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Encyclopedia > Essjay controversy
Timeline
  • August 16, 2005: Essjay first posts on his Wikipedia user page that he is a professor of theology, with doctorates in Theology and Canon Law.
  • July 31, 2006: That week's issue of The New Yorker has a story about Wikipedia by Schiff, which features an interview with Essjay.
  • January 2007: Essjay hired by Wikia.
  • January 7, 2007: Essjay posts autobiographical details on his user page at Wikia, giving his real name, Ryan Jordan, his age, 24, previous employment history from age 19, and positions within various Wikimedia Foundation projects. These details differ sharply from previous assertions on Essjay's Wikipedia user page about his academic and professional credentials.
  • January 11 2007: At Wikipedia Review Daniel Brandt posts a pointer to Essjay's Wikia userpage. Brandt investigates further, later contacting The New Yorker.[1]
  • February 2, 2007: Another Wikipedia editor challenges Essjay on his talk page about the discrepancy and he responds with an explanation.[2]
  • February 23, 2007: Wales announces his appointment of Essjay to Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee.
  • February 26, 2007: The New Yorker publishes the correction for its March 5 issue, which appears in its The Mail section of its print version. It is picked up by online sources within the next day.[3][4]
  • March 3, 2007: Wales asks Jordan to resign his "positions of trust". Jordan promptly retires from Wikipedia altogether and later resigns from his position at Wikia.[5]
  • March 5, 2007: Story covered by the The New York Times.
  • March 6, 2007: Jordan's hometown newspaper publishes an article casting doubts about his January 2007 claims on his Wikia userpage that he had worked for the United States Trustee Program and had been a Kentucky paralegal.[6]
  • March 7, 2007: Story covered in an Associated Press article.[7]
  • March 8, 2007: Story appears in two-minute segment on World News with Charles Gibson.[8]
  • March 12, 2007: The New Yorker publishes a formal apology by Wales in its March 19 The Mail section.[9]
  • March 15, 2007: The Wikipedia community rejects proposal on verifying credentials.[10]
  • June 13, 2007 An Australian court evaluating the reliability of armeniapedia.org cites the Essjay controversy as the basis for concluding that armeniapedia.org is an unreliable source of information.[11]

The "Essjay controversy" was a February 2007 incident where a prominent English Wikipedia administrator known as Essjay was found to have made false claims about his academic qualifications and professional experience in a telephone interview with The New Yorker.[12] Essjay was also a salaried community manager with Wikia, a company run by Jimmy Wales, who played a central role in the founding of Wikipedia. As a Wikipedia editor, Essjay spent less time editing articles and more time addressing vandalism and editorial disputes.[13] is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Canon law is the term used for... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry and fiction. ... Wikia is a selective wiki hosting service (or wiki farm) founded in 2004 by Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley under the name Wikicities. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The United States Trustee Program is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... A paralegal is person who works in the legal profession, typically as an assistant to a lawyer, and who is typically responsible for researching, analyzing, and managing the daily tasks for cases. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... World News with Charles Gibson (previously known as World News Tonight and often abbreviated as WNT) is an American television news program. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Logo of Wikipedia The English Wikipedia is the English language edition of the Wikipedia encyclopedia. ... SysOp (pronounced /ˈsɪs. ... The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry and fiction. ... Wikia is a selective wiki hosting service (or wiki farm) founded in 2004 by Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley under the name Wikicities. ... Jimmy Donal Jimbo Wales, (born August 7, 1966)[2] is an American Internet entrepreneur best known for his role in founding Wikipedia, as well as other wiki-related projects, including the charitable organization Wikimedia Foundation, and the for-profit company Wikia, Inc. ...


During an interview for a July 2006 article about Wikipedia, Essjay told The New Yorker, and had previously stated on his Wikipedia user page,[14] that he held doctoral degrees in theology and canon law, and worked as a tenured professor at a private university. It was later discovered that he was 24 years old, and had left community college with no qualifications.[6] The New Yorker published a correction in February 2007, which brought the issue to public attention.[12] Aquatint of a Doctor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, in the scarlet and black academic robes corresponding to his position. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Canon law is the term used for... Dropping out means to withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values. ... In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a technical college, county college, junior college or a city college, is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and Associates degrees. ...


