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Joe Zhang
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:54pm | IP Logged | 1  

"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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 1:57pm | IP Logged | 2  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:02pm | IP Logged | 3  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 4  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:11pm | IP Logged | 5  

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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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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | 6  

"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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | 7  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:29pm | IP Logged | 8  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 9  

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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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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | 10  

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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:49pm | IP Logged | 11  

"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
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Posted: 14 September 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged | 12  

Way too much opinion for an "encyclopedia" article.
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