Growing pains for Wikipedia

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Information-gathering actually HAS changed, deal with it

It's funny that there are critics jumping on this so hard. But that's just because they don't like the New Information World Order, which has come whether they like it or not.

In the Seigenthaler case, it did get fixed (not as soon as it should have, for linkage reasons more than any, it seems) and would have gotten fixed. I like Wales' idea for an additional safeguard, but even that isn't going to stop error.

But to the critics: Nothing will stop error, either on Wikipedia or anywhere else. Count up all the errors in every newspapaer, magazine and TV and radio broadcast every day. Guess that means the whole "journalism thing" is corrupt and ought not to be trusted, huh?

In the Curry case, it was brought to attention, fixed, and now Curry is receiving the appropriate sanctioning that the New Information World Order uses to keep accounts -- he's being hammered on blogs and his personal credibility is reduced. Case closed.

Overall, the criticism sounds like a bunch of air about nothing by people who would desperately like the media world to go back to the way it was, where a relative few controlled the reins and were "believed" and "trusted."

Well, ha on them. First, were not going back there, so get over it. Second, even back in those good ole days of stark mind-control, the "authorities" weren't always right.

The nature of information and its corruptibility and the fragility of human endeavor haven't changed and aren't going to now. However, the tools of collection and dissemination have changed and will continue to change, which means we'll be encountering new versions of this same old problem time and time again.

Stop whingeing and wringing your hands, and move on. It's always been true: Be careful what you trust. Find multiple sources. Use information resources for their strengths, because they all have weaknesses.

Posted by: Sioen   Posted on: 12/05/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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