Reaction to the disclosure was broad-based, encompassing commentary and articles in the electronic, print, and broadcast media.[15] The Wikipedia community researched Essjay's article edits to check for errors, and debated proposals to improve the project's handling of personal identification. Jimmy Wales initially supported Essjay's use of a persona, saying, "I regard it as a pseudonym and I don’t really have a problem with it."[16] When it became clear that Essjay had used the credentials in article content disputes,[6] Wales withdrew his support and asked for Essjay's resignation from his positions with Wikipedia[13] and Wikia.[16] A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ...

Contents

The New Yorker interview

Stacy Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist writing for The New Yorker, interviewed Essjay as a source for an article about Wikipedia ("Know It All" July 31, 2006) after he was recommended to her by a member of the Wikimedia Foundation. According to The New Yorker, Essjay "was willing to describe his work as a Wikipedia administrator but would not identify himself other than by confirming the biographical details that appeared on his user page."[12] Describing his academic credentials as including two doctorates, the article said that Essjay was spending fourteen hours or more a day on Wikipedia but was careful to keep his online life a secret from his colleagues and friends. Essjay was portrayed as often taking his laptop to class, so he could be available to other Wikipedians while giving a quiz. He asserted that he required anonymity to avoid cyberstalking.[12] Stacy Madeleine Schiff (born October 26, 1961[1]) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American nonfiction author and guest columnist for The New York Times. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry and fiction. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. ... Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk someone. ...


When asked at Wikipedia for an example of the resources he used when editing articles, Essjay had recommended sources such as Catholicism for Dummies,[17] a book granted the nihil obstat and imprimatur by the Roman Catholic Church.[18] Cover of HTML 4 for Dummies. ... Nihil obstat is an LOOK AT ME!!!! official approval by a delegated censor of the Roman Catholic Church to publish a work dealing with faith or morals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic...


Identity revealed

When Essjay was hired by Wikia in January 2007, he made changes to his Wikia profile and "came clean on who he really was," identifying himself as Ryan Jordan.[19][20][21][22][23] Other Wikipedia editors questioned Essjay on his Wikipedia talk page about the apparent discrepancy between his new Wikia profile and his previously claimed credentials.[24] Essjay later commented on his Wikipedia user page about having fooled Schiff by "doing a good job playing the part."[25]


Social activist and Wikipedia critic Daniel Brandt then reported the identity discrepancy to The New Yorker.[26] In late February 2007 The New Yorker updated its article with a correction indicating that Essjay had subsequently identified himself as Ryan Jordan[6] and further stated, "Essjay now says that his real name is Ryan Jordan, that he is twenty-four and holds no advanced degrees, and that he has never taught."[12]


Reaction

Wikipedia community

Speaking personally about Jordan, Wales said, “Mr. Ryan [sic] was a friend, and still is a friend. He is a young man, and he has offered me a heartfelt personal apology, which I have accepted. I hope the world will let him go in peace to build an honorable life and reputation.”[27]


Essjay had promptly responded to the controversy with a statement on his Wikipedia user talk page, in part reading:

…I *am* sorry if anyone in the Wikipedia community has been hurt by my decision to use disinformation to protect myself. I'm not sorry that I protected myself; I believed, and continue to believe, that I was right to protect myself, in light of the problems encountered on the internet in these trying times. I have spoken to all of my close friends here about this, and have heard resoundingly that they understand my position, and they support me. Jimbo and many others in Wikipedia's hierarchy have made thier [sic] support known as well…[28]

Reaction from within the Wikipedia community was sharp, voluminous, and mixed. While most editors denounced at least some aspects of his behavior, responses ranged from offering complete support to accusing Jordan of "plain and simple fraud."[29]


As the controversy unfolded the Wikipedia community began a review of Essjay's previous edits and some felt he had relied upon his fictional professorship to influence editorial consideration of edits he made. "People have gone through his edits and found places where he was basically cashing in on his fake credentials to bolster his arguments," said Michael Snow, a Wikipedia administrator and founder of the Wikipedia community newspaper, The Wikipedia Signpost. "Those will get looked at again."[29]


