The Internet is now the lifeline of people. Whenever there is anything that one can’t figure out without a thought, they search on the Internet about that thing. To be more specific, they turn to Google and Wikipedia for their solution. Thus it’s crucial to know the difference between them for a clear understanding of both.
Google vs Wikipedia
The main difference between Google and Wikipedia is that google is a world-famous search engine while Wikipedia is a quick and free online encyclopedia. Google allows you to search and find your solution through various websites present on google. Whereas Wikipedia is one of the highest-ranking websites on Google that provides you information about what you want.
Google is a multinational company that provides various internet-related services such as search engines, cloud computing, advertising platform and software. It is the world’s largest search engine that looks for the relevant content according to the user’s search by scanning through various websites.
Wikipedia is a registered website of the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to provide free content to people worldwide. It is one of the most widely viewed sites in the world. It’s a site that offers a freely editable range that all the users worldwide can edit.
Comparison Table Between Google and Wikipedia
| Parameters of Comparison | Wikipedia | |
| Technology | Google is a search engine. | Wikipedia is a high ranking website on google. |
| Working | It screens through different websites to provide related data to users. | It provides verified content related to all fields to users through its website. |
| Database | It doesn’t have its database. It provides data through other websites. | It has a database for users that can be edited by users also. |
| Controls | It can control the website’s presence or absence on its searches. But it can’t control the content on them. | It has complete control over its content. But it can never control and remove the other websites from search. |
| Verification | Content available on google is often not verified. | Wikipedia claims to provide completely verified content. |
What is Google?
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. It initially started just like a search engine. But now, it has become the world’s massive search engine and a multinational technology company. It provides other services such as internet services, enterprise services, etc.
Even school going children know how and where to search for information. All they do is switch on the phone, tap the Google search box, do voice search on google. Google presents related data websites to them. But Google has no control over the contents provided by those websites.
Most of the time, when one searches for content on google, they get content from other websites. The content having high search engine optimization appears first in search results. It’s rare to see google websites in searches. It only appears when there is any query related search.
If Google finds any offensive database by a site, Google can’t hide it for users. It can’t remove data provided by a particular site in its searches, but it can directly drag the entire site from its searches.
What is Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is not just a one time created content. It’s in the form of a continuous updating and editing of content. In other words, we can call it live content. This continuity is why it has become the most preferred site globally for projects, essays or any general information purposes.
Anyone can edit add images and content too on Wikipedia. But one has to follow the rules and restrictions of Wikipedia for uploading any content to it. The content should be relevant verified by a reliable source. Wikipedia does not entertain Anyone’s personal opinion or beliefs. Through this process, Wikipedia assures genuine, relevant and authentic content.
Wikipedia restricts content on specific sites for security purposes and prevents further violation of content on the website. Also, there is a team of professionals to keep an eye on editors worldwide. The editor can’t damage Wikipedia and the information available on it.
People prefer using Wikipedia over the paper encyclopedia. Common reasons for that are easy and anytime availability of the information. Some people use Wikipedia to explore the data, some for their research work, and most students for their assignments. This search tells how important the role Wikipedia plays in their lives.
Main Differences Between Google and Wikipedia
- Google is a platform for searching for any information you want. In comparison, Wikipedia is one of those sites on google that provide information.
- You are able to access the content on Wikipedia through google but can’t access google through Wikipedia as Wikipedia is merely a site and Google is a search engine.
- You can quickly get to Wikipedia through google as it’s the highest-ranking and quite a popular site on google. But there’s no way you can go to google through Wikipedia.
- Google can remove any website from its searches, so it can also remove Wikipedia. On the other hand, Wikipedia can censor databases on its website. It has no control over google.
- You can’t use google through any means if its service is down. At the same time, you can still keep using Wikipedia through other search engines such as Bing if the Google server is down.
Conclusion
Everything around the world is dependent on the Internet. Google and Wikipedia are the two most popular names that pop up in people’s minds whenever they want any information on the Internet. Both serve the purpose of providing information.
Google provides information by taking you to other sites. It just indexes relevant site links for you. Content is provided by the website whose link you choose.
In contrast, Wikipedia provides the information available on its server. It’s the content of Wikipedia that is regularly updated and verified. This way, Google and Wikipedia are very different concepts, though often perceived as one.
References
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963662516648565
- https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.01019.x
- https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article-abstract/13/2/429/4582984