Intelligent encyclopedia

Much of "Know it All," authored by Stacy Schiff, places emphasis on possible negative aspects of Wikipedia including inaccuracy and non-concision of data. This observation is exemplified in the following passage:

"The entries can read as though they had been written by a seventh grader: clarity and concision are lacking; the facts may be sturdy, but the connective tissue is either anemic or absent; and citation is hit or miss...The over-all effect is jittery, the textual equivalent of a film shot with a handheld camera."

Moreover, the author cleverly places snide, often pompous comments made by proponents of Encyclopedia Britannica in objection of Wikipedia, yet provides no commentary made by Wikipedia in objection of Britannica; in this way the author may be thought to be effective in superficial persuasion, if a bit deceptive.

Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica differ fundamentally not only in philosophy but also in design. In examination of the obvious differences in choice of media, behavioral differences are easily discerned. Wikipedia, being a singular online encyclopedia, provides a streamlined, intuitive interface. A user simply inputs whichever data to be searched and is instantly brought to such information automatically. Britannica, however, does not allow for streamlined input, nor rapid retrieval of data. Oftentimes, a user must cumbersomely search through the volume(s) to locate desired data.