Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Wikipedia: Vanity publishing for minor slebs

I see that Wikipedia has put up a health warning on Nicholas Coleridge's self-authored vanity entry. And now a learned reader writes ...

Hello Madame,

I enjoyed your piece on Nicholas Coleridge writing his own Wikipedia entry but actually it's hard to find a minor celeb, or a person who's so determined to become a minor celeb, who hasn't.

Have you seen:
http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ click here
...whereby you can look to see who at the Daily Mail, Telegraph, etc is writing their own entries.

Check out Christopher Hitchens' version of himself here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Clockback click here

I checked them out a few weeks ago so can't quite remember now, but Tristram Hunt's and Andrew Rawnsley's profiles had been boosted by someone on the Guardian's server, Daniel Hannan by someone on the Telegraph's server etc etc.

And, here rather sweetly, you can see how James Purnell's girlfriend, Lucy Walker, not only wrote her own entry but amended his to take the nasty bits out...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/ClareCat click here

Keep up the good work.

Miss Elvira

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

<< I see that Wikipedia has put up a health warning on Nicholas Coleridge's self-authored vanity entry. >>

And who reported this "abuse", mmm ? :-)

Madame Arcati said...

Madame Arcati wouldn't sink so low, but she cannot answer for her legions of fanatical followers.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Madame Arcati said...

Thank you - I shall follow your links and may post something.

Anonymous said...

From SF Weekly:

I edited this story [Wikipedia Idiots] and I can assure you that Mary did not get fired for this story or any other. Mary decided to leave the paper to take a job with a local documentary filmmaker. She gave her notice before the Wikipedia story was published. She disclosed to me early in the reporting process her sister's fights with Griot and her sister's role is mentioned high up in our story. Bottom line: We stand by the story.

Comment by Will Harper, Managing Editor, SF Weekly

Anonymous said...

User:Griot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Find out more about navigating Wikipedia and finding information •
This user has been blocked indefinitely because CheckUser confirms that this user has used one or more accounts abusively.
The abuse of multiple accounts is prohibited; using new accounts to evade blocks or bans results in the block or ban being extended.
See block log • confirmed accounts • suspected socks • Checkuser request
Categories: Wikipedia sockpuppeteers

Anonymous said...

An Open Letter to the Wikimedia Foundation

To Whom It May Concern:

I do not participate on Wikipedia, nor do I use it as a source. I am none of the persons I am being accused of and do not suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as MPD. My attorney, Richard Rosenthal, has been supplied with these facts along with a request that all false claims, slanderous remarks and defaming content concerning me be removed promptly from the site. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jeanne Marie Spicuzza

Comment by Jeanne Marie Spicuzza — February 13, 2008 @ 04:04PM


I edited this story and I can assure you that Mary did not get fired for this story or any other. Mary decided to leave the paper to take a job with a local documentary filmmaker. She gave her notice before the Wikipedia story was published. She disclosed to me early in the reporting process her sister's fights with Griot and her sister's role is mentioned high up in our story. Bottom line: We stand by the story.

Comment by Will Harper, Managing Editor, SF Weekly — February 26, 2008 @ 01:55PM

Anonymous said...

I have this vision of women carrying hopes and bearing their burdens while gliding on light; purple robes of power flowing extending to each other, crossing over wombs of water where victory meets us there, on the other side.

Madame Arcati said...

Hopes not validated by corporate recognition you mean?