Big Brother IS Watching, and Editing Wikipedia, Too

File under: George Orwell tried to tell us.

Reported today, a researcher trying to find out who is doing the editing of Wikipedia answers wrote a program to trace where the changes were coming from. The program, called WikiScanner, was created by Virgil Griffith of the Santa Fe Institute.

Griffith was interviewed August 16, and stated that material involving details of the Iraq War and Guantanamo Bay were being edited by FBI and CIA computers.

No one from the FBI or CIA wished to comment on the allegations. Imagine that.

According to the Wiki policies: Editing a page with an issue or topic close to an organization or person is in direct violation of Wikipedia polices. However, often the site does not actively search out those who do as its legions of entry editors often find and delete questionable material on their own.

Now, if one totally trusted their government officials, as we all do (ahem!), it would be easy to say that those changes were solely to complete the accuracy of the answers given.

Enough of the fertilizer report. There is plenty, Ask any cow farmer.

From the report:

In this case, FBI computers were used to remove aerial images showing the US terrorist prison camp in Guantanamo Bay. CIA computers were used to beef up the accomplishments of former chief William Colby, as well as editing a graphic on casualties to indicate the numbers presented were only estimates.

So much for truth winning out - but there is always hope. Thanks, Mr. Griffith, for trying to keep them honest.

[tags]Big Brother, George Orwell, FBI, CIA, Wikipedia, unauthorized changes, policy problem, WikiScanner, Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba[/tags]