To quote Eric Lidji (speaking of – that guy needs to start blogging again) again, “Ah the blogosphere, the place of no accountability.”
Some might suggest we could apply that same quote to Wikipedia – although I’ve found that there are a NUMBER of folks out there who are Wikipedia sticklers for content, sources and edits (which while I may disagree with them at times – is a good thing).
But Virgil Griffith wanted to find out just how reliable the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit really was.
He created software that examined Wikipedia entries and the source of their edits, and found some interesting things.
For example:
- Microsoft tried to cover up the XBOX 360 failure rate
- In the 9/11 Wikipedia article, the NRA added that “Iraq was involved in 9/11â€
- Exxon Mobil edits spillages and eco-system destruction from oil spillages article
- Scientology removes criticism and negatives article from Scientology page
- Dog breeding association deletes whole paragraphs about fatal attacks by dogs on humans
- Fox News removes all controversial topics against the network from the Fox News page
- Walmart removes criticism of outsourcing work. The retailer also changes negative paragraphs of underpaid workforce
- Someone at Reuters calls Bush “a mass murdererâ€
- Coca Cola removes negative content about its effects
- US University adds the “prestigious†adjective to its page
It just goes to remind us that we’ve always got to examine and consider the source of the information we get online, on TV, in print or anywhere else. Then take it for what it’s worth.
Thanks to Wisebread for the heads-up
