Durova on Digg- Is Wikipedia Corrupt?, Go digg it. Options

IS WIKIPEDIA CORRUPT? - now on DIGG
In today's world, information is power. With the enormous amount of information wiki controls has power corrupted the powers that be? Has the idea of community powered information been influenced by those who control the site?


Picture from the Sitepro version of the article
Original article
Go Digg it

My previous article about using Wikipedia ethically was based on an excellent article published at Search Engine Land called "SEO Tips & Tactics from a Wikipedia Insider" written by a Wikipedia Administrator with the pseudonym Durova. Since my posting I received a few comments on the posting that were obviously from people who felt very strongly that Wikipedia, and in particular Durova, had serious issues with ethics. (link to "Is Wikipedia Corrupt?" by Ross Dunn)

• Searchengineguide link: Is Wikipedia Corrupt?
• Sitepronews version "Is Wikipedia Corrupt?"
• Small Business Ideas Forum Discussion - IS WIKIPEDIA CORRUPT?
• Many others have it now. Just google. Its going blog wide.

Ross Dunn, Author of the Is Wikipedia Corrupt article, joined Wikipedia Review about 5 days ago.

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This post has been edited by Somey: Thu 16th August 2007, 6:56pm

Bad link for the Digg link. Maybe should fix it. You've got an extra http and www in there somewhere.

I feel Durova is a real asset to WP, and if there were 20 more like her, WP could probably be saved. Maybe it still can. She was also very helpful before and during my Arbcom - a very calming sea of reason. I didn't read much of that other thread to learn why others don't like her, but I really don't care - I do.

Bad link for the Digg link. Maybe should fix it. You've got an extra http and www in there somewhere.

Is fixed now...!

I can see how there would be mixed opinions about Durova. She's just one of those people who loves to "get involved," and sometimes she's going to make things better, sometimes she's going to make things worse. If anyone has any other examples of situations for which her involvement actually improved things, by all means post 'em... I would hope that we'd be reasonable about things like that, and not just on her account.

Having said that, I know of no other examples personally...

Well, I always say that if you are aiming to do good, then it doesn't matter if you're misguided, or you follow the wrong person, or you make mistakes, in the end, you will do good.

The only question for me is whether she is really aiming to do good or if she is faking it.

Whether she is on the wrong side or not doesn't really matter. I just need to find out if she is for real.

I feel Durova is a real asset to WP, and if there were 20 more like her, WP could probably be saved. Maybe it still can. She was also very helpful before and during my Arbcom - a very calming sea of reason. I didn't read much of that other thread to learn why others don't like her, but I really don't care - I do.

Well, our posts got erased. But to be honest, as I said before, this is the one case I've ever heard of where Durova helped someone. If she indeed did. Remember, you are currently banned, so Im wondering where the help was, other than telling you to pipe down and calm down.

She could have talked them into not banning you, if she wanted to. She didnt.

If I know her like I think I know her, she told you one thing, and then went to the other side and said "I think you should ban him for a year to give him a cooling out period". That sounds like the Durova I know.

How do I know this? I've been among those she did the double-talking to. And if she's reading this, she knows damned well that she does it, don't you Lise?

She really likes to meddle. Not help. Meddle.

This post has been edited by Disillusioned Lackey: Thu 23rd August 2007, 8:26am

She really likes to meddle. Not help. Meddle.

Exactly. She has a tendency to throw herself into something, mess it up with petty meddling, come out of it blaming other people and then she'll flaunt her "real world" experience - which is of no great significance to me at least - as some kind of medal of honour.

In my world, her now famous "I smashed the gooks in 'Nam - I wrassled with an alligator - I murdered a rock" speech is a signifier of a simpleton. Not a respected authority.

Exactly. She has a tendency to throw herself into something, mess it up with petty meddling, come out of it blaming other people and then she'll flaunt her "real world" experience - which is of no great significance to me at least - as some kind of medal of honour.

I think that she goes beyond what you call petty meddling. She is actually quite proactive, in how she orchestrates real accentuation of an attack if she wants. The Kohs story is just one example, but there are many others. Still, in his case, she was writing a reporter, and drumming up interest in what she felt was a scandal. Of course, the reporter wasn't interested in her grade-school tattling, and didn't bite.

In my world, her now famous "I smashed the gooks in 'Nam - I wrassled with an alligator - I murdered a rock" speech is a signifier of a simpleton. Not a respected authority.

I think that her behavior with the press is the most telling of her nobody-ness. Her approach is that of a rank amateur.

But the alligator-wrassling speech was more "I am powerful, and no one can mess with me" bravado. I think she said it in reference to how to protect Slimvirgin during the onslaught of spy stories in the blogpress.

I'm really not sure what to say about that bizarre run-on of hers, but I can say that it isnt the first time she's done it. She often gives inspirational speeches about herself. It's her M.O.