# I'm spending the day on wikipedia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344 "2006-06-11T22:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/1 "2006-06-11T22:22:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/2 "2006-06-11T22:42:22Z")
Don’t forget to send us a postcard! Oh, and apply sunscreen liberally. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/3 "2006-06-11T23:40:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/4 "2006-06-12T00:15:15Z")
I call that ‘Wiki-surfing’ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/5 "2006-06-12T01:27:57Z")
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](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut) links to… [South Africa - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa) which links to… [Fossil - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil) which links to… [Dinosaur - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur) which links to [Tyrannosaurus - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannosaurus_rex) which is a redirect from “Tyrannosaurus” Of course, I’m equally sure that someone else has already invented and refined this game… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/6 "2006-06-12T01:45:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/7 "2006-06-12T01:48:27Z")
Sorry. Get from here: > **[AK-47](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47)** > > The AK-47, full name Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic'; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than seven decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variant... to here: > **[Peanut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut)** > > The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also known as the groundnut,\[a\] goober (US, via Kikongo), goober pea, pindar (US, via Kikongo) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds, contained in underground pods. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large commercial producers, both as a grain legume and as an oil crop. Underground fruiting (geocarpy) is atypical among legumes, which led botanist Carl Linnaeus to name the species hypogaea, The peanut b... ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/8 "2006-06-12T02:06:43Z")
AK-47 \> United States \> Presidents \> Carter \> Peanut ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/9 "2006-06-12T02:20:19Z")
[QUOTE=CynicalGabe] Sorry. Get from here: > **[AK-47](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47)** > > The AK-47, full name Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic'; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than seven decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variant... to here: > **[Peanut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut)** > > The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also known as the groundnut,\[a\] goober (US, via Kikongo), goober pea, pindar (US, via Kikongo) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds, contained in underground pods. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large commercial producers, both as a grain legume and as an oil crop. Underground fruiting (geocarpy) is atypical among legumes, which led botanist Carl Linnaeus to name the species hypogaea, The peanut b... [/QUOTE] Done. 1. [Langley, Virginia - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley%2C_Virginia) 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 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/10 "2006-06-12T02:21:35Z")
hmmm…\*\*initech \*\* smoked me, faster and fewer steps. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/11 "2006-06-12T07:28:37Z")
[QUOTE=initech] AK-47 \> United States \> Presidents \> Carter \> Peanut [/QUOTE] Nicely done. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/12 "2006-06-12T09:05:03Z")
[QUOTE=CynicalGabe] I’ve never heard of it. [/QUOTE] Well in that case I hereby lay claim to it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-spending-the-day-on-wikipedia/360344/13 "2006-06-12T15:40:40Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] Well in that case I hereby lay claim to it 🙂 [/QUOTE] Dollar short and a [day late](http://tools.wikimedia.de/sixdeg/). Sorry.