September 7: Wikipedia

"Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information."

Like Michael Scott of The Office, I love Wikipedia. I'm pretty sure the content is monitored a little more closely than the quote might suggest so I'm not too concerned with the origins of the information. The website has been a huge part of this "365 Days" project of mine. I've learned more about cereal mascots, trail mix ingredients, and Famous Amos from Wikipedia than I could have ever imagined. When I get an unusual idea for a post, I go straight to my browser's bookmarks and navigate my cursor to the online encyclopedia. Sometimes I'll Google an idea and I will still be sent directly to Wikipedia.

As great as the site is for looking up random facts about the origins of the National Anthem or the story behind Honest Abe, there are so many other features that few people know about. Every day, there is a featured article on a random subject (Did you know Hastings Ismay was the first Secretary General of NATO?), a daily photo with accompanying facts (Today's is a picture of the seaside daisy), and an "On This Day" section. I couldn't care less about most of this featured information, but I still love that it's there in the event that extreme boredom sets in.

Wikipedia has everything. Today I was considering writing about the crazy colors that Crayola comes up with for their crayons. I wasn't surprised at all to find that the site had a list of every color released by the coloring company since it was founded in 1885. Michael Scott was correct in saying that anyone in the world can write on a subject, but I know there is some sort of regulation and checking. I just don't know what that process is. If only there were a website that would have that kind of information...