what is wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free encyclopaedia and one of the world's most useful websites available on the Internet. Which is used by millions of people every day to gather information on new and old topics. New information can also be published and edited.You recognise that there are millions of websites on the Internet. It is not anyone's job to remember whose name it is, but Wikipedia is a well-known name that is on the lips of almost every internet user.
You can guess its popularity from the fact that it is widely used by common internet users, students, researchers, bloggers, journalists, and writers.
Perhaps that's why thousands of people ask Google every day questions like, "What is Wikipedia? How do I use Wikipedia? and How do I create an account on Wikipedia".
If you are also included among these people, then your curiosity is going to end. Because in this article I am giving you complete information about Wikipedia,
what is wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. Whose editing, publication of new articles, suggestions, etc. are done by volunteers or are unpaid? Who are called "Wikipedians". It is free to use, and registration is not mandatory.The information available on Wikipedia is free and open. That is, the material can be used under the Open Source License. This huge encyclopaedia has more than 5 million articles in the English language alone. And this website provides information in more than 300 languages from all over the world.
Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger started Wikipedia on January 15, 2001. It was named by Larry Sanger. Which is a combined form of a wiki (a web-based software) and an encyclopaedia.
Wiki + Encyclopaedia = Wikipedia
That is, the word wiki has been taken in full, and its last part, 'pedia, has been taken from Encyclopaedia.
Wikipedia was started to support an online encyclopaedia called "Nupedia". But later, it became the world's most popular non-profit website. And even today, it is included in the top 10 websites worldwide.
It is operated and managed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Which was created on June 20, 2003, to provide financial support to Wikipedia.
Many other projects, like Wikipedia, are run by the Wikimedia Foundation. Whose list is as follows:
Other services provided by the Wikimedia Foundation
Wiktionary
This is an online dictionary that has been created with the purpose of defining words present in all the languages of the world in English. Like Wikipedia, this project is also run by volunteers, i.e., people like you and me.Wiktionary is not just a simple English dictionary. Rather, here, apart from knowing the meaning and definition of words from different languages around the world in English, you will also be able to get acquainted with other characteristics of that particular word.
Currently, words from 4000 languages around the world are being defined in English on Wiktionary. Along with this, the vocabulary of the users is increased daily with features like "Word of the Day" and Foreign Word of the Day. Apart from this, you can also know the origin of the word, synonyms and antonyms, translation, and pronunciation.
Wikipedia
If you are fond of reading books, then the Wikibooks project is made for you. Because the purpose of this project is to make books available to people for free that anyone can publish,Currently, there are more than 3000 books available on Wikibooks. Which you can access by sorting subject-wise. If you have a book, you can publish it on Wikibooks and also edit an existing book.
Wikisource
It is an open library that provides downloadable content in different languages. You can get the content published on this portal in the form of a book.wikiquotes
One thought has the power to change your whole life. And many things are spoken, written, and told by popular people like philosophers, scientists, businessmen, writers, historians, etc. Based on their experience and knowledge gained, Wikiquotes is a collection of these things.You will find the good thoughts of famous people on Wikiquotes. Which anyone can publish and edit. Also, the quote page has been linked to Wikipedia for more information.
Wikipedia
Wikiversity is a learning project. Where there is a provision for free education from pre-school to university level. You can access the content available subject-wise, class-wise, and language-wise.Wikispecies
There are many forms of life on earth. We humans are one of the most advanced and developed products of this process. Apart from us, life exists in various forms. Life can be seen in the form of plants, animals, insects, wild animals, birds, reptiles, mammals, eggs, etc.If you are curious to know about the diverse forms of life present on Earth, the Wikispecies project has been created to help you. Because here, free information is published about different species of all types of creatures present around the world.
Encouraged by the success of this project, the Wikimedia Foundation has also introduced a separate Android app for Wikispecies, which can be downloaded for free from the Play Store. And there is also an IRC channel named #Wikispecies.
mediawiki
Excited and inspired by the success of Wikipedia, a question definitely comes to the mind of some people: Can I make my own website like Wikipedia? If yes, then how do you make your own Wikipedia? How much does it cost? What technology is needed? etcetera…If such questions also come to mind and you also want to make your own Wikipedia, then Wikipedia itself has developed a solution. Whose name is – MediaWiki?
