Comments on: Updated: WikiLibel (Pitfalls Of Populism In Data)

By: Hugo Schmidt

Hugo Schmidt — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:39:34 +0000

When it comes to bios—especially those of rightists—you bet!

To be sure, but then, that’s the case for so much of our political discourse, online or offline. To take one example, WND routinely pushes the most appalling pseudoscience flim-flam. The problem of low levels of political discourse affects all areas.

Though, even in this field, if one looks up, say, the biograpgy of Christopher Hitchens, or, to take an ultimate “rightist”, Ayn Rand, the stuff seems pretty solid.

I’m hardly disagreeing with you that hatchet-jobs are possible on Wikipedia; I simply think it is both wrong and unjust to dismiss the whole project, given the generally high quality of material present, especially in the fields of science.

By: Hugo Schmidt

Hugo Schmidt — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:08:45 +0000

Leaving aside the whole ANC= Mafia thing, Michael Shermer, the founder of the skeptics society, has noted that, on average, Wiki is more accurate that Britannica.

Now, granted, I use it mainly for scientific purposes, but it’s a damn fine resource for those. To take one example at random, take a quick read through the “Darwin” entry, and then take a look at the list of sources at the bottom. It’s a list that would do anyone proud.

Or consider the following entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_integral_formulation

It’s on the path integral formulation. “The encyclopedia of and for the Age of the Idiot”? Hardly. [When it comes to bios—especially those of rightists—you bet! They don’t even do cursory research before libeling. I was described as for the war in Iraq! I wrote my first anti-invasion editorial on September 19, 2002!]

By: Robert Glisson

Robert Glisson — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:03:56 +0000

Freedom of speech is not the same as ‘free license’ but those who misuse the freedom usually get away with it, unfortunately. Your article “Class Act” reminded me of two other political figures that might pull that stunt, Senator Jesse Helms and President Teddy Roosevelt. I read Wikipedia’s bio of Jesse Helms. They did an honest, professional, hatchet job, without ever lying (Outright, that is.)A Liberal can be proud of his/her work. If Lenin had the American press core, he wouldn’t have needed the KGB and Red Army to take Russia. Hitler could have disbanded the brown shirts.

By: JP Strauss

JP Strauss — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:53:43 +0000

It was the Mandela United Football Club which was particularly fond of necklacing during the period of unrest in South Africa. It should be noted though that the Mandela United Football Club had nothing to do with football. And no, I didn’t read it somewhere, I had the great fortune of seeing such things first hand. No, Chief Buthelezi, who is also a Zulu prince, is definitely a stand-up guy.

I would also like to say in Desmond Tut’s defense that he is one of the ANC’s biggest critics these days.