Wikigods forgive my edit-warring, but revert, AGAIN. That's 3 for both of us, by the way. I'm not going to wait a day, someone might read it in that time! |
Sorry, I agree the new version needs more editor eyes and time for them to see it. Content does not seem to go beyond refs, but inline cites should be re-added. |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
<!-- |
|||
Please see [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Essjay]] before nominating this article for deletion. |
|||
--> |
|||
{{current}} |
{{current}} |
||
{{InfoboxStart|infotitle=Timeline}}<div style="padding:0 6px"> |
{{InfoboxStart|infotitle=Timeline}}<div style="padding:0 6px"> |
||
* [[July 31]], |
* [[July 31]],[[ 2006]] — ''The New Yorker'' publishes story about Wikipedia by Schiff. |
||
* [[January 2007]] — Essjay hired by [[Wikia]]. |
* [[January 2007]] — Essjay hired by [[w:Wikia|Wikia]]. |
||
* [[January |
* [[January 15]], [[2007]] — Essjay posts autobiographical details on his user page at Wikia, giving his name, age, previous employment history from age 19, and positions within various Wikimedia Foundation projects. |
||
* [[February 23]], [[ 2007]] — Wales announces his appointment of Essjay to Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee. |
|||
* [[February 23]], [[2007]] — Wales announces his appointment of Essjay to Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee. |
|||
* [[February 28]], [[2007]] — Radar Online notes the fact correction appended to the ''The New Yorker'' article. |
* [[February 28]], [[2007]] — Radar Online notes the fact correction appended to the ''The New Yorker'' article. |
||
* [[March 3]], [[2007]] — |
* [[March 3]], [[2007]] — |
||
**Wales issues a statement on his user talk page at Wikipedia. |
**Wales issues a statement on his user talk page at Wikipedia. |
||
**Essjay announces his retirement from Wikipedia on his user talk page at Wikipedia. |
**Essjay announces his retirement from Wikipedia on his user talk page at Wikipedia. |
||
* [[March 5]], [[2007]] — Story covered by the ''[[New York Times]]''. |
|||
* [[March 6]], [[2007]] — Story featured on [[World News with Charles Gibson]]. |
* [[March 6]], [[2007]] — Story featured on [[World News with Charles Gibson]]. |
||
</div> |
|||
* [[March 7]], [[2007]] — Story covered in [[Associated Press]] article picked up by over 100 media outlets listed in [[Google]] news cache</div> |
|||
{{InfoboxEnd}} |
{{InfoboxEnd}} |
||
The '''Essjay controversy''' |
The '''Essjay controversy''' is among the most publicized controversies about Wikipedia to date. It began in early 2007 when it became known that a prominent [[English Wikipedia]] editor, administrator and short-lived [[Wikia]] employee going by "Essjay" had lied about his age, background, and academic and professional [[credentials]] to [[2000 Pulitzer Prize|Pulitzer Prize]]-winning writer [[Stacy Schiff]] during an interview she conducted for ''The New Yorker'' magazine for an article about Wikipedia. The public revelation of Essjay's deception, along with the flurry and breadth of media coverage that soon followed, spurred public debate about Wikipedia like none prior. Critics decried the incident as evidence of their concerns about Wikipedia's accuracy, article-creation system, non-vetting of its contributors and administrative personnel, and even the legitimacy of the Wikipedia project as a whole. Wikipedia itself went into a shocked phase of introspection over numerous of the very same issues, which as yet remain without closure. |
||
| url = http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2928756&page=1 |
|||
| title = Wikiscandal: A Prominent Editor at the Popular Online Encyclopedia Is a Fraud |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Goldman |
|||
| first = Russell |
|||
| date = [[March 6]] [[2007]] |
|||
| publisher = [[ABC News]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
| quote = |
|||
}}</ref> |
|||
==Background== |
|||
At the recommendation of the [[Wikimedia Foundation]], [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning journalist [[Stacy Schiff]] interviewed Essjay as a source for a July 2006 ''New Yorker'' article which described Essjay as having the notable credentials, which he confirmed at the time.<ref name="newyorker">{{cite web |
|||
===Wikipedia=== |
|||
| url = http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060731fa_fact |
|||
| title = Can Wikipedia conquer expertise? |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Schiff |
|||
| first = Stacy |
|||
| authorlink = Stacy Schiff |
|||
| date = [[July 24]] [[2006]] |
|||
| work = Know It All |
|||
| publisher = [[The New Yorker]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
| quote = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> In February 2007, an editor's note was added to the original article stating that the earlier information was false.<ref name=newyorker /> Essjay, whose real name is Ryan Jordan, later said these credentials were part of an online persona he had created in part to avoid [[cyberstalking]].<ref name = "iTWire">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10092/53/ |
