When Wiki "Facts" Collide
Wikis can be exploited by those who practice factual revisionism. Politics and factual revisionism make good bedfellows.
As noted in 'Wiki Wars' Rage in Political Arena
Last week, Wikipedia briefly banned all editing of entries done from computers linked to congressional offices, after staffers for Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., were found deleting a promise Gutknecht once made that he would limit himself to 12 years in office. That promise came about 12 years ago, but Gutknecht is campaigning for re-election this fall.
On the surface, such reports appear to validate the naysayers' attacks upon Wikipedia's legitimacy. Yet, millions of people rely on Wikipedia for their research needs -- albeit with a grain of salt.
A wiki relies on its readers to contribute, build upon, edit and argue the fine points of a wiki article. A large number of participants will normally result in a high-quality article in terms of completeness and accuracy. Still, Wikipedia volunteers fact check entries, and, as of December 2005, Wikipedia requires creators of new articles to register.
Factual revisionism is the price we may pay in return for richness of content -- which, to me, is not a dichotomy.
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See wiliality for a parody of Wikipedia.