"Dad, I heard that you can make it rain by shooting stuff in the sky. How does that work?"
"Dad, how fast is a speeding bullet anyway?"
"Dad, I keep hearing about Darfur, what is going on there?"
With the Internet in general and Wikipedia in particular, a parent never has to respond with "I don't know" again. Instead, the response can always be: "Let's go look it up" and a few keystrokes later, everyone is a little wiser. (Always a good idea to Google for some alternate information sources as well and teach the kids about healthy skepticism and due diligence - see snopes.com)
Recently, I noticed the folks at Wikipedia are asking for donations via a prominent banner at the top of their pages. I use the site so regularly and have shared so many great family "teachable moments" there, that I just couldn't resist the request. I gave this morning with the comment:
Wikipedia is a wonderful resource and a symbol of the boundless possibilities offered by the Internet. It has virtually eliminated the phrase "I don't know" from my family's vocabulary.
How about you?
Don't say "I don't know", click below!
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