The CIA and Vatican have been editing Wikipedia entries.

[Gromit]

Anyone can make edits to wikipedia pages. They have now developed a tool that can track who has made the edits. And some interesting cases have come to light. Someone at the Vatican edited Gerry Adams' entry and the CIA made changes to the Iranian President's entry.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6947532. stm

Is it bit sinister that large organisations are trying to delete some uncomfortable truths or reassuring that Wiki can now track them and reinstate facts.

Are you more or less likely to believe a Wikipedia entry now?

[China Doll]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theori es

[youngmafbog]

How can you beleive anything that anyone can edit anyway ?

[B00]

was just going to say that^^^

As wiki is user edited how on earth do we know anything on there are facts anyway?


'ello gromit,my little porcupine

[China Doll]

How do you know anything's a fact Boobies? Think of what we 'knew' 100 years ago... then imagine what we'll 'know' 100 years in to the future...

I really wish I could remember the film I lifted that from.

[B00]

well knowing you CD, it was probably something iffy and XXX rated.

And as for facts, i know that my bloody arm is wreaking me- that do ya?

[China Doll]

What have trebor strong mints to do with the price of fish Boobie?

No... It doesn't do me... Pain is merely the product of a load of nerves telling our brain that something isn't right. If your nerves weren't working accurately and that message didn't get to your brain, then factually speaking, you couldn't be in pain... ;0P









I think....

[B00]

oh shurrup..............lol



I do apologise gromit, CD is terribly crass for so rudely barging in and basically ruining your well thought out post. Please be assured that matron will be along shortly and give her the 'sweeties' that make her nod off and drool slightly, then normal service will be resumed.

[B00]

oh ahhh, that shurrup was aimed at CD, not your good self zakmaster.

[jno]

Nature magazine ran a trial of Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Britannica recently and concluded they were about equally reliable. Wikipedia does get vandalised; it also gets fixed. I wouldn't trust it on any controversial topic, always get a second opinion; but for trivia about a Simpsons episode (for instance) no printed encyclopedia can match it.

http://news.com.com/Study+Wikipedia+as+accurat e+as+Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html

[sp1814]

I've tested Wikipedia on only one subject - one that I'm pretty much an expert on - 'The Life And Works Of Madonna'.

I can report that the entry is 100% accurate.

When I say 'Madonna' I mean the Madonna...not the mother of our Lord.

[China Doll]

Did it say she could sing Splat?

[Kromovaracun]

Of course it didn't. He did say it was accurate, didn't he?

[China Doll]

Ah. Good point. It'll only have said she looks good in leggings then.

[sp1814]

Message to China Doll and Kromovaracun:

Everyone you know, including you, has a favourite Madonna song. She's had 58 top ten singles in the UK...anfd frankly, even though I've not looked through your record collections, I'm confident that there must be at least ONE Madonna CD there.

Come out of the closet and declare your love for My Good Lady.

You know you should.

[sandyg2244]

thats funny, i didnt know this till yesterday when one of my lecturers warned me not to use this website as it can be edited etc.very strange, wont be using it again thats for sure!

[jno]

it's ok to use it; most entries are as reliable as any other source. But if you're using it as a basis for academic research you should always get a second opinion (at least) from somewhere else, preferably a book - errors on the internet just get repeated over and over as they are cut and pasted onto new websites. But this is really true of books too: you shouldn't relay on any single one, at least not for academic work. Remember, copying one work is plagiarism; copying lots of them is research.

[ruby27]

Oh no, I thought the printed word was the truth and always infallible. Next you will be implying that books, newspapers and research papers have a bias and are not impartial.

[China Doll]

Splat - You can look through my CD collection any time, you will find no reference to Madonna. Just lots of noisy boys. (Acutally, they might be in the wardrobe).

You will find a Steps CD though but some of my friends aren't as funny as they think they are!