Britannica Takes Over the Wikimedia Foundation

An anonymous reader writes "The Encyclopaedia Britannica has initiated a "semi-hostile" takeover of Wikipedia. Wikipedia administrators, members of the Wikimedia Board of Trustees, Arbitration Committee members and several other cabalists will receive free access. However, their adminship powers will be stripped permanently."

Comments

Booriing

[opqdonut]

This april fools stuff is getiing really lame.

Re:Booriing

[TrappedByMyself]

I think the real April Fool's joke is getting people who aren't amused by the jokes to keep coming back to the site and post comments about them.

It's like going to the same store 3 dozen times in one day, buying the same shirt each time, and telling the cashier each time how much you really hate that shirt.

Factual content on slashdot - a first?

[rylin]

"Nothing for you to see here. Please move along."

That actually describes slashdot with 100% accuracy for April 1st.

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!

[afree87]

It was a joke!! Haha, oh Slashdot, you got us good!

april fools

[sirvulcan]

These stories are just too easy to figure out this year.

damn it

[nomadic]

This really really sucks. Especially timing it for April Fools Day when people won't believe it's a real story.

April Fools Day or My Birthday?

[RobotRunAmok]

Britannica taking over Wiki? Too bad it's only a fantasy. Short of Britannica putting its content on the Web free, this would be the next best thing.

This, too, is great news.

[AtariAmarok]

I look forward to a salesman knocking on my door and selling me a 6 foot wide stack of Wikipedia volumes to fill my shelves.

WikBritPedAnnica

[FunWithHeadlines]

Following completion of the takeover, the following steps will be taken:

1. Reduce the number of articles online so that they will fit into a 27-volume set of printed books.

2. The person making this list will be sacked.

3. Reduce the use of fluffy language on Wikipedia, and make everything more stuffy.

4. The person who sacked the person making this list will be sacked.

5. More cheesey goodness!

6. Sack everyone else.

7. ?????

8. Profit!!!!

Re:WikBritPedAnnica

[EvilTwinSkippy]

7. Hire a bunch of Peruvian llamas to finish the edition at the last minute and at great expense.

Some nice bits ....

[gowen]

I like the new board of directors at the end... excerpts include

• Tony Blair, Director of Transparency and Accountability
  
• Al Gore (inventor of the algorithm)
  
• Robert Downey, Jr., Ambassador to Colombia and Jamaica
  
• Dr. Who, Minister of Time Travel
  
• Marty McFly, Vice Minister of Time Travel
  
• Ron Artest and Miles O'Brien, security guards.
  
• Bub the Zombie, Minister of NRRRGGGHH! BRAINS!!!!
  
• Terri Schiavo, Personal Assitant to Bub the Zombie
  
• Ian Brown, King Monkey
  

Or this one:

[AtariAmarok]

Politics: "Through a glitch between Zimbabwe's election computers and Slashdot, Cowboy Neal was elected president of Zimbabwe yesterday."

Re:Retaliation against /.

[OECD]

Here's the next joke article:

*Groan* I forgot what day it was... the longest day of the year for slashdot readers...

Re:Cmon slastdot

[calibanDNS]

Otherwise, readers would carefully inspect every article.

That would be a blessing any day of the year.

Next story?

[maxwell demon]

Microsoft buys Slashdot.
Linus Thorvalds buys Linux License from SCO.
Hubble Space Telecope observes Intergalactic Spaceship.
Space Probe Reveals: There is No Intelligent Life on Earth.
Harvard Researcher creates Dupe Detection Software. Soon to be Installed on Slashdot.

Re:Mod me down but..

[Jugalator]

I'm sure they'll post three articles about the Google space increase later to compensate. ;-)

Re:Retaliation against /.

[bsd4me]

I think I am going to configure my computer to give me an electric shock every time I try to read Shashdot today...