|||
| title = Wikipedia: did one of its admins lie? |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Zaharov-Reutt |
|||
| first = Alex |
|||
| date = [[March 2]] [[2007]] |
|||
| publisher = iTWire |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
| quote = <small>Essjay’s entire Wikipedia life was conducted with only a user name; anonymity is common for Wikipedia administrators and contributors, and he says that he feared personal retribution from those he had ruled against online.</small> |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
:''Also see: [[Wikipedia]], [[History of Wikipedia]], [[Wikimedia Foundation]], [[Jimmy Wales]], [[Larry Sanger]], and [[Criticism of Wikipedia]]'' |
|||
Wikipedia founder [[Jimmy Wales]], President of Wikia, was initially supportive of Jordan's right to use a pseudonym. However, after reviewing evidence that the false credentials had been used to win Wikipedia content disputes with other editors, {{fact}} Wales asked for Jordan's resignation from both his volunteer roles on Wikipedia and his paid job as Community Manager at Wikia.<ref> Ratcliffe, Mitch ([[March 5]], [[2007]]), [http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=271 Wikipedia: Why does Essjay need to “protect himself”?], Zdnet.com. Retrieved [[March 7]], [[2007]]</ref> As of March, 2007, Jordan is retired from Wikipedia.<ref name=goldman /> |
|||
Wikipedia was launched by [[Jimmy Wales]] and [[Larry Sanger]] in January 2001 as a multilingual, [[World Wide Web|Web]]-based, [[free content]] [[encyclopedia]] that anyone with access to one of its project Websites can edit. Changes made to Wikipedia articles undergo no formal [[peer review]] and are immediately viewable on the World Wide Web. Under this deliberately open model, Wikipedia's growth has been nothing short of exponential. Within only a month, Wikipedia had 600 articles, and year later in January 2002, 20,000. On November 20, 2004, the English Wikipedia alone reached 400,000 articles, and by March 1, 2006, that number had reached 1-million. Based upon [[Randian objectivism]], Wikipedia's undergirding philosophy is that most of its contributors are well-meaning, and that unmoderated collaboration among them will gradually improve the encyclopedia such that it is both reliable and reputable. Organizationally, Wikipedia is headed by the [[Wikimedia Foundation]], which includes an eighteen-member advisory board with less than ten employees, each headed ''de facto'' by [[Jimmy Wales]]. Sanger left the project in 2002. |
|||
==New Yorker interview== |
|||
Essjay was interviewed for a ''New Yorker'' article on Wikipedia titled "Know It All" published in the [[July 31]], [[2006]] issue. According to the ''New Yorker'', "he was willing to describe his work as a Wikipedia administrator but would not identify himself other than by confirming the biographical details that appeared on his user page."<ref name="newyorker" /> |
|||
Given its decidedly non-traditional method of encyclopedia-building, Wikipedia has been subject to often intense criticisms since its 2001 inception, and on through its years of growth. While able to point to some successes, Wikipedia's article creation system and resulting content, especially on living personalities and controversial topics, have been subject to several well-publicized controversies. On November 29, 2005, [[John Seigenthaler Sr.]] wrote an op-ed in USA Today to criticize Wikipedia about a biography written contributors had written about him, which stated he had been suspected of direct involvement in the assassinations of both John and Bobby Kennedy. In late 2006, pro-golfer Fuzzy Zoeller voiced similar concerns when he filed a libel suit against the owner of an IP address, from which allegedly defamatory remarks were posted to his Wikipedia biography article. |
|||
At the end of February 2007, the ''New Yorker'' updated the article with a correction indicating that "Essjay" had identified himself as Ryan Jordan.<ref name="louisville">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/NEWS01/703060446/1008 |
|||
| title = Wikipedia editor who posed as professor is Ky. dropout |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Wolfson |
|||
| first = Andrew |
|||
| date = [[March 6]] [[2007]] |
|||
| work = Local News |
|||
| publisher = [[The Courier-Journal]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> The ''New Yorker'' went on to state, "he was described in the piece as 'a tenured professor of religion at a private university' with 'a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in [[Theology|theology]] and a degree in [[Canon law|canon law]]."Essjay now says that his real name is Ryan Jordan, that he is twenty-four and holds no advanced degrees, and that he has never taught."<ref name="newyorker" /> |
|||
