A free encyclopedia, free to read and to use, free of copyright (except for some
Fair Use material)
A comprehensive modern encyclopedia, with world-wide coverage, and at least some information about almost anything a person might look for in an encyclopedia; larger than print encyclopedias; extensively hyperlinked and categorized; lists; images & other media; watchlists and other software tools
Verifiable, with references for the information, to check for accuracy and to find more material
Open content: anyone can contribute – widest range of interests and knowledge; numerous contributors; Wikiprojects encourage collaboration
Neutral and factual: all major points of view are covered in proportion, with sources for them (
Wikipedia:Neutral point of view)
Uncensored: with respect to sex, politics, and other difficult topics
Open community: self-governing, with minimal structure; everyone is a volunteer
Discussion, Edit, History: The magical secrets at the top of every Wikipedia article
Comparison with Other free web sources
ask.com for quick basic information
IMDb.com for detailed information on movies
WorldCat for comprehensive information about books
Google News Search: for current events and Google News Archive for earlier ones.
Wikia for details on games and hobbies
PubMed+ for medical information from the National Library of Medicine