Sunday, April 23, 2006

Wikipedia rivals IMDb

While I still like to go to the IMDb to fast find "which actors played in that movie" and "where have I seen this actor before" type of information, I think they are loosing the race to Wikipedia.

Just compare www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/
with en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:The_Simpsons.
(Just compare the URLs!)

Or take for example: Ned Flanders on the Wikipedia

Give people the tools to contribute information ("content") as easy and as fast as possible, without big hustle, and they will create something that is bigger than the sum of its parts. While the IMDb is actually as well open for adding information, the process isn't clear and AFAIK involves creating an account and having your information reviewed. And while the rigid design of the IMDb might seem like a good idea at first glance, it is the Amazon of movie sites with dozens of links that lead somewhere else and information that is nice to have but shouldn't be thrown into your face like for example the certifications. (Do I need a paragraph telling me the certifications a film received in Island, Singapore and Brazil on the 'main detail' page right after the actors?)

There are still plenty of people adding information to the IMDb, but I wonder how long it takes before a majority moves on to Wikipedia.

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