Wikipedia runs on [[MediaWiki]] software, the sort of "guts" of Wikipedia which make it a dynamic [[wiki]] capable of producing its contents through the interactions of its users. One feature of the MediaWiki software is that it provides for each account-holding editor to create a special "user page" where they may write personal material, including information about their background, education, and accomplishments if they choose. That feature would prove instrumental in the Essjay Controversy that eventually developed. |
|||
According to the [[Vancouver]] daily paper ''[[24 Hours]]'', activist and Wikipedia critic [[Daniel Brandt]] discovered the Essjay/Ryan Jordan connection, and reported this to ''The New Yorker''.<ref name="vancouver24">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/Columnists/KingsCorner/ |
|||
| title = A Wiki web they've woven |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = King |
|||
| first = Ian |
|||
| date = [[March 2]] [[2007]] |
|||
| work = King’s Corner |
|||
| publisher = [[24 Hours]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
| quote = <small>Veteran Wikipeida critic Daniel Brandt of wikipedia-watch.org first dug up details of Jordan's bamboozling of both Wikipedians and the New Yorker, leading to the magazine running a correction this week, admitting it had been had.</small> |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
===Essjay=== |
|||
==Reaction by other media sources== |
|||
In February, 2005, Ryan Jordan of Kentucky signed up with the user name "Essjay" for an account as a Wikipedia ''editor'', the title Wikipedia gives to all of its article contributors. Shortly thereafter, he added details to his invented online persona. "I am a tenured professor of theology at a private university in the eastern United States," he wrote on his userpage, where he additionally indicated he held a Ph.D. in theology and an additional doctorate in canon law. Almost straightway, Essjay went on to prove himself an extremely useful and prolific editor in the eyes of most Wikipedia contributors and its leadership. He applied to become an ''administrator'', a user with power to delete materials and ban users, and was confirmed by majority of Wikipedia users who voted during his nomination. All the while, he exhibited what seemed a proclivity for articles on Catholic topics, which he said was his area of degreed expertise, and cited his credentials either by inference, reputation, or sometimes overtly within content disputes. Essjay began to quickly move up within Wikipedia's ranks. |
|||
===July 2006 ''New Yorker'' article=== |
|||
An investigation by ''[[The Courier-Journal]]'' of [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Kentucky]] found Jordan had attended, but never graduated from, [[Centre College]] and [[Bluegrass Community and Technical College]] (formerly known as Lexington Community College). The paper also found that, despite his claim to have had a three month special position with a United States Bankruptcy Trustee, the office had no record that Jordan ever worked there.<ref name="louisville" /> Later, at his Wikipedia user page, Jordan bragged about fooling Schiff by "doing a good job playing the part."<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2028328,00.html |
|||
| title = Read me first |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-07 |
|||
| last = Finkelstein |
|||
| first = Seth |
|||
| date = [[March 7]] [[2007]] |
|||
| work = Local News |
|||
| publisher = [[The Guardian]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
}}</ref> Essjay also wrote a letter to a real world professor in which he used himself and his phoney credentials to vouch for Wikipedia's accuracy.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2028328,00.html |
|||
| title = Read me first |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-07 |
|||
| last = Finkelstein |
|||
| first = Seth |
|||
| date = [[March 7]] [[2007]] |
|||
| work = Local News |
|||
| publisher = [[The Guardian]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
}}</ref> |
|||
During that time, in mid-2006, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' contacted the [[Wikimedia Foundation]], Wikipedia's parent organization, to request contact with a model Wikipedia volunteer. The renowned magazine planned a feature article about Wikipedia. Obliging, the Foundation referred the magazine to Essjay, who then contacted him by email. During the six hours of phone interviews that followed, conducted by Joyce, she queried Essjay about his real-life background, credentials, and activities. In response, Essjay directed Joyce to his Wikipedia user page, where he said he had profiled such material ([[Essjay_controversy#Essjay.27s_userpage_images|see images of Essjay's user page]]). Relying on what Joyce described as the Wikimedia Foundation's strong commendation and authentication of Essjay, she accepted Essjay's user page material as truthful and cited it in her article titled "Know It All", published in ''The New Yorker's'' July 31, 2006 issue. |
|||
==Fallout from the controversy== |
|||