MediaWiki is software that is freely available to all individuals and organizations. Anyone can start their own wiki project by downloading and installing this software. There is no charge for this software.
Wikinews
The Wikinews project is a reliable and free source to know the happenings around the world. You can also write and publish news on Wikinews yourself.Meta-Wiki
Which projects should be worked on by the Wikimedia Foundation in the future? How and why to work Meta-Wiki is the forum for open discussion on this issue.Here, future projects and existing projects are discussed. In which anyone can participate.
wikitech
This platform has been developed to provide technical information and documents related to the Wikimedia Foundation. No one is free to contribute to Wikitek. To use it, a Wikimedia developer account has to be created first. Only then can a page be edited.If this project is seen through the eyes of a common internet user, then it is not of much use. But Wikitech is a very useful platform for a web developer and people who want to know about Wikipedia.
On Wikitech, information can be gathered about technologies like Wikimedia Cloud Services (WMCS), Wikimedia Cloud Virtual Private Server (Wikimedia Cloud VPS), ToolForge, Data Services, etc. developed and managed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
After knowing about Wikipedia, the question arises, Why should we use Wikipedia? What are the benefits of using Wikipedia?
So we will get the answer to this question after knowing about some of the advantages of Wikipedia. Which are mentioned below.
Advantages of Wikipedia
Source of free useful knowledge
One of the biggest information portals on the Internet is 'Wikipedia'. Where all the material is available free of cost. You can find articles on the smallest details. There are millions of articles available on this site.If you are a student or a research scholar, then you will find sources to gather sufficient amounts of information for your school or college project. Because it is mandatory to publish the information given in each article of Wikipedia with reference, this portal can prove to be very useful for you.
Multilingual
The content available on Wikipedia is available in more than 300 languages. Yes, you read it right. The Wikipedia encyclopaedia is available in not only the most commonly used languages of the world but also in regional languages.That's why people from all over the world use it. And every internet reader is able to access information in his local language. Perhaps that is why Wikipedia remains the choice of readers.
Easy Availability
There are no obligations of any kind to use Wikipedia. Any internet user can use it with one click. And can access the available information. You can visit it like a normal website. Some web browsers have also included it in the search engine.Become a writer on Wikipedia
This project is a website based on "Wiki" software. Which provides the ability to become a writer to the reader who visits it. This is also the reason why Wikipedia has become so widespread and popular. If you also want to share your knowledge with others, then you can publish your article by creating a new page on Wikipedia.You are finding a deficiency in an already published article or want to add something new to it. So you can also contribute to Wikipedia by editing the article.
Multimedia Content
After reading the name of the encyclopaedia, it would seem as if there would be a lot of black words.But your guess is wrong. Because articles are written in rich text on this web-based free encyclopedia. And along with multimedia content, videos, photos, graphics, charts, etc. are also used a lot.
That's why you will never feel bored by visiting this portal. And you will be able to read for a long time by being influenced by the accumulation of facts in different ways.
Reliable source of knowledge
Students, content creators, and researchers use it to some extent for their project work and research work. Below each Wikipedia article, sources are provided for checking and verifying the authenticity of data and facts. The information available from these sources can be checked.But its content is considered less reliable than that of other online encyclopedias. The biggest reason for this is that it is wiki-based.
If you search "How reliable or accurate is Wikipedia" on the internet, you will find many articles, blog posts, and videos on Google. Who give their opinion about the credibility of Wikipedia.
You will find many articles about this on Wikipedia itself. Which is enough to caution users that blindly trusting Wikipedia would be self-deception.
How can i edit wikipedia pages
Any visitor can correct the information on the page if it is wrong or there is some error; some special articles cannot be edited.
You have to open the page that you want to edit, then click on "Edit this Page," after which you can edit that page and then correct the information or submit it by making necessary changes. The article can be edited easily.
