From Encarta to El Rincón del Vago: ChatGPT before ChatGPT – Softonic
In the past, students had to rely on physical encyclopedias to do their homework. It was a laborious task and often required a trip to the library. However, with the advent of the digital format, the transition was gradual, with CD-ROMs offering basic functionalities. Encarta was the first digital encyclopedia, but it wasn’t until the early 2000s when Wikipedia and El Rincón del Vago became to go-to resources for students.
Wikipedia is well-known, offering millions of articles on a breadth of topics, but it wasn’t the most reliable source for many years. El Rincón del Vago was an infamous website that provided pre-written papers for students to copy, though it was eventually acquired by Orange and became more institutionalized. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) is the perfect tool for students, capable of providing original answers and effectively replacing encyclopedias.
As AI evolves, we can only wait and see what the next step is. However, it’s clear that the days of physical encyclopedias are long gone and that teachers must find new ways to prevent cheap plagiarism. In conclusion, technology has come a long way and has made our lives easier, but it’s up to us to use it ethically.
Company mentioned in the article: Orange – the company acquired El Rincón del Vago.
Person mentioned in the article: William Alston – the subject of the first article on Wikipedia.
