CLIOPATRIA: A Group Blog

Oscar Chamberlain

Wiki-libel

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Wikipedia. I do use it, particularly when I want a quick summary of how some technology works. I like the way that thousands of people post and correct posts on thousands of topics simply for the love of it. I guess my 1960s roots are showing there. However, I don’t allow my students to use it as a source. There’s just too much room for falsehood, particularly on the controversial topics that many of them are researching.

This USA Today op-ed has just become exhibit A for why I don’t. You may remember the author, John Seigenthaler, Sr., from the Freedom Rides episode in Eyes on the Prize. That is only a short chapter in a long and fruitful life.

He’s a good man who deserves much better. And Wikipedia is going to have to evolve some more creative anti-libel procedures if it wants to continue to grow and to remain both open and trustworthy.

Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 2:00 PM 

• Interesting summary by John H. Lederer (November 30, 2005 at 3:46 PM)
• Re: Interesting summary by Ralph E. Luker (November 30, 2005 at 4:34 PM)
  • Re: Interesting summary by Rob MacDougall (November 30, 2005 at 9:16 PM)
    • Re: Interesting summary by Ralph E. Luker (November 30, 2005 at 9:47 PM)
      • Re: Interesting summary by Rob MacDougall (December 1, 2005 at 9:25 AM)
• Re: Interesting summary by Jonathan Dresner (November 30, 2005 at 4:52 PM)
  • Re: Interesting summary by John H. Lederer (November 30, 2005 at 5:53 PM)
    • Re: Interesting summary by Ralph E. Luker (November 30, 2005 at 8:37 PM)
      • Re: Interesting summary by John H. Lederer (November 30, 2005 at 9:17 PM)
        • Re: Interesting summary by Ralph E. Luker (November 30, 2005 at 9:39 PM)
          • Re: Interesting summary by John H. Lederer (December 1, 2005 at 11:57 AM)

• Ongoing controversy by Jonathan T. Reynolds (November 30, 2005 at 4:44 PM)

• Truth by Ralph E. Luker (November 30, 2005 at 11:12 PM)

• Last Time Around by Andrew D. Todd (December 1, 2005 at 7:07 AM)
• Re: Last Time Around by Jonathan Dresner (December 1, 2005 at 8:34 AM)
  • Re: Last Time Around by Andrew D. Todd (December 1, 2005 at 12:52 PM)

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