CIA accused of editing Wikipedia

[Azure]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=287057

The CIA has been accused of vandalising the page of Iran's president on the interactive encyclopedia Wikipedia.

A worker on the CIA network added "Wahhhhhh!" before a section on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plans for his presidency, according to reports.

It is one of many suspicious article changes revealed by a new online tool called WikiScanner, which displays the IP addresses of computers used to edit Wikipedia.

[mykalberta]

Wiki's arent legit sources of news/information - that is what you get. Wiki's are great quick refence points for further thought/discussion/and learning.

MYK

[HOOT]

I love and hate that website, sometimes it is a great source of information but then other times you can tell whoever edited it last was an idiot. For example I visited the Maple Leafs page to see the last year they won the cup. And the page started off with:

"Toronto Maple Leafs also known as the greatest franchise in the world"

[arsenal]

So aren't the CIA aloud to have a little fun with wiki too?

[Ford Prefect]

It's not surprising that organiizations like the CIA and the Vatican would take advantage of the Wikipedia's open editting feature. Why should they be any different than everyone else. I have pillaged a coiuple sites myself for fun. It's still a useful tool, but I always look for secondary verification of anything I find on Wiki that I'm not sure about.

[HOOT]

I always get a good laugh out of this too:

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla, commonly known as Jarome Iginla

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarome_Iginla

[Thunderball]

I don't think its fair to say "the CIA altered Wikipedia..." its more, some bored analyst/administrator who works at the CIA decided to have some fun.

[BlackEleven]

They had a piece on CBC news last night about Canadian Politicians having their sites edited. Paul Martin had "Canada's worst Prime Minister" on his page and Calgary's own Jason Kenney had his page edited to remove all traces of his opposition to gay marriage and and had a quote added him that mentioned he had been named one of Canada's next 10 great leaders.

Wikiscan releaved both edit had come from Parlimentary computers in Ottawa.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

I don't think its fair to say "the CIA altered Wikipedia..." its more, some bored analyst/administrator who works at the CIA decided to have some fun.

Looks like they're really working hard =)

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Looks like they're really working hard =)

meh, secret agents are people too.

[Resolute 14]

Schills for companies are always trying to edit articles. About two days ago, someone working for the BBC was trying to remove criticisms of the BBC from the articles related to it.

I even had someone claiming to be an employee of the NHL send me a message stating he wanted to work with me (and everyone else actively involved with the hockey project) on things...

When you are one of the biggest websites in the world, people will take notice, and use it to suit their advantage.

Though LOL @ the CIA vandalizing articles.

[Cliche]

Yes apparently it's not limited to the CIA, apparently this edit of the Honda Fit http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...ldid=122560342

was by a Ford employee. (For those who don't see what I'm getting at, look at the line 17 and read the successor title for it)


Here's also a blog at wired that labels said changes and makes note of significant ones and their origins: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/200...n-the-top.html

[Frank the Tank]

A few friends and I have an ongoing Wiki-war with our most hated comic book artist/creator of all time. One of us edits it almost every single day, and he changes it back. Its sick, yet fun.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Yeah the Globe & Mail had a story yesterday I believe about the same thing happening in the Canadian government.

"Government computers also edited Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Wikipedia entry 10 times between Aug. 26, 2005, and Aug. 8, 2006. Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion's page was edited four times on Aug. 30, 2004, by someone at a computer traced to the House of Commons, and twice more on Oct. 3, 2006, from a computer inside a Public Works and Government Services office in Gatineau, Que.
Other pages edited from government equipment include Maher Arar's Wikipedia page, which was edited three times on Feb. 27, 2007, from a computer traced to Public Works and Government Services, and the entry on Pierre Trudeau, which was edited nine times between Oct. 7, 2002, and Feb. 22, 2007, from four different IP addresses."



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...ry/Technology/

[Azure]

Since when are the IP addresses from government computer open to the public?

Or did I miss something...

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Azure

Since when are the IP addresses from government computer open to the public?

Or did I miss something...

Unless the route them through an anonymous proxy then you are going to see the IP. I'm sure there are some pretty solid firewalls in place.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by BlackEleven

Paul Martin had "Canada's worst Prime Minister"

If you're looking for the truth then i don't see whats wrong with that Wiki

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Unless the route them through an anonymous proxy then you are going to see the IP. I'm sure there are some pretty solid firewalls in place.

Ah I see.

Thanks.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Unless the route them through an anonymous proxy then you are going to see the IP. I'm sure there are some pretty solid firewalls in place.

And Wikipedia banned editing through anonymous proxies. Those IPs get blocked on a regular basis.

Montreal City Hall is getting busted as well: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...8d626b&k=89118

Even the Vatican got caught.

[Bobblehead]

At least you can see a history of all the revisions, if you are interested. And the pissing matches they get into regarding some of those edits.

Wikipedia is far from perfect, but as long as people supply references for their information then it is an easy place to start researching a topic.