Wikipedia May Require Proof of Credentials 317
narramissic writes "According to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, a new policy is currently under discussion by the community of users who regularly write and maintain Wikipedia that would require contributors to the site who claim certain credentials to prove they really have them. The new policy comes after one of Wikipedia's most prolific and respected editors, who went by the pseudonym 'Essjay,' was found not to be the 'tenured professor of theology' he claimed to be but a run-of-the-mill 24 year-old from Kentucky. Said Wales, 'To discover that someone had been deceiving the community for a long time really was a bit of a blow to our trust. Wikipedia is built on the idea of trusting other people and people being honest and we find that in the most part everyone is, so it was a real disappointment.'"
Agreed and.... (Score:5, Funny)
Wonder how many of them will turn out to be just some 24 year old from Kentucky.
Obligatory (Score:3, Funny)
Credentials?!?! We don't need no stinkin' credentials!!!
Re:Somewhat odd. (Score:5, Funny)
The beginning philosophy of Wikipedia was that everyone had something to contribute to human knowledge, and credentials (the sort of things that get you opportunities to publish in respected journals) should not matter as much as the accuracy of your statements.
Now, though, it seems like they only feel like that if you lie about your credentials. This seems fine, except that the only reason you would care if someone lied about their credentials is if you felt that readers would automatically give their opinions more weight because of their (false) credentials. Is this a tacit admission that the "content over credentials" philosophy doesn't actually work in the real world? There is certainly an argument to be made.
He called it a (Score:3, Funny)
Heh.
How do I prove it? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hmmm... is this the same Jimbo Wales who... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: The proposal (Score:5, Funny)
Can I cite a Wikipedia article about me as proof of my credentials?
What's the big deal... (Score:4, Funny)
Who cares? (Score:4, Funny)
Guess they are too lazy. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Agreed and.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Agreed and.... (Score:3, Funny)
Send me $50 & I'll joebertize a letter of authenticity & mail it back to you to display as proof.
Wait a minute! (Score:5, Funny)
Are you telling me Essjay claimed to be a theologian, but all he really did was peddle bullshit?
Re:Hmmm... is this the same Jimbo Wales who... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Agreed and.... (Score:2, Funny)
Calm down, they'll still let you edit the masturbation article.
Re:How do I prove it? (Score:4, Funny)
How can I prove IANAL?
Allow an ambulance to go by without salivating or getting an erection?
Re:Somewhat odd. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Agreed and.... (Score:5, Funny)
Aha! You obviously did buy your low id, or you would have known that you were moderated "Offtopic" because the moderator didn't agree with you.
Re:How do I prove it? (Score:1, Funny)
is this what that nasty goat picture is for?