I have learned my eBay lesson on reading thoroughly before you click "Buy". We have been re-doing our sons' room, and we wanted to order another roll of Avenger's border. I found what I thought was a roll for a pretty good price on eBay, so I just bought it. Then, my order was delivered...in a flat envelope...and I realized I did not read the description close enough. (Apparently I ordered an 8x10 sample, so it was absolutely useless.) It was a valuable lesson, and I am glad it only cost my $11.50. I am sure others have lost much more because of not reading thoroughly.
"Wikipedia entries are written by anyone who wants to contribute their knowledge and understanding and are edited by anyone else who thinks they can improve on what is already there" (Lankshear 291).
This is exactly what I try and explain to my students when we are beginning research skills and evaluating websites. I always use the illustration that if I watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory and they are discussing string theory (which I can tell you I know nothing about...I mean does it even involve strings?), and I think I picked up a little bit of knowledge, I may now make a Wikipedia page on string theory, or add to a page already made. You do not have to be qualified in anything in order to write or edit on Wikipedia, and while I know they have people that fix incorrect information as quickly as they can, someone out there may be getting incorrect information and taking it as fact.
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