Wales was "...reported to be considering vetting all persons who adjudicate on factual disputes."[30] "I don't think this incident exposes any inherent weakness in Wikipedia, but it does expose a weakness that we will be working to address," Wales added.[27] He insisted that Wikipedia editors still would be able to remain anonymous if they wished. "We always prefer to give a positive incentive rather than absolute prohibition, so that people can contribute without a lot of hassle", Wales commented. However, he also warned that “It's always inappropriate to try to win an argument by flashing your credentials, and even more so if those credentials are inaccurate.”[31] Wales reportedly "...expects contributors to the site who claim certain credentials will soon have to prove they really have them."[19] However, Florence Devouard, chair of the Wikimedia Foundation, was not supportive of his credential proposal, saying, "I think what matters is the quality of the content, which we can improve by enforcing policies such as 'cite your source,' not the quality of credentials showed by an editor." Vigorous debate over how to improve Wikipedia continues.[32] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Florence Nibart-Devouard (category) Wikinews has news related to: Bravitude and Chair of the Wikimedia Foundation on the main French TV network Wikinews interviews Florence Devouard, chair of the Wikimedia Foundation Florence Nibart-Devouard (born September 10, 1968) is the Chair of the Board... The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. ...


As a follow up to his initial comments to The New Yorker, Wales wrote this apology to the magazine, which appeared in its March 19, 2007 issue: March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

I am writing to apologize to The New Yorker and Stacy Schiff, and to give some follow-up concerning Ryan Jordan (Editors' Note, March 5). When I last spoke to The New Yorker about the fact that a prominent Wikipedia community member had lied about his credentials, I misjudged the issue. It was not O.K. for Mr. Jordan, or Essjay, to lie to a reporter, even to protect his identity.[9] This article is about the day. ...

Wales expressed his regret that Essjay had "made a series of very bad judgments." He also commented that he hoped Wikipedia would improve as a result of the controversy.


Wikipedia critics

Larry Sanger, editor-in-chief of online encyclopedia Citizendium,[33] and co-founder of Wikipedia[34] who left the project in 2002,[35] called Essjay's response "a defiant non-apology"[36] and elsewhere characterized Essjay's actions as "identity fraud."[37] Writer for The Register and Wikipedia critic Andrew Orlowski criticized Jimmy Wales for hiring Essjay at Wikia and appointing him to the Wikipedia arbitration committee after Essjay had apparently admitted his previously claimed academic and professional credentials were false.[37] Orlowski wrote that Essjay's actions betrayed a dangerous community mindset within Wikipedia, quoting Sanger as saying, "Wikipedians have plainly become a very insular group: they have their own mores and requirements, which are completely independent of the real world. Indeed, that's what this story is about, after all: real-world identities and credentials are rejected as unnecessary by Wikipedia."[37] Lawrence Mark Larry Sanger (born July 16, 1968) has been involved with various online encyclopedia projects. ... Citizendium (a citizens compendium of everything) is an online wiki-based encyclopedia first intended to begin as a progressive or gradual fork of the English Wikipedia,[1] though a decision to start largely from scratch was then made before launch. ... Current logo of The Register. ... Andrew Orlowski (born 1966) is a British columnist for the online IT newspaper The Register. ...


Dan Blacharski of ITworld wrote, "Legitimate writers, scholars and industry experts have very little motivation to contribute to Wikipedia — leaving the project with wannabes and posers like Essjay with too much time on their hands to churn out content."[38] Internet activist Seth Finkelstein said that Wikipedia "fundamentally runs by an extremely deceptive sort of social promise," of which he says Essjay is a product.[39] Finkelstein later wrote in The Guardian, "Wikipedia is selling heavy contributors a dream that their donated effort will give them the prestige of an academic…But all that'll happen is they will work for free, while elsewhere the Wikia investors will reap the rewards." He described Essjay as "that dream’s poster child," who had been encouraged by Wikipedia to play out a detailed fantasy role along with "a cadre of acolytes willing to devote their lives (without payment) to the organization's projects."[25] The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... The phrase poster child originally referred to a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters to raise money for charitable purposes; she was the poster child for muscular dystrophy. However, the term is usually used metaphorically, meaning a shining example or model of its...


