Encarta contained only what Microsoft licensed. There were no external links (until late versions), no community edits, no way to add local knowledge. It was a static snapshot, carefully curated, and increasingly irrelevant as the open web exploded. The Turning Point: Wikipedia Arrives (2001) The launch of Wikipedia was the beginning of the end. Compare:
Like most Western encyclopedias, Encarta had blind spots. Non-Western cultures, post-colonial history, and indigenous knowledge were often reduced to brief, anthropological entries. The "history" timeline was heavily skewed toward Western military and political events. encyclopedia encarta
★★★★☆ (4/5) – Revolutionary for its era. Rating (as a reference work today): ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5) – Completely obsolete. Encarta contained only what Microsoft licensed
| Feature | Encarta (2002) | Wikipedia (2004) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | $50-100 / year | Free | | Size | ~50,000 articles | ~500,000 articles (and growing daily) | | Updates | Annual CD / online sub | Real-time, minute-by-minute | | Depth | Short, summary articles | Deep, hyperlinked, evolving | | Authority | Centralized, professional editors | Decentralized, community consensus | | Errors | Fixed in next version | Fixed in seconds | | Multimedia | Licensed clips & maps | Free media + embedded YouTube | The Turning Point: Wikipedia Arrives (2001) The launch
