WikiScanner, if you want to know who writes what you read by Corina Ciubotaru

Ever wondered who writes Wikipedia articles? We can all edit them, but most of us don't bother to, so the job is left to a significant few. If you want to thank them, criticize or just find out their names, a guy called Virgil Griffith has the solution. It's called WikiScanner and it's got everyone's attention recently after it proved that some companies change the content of articles to suit their needs. It seems it's a fashion and they're all doing it, from The House of Representatives and The Senate to CIA to Diebold. The CIA is a bit more discreet than private companies, making minor adjustments in the most varied Wikipedia entries, while Diebold has erased parts of an article containing criticism in regard to their voting machines, and so has the Church of Scientology. The software compares the editor's IP address to a public list of companies that own certain IPs. We can't know for sure which employee is in charge with setting things straight in every firm, but it's a good way to end suspicions and have some evidence for future allegations. Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales is also a fan of the WikiScanner and he should be, because it's normal that people know who wrote the articles they take for granted. If anybody can edit a wiki, everyone should be able to get information in regard to the writer and decide if they are trustworthy. If it's meant to be transparent, it should be transparent all the way.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_wikipedia_scanner;_ylt=AlA6K3fskOkE9UuMX1hWnoas0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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