Have you got your Wiki Barnstar badge yet?

Everyone has or will used Wikipedia at some point. It is used for word definitions, home work, referencing, general information. Everything is on Wikipedia, so why shouldn't we use it?
The English Wikipedia page was founded in 2001 and has gained 4 million articles since. It originally was set up as a free encyclopedia, open to anyone to edit or delete the articles to what they want or how they think it should be. Jimbo Wales the co-founder and promoter of Wikipedia was the first edit to the pages in 2001. 
Linking with the open access blog previously, it shows that it is free and anyone is able to access the information however, anyone is also allowed to edit the information causing it to be inaccurate information. 

Each contributor has their own page of their edits, and Wikipedia rewards them with 'Barnstars'. They are badges to place on their pages to show their hard work. It can be pictured as giving Scouts their camping badges for doing the ironing, putting up a tent, and first aid. Although it is easy to joke about these, it is taken seriously and people are proud of their accomplishments in contributing to Wikipedia. There are so many types of Barnstars available ;
The original, Random acts of kindness, Surreal, Anti-Vandalism, Anti-flame, Philosophy
...And so many more

"We do not expect you to trust us" - Wikipedia 

However, Wikipedia not being fact has relevance to Journalism. Not all the information a journalist is given is accurate, it could be manipulated, incorrect, a lie, we can never be sure on whether or not someone is truly being honest. Hope is the only answer.

So do we trust our old friend Wiki?
From the way it is available to be edited we shouldn't but it has become such a huge part of researching it would be difficult to change our ways all for the fact it may have been slightly tweaked. We just have to hope that it is true, a valid or else school kids will probably fail their homework assignments. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/blogs/library/?p=290