“For a company attempting to transition from online co-operative into a genuine media business—one that is supposed to be founded on the bedrock of reliability and trust," Business Week columnist Steve Maich wrote, "the Essjay affair raises serious questions. If credibility isn't an essential part of Wikipedia's business model, does it have a hope of surviving? And if the answer is 'yes,' what does that say about devaluation of truth in the Wikisphere?”[40] Andrew Keen, author of the Cult of the Amateur, considered the entire Essjay controversy as being a prime example of what he views as ignoring expert guidance in favor of the “dictatorship of idiots.”[41] L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, criticized Wikipedia as a dangerous system in which "off-setting and off-putting material" can be added to create "intellectual mischief." Writing in the wake of the Essjay affair, Bozell lamented: "It's enough to make used-car salesmen cringe."[42] This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Andrew Keen (born circa 1960[1]) is a British-American entrepreneur and author best known as a critic of Web 2. ... L. Brent Bozell III is the founder and president of the Media Research Center and president of the Parents Television Council. ...


Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam criticized the Essjay affair as being part of what he characterizes as the problems of "crowdsourcing” and the “wisdom of crowds,” noting also that the crowd accepts authority unquestioningly. “Who would you rather have write your encyclopedia entries?,” asked Beam rhetorically, “Bertrand Russell, T.H. Huxley, and Benedetto Croce, who wrote for the Britannica? Or ... EssJay?”[43]Writing in the Daily Telegraph (London), Cassandra Jardine noted: “Essjay has provided a reminder that any given entry could have been written by someone as ignorant as ourselves. On the other hand, no one has taken issue with his edits, only his assumed persona, so perhaps the real lesson of this democratic medium is that college drop-outs might be as authoritative as professors.”[44] Alex Beam (born 1954) is a writer and journalist, currently a columnist for the Boston Globe. ...


Academics

On March 2, 2007, a report in The Chronicle of Higher Education commented "the incident is clearly damaging to Wikipedia's credibility – especially with professors who will now note that one of the site's most visible academics has turned out to be a fraud."[45] is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper that is a source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and administration. ...


Ross Brann, a professor of Judeo-Islamic studies at Cornell University, said, "This [process of scholarly review] is completely removed [at Wikipedia]… They could make up your life if they wanted to." Brann said that Wikipedia "has no place in the University," and he believed the Essjay incident would do nothing to change the unfavorable opinion that academics generally hold about the online encyclopedia. Several students interviewed at Cornell indicated that they would continue to use Wikipedia as a quick source of information, though they would not cite it in scholarly work.[46] Cornell University is a university located in Ithaca, New York, USA. Its two medical campuses are in New York City and Education City, Qatar. ...


Nicola Pratt, a lecturer in international relations at the University of East Anglia stated, "The ethos of Wikipedia is that anyone can contribute, regardless of status… What's relevant is their knowledge as judged by other readers, not whether they are professors or not – and the fact the student was exposed shows it works."[47] The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a leading campus university located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, founded as part of the British Governments New Universities programme in the 1960s. ...


See also

Wikinews has related news:
  • Jimmy Wales asks Wikipedian to resign "his positions of trust" over nonexistent degrees
  • Retired Wikipedian suggests Pulitzer winner tried to pay him; practice unaccepted in journalism

Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Criticism of Wikipedia, a free content encyclopedia project written collaboratively by volunteers, has increased along with its size and popularity. ... The reliability of Wikipedia as an encyclopedia is often assessed in several ways, including statistically, by comparative review, and by analysis of the historical patterns, strengths and weaknesses inherent in the Wikipedia process. ... The Wikipedia community is the group of people who edit and volunteer their time to build Wikipedia[1][2][3][4][5] and to select what content in Wikipedia is best representative of the projects work. ...

