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John Byrne
Cog
Joined: 11 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 65264
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 10:19am | IP Logged | 1
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Does anyone know how to contact whatever Powers may Be at this online "encyclopedia"? For a couple of days now, between other, more important concerns, I have been trying to delete from the entry about me all the nonsense that goes beyond encyclopdic reference and enters the realms of opinion, rumor and borderline libel, and the result is that the page has been "locked" against my editing, on that grounds that my attempts to delete lies and troll-fodder constitute "vandalism". To add insult to injury, I have even been sent a little "message" from someone calling herself{?) DragonflySixtyseven, telling me I should not be trying to delete "actual fact"! "Actual fact" is what I am trying to get the "entry" to actually contain!I have made several attempts to find my way thru the labyrinthian coils of the administrative section of Wikipedia, but to no result. (And how about that ability they have to send the users "messages" to which the users cannot directly respond? Makes AOL seem like a bastion of sanity and decorum!) Any ideas?
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17682
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 10:32am | IP Logged | 2
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I was thinking Joe Z had gotten somewhere with this. Joe?
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Bill Lukash
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2019
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 10:41am | IP Logged | 3
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I cringe anytime anyone brings up Wikipedia. Their motto should be "Where your opinion become fact." Sheesh!
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Jacob P Secrest
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4501
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 10:51am | IP Logged | 4
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I found out that Tennessee Williams's mum was a hooker on Wikipedia.
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Joe Smith
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 August 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3324
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 11:05am | IP Logged | 5
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They should have to change the name or change the content.
I was thinking, 'HTMLosers'
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Carl Dompok
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 July 2005
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 58
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 11:19am | IP Logged | 6
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Perhaps if someone else would edit on JB's behalf maybe that'll work. I suppose when JB tried to delete some of the entries, they saw this as being bias as the entry was about him. I dunno. Just guessing.
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Jacob P Secrest
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4501
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 11:20am | IP Logged | 7
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I tried that, it's been blocked to all editing.
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Todd Hembrough
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 4175
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 11:49am | IP Logged | 8
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Wikipedia is owned and operated by the Wikimedia Foundation.
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home
Contact information for the principals is below. Seems like a
lawyerly letter to the Board of Trustees might get someones attention.
Good Luck JB,
Todd
Wikimedia Foundation
Postal address
- Wikimedia Foundation Inc.
- 204 37th Ave N, #330
- St. Petersburg, FL 33704
- Phone: +1(310)474-3223
email addresses
- The Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation can be contacted by email at board@wikimedia.org.
Wikimedia's founder Jimmy Wales can be contacted at jwales@wikia.com
Edited by Todd Hembrough on 14 September 2005 at 11:52am
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17682
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 11:55am | IP Logged | 9
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Way Ta Go, Todd!
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Todd Hembrough
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 4175
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 12:05pm | IP Logged | 10
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Thanks Brian. Hope it all works out for the Chief.
T
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John Byrne
Cog
Joined: 11 May 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 65264
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:38pm | IP Logged | 11
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I have sent an email to Jimmy Wales at the above
address. Let's see what happens.
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17682
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:49pm | IP Logged | 12
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Good luck, JB.
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 10045
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:54pm | IP Logged | 13
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"Perhaps if someone else would edit on JB's behalf maybe that'll work. I
suppose when JB tried to delete some of the entries, they saw this as
being bias as the entry was about him. I dunno. Just guessing."
Months ago I and a couple other guys tried to edit down the Wiki entry but were
stopped by an admin. He and other admins sided with those who wanted to
pack the article with rumors, hearsay from decades back. Of course,
those admins are themselves very opinionated comics fans. It was
incredibly frustrating.
Edited by Joe Zhang on 14 September 2005 at 1:55pm
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Chris Hutton
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 11778
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:57pm | IP Logged | 14
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Lots of people on here rely on that site when making statements. To me, wikipedia is just like a blog-- anybody can write whatever they want, & it becomes "fact."
No thanks.
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Todd Hembrough
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 4175
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:02pm | IP Logged | 15
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I have found it useful, to a point, for historical facts, and the
like. People, and countries, and dates, etc. JB's entry is
a travesty, and it may well be emblematic of the site as a whole.
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Matt Reed
Byrne Robotics Security
Robotmod
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 21172
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 16
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Anyplace that basically says to the general population "You're the
editor!" should be taken with a big ol' heaping helping of salt.
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Jon Juzan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 751
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:11pm | IP Logged | 17
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Anyplace that basically says to the general population "You're the editor!" should be taken with a big ol' heaping helping of salt.
-------------------------------
Which is why it baffles me that JB wants to "fix" it. Even if he fixes it, then others can come back and changed what he changed!
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 10045
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | 18
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"Which is why it baffles me that JB wants to "fix" it. "
Problem is the presentation, the image of Wikipedia makes its contents
seem authoratitive. You wouldn't like it if someone made an entry that
alleges you are a cannabilstic cross-dresser, would you? But the
attitude of Wiki is such that if you can type it on a keyboard, then
its perfectly fit to print.
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Glenn Brown
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2483
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | 19
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This doesn't help JB's question, but just wanted to add I don't think he has been singularly blocked from editing the entry bearing his name because of his celebrity. Apparently, several Internet users can share a common IP address (wasn't aware of this; is this only on AOL?), so everyone linked to that address will receive emails and messages from Wikipedia re "vandalism" of an entry and threats of being barred. This occurred with me, and I have never created an entry or edited a page...yet "I" received hostile emails for doing so.
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Roger A Ott II
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5004
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:29pm | IP Logged | 20
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Matt Reed: Anyplace that basically says to the general population "You're the editor!" should be taken with a big ol' heaping helping of salt.
Exactly. I've never gone there, and I see no need to. What good is the information there if I can't rely on it to be factual?
I'll stick to more reliable sources, thank you very much.
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Jon Juzan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 751
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 21
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Problem is the presentation, the image of Wikipedia makes its contents seem authoratitive. You wouldn't like it if someone made an entry that alleges you are a cannabilstic cross-dresser, would you? But the attitude of Wiki is such that if you can type it on a keyboard, then its perfectly fit to print.
---------------------------------------------------
No I wouldn't like it...but I would realize there's nothing I can do about it. And what exactly is authoratitive about the main page that says "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit"?
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Roger A Ott II
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5004
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 22
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JB: Makes AOL seem like a bastion of sanity and decorum!
Now that's just crazy talk! I remember the old Byrne Ward days, and wow...what a load of fun that was...
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Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 10045
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:49pm | IP Logged | 23
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"And what exactly is authoratitive about the main page that says "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit"?"
It's kind of like the problem with Rich Johnston's "column". Yes, he
clearly says he's not a journalist, but people take him seriously
because many of his rumors turn out to be true. So they overlook his
lies. Wikiepedia is doing a real disservice to JB, but otherwise they
seem to be quite informative.
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Mark McConnell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 776
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged | 24
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Way too much opinion for an "encyclopedia" article.
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Jon Juzan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 751
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| Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:59pm | IP Logged | 25
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I think you and I may have very different opinions about what a "free country" is Joe. Wikipedia states what it is, quite obviously. For JB to correct it, then have no one else edit it after he is done, would be against the entire concept of it's creation.
IMDB.COM has lost a lot of respect. If Wikipedia hasn't already, it will. As long as they are stating that anyone can edit it (hence, open to inaccuracies), they are doing all they need to do.
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Topic Closed)
