Author Topic: Wikipedia manipulation (Read 841 times)

moot · « **on:** August 15, 2007, 08:11:31 AM »

Wikipedia's been on the case of misinformation the like of petty edit wars, but what about bigger fish? Another tech/nerd forum I sometimes read has already had some serious debate of whether some users were on the payroll of big companies, biasing their posts in kind.

Someone more recently compiled Wikipedia's edits and their IP origin. It was only a matter of time, considering the precedents of national and international media as well as blogs (although the latter is on the far end of the spectrum).

o/t - And speaking of Diebold, they had yet another batch of failures at the Iowa straw polls.

Maverick · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2007, 12:39:40 PM »

If it's in writing and on the internet is HAS to be true!!! Or it wouldn't be there! So there!

Ocean27 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2007, 05:08:32 PM »

These gibes against wikipedia are sooo lame. Wiki is being cited as an unreliable source of info as a last ditch effort to discredit someone's argument.

But Wiki is merely a repository of information. Trying to discredit wiki as a source of info is like saying the last book you read was crap because you didn't like the texture of the paper forming the pages, or the type face of the print.

FrodeMk3 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2007, 05:46:31 PM »

Ocean, Wiki is discredited because it's possible, due to it's open editing practice, to put any kind of info in, even if it's wrong or misleading.

If the info's false, It has no business being in any kind of repository, period.

rpm · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:26:31 PM »

Chairboy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:28:30 PM »

According to a study by Nature, it is slightly more factually accurate than Encyclopedia Brittanica. The two are almost at parity.

Not too shabby.

crockett · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:34:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by FrodeMk3
Ocean, Wiki is discredited because it's possible, due to it's open editing practice, to put any kind of info in, even if it's wrong or misleading.

If the info's false, It has no business being in any kind of repository, period.

Edits with out proper sources tend to be corrected fairly fast. It's open to edit by anyone is why it's full of the info that it is. It's it's biggest strength but a small weakness.

Chairboy · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:36:57 PM »

Wikipedia cannot possibly work in theory.

It only works in practice.

rpm · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2007, 06:56:40 PM »

'Wikiality' - the method of making something up, but getting enough people to agree with you so it becomes reality.
http://spring.newsvine.com/_news/2006/08/01/307864-stephen-colbert-causes-chaos-on-wikipedia-gets-blocked-from-site

soda72 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2007, 07:07:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by rpm

'Wikiality' - the method of making something up, but getting enough people to agree with you so it becomes reality.
http://spring.newsvine.com/_news/2006/08/01/307864-stephen-colbert-causes-chaos-on-wikipedia-gets-blocked-from-site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFT4OfdnVpU

hmmmmm

This video has been removed by the user.

rpm · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2007, 07:20:11 PM »

Sorry, I didn't check the link beforehand, I'm on dialup. I'm sure it's out there somewhere.

nirvana · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2007, 11:33:18 PM »

Chairboy works for Wikipedia if I recall....

Chairboy · « **Reply #12 on:** August 15, 2007, 11:51:57 PM »

I don't work for Wikipedia, but I'm part of the super secret cabal there that conspires to eat babies, controls elections, and keeps the metric system from catching on in the US.

rpm · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2007, 12:57:34 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
I don't work for Wikipedia, but I'm part of the super secret cabal there that conspires to eat babies, controls elections, and keeps the metric system from catching on in the US.

Thanks for the metric system thing.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 16, 2007, 07:24:34 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
If it's in writing and on the internet is HAS to be true!!!

Yes, but I would feel much better if it were verified in the newspapers.