Notes

  1. ^ Ian King, “'A Wiki web they've woven'.” vancouver.24hrs.ca. Archived on 2007-03-02.
  2. ^ Profiles do not mesh.... Essjay Wikipedia talk page (2007-02-02). Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
  3. ^ Nicholas Carr (2007-02-27). Essjay disrobed. Rough Type. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
  4. ^ Jeff Bercovici (2007-02-28). Ode to Wikipedia Riddled with Errors. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
  5. ^ Jimmy Wales (2006-03-06). EssJay situation. WikiEN-l. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
  6. ^ a b c d Wolfson, Andrew. "Wikipedia editor who posed as professor is Ky. dropout", The Courier-Journal, March 6, 2007
  7. ^ Bergstein, Brian. "After flap over phony professor, Wikipedia wants some writers to share real names", Associated Press, March 7, 2007. 
  8. ^ ABC News broadcast on Essjay. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  9. ^ a b Wales, Jimmy (2007-03-19), "Making amends", The New Yorker: 24.
  10. ^ Wikipedia:Credentials. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
  11. ^ Visa ruling incorrectly mentions Wikipedia July 23, 2007 Note: To be fair, armeniapedia.org is a much more reliable source of information than Wikipedia because it does not allow anonymous editing and because its creator, Raffi Kojian, personally copyrights the content. The larger picture is that Courts Turn To Wikipedia, But Selectively.
  12. ^ a b c d e Schiff, Stacey. "Know it all: Can Wikipedia conquer expertise?", The New Yorker, July 24, 2006.
  13. ^ a b Cohen, Noam. "Wikipedia ire turns against ex-editor", International Herald Tribune, March 6, 2007:"Over time, Wikipedia users said, Essjay did less editing and writing and spent more time ensuring that the encyclopedia was as free as possible of vandalism and drawn-out editing fights. By Saturday, Wales had changed his mind about the episode. He cleared off the 'talk' section of his own Wikipedia user page — usually cluttered with personal requests, policy debates and compliments — so that 'this statement gets adequate attention’ and announced that he had 'asked Essjay to resign his positions of trust within the community.’ He said 'that my past support of Essjay in this matter was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on.'"
  14. ^ Archived copy of Essjay's Wikipedia user page, The Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "Wikipedia editor revealed as fake", ABC News, March 6, 2007.
  16. ^ a b Ratcliffe, Mitch (March 5, 2007), Wikipedia: Why does Essjay need to "protect himself"?, Zdnet.com, March 5, 2007, retrieved March 7, 2007
  17. ^ Trigilio, John; Brighenti, Kenneth (2003-04-28). Catholicism for Dummies. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing. ISBN 0-7645-5391-7. 
  18. ^ Can a book with this title possibly be good for the Church? Well, wonder no more!. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  19. ^ a b Williams, Martyn. "Wikipedia Founder Addresses User Credentials", PC World, 2007-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  20. ^ Zaharov-Reutt, Alex. "Wikipedia: did one of its admins lie?", March 2, 2007, retrieved March 6, 2007.
  21. ^ Goldman, Russell (March 6, 2007). Wikiscandal: A Prominent Editor at the Popular Online Encyclopedia Is a Fraud. ABC News. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  22. ^ Elsworth, Catherine. "Wikipedia 'expert' admits: I made it up", The Age, March 8, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-16. 
  23. ^ "Fake professor in Wikipedia storm", BBC News, March 6, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-16. 
  24. ^ Michael Snow (2007-03-05). New Yorker correction dogs arbitrator into departure. Wikipedia Signpost. Retrieved on 2007-04-29. “Jordan's real identity first became known when Wikia hired him as a community manager. His name and a photo appeared on his Wikia user page when he started work in January. On Wikipedia, however, the new persona began to prompt questions about how to square it with the old.”
  25. ^ a b Finkelstein, Seth. "Read me first", The Guardian, March 8, 2007.
  26. ^ King, Ian. "A Wiki web they've woven," Vancouver 24 Hours, March 2, 2007: "Veteran Wikipedia [sic] critic Daniel Brandt of wikipedia-watch.org first dug up details of Jordan's bamboozling of both Wikipedians and the New Yorker, leading to the magazine running a correction this week, admitting it had been had."
  27. ^ a b Doran, James (March 6, 2007). Wikipedia chief promises change after ‘expert’ exposed as fraud. Tech & Web. The Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  28. ^ Keen, Andrew (March 7, 2007). Laughter and forgetting on Wikipedia. ZDNet. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  29. ^ a b Cohen, Noam (March 5, 2007). A Contributor to Wikipedia Has His Fictional Side. Technology. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  30. ^ Staff. "Wikipedia's 'bogus' editor ousted", Freelance UK, March 7, 2007. 
  31. ^ Bergstein, Brian. "After flap over phony professor, Wikipedia wants some writers to share real names", Associated Press, March 7, 2007. 
  32. ^ Cohen, Noam. "After False Claim, Wikipedia to Check Degrees", The New York Times, March 12, 2007.
  33. ^ Bergstein, Brian. "Citizendium aims to be better Wikipedia", USA Today, March 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. “This week, Sanger takes the wraps off a Wikipedia alternative, Citizendium. His goal is to capture Wikipedia's bustle but this time, avoid the vandalism and inconsistency that are its pitfalls.”  — Brian Bergstein.
  34. ^ Bergstein, Brian. "Sanger says he co-started Wikipedia", ABC News, Associated Press, March 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. “The nascent Web encyclopedia Citizendium springs from Larry Sanger, a philosophy Ph.D. who counts himself as a co-founder of Wikipedia, the site he now hopes to usurp. The claim doesn't seem particularly controversial - Sanger has long been cited as a co-founder. Yet the other founder, Jimmy Wales, isn't happy about it.” 
  35. ^ "More than just a war of words", The Sydney Morning Herald, April 21, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. “Wikipedia is suffering from a credibility crisis. Some - such as the Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger, who left the organisation in 2002 - say the malaise goes even deeper. He describes the organisation as "completely dysfunctional" and is heading for a reckoning.” 
  36. ^ Orlowski, Andrew (March 6, 2007). Farewell, Wikipedia?. Music and Media. The Register. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  37. ^ a b c Orlowski, Andrew (March 2, 2007). Bogus Wikipedia Prof. was blessed then promoted. Music and Media. The Register. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  38. ^ Blacharski, Dan (March 6, 2007). Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud. ITworld. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  39. ^ Finkelstein, Seth (March 1, 2007). What The New Yorker Article Fraud Tells Us About Wikipedia. Infothought. Seth Finkelstein. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  40. ^ Maich, Steve. "Wikipedia’s trouble with the truth", Business Week, March 19, 2007, p. 39. 
  41. ^ Levy, Steven. "Invasion of the web amateurs", Newsweek, March 26, 2007, p. 16. 
  42. ^ Bozell III, L. Brent. "Not your dad's encyclopedia", Pittsburgh Tribune Review, March 25, 2007. 
  43. ^ Beam, Alex. "Tricky truths behind Wikipedia", Boston Globe, March 12, 2007, p. E5. 
  44. ^ Jardine, Cassandra. "Fount of all wisdom – and foolery", the Daily Telegraph, March 8, 2007, p. 21. 
  45. ^ Read, Brock. "Essjay, the Ersatz Academic", The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 2, 2007. 
  46. ^ Albanes, John (March 15, 2007). Wikipedia Stays Popular Despite False Sources. The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  47. ^ MacLeod, Donald (March 7, 2007). Students marked on writing in Wikipedia. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.

