Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wikipedia's Wales Reverses Decision on Problem Admin

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the who-can-you-trust dept.

ToiletDuck writes "Wikipedia co-founder Jimbo Wales appears to have changed his mind concerning Essjay, the administrator who was caught lying about his academic credentials. Wales issued a statement today on his User Talk page requesting that EssJay voluntarily step down. Wales defended his earlier comment about EssJay, claiming 'I only learned this morning that EssJay used his false credentials in content disputes ... I want to make it perfectly clear that my past support of EssJay in this matter was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on.' Wales did not comment on whether EssJay would continue to serve in his paid position at Wikia, the for-profit cousin of Wikipedia."

9 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. He didn't reverse his decision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He simply edited it with updated information.

  2. O RLY? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on.'

    When has lack of knowledge about a subject ever stopped anyone on wikipedia? If it's good enough for ordinary users, it's good enough for Jimbo!
  3. Re:Tortured prose by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 2, Funny

    Careful there, buddy. Excessive use of that Thesaurus will make you go blind.

    --

    "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
  4. Innevitable by nEoN+nOoDlE · · Score: 5, Funny

    "my past support of EssJay in this matter was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on."

    Well, that's what happens when you get all your info from Wikipedia.

    --
    Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
  5. This is all a terrible misunderstanding by Rix · · Score: 4, Funny

    Essjay has faith in the idea that he holds a PhD. Doesn't that qualify him in the field of theology? ;)

  6. This is not news! by jeevesbond · · Score: 2, Funny

    Some of us have known for a long time that Wikipedia administrators are evil. See what the highly reliable Conservapedia has to say about them:

    The administrators who monitor and control the content on Wikipedia do not represent the views of the majority of Americans, and many are in fact not American. For example, only 10% of Americans accept evolution as it is taught in public school, yet many Wikipedia administrators accept it as a sourced fact, and will censor material that contradicts evolution.

    As everyone knows, Conservapedia editors are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.

    --
    I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
  7. Jimbo shows it again... by Erwos · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jimmy Wales shows us the qualities of a good Wikipedia administrator:
    1. Doesn't know what he's talking about, yet talks anyways.
    2. Soft on folks who deliberately falsify information.

    What more could you ask for? Er, wait...

    --
    Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
  8. Wikipedia Drama by alexjohnc3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wikipedia — Serious business.

    Speaking of serious, I seriously can't believe someone would lie about themselves on the Internet, of all places (and on Wikipedia too!), for their own benefit!

  9. Re:Essjay still has my support by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2, Funny

    Above comment is likely from a sockpuppet of essjay. Sock puppets are a violation of WP:SOCK. Stop doing this or get an IP ban.

    I vote to keep essjay deleted on grounds of non notability.

    Sucks to be on the receiving end of WikiBureaucracy doesn't it essjay ;-)

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;