Forgive me a personal note regarding my connection with Wikipedia and its founder Jimmy Wales. Back when Wikipedia was very young, I read up on Jimmy Wales and his vision. Like Wales, I as a child devoured the printed word, not just books but encyclopedias (in my case, my parents had the World Book Encyclopedia series and subscription). I was an avid reader, but most of all, I wanted to learn everything about the universe. Wales seemed to have the same sort of drive, but in addition he had the vision of an internet-based encyclopedia that everyone could contribute to. I was very excited by this.
Moreover, his personal beliefs and philosophy mirrored my own: A libertarian (but not the Libertarian Party, "a bunch of lunatics"), an Ayn Rand Objectivist, leaning somewhat right-wing, preferring capitalism, and strongly believing in individual rights. In recent years Wales has drifted considerably to the left in his social and political positions; oh well, I haven't.
Anyway, Wikipedia began with this idealistic notion that everybody would cooperate and contribute and it would be great. But like all communal activities, like swimming in a common pool, it only takes one or a few a$$holes taking a poop in the pool to foul it for everyone.
The radical Left saw in Wikipedia an opportunity to leverage its wide scope and universal appeal, to promulgate leftist thought, propaganda, lies, etc. And just like other optimistic groups, Wikipedia tolerated these troublemakers until it was too late to recover.
This is where it started:
"Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing." —Jimmy WalesUnfortunately it has become politicized to the point where large parts of it -- political and social sections especially -- are virtually useless due to their bias. Fortunately the vast majority of Wikipedia is still useful, and is likely to remain so, because most of life and the universe is not political or social, or personal, Thank God.
But when it comes to people's bio pages, it is utterly personal, and it's always going to be a difficult battle, and not always successful.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
My concern has less to do with politics - which I expect and am ready for - and more with their dictatorial approach to thought that they don’t consider ‘following the science’. (Even though many of the people they ridicule could buy and sell them in terms of intelletual accomplishment.)