Bloggers' Top-Cited Wikipedia 2006 Entries: "Web 2.0," "Steve Irwin" and "Mark Foley Scandal," Says Nielsen BuzzMetrics

WebKnowHow
Friday, December 15, 2006; 05:30 AM

Did somebody say Wikipedia? Yes, and then some, according to word-of-mouth measurement firm Nielsen BuzzMetrics, which identified Wikipedia -- the online encyclopedia anyone can edit -- as one of popular words and resources of 2006.

According to Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the term 'Wikipedia' was cited in blogs nearly 29,000 times in November 2006, up 54% from 2005. In addition, the use of highly indicative phrases -- "according to wikipedia" OR "wikipedia says" OR "says wikipedia" -- rose 200 percent versus last year. According to Nielsen//NetRatings, another VNU research affiliate which tracks Web usage, Wikipedia's unique audience grew, concurrently, 112%, from 17.8 million in November 2005 to 37.8 million in November 2006.

The top three Wikipedia entries that bloggers linked to in 2006 were "Web 2.0," "Steve Irwin" (the late Australian animal lover), and the "Mark Foley Scandal."

Despite occasional controversy over the accuracy or neutrality of its entries, Wikipedia continues to attract and retain a passionate user base while facilitating broader discussions across the Internet," said Jonathan Carson, chief executive officer, Nielsen BuzzMetrics.

Wikipedia Head to Head Versus Encyclopedia

Blog references to Wikipedia now eclipse virtually every other encyclopedia brand, and Wikipedia outranks mentions of the term "encyclopedia" by a 6-to-1 margin. Wikipedia today is mentioned 28% more than the standalone term "wiki."

"The growing frequency of the word 'Wikipedia' versus 'encyclopedia' also underscores the ubiquity and utility of the brand, not unlike other brands that often represent their categories, such as Xerox, Kleenex, Google and iPod," said Carson.

Top Cited Wikipedia Entries

The top cited Wikipedia entries -- from Jan. 1 through Dec. 10, 2006 -- reflect the service's heavy embracement by Internet, political and entertainment enthusiasts. Many of the top-cited entries also tend to reflect the most remembered pop-culture events and topics of 2006.

                           Nielsen BuzzMetrics
                Top Wikipedia Entries By Author Citation
                       Jan. 1, 2006 - Dec. 10, 2006

Rank     Term                    URL                               Messages
                                                                    (Index)
1.   Web 2.0         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0               206
2.   Steve Irvin     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin           161
3.   Mark Foley
      Scandal        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal    142
4.   Blog            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog                  147
5.   Ajax            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJAX                  133
6.   World War II    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II          143
7.   Snakes on a
      Plane          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_on_a_plane     126
8.   Meme            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme                  132
9.   Wiki            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki                  129
10.  RSS             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28file_format%29 122
11.  Podcasting      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting            127
12.  George Bush     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush        129
13.  Podcast         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast               111
14.  Net Neutrality  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality    100

Top Blogs Citing Wikipedia

As for mentioning the term Wikipedia, certain bloggers demonstrate undeniable affinity with the site. Bloggers most likely to mention Wikipedia include popular and influential authors, as well as ad-supported blogs maintained by established niche-publishing networks.

Nielsen BuzzMetrics
                            Top Blogs Mention 'Wikipedia'
                            Jan. 1, 2006 - Dec. 10, 2006
Rank By                                                            Links to
 Author                            URL                            Wikipedia
1.                   http://www.boingboing.net                           90
2.                   http://seehere.blogspot.com                         87
3.                   http://www.micropersuasion.com                      77
4.                   http://tcal.net                                     71
5.                   http://www.smartmobs.com                            64
6.                   http://www.gadling.com                              61
7.                   http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger                     56
8.                   http://www.lifehacker.com                           55
9.                   http://ask.metafilter.com                           53
10.                  http://www.gothamist.com                            53
11.                  http://www.2blowhards.com                           51
12.                  http://www.spikemagazine.com/splinters              50
13.                  http://www.chrisabraham.com                         50
14.                  http://slashdot.org                                 50
15.                  http://www.unmediated.org                           50

Methodology

Nielsen BuzzRankings reached its conclusions after carefully analyzing buzz and consumer-generated media across more than 38 million blogs in 2006. The company applies machine-learning and natural-language processing techniques to discover real-time insights in the blogosphere, including buzz trends, conversation mapping, blogger profiles and search among other functions. The company hosts and offers as a to the entire online community a free blog-search and analytics tool, called BlogPulse (www.blogpulse.com).

About Nielsen BuzzMetrics

The Nielsen BuzzMetrics service, marketed by BuzzMetrics, Inc., is the global standard in measuring consumer-generated media and word of mouth. Nielsen BuzzMetrics helps more than 100 leading global companies interpret and leverage the buzz surrounding them -- clients like Canon, Comcast, Ford, General Motors, HBO, Kraft, Microsoft, Nokia, P&G, Sony, Target and Toyota, as well as the top 15 pharmaceutical concerns. Partners include the world's largest marketing-services firms, and innovative new-marketing agencies. The company has also collaborated with distinguished research organizations such as the Pew Internet and American Life Project. BuzzMetrics, Inc. is an affiliate of VNU, owner of such renowned research names as ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research. For more information, visit www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com.