Wikipedia's Dirty Little Secret

[Geee]

PJ Media

 

A couple of years back, a conservative friend told me that he sent a check to support Wikipedia every month. Why, I asked him, would you support a site that engages in anti-conservative smears and left-wing bias, and suppresses conservative views?

 

His was a common mistake. When Wikipedia was founded, it was based on open-source principles (though it was never technically an open-source project). Basically, anyone who had access to the internet could go in and add to or edit articles. The idea was to crowdsource the vast knowledge in the universe to come up with accurate articles that could be used by anyone anywhere, free of charge. It was a great idea in theory, but it hasn’t panned out that way. In recent years it has devolved into left-wing tyranny by moderators who have an agenda, many of whom apparently have an ax to grind.

Wikipedia claims its articles are written from a neutral point of view:

Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view

We strive for articles in an impartial tone that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight for their prominence. We avoid advocacy, and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as “the truth” or “the best view”. All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, citing reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is about a living person. Editors’ personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong on Wikipedia.

That garbled postmodern mush-mouth word salad has no substantive meaning. Under these guidelines, any article can be manipulated or spun to say anything and everything, or nothing at all.