"Can History be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past"
An excellent paper from Roy Rosenzweig* (CHNM (Centre for History and New Media, George Mason U). Worth reading, and maybe discussing.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/resources/essays/d/42


The first part recalls the Wikipedia 's success story, which challenges the authority of the professional historians.

The second tries to determine the accuracy of Wikipedia : he compares entries in Wikipedia with Microsoft's online resource Encarta and American National Biography Online (read his comment on the Lincoln entry).

The third one discusses the historians' implications :
« Should those who write history for a living join such popular history makers in writing history in Wikipedia? My own tentative answer is YES".
"Can the wiki way foster the collaborative creation of historical knowledge?" YES


A comment in French : http://clioweb.free.fr/debats/wikirr.htm
A "translation" is on the way.
If you are bilingual, you may help us in this project.

Daniel