Archive for the ‘wikipedia’ tag
It says so on Wikipedia
My current pet hate is the use of the phrase “it says so on Wikipedia”, in a sarcastic manner. Usually it’s intended to make fun of people who don’t seem to ‘understand’ that anyone and everyone can edit or create Wikipedia articles on any subject (unless, of course, the IWF blocks Internet access to one particular image, and in doing so prevents the whole of your country from editing Wikipedia).
The implication is that, should you wish to, you can edit a Wikipedia article such that it corroborates your argument, no matter how ridiculous. A typical conversation which might seem to justify this belief is as follows.
Fred: What’s that you’re pouring into that saucepan?
Dave: Glue.
Fred: Glue? What are you making?
Dave: Spaghetti Bolognese.
Fred: That’s not made using glue!
Dave: Yes it is, it says so on Wikipedia.
There you go. Dave is the butt of the joke because he apparently doesn’t understand how Wikipedia works, and has foolishly taken its word as gospel. From now until forever, each time Dave makes a factual statement in Fred’s presence, Fred will ask “does it say that on Wikipedia?” in a sarcastic and derisory tone.
Uncensored
Further to my previous rant on censorship, it seems the IWF has decided it may have dropped a clanger in its decision to block (most) UK Internet access to a particular web page.
The statement on their website implies the decision to unblock the web page was theirs alone, and makes no mention of the global outcry caused by their initial action.
Surely, the backtracking thought process that went on at the IWF is one that should have happened before blocking the web page in the first place..?
Censorship
Well, it seems the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), an independent UK-based Internet watchdog, has got itself into what could be a major publicity debacle; one from which it simply cannot emerge without losing a lot of face.
