Open Thread, New Hampshire's Own Wikiality Edition

Oh, and look! (0.00 / 0)

The same user, "Flatterworld" did the same thing to former Governor Shaheen's article over a month ago, changing her infobox from "88th Governor of New Hampshire" to "Democratic Nominee for US Senator from New Hampshire".

Interestingly, this doesn't seem to have a partisan motivation, because Flatterworld did the same thing to Sununu (though it was quickly fixed--Wikipedia keeps very detailed automated records).  It's still wrong.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 15:20:31 PM CDT

Doug... (0.00 / 0)

It's Wikipedia...

Please do not take it seriously, and tell others to do the same.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 20:54:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I reject the basis of your comment. (0.00 / 0)

This kind of wiki effort are a great model for large groups of people volunteering to work together in order to produce something for the greater good.  Oh, and studies show that it tends to be as credible as Encyclopedia Britannica.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 21:28:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Doug.... (0.00 / 0)

Feel free to reject the basis of my comment. It's a long story, i'll explain in more detail in a later article.

But trust me, don't listen to Wikipedia.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 21:42:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Anecdotes are...nice, but I've done my homework on this, and I trust it by and large (0.00 / 0)

Particularly the most prominent articles.  That's really neither here nor there for the purposes of this conversation though, because like it or not, a lot of people read Wikipedia--myself included.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 21:52:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Doug.... (0.00 / 0)

I'm not going to argue with you on this. Homework or not, you don't have 25,000 edits on there.

The only way I said to myself that i'd begin blogging again if it was about the things I see while campaigning. I've seen the things that the internet can do to people from editing on Wikipedia.

Listen to me or don't, but you and the rest of the world would be wise not to trust that website.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 22:04:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That's nice. (0.00 / 0)

I enjoy talking about politics.  I enjoy blogging.  That's why I do it.  It's not for the marginal effect that it has on my candidacy, though this community has been very supportive, and has my gratitude for it.

As for Wikipedia, let it go, you're not going to convince me.  I check sources regularly, and I'm content.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 01:16:03 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think the important point (0.00 / 0)

that Doug raises is that a lot of people do use Wikipedia. Whatever your objections to it, given its popularity, inaccurate comments about members of the Democratic team, whether from minor style inconsistencies or something more egregious, should be monitored.

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by: Alex Gallichon @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 12:04:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'll Have To Write About My Experiences With That Site Later (0.00 / 0)

But probably after the election. The world would be better off without Wikipedia, or at least the people who run it, and i'll leave it at that.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 18:29:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is the last I'll say on the issue, I promise. (0.00 / 0)

But Wikipedia is a democracy, all the way up the line.  You said you have 25,000 edits, right?  Anybody with over 400 can vote to elect members of the Wikimedia Foundation's board.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 23:08:13 PM CDT

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I'm Sorry I'm Breaking My Word, But I Have To Clarify This Misunderstanding (0.00 / 0)

I may just do a special BH only article on Wikipedia, but I want to clear up something right here that you've stated incorrectly.

Wikipedia is not a Democracy. Here's the link, they say this very clearly down at section 3.

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

If you had to ascribe a form of government to Wikipedia, and for that matter the Wikimedia Foundation, it would be Communism.

Your vote for anything, whether it's deleting an article or giving someone admin rights or for that matter, electing members of the Wikimedia Foundation can be negated instantly by those who have authority within Wikipedia.

Sometimes it was more subtle, like the time(s) when Jimbo Wales coerced people into voting for his slate for the Wikimedia Foundation Board and for the Arbcom (basically the Supreme Court of Wikipedia), or the time he tried to blackmail me.

That was back when I had AOL, so that email is probably gone. I wish I could show you it, he basically said he was going to write a letter to the editor in the Merrimack Journal badmouthing me.

That's what Wikipedia is, Doug. It's the internet's version of the the USSR.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 09:06:17 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"the internet's version of the the USSR" (0.00 / 0)

So where does that leave Google Images?

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 12:14:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

GOP spokesman: "The Democrat Party has been blocking (4.00 / 6)

a vote on opening up our own resources to drilling, and the American people are fed up with that, Chris."

Matthews: "Congressman Elwood, your response?"

Elwood: "Thank you, Chris. Let's be clear about the history here.  Offshore drilling isn't going to lower oil prices and until this campaign started, key figures in the Corruption Party opposed it.  For example, Governor Crist in Florida."

GOP: "Wait a minute, Chris - 'Corruption Party??' Is this an interview or a paid ad?"

Elwood: "You two set the rules. If it's okay to just make up your own name for the other party, I'll do the same.  The Corruption Party has been doing this for decades, and John McCain - who will win the Corruption Party nomination this month - does the same thing. Fair enough."

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by: elwood @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 18:18:51 PM CDT

Personally, I prefer "The Regressive Party" or "The Bush League", but pretty good. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 19:00:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bye Manny (4.00 / 2)

Thank you.

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by: JimC @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 21:39:46 PM CDT

I'm Frustrated - Shouldn't Have Traded Manny (4.00 / 1)

If we hadn't traded Manny, he would be faced with a choice:  (a) play his ass off for a new contract this fall, given that there's no way the Sox would have picked up his option; or (b) slack off and enrage his teammates while losing millions.  I think he would've picked (a) and led us to another title.

Manny has spent the past eight years doing two things:  screwing around and knocking the crap out of baseballs.  Few hitters have contributed excellence as consistently as Manny.  He mixed in blatant stupidity and thoughtlessness, but the end product made winning happen. . . . $160 million for eight All Star selections and two World Championships.  I'll take it.

I'm inclined to trust Theo, but he's made some crappy moves before involving big-money veterans(see: Gagne, Lugo, Renteria, Kim, Suppan, etc.).  Hopefully, this isn't one of them.

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by: Dartmouth Dem @ Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 09:43:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Doug (0.00 / 0)

I'm disappointed that instead of admitting you were wrong in regards to Wikipedia being a democratic website, you replied with a picture of a kitten.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 11:03:20 AM CDT

Duly noted. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 15:13:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]