Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia that anyone can edit, was started by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001 with the goal of "collecting and summarizing all human knowledge in every major language."  As of August 2007 the English version of Wikipedia was large enough that, if it was converted to actual encyclopedia books, it would have 1,250 volumes each containing 400 pages each (not including the images).  This may not be all of human knowledge but it could be an impressive start.

Wikipedia is not without flaws and critics.  Among the criticisms is that because it is written by anonymous volunteers there's no way to assure the validity of the entries.  There have also been incidents of vandalism to entries and downright inaccuracies.  However, no one can dispute the amazing size of the online encyclopedia or how easy it is to use.  So give it a try and see what you think.
 

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