I read another great Quartz Obsession email the other day, this time on Wikipedia.
Earlier, I shared some articles on two celebrated Wikipedia editors, Steven Pruitt and Jess Wade. This one is about the project more generally, its history and controversies, as well as some fascinating lists.
Wikipedia
“The wiki rabbit hole is the learning pathway which a reader travels by navigating from topic to topic while browsing Wikipedia and other wikis,” says Wikipedia. Intrinsic learning—to learn something for its own sake—is the number one reason people use the site. And truly, there is so much weird stuff to discover.
In 2011, Wales told Esquire that one of his favorites is the entry on the Metal Umlaut. Quartz editors nominated the following as their favorite Wikipedia pages: Bloop, List of largest cosmic structures, Gardiner’s Island, The hum, List of common misperceptions, Observable universe, Sodor’s legend of the lost treasure, Animals with fraudulent diplomas, Longest flights, Emperor Norton, Inventors killed by their own inventions, Impossible color, and What Wikipedia is not. And you could spend a day following every link in Unusual articles and List of lists, two Wikipedia metaguides to eclectic content.
Here are some other Quartz Obsessions I’ve enjoyed. You should sign up too, if you haven’t already.
Miscellaneous Details 