope that Wikipedia continues to grow, and remain free. I believe it is the best gift from this generation to the future ones. |
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As a celebration for my birthday this year, instead of buying a new dress, I thought it would be good to give back to the community that has contributed substantially to enrich my life. My donation is small but earnest and from the heart. }} |
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{{cquote|As a medical scientist, I use Wikipedia as a source for keeping up with research in my and related scientific areas. As a curious person, I use Wikipedia to help me learn things about the world we live in. As a citizen of our planet, I use Wikipedia to keep me informed about thing like climate change and resource depletion that will impact our family, our children and our children's children for decades to come. Wikipedia is an essential, up to date, continuously evolving source of information that is available to everyone. A wise steward of the organism of ideas that we all work for, Wikipedia is priceless, so it is a small but important expression of generosity to contribute to its health and wellbeing. }} |
{{cquote|As a medical scientist, I use Wikipedia as a source for keeping up with research in my and related scientific areas. As a curious person, I use Wikipedia to help me learn things about the world we live in. As a citizen of our planet, I use Wikipedia to keep me informed about thing like climate change and resource depletion that will impact our family, our children and our children's children for decades to come. Wikipedia is an essential, up to date, continuously evolving source of information that is available to everyone. A wise steward of the organism of ideas that we all work for, Wikipedia is priceless, so it is a small but important expression of generosity to contribute to its health and wellbeing. }} |
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{{cquote|As a family physician I see a broad range of problems in my practice. While I am proud of the fact that my training exposed and prepared me for most that I see, on occasion I'll need help, whether to brush up on what I already knew but was rusty on, or to look up something new that I had never known before. Whenever possible, I turn to Wikipedia as an unbiased, commercial-free source of information that is crisp, concise, as it is complete. It would truly be a sad day to see the loss of such a valuable instrument. }} |
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{{cquote|I don't have a single story about Wikipedia or anything that stands out but Wikipedia has become a intregal part of my daily habits and search for information. Wikipedia has been the answer to most of my questions over the last few years. Whether it is a term or concept at work I need more information on or a spur of the moment question in a social setting such as who played guitar on a particular album or curiousity on the "real facts" after watching a movie or sorting the titles in a book series I have downloaded -- Wikipedia has replaced almost every other site I used to go to in order to answer questions. At work we are trying to create a wiki to organize the knowledge and best known methods of my company. I also use the Wiki for World of Warcraft regularly as well as the Wheel of Time Wiki in order to keep track of the many characters in Robert Jordan's books. Over the years I have seen most information that I used to get on other sites migrate to Wikipedia or a specialized wiki. Wikipedia is the first and increasingly the best place to find information for me and most of the people I know. I trust most of the information I find and if I am unsure, I look up the history and discussions on the people who are contributing to a topic. I see Wikipedia as one of the top 10 reasons for having the internet. It has revolutionized how we get, categorize, manage, and contribute to the information stores of the world. I cannot imagine going back to the days before Wikipedia. }} |
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Revision as of 17:45, 21 September 2013
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Wikipedia is Changing Lives
Here are just a few of the amazing stories that our users shared with us. We thank them for their willingness to tell their story about Wikipedia.
- From our 2009-2010 fundraiser
A story from Romania:
Template:Cquote English translation: Template:Cquote
You can find the article that Adama started in the French Wikipedia: Agnam-Goly.
Have a story to share? Please tell us! Click here.
Click here to make a financial donation to the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.