I'm spending the day on wikipedia

No work or studying to do. Came down sick, so no hanging out with friends. What to do?

Wiki! In spite of my hatred of wikipedia and all things techno-utopian, I’m rather addicted to wikipedia. I look things up at least 10 times a day, and a recent SDMB thread finally encouraged me to join and start editing in earnest. I’ve edited at least 20 pages today, and started at least 3 more.

Don’t forget to send us a postcard! Oh, and apply sunscreen liberally.

Often, I look up one thing, then I middle-click references in that article opening more articles in other Firefox tabs. Then I read those articles, often middle-clicking more articles and opening still more tabs.

Then comes the point that I realize I haven’t left the house in months, and I’m sitting in my own shit and piss, subsisting on insects that are drawn to my stink.

I call that ‘Wiki-surfing’

I’m sure there’s a game that could be played along the “six degrees of separation” idea, where the aim is to get from one subject to another purely through links on the wikipedia pages.

e.g. “peanut” to “Tyrannosaurus”…

first attempt:
Peanut - Wikipedia links to…
South Africa - Wikipedia which links to…
Fossil - Wikipedia which links to…
Dinosaur - Wikipedia which links to
Tyrannosaurus - Wikipedia which is a redirect from “Tyrannosaurus”

Of course, I’m equally sure that someone else has already invented and refined this game…

I’ve never heard of it.

I make frequent contributions to the AK-47 page. See if you can connect that to Peanut in six links.

Sorry. Get from here:

to here:

AK-47 > United States > Presidents > Carter > Peanut

[QUOTE=CynicalGabe]
Sorry. Get from here:

to here:

[/QUOTE]

Done.

  1. Langley, Virginia - Wikipedia

  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture

  4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea

  5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume

  6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut

hmmm…**initech ** smoked me, faster and fewer steps. Well done.

[QUOTE=initech]
AK-47 > United States > Presidents > Carter > Peanut
[/QUOTE]

Nicely done.

[QUOTE=CynicalGabe]
I’ve never heard of it.
[/QUOTE]

Well in that case I hereby lay claim to it :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=Colophon]
Well in that case I hereby lay claim to it :slight_smile:
[/QUOTE]

Dollar short and a day late. Sorry.