In both
Everything2 and
H2G2, people are attempting to create a global knowledge base, a sort of encyclopedia that everyone contributes to. Even so, there are giant differences in the way that the two operate
Everything2 follows the mentality of free software. That is, no-one should really be in charge; rather, this should be a community project in which we are all equals. No one edits these nodes, no one checks to see if they are true. The best nodes rise thanks to voting, but almost all nodes that are written are kept. The voting system is the same; users vote. There is no God figure who reads all submitted nodes and picks the best.
H2G2 (aka The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) takes a different approach. While anyone can post, there are so-called "approved" entries. These entries have been read by the staff of H2G2 and meet the set requirements. The writeup has to be truthful, cannot be racist or hateful, and cannot contain advertisements (no writeups on Nike, I guess...). The writeup is checked for accuracy by field researchers. Thus, approved entries are usually accurate, and are a pretty reliable source of information.
Which one is better? Depends. I think there's a lot more discussion here on Everything2, and even discussions can rise to the top of the stack. If I'm not mistaken, the highest rated node is one about a toilet seat. That doesn't happen on H2G2. But if I'm looking for facts, then I head over there, because I know that someone has checked to make sure that the writeup is correct.
I spend more time here. But that's just me.