I had heard that Microsoft was rewriting entries so that its products would look good. I had heard the rumors that CIA agents were using Wikipedia to write political propaganda. Now a CalTech graduate student has proved that these things are the case. Virgil Griffith has developed Wikipedia Scanner, a service to identify anonymous Wikipedia users by IP address and show which articles they have edited. Not only the CIA and Microsoft but Diebold, Congressional offices, Walmart, and political parties have been editing pages in their favor.
I have revised my earlier proposition that we completely boycott Wikipedia. If Wikipedia is the only place to find some “nerd knowledge” about something like an old video game, or if Wikipedia is the only good resource to find links to better, more detailed web pages on some neutral topic, then use Wikipedia in these limited cases as a last resort. Otherwise, if a topic can be tied in any way whatsoever to political or financial interest, avoid Wikipedia. Do not fool yourself into believing that Wikipedia provides unbiased and peer-reviewed articles. In such a case, you are allowing yourself to be duped by spies, lies, and corporate thugs.
Wired article
Wikipedia Scanner
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