Everything2 v. Wikipedia

Q: Which source would you first turn to for information on a topic that you are not familiar with, everything2.com or wikipedia.org and why?

I'm a big fan of the Internet--so much so that when I watch a movie at home, I like to sit with my laptop on my lap and surf imdb.com so that I can take note of all the goofs and movie trivia that occur in random scenes. While cooking, I frequent allrecipes.com or foodnetwork.com to look up new recipes or watch tutorial cooking videos. And when I'm just plain curious about something, I'll immediately type "wiki [insert subject here]" in Firefox's address bar.

As unreliable and lacking in credibility Wikipedia may be, its organized layout and highly simplistic design have made it a personal favorite website of mine. I know, there are tons of more entertaining sites I can visit if I'm ever curious about anything. The point is, I like Wikipedia because it's straightforward and provides a clear description of whatever it is I want to learn about.

I don't use everything2.com too often, but after surfing through the site for a bit, I found myself enjoying its randomness. It's definitely a great time-waster...I learned more in one hour about "Thomas 'Black Jack' Ketchum," the "Infinite Monkeys Theorem," and the history of the "Helvetica" font than I did from my psychology textbook. Unlike Wikipedia, everything2.com has links to various posting on the side of the screen, and occasionally my wandering eye will fall upon an unusual title (i.e. "Chased by a screaming hydrocephalic in a leopard-skin vest and a beehive hairdo") that'll lead to another window chock-full of interesting tidbits. The site's layout isn't as clear or organized as Wikipedia's, but at the same, it helps procrastinators like me learn something while avoiding the other things I should be learning.

When it comes down to it, my loyalty still lies with Wikipedia as the primary resource for finding information on subjects I'm unfamiliar with. It's more straightforward (and seemingly legit) than the haphazard, link-ridden front page that everything2.com offers, although I do enjoy the entertaining, uncensored, and more laid-back style that the latter has.