Wikipedia is the #5 website in the world.  What is Wikipedia?  It’s the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Now I’m not sure how or where they came up with that #5 figure or statistic, but that’s what they claim on their site and in the video below. Based on my personal observations and experiences, that may very well be.  If this is true, then there’s a ton of people I know out there that are missing a prime opportunity to use Wikipedia to their advantage.  How?

By sharing local information, personal expertise and experience, education and knowledge, and a plethora of your wisdom’s which could prove beneficial if done correctly. The Wikipedia written in English, was started in 2001, and it currently contains 4,131,052 articles. It is also available in all these other languages across the world.

Have you ever noticed how many search results link to Wikipedia.org articles?  They usually show up on the top of the first page of Google too.  C’mon, you know you’ve linked to their articles and pages on some of your websites and blog posts, just like this one here.  This certainly has an impact on their SEO.  So how are you using Wikipedia to help connect with other like-minded individuals who share the same interests and passions that you do?  You’re probably not, right?

This is why I want to bring it to your attention. Watch and listen to what these folks have to share, then sit back and ponder as I did on the variety of ways you could be contributing and engaging with others by volunteering your time and wisdom on one of the Top 5 websites in the world.

Here’s some tools and links that can help enhance your Wikipedia experience:

• Community Portal – Bulletin board, projects, resources and activities covering a wide range of Wikipedia areas.
• Help Desk – Ask questions about using Wikipedia.
• Local Embassy – For Wikipedia-related communication in languages other than English.
• Reference Desk – Serving as virtual librarians, Wikipedia volunteers tackle your questions on subjects.
• Site News – Announcements, updates, articles and press releases on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation.
• Village Pump – For discussions about Wikipedia itself, including areas for technical issues and policies.

There is a ton of information available on Wikipedia about people, places, and things all from all over the globe. The content is under creative commons copyright which allows any and all users to share, edit, and use freely on their own sites and blogs.  Take advantage of the exposure and knowledge sharing opportunity that’s available on Wikipedia, your contributions and donations just might pay-it-forward and pay-it-back in some very rewarding ways.

Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects:

	Commons Free media repository		Wikinews Free-content news		Wikispecies Directory of species
	Meta-Wiki Wikimedia project coordination		Wikiquote Collection of quotations		Wikiversity Free learning materials and activities
	Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals		Wikisource Free-content library		Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus

BradsDomain Disclaimer:
Wikipedia should not be taken as an authority on every subject that you research, especially health or medication articles etc. While I have found much of their information to be accurate, the site is accessible to everyone and can be edited by anyone. I have seen glaring errors and a lot of information that gets left out.  Always verify your findings and facts with reputable sources.