Wikipedia defines “Trust, but verify” — the phrase Ronald Reagan famously used in negotiating nuclear-arms cuts with the Soviet Union — this way: “A form of advice given which recommends that while a source of information might be considered reliable, one should perform additional research to verify that such information is accurate or trustworthy.” Based on Wikipedia’s comical ignorance of a subject I know well — New York City real estate — I’d take it a step further for the entire “people’s encyclopedia” site: Believe nothing it says about anything. It’s no secret Wikipedia’s often bonkers. Teachers warn students, and editors warn reporters. Even so, the myth endures that it’s a viable...
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