How to use wikipedia
The materials available on Wikipedia are free to use. Its contents have therefore been republished and produced in many forms. Readers can access Wikipedia content using any medium of their choice.Access via the Wikipedia website
This is the easiest and most popular way to use Wikipedia. Which you can visit by typing Wikipedia.org. Apart from this, Wikipedia content can also be accessed through the search engine lists of browsers, Answer.com, and References.com.By going to the Wikipedia website, first select the language in which you want to read Wikipedia. Don't forget to select it. After this, using the subject, topic, and search bars, find and read the article of your choice.
via Wikipedia's mobile application
If you want to access Wikipedia content on your smartphone, then the Wikipedia Android App and the Wikipedia iOS App can be downloaded. Android users can download the Wikipedia app from the Google Play Store, and iPhone users can download the app by visiting the App Store.The mobile app is also as easy as the website. You'll learn how to use it in no time and become a master at finding reading material that interests you.
by cd/dvd
Wikipedia content can also be obtained through compact discs, i.e., CDs and DVDs. Yes, the content available on Wikipedia is also made available in the form of CDs and DVDs. Which you can order by sorting on the basis of subject, topic, and year.by Wikipedia Books
The work of printing Wikipedia on paper has also started. And the form of the book is being given. This means that Wikipedia content has been divided into small parts in the form of a book.By doing this, both the user and the Wikipedia Foundation are benefiting. Now the user will be able to read the content of his choice directly in his own language. He will not have to wander much. And the Wikipedia Foundation will get financial help.
Out of all the mediums mentioned above, I would recommend you use the website and mobile application. Both of these sources are free, will always contain new and updated information, and can be accessed at any time.
conclusion
In this article, I have given you complete information about Wikipedia. you have learned what is wikipedia and what its benefits are? Also, you learned how to access Wikipedia content? I hope this article will be useful for you.FAQs – what is wikipedia
Q: Who created Wikipedia?
Wikipedia was created by the honourable Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. It was first introduced to the public on January 15, 2001.
Q: Who writes articles on Wikipedia?
I have also mentioned above that Wikipedia is an open-source platform that is operated by Wiki Software. This means that every person running the Internet can write articles on Wikipedia. And till now, this encyclopaedia has been operated only by volunteers or unpaid personnel.
Q: How can I write on Wikipedia?
If you want to write on Wikipedia, then first of all, you will have to create your own Wikipedia account. If you want to know how to create a Wikipedia account but don't know how, then Google it, and you will find lots of tutorials.
After creating an account, you can choose the topic of your choice. If you want, you can write and publish your article in any language, or you can edit any already-written article. There is no word limit for publishing articles on Wikipedia. If you want, you can write articles of 200 to 1000 words on it.
Q: Can money be earned from Wikipedia? I mean, do you get paid to write on Wikipedia?
No! Wikipedia operates as a non-profit project. Which is being managed by the Wikimedia Foundation. That's why you will not get money here. That means if you want to earn money from Wikipedia, you will be disappointed.
Q: If I want to contribute something to Wikipedia, how should I do it?
You have already known that Wikipedia is a non-profit wiki project. That's why it depends only on the amount of donations received by donors like you. You can contribute to this noble cause by visiting the donation page of the Wikimedia Foundation. You can access the donation page by clicking on the button below.
Q: What type of information is available on Wikipedia?
You will find every type of information on Wikipedia. Its name itself is Gyankosh. Therefore, you can read articles on almost every topic here. Its special thing is that the information presented here is published in more than 300 languages. Therefore, you can also read Wikipedia in your local language.
Q: How accurate is the information on Wikipedia? Is Wikipedia reliable?
How reliable is Wikipedia? The answer to this question depends on you. Because what do you use Wikipedia for? The credibility of Wikipedia can be weighed on this basis.
If I talk from the point of view of a common Internet user, Wikipedia cannot be trusted blindly. And many articles have been published on Wikipedia itself in this regard. You can read this article to get further information about Wikipedia's reliability.
Thanks for reading.
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