Sunday, March 18, 2007

Truth is, Wikipedia's inexact

Truth is, Wikipedia's inexact
Ellis Henican
March 18, 2007

Things I've learned on Wikipedia:

That newspaper editor John Seigenthaler conspired to kill the Kennedy brothers.

That the prime minister of Norway is a pedophile.

And the big one this weekend, that the comedian Sinbad is dead from a heart attack.

Oh, no he's not! He's no more dead than the editor's an assassin or the PM molests kids. Sinbad's alive and laughing right now.

"I rose from the dead and then died again," the living, breathing funnyman told a reporter after hearing the rattling news. "It's gonna be more commonplace as the Internet opens up more and more. It's not that strange."

Here's the truth about the Wikipedia Web site. It's wrong sometimes, flamboyantly wrong. But it's still a wonderful site. I don't take it as gospel. No one should. The facts have to be checked before they are dragged into print.

But the vast majority of those facts do turn out to be correct.

And if there is a broader-based, more comprehensive, better-organized general-information encyclopedia on the Web - would someone please point me toward it?

Wikipedia's strength also is its weakness: Readers are free to edit the entries. This creates the breadth and the expertise, and it also allows the mischief.

So let's just be clear: Sinbad, real name David Adkins, is very much alive at 50. He was born Nov. 10, 1956, in Benton Harbor, Mich. He hit as a stand-up in the late 1980s. His movie roles include "Houseguest" (1995), "First Kid" (1996) and "Jingle All the Way" (1996).

All that's probably true. But still, I'd better check it. I got it off Wikipedia.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I would like to know why it is that the article on Wikipedia about Australian girl Kate Fisher who was once engaged to James Packer doe not mention that she was once homeless and had a mental break down. this is what was portrayed of he on a television program back approximately 5 years ago. Now the BRED for purpose woman has converted to the Jewish religion. Did the relationship breakdown with James Packer break down because two very sexually abused people come together and could not deal with the fact they had been abuse. Look at who their fathers were and also look where they went to school. Then you will know they were programed to be a part of the PEDOPHILE Club. If Wikipedia is supposed to be about facts. Maybe it is time that the people who think they are in control of what goes onto the site might want to take their heads out of the sand, come up for air and see the TRUTH OR is Wikipedia and those involved a part of the Pedophile CLUB? These are questions I would like answered.Another issue is, WHY has my IP address been blocked? I have never put anything on your site before. Could it be that you cannot identify my IP address as I bounce off towers across the world via my mobile? That would lead me to believe that WIKIPEDIA is a part of the CLUB, why would you need my IP address otherwise? Other than to track me and put me into the Conspiracy Theorist Category. Just in case you don't know what Conspiracy actually is. I means when people come together to conspire against. I have facts.