NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Wikipediholic

A wikipediholic or wikiholic is characterized by having a web browser window constantly open to the Recent Changes section of Wikipedia (or in the condition's slightly milder form, one's Watchlist), and pressing the "Reload" or "Refresh" button with a high frequency. Others click the "random page" button instead. It can lead to a serious decrease in productivity in all other areas of the victim's life, like any other addiction. That's why we're called "Users", after all.

Official "Are you a Wikipediholic" test

This is a recent phenomenon - having been made possible by the creation of Wikipedia in January, 2001 - and affects primarily computer programmers, academics, graduate students, gameshow contestants, news junkies, the unemployed and, in general, people with multiple interests and good memories.

Although people who fit those descriptions are welcome, they should know that the entire human species does not necessarily share their world-view, and that it may be better for wiki itself if they take a walk once in a while, and remember that their body consists of more than fingers, eyes, brain, and bladder. And that wiki exists to serve us, not as an end wholly in itself.

The Wiki Prayer ([1] (http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiPrayer), adapted from The Serenity Prayer)

Please, grant me the serenity to accept the pages I cannot edit,

The courage to edit the pages I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

The Subterranean Wiki Prayer Revisited, Nos. 5 and 36

Johnny edits the Main Page

I re-write the Stone age

Napoleon and Shakespeare dress like a light bulb

We'll be here all night - refresh the same page

The 12 steps of recovery for Wikipediholics

We admitted we were powerless over Wikipedia; that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that an Author of Knowledge greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our obsession for editing and article creation over to the care of The Author of Knowledge as we understood Him (or Her).
Made a searching and fearless knowledge inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to the Author of Knowledge, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our factual mistakes and gaps.
Were entirely ready to have the Author of Knowledge remove all these factual defects.
Humbly asked Him (or Her) to remove our shortcomings by motivating us to be diligent in our research and study.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed by spreading unverified rumors, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal knowledge inventories and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the Author of Knowledge, as we understood Him (or Her), praying only for knowledge of His (or Her) will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Wikipediholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

With all due reverence and respect to those who suffer from genuine addictions and have found relief and recovery through 12-step programs.

Those wishing to get rid of the habit, may wish to check themselves in the Clinic. Those who are sick of all these jokes and just want to talk to someone may wish to check the talk page.

Alternatives to Cure

For those who see no end to their Wikipediholism may want to try Department of Fun to keep things interesting also keep an eye out for more Wikitivities.

You might also want to try a cure of wikipatch. In case of dire emergency and should all else fail, consider checking in the Clinic for Wikipediholics.

See also GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

See also