I strongly believe in wikipiedia is a solid resource to start any research. I know many professors discourage using it as a source but it does not stop students from getting a start by looking up there topic and getting many different viewpoints. Pending on the topic, a lot of things posted on wikipedia have some good information. It is a quick and easy reference guide to when you are trying to find some quick information because any topic you search on google seems about eighty percent of the time wikipedia comes up as the number one site. My main purpose is to use it as a starting guide for my research so I can get some ideas on certain viewpoints of topics so I am not completely lost when researching other items, it is kind of interesting to read certain views of topics and then when really researching to see what all sorts of authors say about it, like the examples we used in class about the Virginia tech shooting because there are probably so many different viewpoints on that story. I can see where teachers are coming from when they assign a big research paper and don't want people only using wikipedia, but as a quick reference guide it is perfect to use.

Wikipedia will not be able to replace expertise, sure technology is on the rise and people refer to the Internet for many things. I strongly feel that hearing from an actual expert on a topic is the best thing still. Because hearing from an expert on a first hand account then you know it is true and are not always having to second guess someones writing online and if it is credible or not. Its kind of crazy thinking so many people can go online to get a degree, its so easy but it makes you wonder how credible the information actual is that is being taught to you, that's why college universities are getting so expensive.

I am really into reading on sports blogs about the hot topics in sports and commenting giving my opinions and thoughts, I think its exciting when controversy arises online and so many people take it really seriously. It is interesting to read when people start rumors about athletes and just to see how big something will get. Bilton stated it perfect saying that we want people to know that we have created something and that it is out there for you to reference to. I feel that so many people post on blogs and comment on certain topics over the internet is because they feel more powerful knowing that there opinion is gonna be read by thousands of people and that if they were in an argument with the person who created the blog face to face they would not be able to say what they said on the internet in person.