Posted on 08/12/2008 2:38:38 PM PDT by forkinsocket
HE LIT THE FUSE BY ACCIDENT, with good intentions serving as his matchstick. On June 8, 2005, at 10:50 a.m., a 26-year-old computer software engineer in Tehran created a seemingly innocuous entry on Wikipedia about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then a fringe candidate running for president of Iran. The minibiography was just 73 words long. Its author, Roozbeh Pournader, had no clue he was touching off an explosive war of words that would rage online for more than two years.
"At that time," says Pournader, who now lives in California, "Ahmadinejad's running was considered a joke."
Pournader is part of an army of several hundred thousand volunteers who collectively produce Wikipedia, the enormously popular online encyclopedia. Wikipedia is rooted in the utopian notion that ordinary people can unite in cyberspace as citizen-scholars, conducting a grand town meeting of the minds on thousands of topics. But, as the Ahmadinejad dust-up vividly demonstrates, communal encyclopedia writing can be as messy as sausage making.
Pournader happens to be that rarest of creatures: a full-disclosure Wikipedian. While the vast majority of Wikipedia's enthusiasts and editors take refuge behind online alter egos, he uses his given name, even posting his birth date, place of employment and photo in his Wikipedia profile. Pournader is a bespectacled man with a full-moon face. In his Wikipedia picture, he's wearing a goofy conical hat that has ear flaps. Think Grand Dragon of the Keebler Elves.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I thought Dennis Kucinich was the Grand Dragon of the Keebler elves!!
He is, he has a troll for grunt work.
A true citizen of cyberspace.
Interesting read about the inner workings of Wikipedia. Since the beginning of civilization control of information has driven the destiny of nations. This is yet another battleground.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting the article. I did know how Wikipedia worked, but this was great insight into just one of the controversial issues. I might want to get involved some time.
Feel free to get involved, but do not bother to post any information contradictory to global warming.
wikibump
Interesting article, but deceptive title and excerpt.
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