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Wikipedia May Require Proof of Credentials

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the yeah-good-luck-with-that dept.

narramissic writes "According to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, a new policy is currently under discussion by the community of users who regularly write and maintain Wikipedia that would require contributors to the site who claim certain credentials to prove they really have them. The new policy comes after one of Wikipedia's most prolific and respected editors, who went by the pseudonym 'Essjay,' was found not to be the 'tenured professor of theology' he claimed to be but a run-of-the-mill 24 year-old from Kentucky. Said Wales, 'To discover that someone had been deceiving the community for a long time really was a bit of a blow to our trust. Wikipedia is built on the idea of trusting other people and people being honest and we find that in the most part everyone is, so it was a real disappointment.'"

19 of 317 comments (clear)

  1. Agreed and.... by spazmolytic666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    People on Slashdot should also have to prove that they are "Professor Know-it-alls, PHD" that they claim to be.

    Wonder how many of them will turn out to be just some 24 year old from Kentucky.

    --
    Help! I've fallen in a karma hole and I can't get up!
    1. Re:Agreed and.... by Mike89 · · Score: 3, Funny

      How would one go about doing this?

      I'm not under 1000, but I *could* have gotten a lower ID on Slashdot legitimately had I decided to register on this site right away. However, I didn't create an account until I had been reading here for some time. But how would I prove that? :-)

      Folks who were active on other contemporary sites at the time might recognize my name (from IWE or from other places), but that would be hearsay, not proof.

      I believe what he means to say is "Hey Kids, get off my damn lawn!"
    2. Re:Agreed and.... by Joebert · · Score: 2, Funny

      How would one go about doing this?

      Send me $50 & I'll joebertize a letter of authenticity & mail it back to you to display as proof.
      --
      Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
    3. Re:Agreed and.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      What if we're 24 year olds, but qualified and skilled professionals in our field?

      Calm down, they'll still let you edit the masturbation article.

    4. Re:Agreed and.... by multisync · · Score: 4, Funny

      Uh, moderators... This story is about the requirement for verifying identification in an online context, and about the difficulty of sometimes doing so.

      How is my posting off topic?


      Aha! You obviously did buy your low id, or you would have known that you were moderated "Offtopic" because the moderator didn't agree with you.
      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
  2. Obligatory by Billosaur · · Score: 3, Funny

    Credentials?!?! We don't need no stinkin' credentials!!!

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  3. Re:Somewhat odd. by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have four PhDs in theology, sociology, psychology, and nuclear physics, so I feel I'm qualified to answer this question.

    The beginning philosophy of Wikipedia was that everyone had something to contribute to human knowledge, and credentials (the sort of things that get you opportunities to publish in respected journals) should not matter as much as the accuracy of your statements.

    Now, though, it seems like they only feel like that if you lie about your credentials. This seems fine, except that the only reason you would care if someone lied about their credentials is if you felt that readers would automatically give their opinions more weight because of their (false) credentials. Is this a tacit admission that the "content over credentials" philosophy doesn't actually work in the real world? There is certainly an argument to be made.

  4. He called it a by Moryath · · Score: 2, Funny

    "male-oriented search engine."

    Heh.

  5. How do I prove it? by douglips · · Score: 2, Funny

    How can I prove IANAL? Is there some sort of anti-law degree I need to get? From an anti-law school?

    --
    My amazing wife - Artist, Author, Philosopher - Laurie M
    1. Re:How do I prove it? by Shakrai · · Score: 3, Funny

      How can I prove IANAL?

      Allow an ambulance to go by without salivating or getting an erection?

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    2. Re:How do I prove it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      How can I prove IANAL?

      is this what that nasty goat picture is for?

  6. Re:Hmmm... is this the same Jimbo Wales who... by BarryJacobsen · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a long time member of the human race, I can attest that stereotyping is seldom a good method by which to judge someone. You humans are all the same...
    --
    Track your TV Shows with your iPhone - FREE
  7. Re: The proposal by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    > The proposal is that "Wikipedia develops a system for verifying editors' credentials, so as to encourage greater accountability for users who claim expertise in certain fields".

    Can I cite a Wikipedia article about me as proof of my credentials?

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  8. What's the big deal... by guruevi · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... down in Kentucky you're viewed as a professor in theology if you go to church on both Saturdays AND Sundays.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  9. Who cares? by Bullfish · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is not a problem when you can go to http://conservapedia.com/. Who needs credentials when you can have all of the content of wikipedia without those pesky facts that require checking etc.

  10. Guess they are too lazy. by jefp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Too lazy to implement a collaborative filtering / reputation management system.

  11. Wait a minute! by Peter+Trepan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are you telling me Essjay claimed to be a theologian, but all he really did was peddle bullshit?

    --

    Step into a huge movement. Don't Tread In Me.

  12. Re:Hmmm... is this the same Jimbo Wales who... by batquux · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a long time member of the human race We're gonna need to see some proof...
  13. Re:Somewhat odd. by thopkins · · Score: 2, Funny

    The way this guy is yelling FACT reminds me of Dwight Shrute from The Office.