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I think the key to using Wikipedia (this is the only one reference of this sort I'm aware of) is knowing that all contents must be taken with a pinch -- or several handfuls -- of salt. I'd never use it as a main, or even a first point of reference, especially when there are so many other available sources out there, but I agree that for a quick, unimportant search it may be useful, and that in it one may find the pointers to continue searching elsewhere. Not to mention its updatedness (is there such a word?) for current information that would not have made its way to traditional reference sources yet.



Also, sometimes, for bibliographical references.

Whatever its scholarly integrity, it's been a worthwhile experiment, they've developed a useful, how do you say, database structure, and ways may be found to make it, or something similar, more reliable. The access to what expertise there actually is there can be a pleasure.