What's so surprising about CIA's alleged edits to Wikipedia entries? If you start a free-for-all online encyclopedia that people anywhere can contribute to and edit, it's hardly news that they do. Virgil Griffith, the CalTech graduate who developed the tracker is a self-confessed hacker. I wonder if the spotlight is turned in the wrong direction. If there's any surprise in all this, it's that the CIA has the time to edit an entry which someone else can edit again before you can say 'Wikipedia.'
Other red-faced boys caught with their hands in the cookie jar include Fox News, The Vatican, Wal-Mart, BBC, US Congress members' offices, and Diebold (interesting name for a voting machine vendor). Yeah right. We never heard of spin doctors before now.
6 comments:
Aparna
Interesting post. I had not heard of this story but I was not surprised.
For other commenters, here's a link: http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/237775.html
This is not the first time that Wikipedia's open-door policy has been abused.
Check it out: Go to
I remember the time I learned first-hand about this: I got into one of those "whatever happened to xyz from my college" moments, and googled him.
Color me startled when I found a Wikipedia entry, written by himself. I mean, what kind of ego does it require for a guy to write a Wiki entry about himself!!!
However, I did also see that his Wiki entry had not been published, and was still waiting for a vetting process by Wiki's editorial process.
And that's my point, as the link above also says: Wiki's vetting process weeds out these abuses in the end.
Talk about the wisdom of crowds...
Hi Bhel Puri..(LOL)
I really cracked up when I saw this - maybe we all should get into Wiki - our very own hall of fame - and keep editing the daylights out of each other. I'll check the link, thank you.
you might want to take a look at this:
http://6ampacific.com/2006/10/21/my-secret-starbucks-name/#more-50
Mr. Basab Pradhan (Baasub Pradhaan)was head of Global Sales in Infosys when he quit it some time back.
Thank you Aram. Will certainly look at it - interesting author!
Hey, I swear I ahd a comment here yesterday....How did it vanish?
You did!?! I guess it didn't take. It does behave funny sometimes. I didn't get a notification that I received a comment, so I don't think it ever published.
You're still weclome to comment. :-))
Aparna
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