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Microsoft Encarta Adopting Wikiesque Process

Posted by Zonk on from the i-love-making-up-words dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The MSN Encarta program manager announced that readers of Microsoft's encyclopedia articles can now edit articles in a Wikipedia-like fashion. Once submitted, edits are reviewed by Encarta staff members for accuracy, readability, and proofreading before being incorporated into the article." From the post: "To support this program, we've hired some new research editors. Their job will be to help you out with things like fact-checking, syntax, and editorial style. Every writer can use a good editor, and we see no reason that community contributors deserve any less." J adds: This won't be a big surprise, but "Your submissions to Encarta must be your own work" and "you grant Microsoft permission to use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission."

3 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. I just hope Microsoft don't patent this. by Ailure · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Seriously, they probably will not. As a patent on the "wiki" system is far-fetched. ...then, many patents are far-fetched but still get through. Soon someone patent the wheel too.

  2. Does Goatse man have bowel control? by panaceaa · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Does anyone know if the Goatse man has control of his bowels? I've been wondering for a couple years. Apparently he posts to alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.male.anal, so maybe he's commented about it in the past.

    --
    my blog
  3. Okay, first bug discovered: Microsoft opens up :) by presroi · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Well, according to Encarta, the Article on Microsoft Corp is reserved for those who are using Encarta Premium:

    When you click on this link encarta will keep quiet:

    This article is exclusively available for MSN Encarta Premium Subscribers. Already a subscriber? Sign in above.


    When you take the article ID 761567883 and past it into one of the edit-URLs auch as this one, you are free to see the whole article:

    tataa!

    I. Introduction

    Microsoft Corporation, the largest company in the world dedicated to creating computer software. Microsoft develops and sells a wide variety of software products to businesses and consumers and has subsidiary offices in more than 60 countries. ... and so on...


    Okay, this is pretty simple to fix*. So enjoy your time to "share the knowledge" or whatever Encarta encouraged you to do....

    *=someone didn't do his homework....