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The article states that communal online encyclopedias have several problems that make it less valuable than the traditional, printed encyclopedias, and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor explains that the criticism of the online ones is depending on the Author’s opinion and it easily dismisses, and refutes each of the Author’s reasons.

First, the reading claims that the online encyclopedias often lack the academic credentials and they have many errors in them. The professor opposes this point by saying that even the traditional encyclopedias have errors and not perfectly correct as the Author tends to show. According to the professor, the book which is perfectly correct doesn’t exist. Also, with the online encyclopedias the error could corrected easily, while, with the traditional ones the error continue to be exist for many decades until they print new one.

Second, the article asserts that the communal nature of online encyclopedias gives hackers the opportunity to corrupt the information. On the other hand, the professor contends that there are many strategies to avoid hackers. According to the professor the online encyclopedias use format that can’t be changed or replaced. Also, they have many editors who correct the information all the time.

Third, the reading posits that the communal encyclopedias focus on popular topics and provide a false impression of the importance of the topic. The professor refutes this point by saying that in traditional encyclopedias there are limited spaces, and that’s why the Authors need decide which article to put and which they won’t. He adds that in online encyclopedias the space is not an issue, that’s why they put all types of information there. Also, the diverse of uses and Authors is a big advantage for the online encyclopedia.