QUOTEWikipedia vandal’s actions should cause concern for our community
To the Editor:
I am troubled by John Behan’s behavior. According to Wednesday’s article “Profs question students’ Wikipedia dependency,†Behan has created multiple hoax articles on Wikipedia. I am forced to wonder what Behan feels he gains from wasting other people’s time and effort tracking down and dealing with his hoaxes. Note, for example, that the deletion discussion that occurred concerning the emysphilia article involved four Wikipedia users who went through and attempted to find Behan’s sources. There’s a term on Wikipedia for what Behan does. It’s called “vandalism.†And there is a reason why that term is used: Behan is engaging in vandalism that is no different from someone spray-painting graffiti on a wall; if anything, Behan’s behavior is worse — Behan imparts falsehoods to a variety of people, whereas the spray-painter simply makes an eyesore. The Yale community should be concerned that we have people like him as members.
Joshua Zelinsky ’07
"Our community"??? Is he referring to the Wikipedia community? (clearly, but let me go on) or the Yale community?? Or society in general.
Joshua Zelinsky is so used to "creating more heat than light" that he doesn't remember how to "communicate more sense than sounds".