If you search the Internet for information, you will likely
be pointed to Wikipedia. Whether you are interested in
the ‘Iraq war’, the ‘financial crisis’, ‘transaction costs’,
or ‘lysergic acid diethylamide’, the probability is high
that Wikipedia articles appear prominently in the results
of the most commonly used Internet search engines.
Market researchers have ranked the Internet encyclopedia
among the top 10 most popular websites; among
news and information sites, it is the undisputed leader.
As a freely accessible Internet encyclopedia, a public
platform for the integration of knowledge, and a central
information hub for current events and controversial
topics, it provides benefits that did not previously exist.
Because its size and scope has expanded beyond
any other encyclopedia, Wikipedia has had a marked
effect on the market for encyclopedias. Wikipedia is