My Kid, the Wikipedia Entry

If you want to be profiled in Wikipedia, it is better to be born in an urban place. The classic modern measure of achievement — rating a Wikipedia entry — depends a lot on geography, according to a New York Times report.

While 1 in about 2,000 Baby Boomers were profiled in Wikipedia, this rate varies significantly depending on county of birth.

You would think that quality of school district would be a strong determining factor, but that turns out not to be the case. Two categories of counties boast high rates of Wikipedia entries — big cities and college towns — the latter are typically small cities with major universities, like Ithaca, New York, where I live.

Big cities, in the last four decades, have not been noted for their good schools. College towns do have good schools. Both performed far better than conventional, affluent suburbs — where parents often locate to provide their children with the greatest scholastic opportunity.