Wikipedia is not just a free encyclopedia. It is the largest encyclopedia in history and one of the most used websites in the world. So if you search, or as many people today say, google something on the internet, you will likely find an entry from Wikipedia. I did use this free encyclopedia myself many times, and I would not want to miss it. Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects (see below).
What do you get on Wikipedia?
Well, you can, of course, search for pretty much everything and usually get a page with information about your search entry. When you browse through the content, you should also pay attention to editors’ or admins’ comments. These editors and admins try to ensure that the content is free of errors, comply with the rules of conduct, provide references, etc. I did sometimes find entries with comments like “needs references.” Should you see something like that comment, you should, of course, not just take the information on the Wiki page for granted. In that case, look up some other pages to cross-check the information before you use it. However, the Wikipedia team is doing a great job of providing useful information.
What else is on Wikimedia?
Besides the content of the Wikipedia encyclopedia, you will find other valuable resources:
Wikiversity – On Wikiversity, you will find free online courses. Do you want to know something about the Theory of Relativity? Or maybe you are more interested in Computer Programming (see also w3schools)? Or Biology? There is a lot to learn at the Wikiversity. Note: To learn a language you can try Duolingo.
Wiktionary – This dictionary is more than a simple dictionary and also includes a thesaurus, a rhyme guide, phrasebooks, language statistics, and extensive appendices. The Wiktionary aims to include the definition of a word and enough information to really understand it. Thus etymologies, pronunciations, sample quotations, synonyms, antonyms, and translations are included.
Wikimedia – This repository contains a vast collection of millions of freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute. All images and other files on Wikimedia should be reusable, but each may have different requirements for crediting a photographer, linking a license, etc. So if you want to use a file on your own website, in print, or otherwise, please check the license for those files first.
Wikibooks – This page provides lots of textbooks for all ages, including children’s books, books with recipes, books about science, computing, engineering, languages, mathematics, etc.
and there is more – Wikisource is a free library, Wikivoyage is a free travel guide, Wikinews is a free news source, etc.