The logo of Internet Archive The Internet Archive (IA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line library and archive of Web and multimedia resources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jimmy Donal Jimbo Wales, (born August 7, 1966)[2] is an American Internet entrepreneur best known for his role in founding Wikipedia, as well as other wiki-related projects, including the charitable organization Wikimedia Foundation, and the for-profit company Wikia, Inc. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry and fiction. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... 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Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... See also The New York Times, The Times of India, or The Irish Times. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew Keen (born circa 1960[1]) is a British-American entrepreneur and author best known as a critic of Web 2. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... In 1989 Ziff Davis Inc. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew Orlowski (born 1966) is a British columnist for the online IT newspaper The Register. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Current logo of The Register. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew Orlowski (born 1966) is a British columnist for the online IT newspaper The Register. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Current logo of The Register. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... The Boston Globe is the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper that is a source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and administration. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

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History of Wikipedia
Main articles Bomis · Nupedia · Wikipedia · Wikimedia Foundation · Wikimania · MediaWiki
People Jimmy Wales · Larry Sanger · Tim Shell · Florence Devouard · Angela Beesley · Wikipedia community
Events and individuals Blocking of Wikipedia in mainland China · Congressional staffer edits to Wikipedia · Essjay controversy · Henryk Batuta hoax · Seigenthaler controversy ·
Related projects and forks Citizendium · Conservapedia · Enciclopedia Libre · Interpedia · Uncyclopedia  · Wikibooks · Wikimedia Commons · Wiktionary · Wikiquote · Wikinews · WikiZnanie · Wikinfo · Wikitruth · Wikiweise


 
 

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