For millions of internet users around the globe, the search for new knowledge begins with Wikipedia. The encyclopediaÕs rapid rise, novel organization, and freely offered content have been marveled at and denounced by a host of commentators. Critical Point of View moves beyond unflagging praise, well-worn facts, the classic amateur versus expert debate, and questions of reliability and accuracy, to unveil the complex, messy, and controversial realities of a distributed knowledge platform.