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Post by thales on Mar 7, 2007 10:09:14 GMT -1
Key Wikipedia 'editor' unmasked as fraud Tuesday March 6th 2007
WIKIPEDIA has been thrown into one of its biggest crises after a student posed as a professor of religious studies and made more than 20,000 alterations to controversial topics, writes Stephen Foley in New York. Using the pseudonym "Essjay", the fraudster had become one of the online encyclopaedia's most prolific "editors", trusted to adjudicate on factual disputes. Now, though, he has been unmasked as Ryan Jordan, a 24-year-old from Kentucky who had weaved an entire false identity.
Anyone can alter the site's articles but as some gain the respect of peers they gain more privilege to adjudicate on disputes. Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, has suggested senior editors such as Essjay, must now prove their credentials. (©Independent News Service)
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