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wikiphilia

A powerful obsession with Wikipedia. A wikiphiliac may:

-turn to Wikipedia as the first and only source of information for a topic

-relentlessly defend Wikipedia's factual accuracy

-become uncomfortable when hearing information that he/she has not read on Wikipedia

-access Wikipedia several times a day

-spend much more time on Wikipedia than originally intended

-Wikipedia race

-compulsively switch to other Wikipedia articles, using the hyperlinks within articles, often without obtaining the originally sought information and leaving a bizarre informational "trail" in his/her browsing history (Such as from "Hmong language" to "list of most prolific serial killers")

-access Wikipedia for recreation

-enter a trance-like state while reading that is disorienting to exit

-constantly disseminate information read on Wikipedia

Patient: Doc, I can't stop reading Wikipedia. I'm on it for hours a day! My wife says she's going to leave me because I don't believe anything she says. I have to check it on Wikipedia first.

Doctor: It sounds like you have wikiphilia.

Patient: What's that?

Doctor: Look it up on Wikipedia.

by karsownr May 22, 2009

16👍 1👎