How to Play the Wikipedia Game
I was sitting in a computer lab at BYU when I overheard two student employees at the help desk having fun playing the Wikipedia game (is my tuition paying these guys?). I caught enough of their conversation to learn how to play. Here it goes!
- Grab a friend and sit at a desk where both of you are in front of a computer.
- Both people get on Wikipedia
- You each choose a random topic. It can be anything, but the more unrelated they are, the better. For example, Osama Bin Ladin and a dumpster. (Although you may argue that these two topics are quite similar…)
- Both individuals go to the page for Osama bin Ladin
- Upon saying “go” each person must try to reach the page for “dumpster” by only clicking links within the Wikipedia articles.
- The first person to the “dumpster” page wins!
- Rules: No clicking sidebar links, References, external links, or otherwise leaving the Wikipedia site. You can play several rounds, keeping score with tally marks or even play in large groups.
When I first played it, it was way more fun than I expected. It is cool to see how you get from point A to point B (you can look in your browsing history to see the path you took). It is sort of analogous to the six degrees of separation concept. It is also fun to come up with the random topics.
You can even compete online with other players around the world at thewikigame.com. I’m warning you though… it can be addictive!
So when you are stuck it a rut during your day, take a break and give it a try.