Name:Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
Brief Description of the Site:
This fascinating Web-based encyclopedia offers yet another great example of the power of Hypertext, the linking of ideas and concepts. For example, scroll down to the topics listed on the lower portion of the home page and select "Mythology" as an example. Up will come eight new links, including "What is Mythology," "Modern Mythology," "Mythologies by Region" (there are seven), "Mythological Archetypes," "Mythological Creatures," and "Books on Mythology." Each of these categories is subdivided into sub-categories, and these further subdivided into topics. Also the text is rich in 'hotlinks' so that a student unfamiliar with the word "ontological" can click on it and see it defined. The result is a thorough grounding in the topic of interest, even to the point of sometimes suffering information overload. When one realizes that "Mythology" is but one of the 50 or so main topics on the home page then one begins to understand the magnitude of this undertaking.
How to use the site:
Research! This site is a boon to anyone researching a topic, either academic or popular (there are links to Film, Sports, Gardening, etc.) All it requires is the patience to want to explore fully and learn as much as possible. One possible warning: like an good encyclopedia the site does require strong reading skills and thus may not be appropriate for younger students. But for middle school through college level this is a must-see site for anyone interested in adding to his/her knowledge.
