Why I Donated to Wikipedia

By Leesa Ostrander

Hello and I am happy to be a friend blogger on ANWA. Thank you for the warm welcome.

In the past new year’s I set a common a theme as goals for the year. I reflect on the past and project for the future.  I found individual goals did not work for me. Instead, I bulk them in one common word for the year. The past years have been: year of responsibility, year of perseverance, year of growth and change. These at times have defined the year, improved my motivation and have been the best learning moments.

This year I took a different approach – the year of the sentence. I chose this one for many reasons. I want to improve my craft, I am enrolled in a Masters writing program and need to fine tune my sentence. I also see the sentence as having a subject and predicate or issue and action.

I want to take this year as a sentence, logical and simple. Combine an issue with an action.

This brings me to why I donated to Wikipedia. Wiki has information for the masses. If there is a question, someone has answered it. The answer may not always be accurate and can be up for interpretation.

I did not donate words, sentences or thoughts on the free to write encyclopedia site. I do not feel I have the knowledge base to share with the world. My donation was monetary. Why you may ask would I do this? I ask myself also.

I have a plethora of vast and useless knowledge. This gave in to my need for more useless knowledge. I like the concept of Wiki and the sharing of information. The need for knowledge and being involved is the reason my fingers donated to the site. With my contributing money, I now feel
obligated to use, look at and borrow photos and information from the site.

When I am given a Star, US Weekly or other smuck magazine, I look at it. Why would the need to see what people eat and look like in swimsuits that I will never meet, I do not know. We are drawn to this need to find out about their lives. I am drawn to the reading about the house of John Lennon’s childhood or read about why he was rebellious. I love looking at the flags of the world and the chemical composition of caffeine.  (have a picture and cannot insert it - sorry)

Yet, factual information is at ends here. The information onthe chemical make-up of caffeine can be useful in Trivial Pursuit and not many other places.

 I read a blogrecently that quoted data from Wiki and the author was quite set that the information
was factual. It is when this information is used in a rebuttal of fact that causes stress.

So I ask is it factual or fictional with fun facts?

My year is in need of simplicity, growth, research and the need to find truth.

With this is must say my learning moment is in the knowledge that some useless knowledge should be shed and the articles are just words in the grand scheme of things. It is our perseverance and need for truthful knowledge that will lead to strengthening our talents.

In my case, I will continue to donate to causes, allow my need to pick out the pathetic sentence and how to improve it on Wiki. I will save my learning and development for my talent expansion and eternal rewards. I may still waste some valuable time on what royals are wearing in other countries, because I am nosey.

I ask what you donate to and do you love the fictional fun facts?