Thursday, September 6, 2007

Find Out Who Is Editing Wikipedia Through Wiki Scanner

The new web site Wiki Scanner, http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/, allows users to figure out who is anonymously editing Wikipedia pages. This new database is a search tool that traces the comments and edits on Wikipedia entries back to their source IP address. One of the core criticisms of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia is that entries can be created and edited anonymously. This allows the subjects of Wikipedia entries to edit their own articles. One can easily see how this practice would bring into question the validity and neutrality of the articles. One of the most notorious instances of this was ExxonMobil editing the Exxon Valdez Alaskan oil spill article. This new tool will ultimately improve Wikipedia as it will create greater transparency and inhibit inappropriate editing of articles.

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