This brilliant free website makes Wikipedia infinitely better

Have you ever tried quickly looking something up on Wikipedia—just because you’re curious or maybe for work—only to, a half an hour later, wonder why you’re reading about the history of the European Space Agency?

In my opinion, Wikipedia is one of the last good websites on the internet. Outside of the occasional fundraiser, there are no ads, no dark patterns, and no clickbait—it’s just information. Which leaves no doubt in my mind that falling into a Wikipedia rabbit hole is healthier than scrolling on social media.

Even so, it can be addictive, and links are the reason why. Every Wikipedia article is jam packed with links to other Wikipedia articles, which is exactly why you end up down rabbit holes. Often, though, you don’t understand how you wound up where you did—so what if you could visualize exactly that?

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Your new digital cork board

To create a visualization of how you got from point A to point B on Wikipedia, head to Wikiboard.

➜ Wikiboard creates a mind map—which allows you to see how various concepts are connected—as you browse Wikipedia.

⌚ You can start browsing immediately.

✅ To get started, open Wikiboard and enter your search term—it will pull up the corresponding Wikipedia page.

• The first article you select opens in its own box on Wikiboard, and as you browse, the site creates new boxes for every link you click, drawing lines from one article to another as they open.
• Once your board is created, you can scroll and zoom as much as you like. You can also rearrange the boxes and add sticky notes, allowing you to organize and add a bit of context to everything as you browse.

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wikiboard.png
This isn’t your father’s Wikipedia.
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☝️ One note: Wikiboard is currently only for larger screens, so you won’t be able to use it on your phone.

???? This could be a useful research tool, enabling you to see how concepts relate to each other as you’re learning. You can even save separate boards in your browser so you to come back to them later.

And while I could spin this as purely a research tool, it’s also just plain fun. There’s something amazing about visualizing your Wikipedia rabbit holes.

Next time you feel like going on a deep dive, give Wikiboard a go. Going back and seeing the steps you took on your Wikipedia rabbit hole is endless entertaining, and can teach you a lot about your interests as well.

• You can open Wikiboard in your browser on any desktop-sized device.
• Wikiboard is free to use. You can opt to make a donation to support the developer if you like, but it’s not required.
• You don’t need to create an account to use Wikiboard, and the site has no ads.

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