One of Wikipedia’s main strengths has always been that anyone can write and edit content for the online encyclopaedia, which has grown to be a huge and influential resource over the last five years. However, its biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. Many people abuse the open system of the site to plant hoaxes and incorrect information. Famously a fake quote planted last year was reproduced on a number of mainstream newspapers who had used the site instead of doing their own research.
Even more regular are ‘Wikideaths’ where people report that celebrities that are in perfectly good health are in fact dead. Everyone from US Senators to comedians and famous singers like Miley Cyrus have been targeted in the past. Obviously, such attacks do nothing for Wikipedia’s reputation as a reliable source of information.
The Wikmedia Foundation is set to change this, although it does involve making the site a little bit less accessible than it has been in the past. Now only experienced volunteer editors will be able to sign off on changes made to the articles about living people.
Under the new system of ‘flagged revisions’, article additions or alterations by new or anonymous users will have to be vetted by people who have some reputation in the Wikipedia community before being allowed onto the main site and showing up in the article. Corporations and ‘high profile’ living people will be under these new rules, although there isn’t a definitive list available.
The system has been in place in Germany for over a year and met with the approval of 80% of those polled when mentioned on the site itself. The idea has been one strongly supported by Wikipedia founder, James Wales. It’s certainly the best move to protect the reputation of Wikipedia itself, we just hope it doesn’t discourage people who post valid, useful information on the site.
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