Fake Professor Scandal Hits Wikipedia
The aftermath of another scandal is spurring rule changes at Wikipedia. The online wiki-based encyclopedia is taking steps to prevent posters from claiming to be someone they are not. People who boast prestigious credentials will now have to reveal their identities in their posts, according to news reports.
The rule changes come after Wikipedia discovered that a poster going by the screen name “Essjay” and claiming to be a professor of theology was really a 24-year-old college dropout named Ryan Jordan. The New Yorker brought the fraud to light in an editorial note admitting that its 2006 magazine profile of the community had misreported Essjay’s academic credentials.
According to The New Yorker, neither the reporter nor Wikipedia could confirm Essjay’s true identity. At issue, critics say, are thousands of articles contributed under false pretenses and Wikipedia’s apparent lack of due diligence to verify the credentials of one of its trusted arbitrators. Perhaps ironically, arbitrators have the power to block contributors who abuse the site or overrule edits to posts.
Rule Changes in Effect
Wikipedia did not return e-mails seeking comment, but founder Jimmy Wales is reportedly planning to tighten the reins on anonymous postings. Although users still can conceal their identities, he said, they can claim expertise in a subject only if their credentials have been verified.
“We always prefer to give a positive incentive rather than absolute prohibition, so that people can contribute without a lot of hassle,” Wales was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. Wales reportedly suggested the measure two years ago, which would have thwarted Ryan from posing as a doctor of theology on the site.
B.L. Ochman, president of the marketing firm WhatsNextOnline.com, said the notion that Wikipedia can police all of the contributors who claim prestigious credentials is absurd. “It’s a nice goal, but it’s not possible unless…
