Thinking About Trusting Wikipedia? Think Again

Wikipedia is one of the largest free encyclopedias on the internet. The site has nearly 1.7 millions articles in the English language, and even millions more in many other worldwide languages. And the popularity of the site is no where near close to declining. Middle school students, high school students, college students all use Wikipedia for dozens of reasons. Even Google or search for any term, and it is most likely that Wikipedia will be listed within the top 5 searches. But now controversy has surrounded Wikipedia. The site has literally thrived on the concept of anonymity of its users and contributors. Nearly anyone can add whatever they like to any page. Many people do not see a problem with this as long as they can get their information from somewhere. However, this is definitely a problem. How accurate is a site that allows anyone to add any type of information? Not very.

The fact is that people lie and give out false and inaccurate information, whether accidental or deliberate. After finding out that one of Wikipedia's high-ranked contributors was not who he claimed to be, a professor of religion, the site plans on finding out the credentials of other contributors.

Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, said that contributors would still be able to stay anonymous, but they would have to at least cite professional expertise in the subject they are adding to. Bibliographies at the end of topics are being stressed now more than ever. Wales believes that anonymity is still important because it allows people to contribute without a lot of problems.

Jimmy Wales also suggest a similar plan nearly two years ago, but the plan never gained momentum until a recent discovery. A major Wikipedia contributor, pen name: "Essjay", who claimed to be an established professor of theology, turned out to be a 24-year old college drop out named Ryan Jordan.

Jordan's true identity came to public eye last week when The New Yorker published an editor's note discussing "Essjay"'s supposed academic career. In addition, Jordan had even been recently promoted to arbitrator, a position especially made for achieved and trusted members of the Wikipedia community. This position gives a user administration rights over some aspects of the site, including: editing others' additions to articles, unlocking articles, and banning members who abuse the site and its rules.

Jordan was also hired in early January by Wikia Inc, a profiting company run by Wales. Because of this discovery, Jordan has been dismissed. Jordan has not responded to emails from the press, but on his Wikipedia user page, his current status is retired. He also apologizes for any harm he has caused the site and its users and readers.

Essjay's abuse of the site is definitely not the only abuse that has surrounded Wikipedia. Tons of entries have suffered from vandalism, including the New York Met's page that at one time simply read "the New York Mets are gay". There was also a famous Wikipedia case involving renowned journalist Robert Seigenthaler, who was inaccurately described as being a suspect in the Kennedy assassination. Many of these cases make Wikipedia's credibility more than questionable.

Now while Wikipedia is not forcing contributors to say who they are, they just feel as though contributors should be ready to prove their expertise at any given time. If they are allowed to be anonymous, they shouldn't flash around fake credentials.

So if you're are thinking about adding anything to Wikipedia, you better have the credentials to back it up, or at least be ready to add accurate sources to an article's bibliography. Keep your eyes and ears open for any new site polices regarding this issue.