Have you ever editted Wikipedia?

I editted the travel entry for a favorite spot in Iceland last week. Ohhh, the power!

Here

I have, but won’t mention which entries on this forum.

I am nerd.

Yes, it was changed back despite it being absolutely true – because a moderator style person was happy to believe in inaccurate source just because it was ‘a source’.

Similarly, a friend who works for a big-name band has had a fair few issues with such things – when tbe ‘source’ is say both an autobiography and the lead singer sitting in the next chair – but neither are more relevant than some rumour website or something as far as those with power are concerned.
Unfortunately it’s a bit too much about being ‘in’ and not quite enough about truth. About the same for most big organisations, to be fair!

Have had some more successful edits, to be fair.

Mainly cricket stuff, some canoeing stuff, some triathlon stuff.

Have only been reverted once, when I pulled the trigger a bit early on ranking updates, but then I tend to avoid controversial stuff.

Don’t be daft. I can’t even get me head round Facebook. 😳

If elf’ can’t even do FB, how do I start a Wikipedia article about him? He’ll never know.

He’ll never know.

Yeah, but in that case what’s the point?

It might peeve him to wonder what is happenning.

nm

I once edited David Jason’s entry to say that he was dead in order to try and win a bet. 😳

It was changed back within a minute or two (I also made it sound fairly unconvincing in case any friends/family actually believed it and got upset).

Yep – I edited one last year, and my edit is still there – in fact someone else has since added some links in to the bit I added.

Would it surprise you to know that Wikipedia’s biggest contributors are the CIA and the Vatican?

I created a page about another forum some years ago – it got deleted after a month or so…

Would it surprise you to know that Wikipedia’s biggest contributors are the CIA and the Vatican?

Yes, I thought David Rose was the biggest single contributor…. Can you believe everything you read?

Yes but I’m not telling you what – my ninja edits are still there :evil laugh:

Yeah I’ve contributed to a few articles there. Mainly technical stuff or things that are local to me.

Would it surprise you to know that Wikipedia’s biggest contributors are the CIA and the Vatican?

Yes. That’s not what it says on Wiki…. oooh..

Incidentally, people who do “funny” edits, presumably these are the same people that once upon a time would borrow dictionaries from libraries and scribble all over them?

hora used to have his own entry (although not written by him). seems to be long gone now.

Yep. I’m not sure if Sandro gets songs sung to him about cows, but if he does, then sorry chap!

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/817639-sandro-scores-the-goals-cow-milking-song-set-to-catch-on-at-spurs

The weird thing about Wikipedia is that once the mainstream media has fallen for it and reported it as fact, it then becomes a verified fact from Wikipedia’s perspective. Self fulfilling.

a friend added himself and his brother to a list of famous east enders. the Taylor brothers were up there with the Kray twins for a fortnight or so….

Incidentally, people who do “funny” edits, presumably these are the same people that once upon a time would borrow dictionaries from libraries and scribble all over them?

It’s like, ‘I don’t have the intelligence or talent be be acknowledged in a positive way, so I’ll do something destructive and negative instead, to get the attention I crave’.

I’ve added to pages about my company (positively) and also corrected a spelling issue with my family’s village in Ireland.

Then the eagle eyes bots/nerds come out to instruct you on “look and feel”.

I wasn’t destructive or negative – just amusing

I made some edits a while ago to the “Mountain Bike” page, the info was just a bit out of date. Someone has made a better job of it since.

The “Formula 1” entry looks a bit messy and out of date so I might have ago at editing that.

Incidentally, people who do “funny” edits, presumably these are the same people that once upon a time would borrow dictionaries from libraries and scribble all over them?

No, because that’s vandalism that is irreversible and costs money to repair/replace. If an edit is harmless, and has no malicious intent, then I have no problem with it.

worth looking here when it is updated

http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/

If an edit is harmless, and has no malicious intent, then I have no problem with it.

I do.

It damages the overall veracity of the Wiki and wastes the time of anyone who happens to use the vandalised entry and of the volunteers that have to go and fix it.

So it is not “harmless” or free.

What’s the etiquette with adding commercial enterprises to Wiki? I only ask as I see a previous poster mentions adding to his company’s profile.

Can I add my two little photographic businesses or is that a no-no?

EDIT: just googled the question – interesting reading. I have been in the local press a good few times (for good reasons!) but pretty sure the businesss isn’t ‘noteworthy’….

but pretty sure the businesss isn’t ‘noteworthy’

You could say that many entries in Wikipedia are only ‘noteworthy’ to the authors. There is a lot of rubbish out there.

Can I add my two little photographic businesses or is that a no-no?

No real benefit to you anyway.
All external links are “nofollow”.

This means you don’t get any boost to your Google rank by having links to your site from Wikipedia.

Anyone played the Wikipedia game? Best with 2 or more people bored in an office, each on a computer (not quite entertaining enough to do in your own time!). 2 wiki pages selected at random, get from one the other only by using hyperlinks to other wikipedia pages. Fewest links win.

Given how frequently I find myself consulting wikipedia, I should try to add to it where I can.

But I’m only every on there for a quick check of a fact, or basic introduction to something I know very little about, rather than researching something I’m in a position to challenge or add to.

What’s the etiquette with adding commercial enterprises to Wiki? I only ask as I see a previous poster mentions adding to his company’s profile.

When I said company earlier I was referring to the organisation of government bodies. So not advertising…

I have never edited it (I like to get paid for my work), but I do use it for work and always assume that entries about individuals are likely to have been edited by themselves, their PR or Johann Hari.

Yes, mainly about my local village. I think someone changed it slightly, but the gist of the entry remained.

I also edited another article on a car because the grammar was appalling. I think that stayed.

Nobody made a smart arse comment about ‘Editted’ yet? Several times, if I know what I’m talking about. I was reverted once over something I know to be true, in favour of accepted folk wisdom (but no source). Life’s too short.

Yup – I wrote a reasonable chunk (at the time) about one Mr Steve Peat, back when it was a really short entry. Some of my edits are still there. Also corrected spelling and style on a number of articles, and reverted a some vandalism on another.

My work ip address is banned from editing wikipedia as someone vandalised a page (not me).