Category: Technology Author : Kim LaCapria Posted: June 29, 2009
Tags : conspiracies, david rohde, new york times, nytimes reporter escapes, nytimes reporter kidnapped, wikipedia
Earlier this month, we learned about the kidnapping and subsequent escape of Times reporter David Rohde in Afghanistan. But did you know Wikipedia was in on it, too?
Back in November of 2008, Rohde was taken near Kabul and held for nearly seven months- all the while, the Times managed to execute a surprisingly successful media blackout, which very well may have saved Rohde’s life. But yesterday the Times ran a piece detailing how they worked behind the scenes to kill the story on Wikipedia, with the help of founder Jimmy Wales, time and time again.
It’s an interesting conundrum for Wikipedia. The site is kind of a mascot for new media, how our concept of citation and fact has been shaped by the ubiquitous source, the benefits of crowd-sourcing versus the possibly biased opinions of one or a handful of crusty old academics. I’ve often argued that while vandalism on Wikipedia happens, undetected bias or other academic pollution is just as likely in traditional sources for citation and learning- and arguably more dangerous because people don’t use the “grain of salt” rule there. It even famously spawned a Colbert segment on “Wikiality.” (Colbert is a known and shameless Wikipedia vandal.)
But as Wikipedia struggles to maintain legitimacy as a source for reliable information, this story casts a new light on the issue. Luckily for Wikipedia, this issue was clearly life or death. But what if it isn’t? Or what if it’s just a ho-hum person and not a NY Times reporter? And how can you stop the crowd from releasing possibly harmful information- and should you? If so, when? In the Times piece, Jimmy Wales said in reference to a particularly fervent editor who tried repeatedly to edit the Rohde entry:
“We had no idea who it was,” said Mr. Wales, who said there was no indication the person had ill intent. “There was no way to reach out quietly and say ‘Dude, stop and think about this.’ ”
But the crowd is not necessarily sympathetic to the nuances of these particular gray areas. Wales unfroze the page personally that Saturday, the day Rohde’s release was finally reported.
When the news broke Saturday, the user from Florida reposted the information, with a note to administrators that said: “Is that enough proof for you [expletives]? I was right. You were WRONG.”
A professor at NYU who studies Wikipedia commented on the controversy in the piece as well.
“Wikipedia has, over time, instituted gradually more control because of some embarrassing incidents, particularly involving potentially libelous material, and some people get histrionic about it, proclaiming the death of Wikipedia. But the idea of a pure openness, a pure democracy, is a naïve one.”
[Image: XKCD]
Jun 29, 2009
Who told you Jimmy Wales was “the founder” of Wikipedia? Whoever it was, they're lying.
Jun 29, 2009
I, uh, saw it on Wikipedia. What?
Jul 1, 2009
I am happy that this debate exists over whether what the NY Times or Jimmy Wales or Wikipedia's pseudonymous administrators did was ethical or not. I'm not sure where I stand on either side of the coin, but the reason I am happy is because it exposes a key and obvious fact that seems to have eluded the popular media for the past seven years.
That fact is that the Wikimedia Foundation board, its staff, and most all of Wikipedia's administrators have ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE in knowledge management systems or in publishing reference works. They really have no business acting with any authority whatsoever, on their own, when arise these complex questions of ethics and principle.
A properly engaged journalist would now compile an historical retrospective on all of Wikipedia's past blunders that had anything to do with ethics and principles. Incidents to probe in concert with one another would include:
* Essjay;
* Jimmy Wales as “sole founder” of Wikipedia (he's not — see Larry Sanger);
* the disappearance of Carolyn Doran from the WMF and from Wikipedia article space;
* the accusations of Danny Wool that were dismissed on camera by Sue Gardner with “Jimmy Wales has never done anything wrong”;
* the Rachel Marsden sex-for-edits fiasco;
* the fact that Wikia, Inc. is now a landlord to some of the Wikimedia Foundation's key personnel;
* how Jimmy Wales handled the use of Wikimedia images portraying Boy Scouts on his “Spanking Art” wiki at Wikia, Inc.;
* how Erik Moeller was hired, without competitive job search effort, directly off the WMF board onto the WMF executive staff;
* how Moeller once told a Berlin audience that “non-violent child pornography causes no harm”;
* how a Wikimedia UK spokesperson enjoyed “dancing on the skulls” of an organization that sought to limit the reach of child pornography and exploitation on the Internet;
* etc., etc., etc.
In all honesty, I have never encountered an organization with its collective morality and professionalism so far off balance. But the media doesn't seem willing to pick up on this curious cultural characteristic and investigate it further.
Why is that?
If you don't feel up to the task of such an in-depth retrospective, at least point out to me where it was on Wikipedia where you read that Jimmy Wales is “the founder” of Wikipedia.
Jul 1, 2009
The Wikipedia Review message board exploded in outrage at the revelations. “And they called us conspiracy theorists!” said ardent Wikipedia critic, businessman and banned editor Gregory “thekohser” Kohs. “It’s not clear yet how this will make money for Wales’ private company Wikia, but I know that’s why he did it.” The message board was further outraged at being scooped on the news. “This makes David Rohde part of the ‘hive mind,’ so the only way to remedy Wikipedia’s revelations of not revealing someone’s personal details in this particular case will be for me to put up David Rohde’s home address, names of his entire family and his bank account details on my website,” said public interest stalker Daniel Brandt. “I bet Google’s in on it too. They put a radio in my head, you know.”
“This raises many deep questions,” said free speech crusader Seth Finkelstein, “and it is important that many people keep at Wikimedia to get the truth, since they censoriously killfiled my email and viciously pointed out British libel laws to my editor at the Guardian.”
http://notnews.today.com/?p=546