Here’s an interesting development. Long and acrimonious battles have been fought over the question, “Can you trust Wikipedia?” Now, at last, there’s a new answer to this question.
First, let’s recap the arguments in the original debate, and then I’ll explain why I think this news means is a sea change for how Wikipedia will be judged and used in future.
If you have nothing to do this weekend, you might want to check this out. Just don’t tell anyone. Especially, don’t comment with videos of how good you’ve become at it:
Courtesy of Tim Ferris.
I often say, in connection with issues such as foreign aid, state subsidies, or celebrities stumping for Africa, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Good intentions alone do not justify policy. The consequences of policy are what matters.
This observation cuts both ways, however. This editorial by Gregory Clark, author of Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, uses the same aphorism, and then, ironically, proceeds to illustrate the point.
