Wikipedia and Britannica Considered

Wikipedia has just announced its millionth article. But probably of more interest is an indepth review, comparison and writeup of the differences between Wikipedia and Britannica in the latest issue of Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals. The article is definitely worth a read.

Here's how the article, written by Paula Berinstein, frames the issue:

The primary question for info pros is, of course, reliability. Can "the public" concoct and maintain a free, authoritative encyclopedia that’s unbiased, complete, and reliable? If not, then Britannica may rest on its laurels and its good name, although with the Web so free and accessible, it’s been taking licks for some years. But if the answer is "Yes," what happens to that shining beacon of scholarship, its publishers, and its academic contributors? Is encyclopedia publishing a "zero sum" game?