WikiScanner generates more discoveries for the media to devour

Most news coverage this week related to the recent invention of WikiScanner, a tool that links anonymous edits with the organisations from which they apparently originated (see archived story).

• Australia ([1], [2]): Edits have been linked to the Prime Minister's department, although the PM denies any involvement. The Defence Department has now restricted access to Wikipedia, preventing personal editing after edits from their computer systems were revealed. The Foreign Minister thought that Wikipedia "sites" are "a bit, sort of, a bit anti-government".
• Canada ([3]): Vancouver mayor accused of an obsession with his public image
• Scotland ([4]): local government in Scotland caught editing articles
• General ([5]): repeats findings from last week
• Warnings ([6]): this article warns about the dangers to public servants of editing Wikipedia, and how the organisations should respond to meet this need.

Why we can still trust Wikipedia

Why we can still trust Wikipedia: University of Sydney student Tamsin Lloyd begins by saying that we are being required to question the truth more and more, especially since the WikiScanner revelations. She outlines the basic principles of how Wikipedia works, and discusses some of the things that ensure quality. For example, a strong social structure, where there is "a strong internal 'praise/shame' economy", results in a community where members who play foul are noticed quickly. She concludes that while Wikipedia is not perfect, it is more committed to the "information cause" than many journalists. Lloyd is currently writing her thesis on online communities, focusing on Wikipedia as a case study.