Opinion of Wikipedia for Coms and Overall? Other Databases?

[BDiogenes]

So far so good, but I would steer away from controversial topics. I do find the site harder to navigate in some ways. Though I visit often, it never has appeared in my frequentlies list and you have a hard time if even possible ever returning to a search box you already used, as if they want you there as little as possible. Could they deliberately make themselves scarce? There are at least two big com databases I've visited, and each has advantages depending on one's need.

[The Confessor]

I find Wikipedia pretty useful for comic info (actually, I find Wikipedia pretty great for most kinds of info -- especially music and history info). My other go to database for comics in the Grand Comics Database. Mike's Comics Indexes also gets a few visits from me every month or so, and spiderfan.org is a great Spider-Man resource (Spidey's my favourite comic character, after all).

[hondobrode]

Everyone knocks Wikipedia for its open format and sometimes lack of citing sources, but it seems to me to be pretty on-target. It's been enormously helpful to me on catching up with certain comics titles or characters I've fallen away from.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Grand Comics DB is good. I also like Comic Book DB, maybe a little better. The site design and search results at that one are a bit more digestible, and there's a really easy link to see all of a character's appearances in chronological order, which is very useful.

[Rob Allen]

Wikipedia can't be trusted in the area of older (Golden/Silver Age) comics history. There's someone there who zealously guards all the misinformation in their articles and hates to let people correct it, just because the misinformation has been repeated so many times that there are more "references" for it.

Also, for those who might not know, the Grand Comics Database is a volunteer, fan-driven effort and any & all of you are welcome to join in and contribute information, cover scans, or database/website programming.

[berk]

Wikipedia can't be trusted in the area of older (Golden/Silver Age) comics history. There's someone there who zealously guards all the misinformation in their articles and hates to let people correct it, just because the misinformation has been repeated so many times that there are more "references" for it.

Just like the notions of "continuity" and "canon" in superhero comics - no matter how nonsensical a character or plot development, if it's been around long and or repeated often enough, it's taken as gospel by fans.

Also, for those who might not know, the Grand Comics Database is a volunteer, fan-driven effort and any & all of you are welcome to join in and contribute information, cover scans, or database/website programming.

And a much appreciated effort it is.

[Francis Dawson]

Lambiek is my favourite resource if I want to find out about a creator new to me - I appreciate the generous amount of art samples.

http://lambiek.net/

[stelok]

On comics-related info? More or less accurate. On other databases? Fairly accurate especially on history, culture, geography, government, etc. They also have very accurate maps on the articles concerning cities and countries.

[BDiogenes]

Wikipedia can't be trusted in the area of older (Golden/Silver Age) comics history. There's someone there who zealously guards all the misinformation in their articles and hates to let people correct it, just because the misinformation has been repeated so many times that there are more "references" for it.

Also, for those who might not know, the Grand Comics Database is a volunteer, fan-driven effort and any & all of you are welcome to join in and contribute information, cover scans, or database/website programming.

Rob Allen, sincerely, I want to apologize for taking so long to answer your most helpful post and important information, in both your paragraphs. I got caught up with other stuff, but this vital topic remained on the front burner throughout. You often lend a unique spin in threads, and I want to acknowledge appreciation of that. What you relay above is exactly what I feared. Can you give us an example of the uncorrected information? I believe we as a group should approach Wikipedia and oblige them to correct all the mistakes of which you're aware. After all, if we're not keepers of the flame, who is?
___________If I'm right, GCD is the one now owned by a lady. Shawn Hopkins mentioned the two I've used, and I recently have become aware of Mike's, as the Confessor said, and comicvine.com for looking back on currently reviewed indies.
___________Francis Dawson, I will check your suggestion, as well as spiderfan from The Confessor.
___________stelok, beware as Rob Allen said of errors. I know he's right because Wikipedia, e.g., implicates "nigra" as being a racist term whereas research done for me by a librarian confirms it's only a dialectical pronunciation of "negro". Their misinformation got me smeared at another site when I used "nigra" in antiracist satire but was misconstrued for merely typing the term. I have yet to complain to Wikipedia but shall.

[Aaron King]

I know he's right because Wikipedia, e.g., implicates "nigra" as being a racist term whereas research done for me by a librarian confirms it's only a dialectical pronunciation of "negro". Their misinformation got me smeared at another site when I used "nigra" in antiracist satire but was misconstrued for merely typing the term. I have yet to complain to Wikipedia but shall.

I dropped out of library school, so far be it from me to argue with a real librarian, but it being a dialectical pronunciation of negro doesn't make it inoffensive. Merriam-Webster has it as an altered from of negro, too, but goes on to add, "often taken to be offensive."

As a middle-class white person, I generally try to err on the side of caution when dealing with words that are potentially offensive to anyone other than middle-class white people.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Lambiek is my favourite resource if I want to find out about a creator new to me - I appreciate the generous amount of art samples.

http://lambiek.net/

Lambiek is fantastic! I love using this site and has gotten me into a list of new creators

[BDiogenes]

Aaron King, I used it in talk by a Klansman in 1968 to be authentic. Do you want to argue the point? Even "negro" now could legitimately be taken as offensive but not in 1968 so Merriam-Webster is reflecting today if not an old edition.

[berk]

wiki is only interested in official MU histories, so if that's what you're looking for it's fine. If you want more, you'll have to look elsewhere, or more likely make up your own mind.

[Dizzy D]

Lambiek is fantastic! I love using this site and has gotten me into a list of new creators

Lambiek is great, www.zilverendolfijn.nl is awesome as well (though mostly for dutch speakers and for completely different reasons).

[dr chimp]

Aaron King, I used it in talk by a Klansman in 1968 to be authentic. Do you want to argue the point? Even "negro" now could legitimately be taken as offensive but not in 1968 so Merriam-Webster is reflecting today if not an old edition.

unless you were malcom x...

"but not in 1968 so Merriam-Webster is reflecting today if not an old edition"

and here you have actually said "but not in 1968 so Merriam-Webster is reflecting today or even earlier" which is the opposite of what you are trying to say so perhaps your "satire" was expressed in an equally ham fisted fashion....