At the onset of the controversy, Wikipedia users began a review of Essjay's previous edits and discovered evidence he had relied upon his fictional professorship to influence editorial consideration of edits he made. "People have gone through his edits and found places where he was basically cashing in on his fake credentials to bolster his arguments," said Michael Snow, a Wikipedia administrator and founder of the Wikipedia community newspaper, ''The Wikipedia Signpost''. "Those will get looked at again."<ref name=times/> |
|||
After the positive press, Essjay continued to move up within Wikipedia's ranks. Jimmy Wales appointed him to Wikipedia's twelve-member Arbitration Committee, a body of jurists of sorts with powers to decide and enforce major disputes between Wikipedia contributors. The roles of ''bureaucrat'' and then ''steward'' soon followed, each representing higher levels of power Essjay held over other Wikipedia's contributors and, ultimately, its content. Once, he sent a letter to a professor in which he used himself and his credentials to defend Wikipedia as a reliable academic source. Around this time, Essjay began claiming he had once been an account manager with a Fortune 20 company, where he was part of a ten-member team that mananaged $500-million in annual sales, and that prior he had worked as a paralegal for five years, including nearly a year with Louisville firm that represented doctors in medical licensure matter and a three months in special position with a United States Bankruptcy Trustee. All the while, to most, Essjay remained the model Wikipedia contributor. Prior only a volunteer, Essjay was hired in January 2007 by Jimmy Wales for a paid position with [[Wikia]], founded by himslef and [[Angela Beesley]]. Only, neither Essjay's rise nor his story went unnoticed to certain of Wikipedia's critics. |
|||
Jimmy Wales's initial response to news of this administrator's invented persona was, “I regard it as a [[pseudonym]] and I don’t really have a problem with it.”<ref name = "iTWire"/><ref name = "Inq">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37939 |
|||
| title = Wikipedia ‘expert’ lied about qualifications |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Farrell |
|||
| first = Nick |
|||
| date = [[March 1]] [[2007]] |
|||
| publisher = [[The Inquirer]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
| quote = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
However, following the provision of evidence that Essjay has used his credentials to influence debates, Wales wrote on his Wikipedia User talk page, "I have asked Essjay to resign his positions of trust within the community."<ref name=times>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/05/technology/05wikipedia.html |
|||
| title = A Contributor to Wikipedia Has His Fictional Side |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06 |
|||
| last = Cohen |
|||
| first = Noam |
|||
| date = [[March 5]] [[2007]] |
|||
| work = Technology |
|||
| publisher = [[The New York Times]] |
|||
| archiveurl = |
|||
| archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> Reaction from within the Wikipedia community was sharp but mixed, with some fellow editors offering complete support while others accused Jordan of "plain and simple [[fraud]]."<ref name=times/> |
|||
==Breaking the story: from "Essjay" to Ryan Jordan== |
|||
Wales was reportedly considering a vetting process for all persons who adjudicate on factual disputes.<ref name="Staff">{{cite news |title= Wikipedia's 'bogus' editor ousted |url= http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/2163.shtml |publisher=Freelance UK|first= |last= Staff|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}}</ref> Additionally, Wales said the site would soon develop a way to check credentials of Wikipedia editors who claim to possess them. "I don't think this incident exposes any inherent weakness in Wikipedia, but it does expose a weakness that we will be working to address," Wales added.<ref name="timesonline">{{cite news |title= Wikipedia chief promises change after 'expert' exposed as fraud |url= http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1480012.ece |publisher=Times Online UK|first= James|last= Doran|date= [[March 8]] [[2007]]}}</ref> He reportedly insisted that Wikipedia editors still would be able to remain anonymous if they wished. "We always prefer to give a positive incentive rather than absolute prohibition, so that people can contribute without a lot of hassle," Wales commented. However, he also warned: “It's always inappropriate to try to win an argument by flashing your credentials, and even more so if those credentials are inaccurate.”<ref name="Bergstein">{{cite news |title= Wikipedia to seek proof of credentials |url= http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_Wikipedia_Credentials.html |publisher=Associated Press|first=Brian |last=Bergstein|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}}</ref> |
|||
In January 2007, staunch Wikipedia critic [[Daniel Brandt]] began publicly voicing concerns about Essjay at his Website, [[Wikipedia Watch]]. A month later, a small number of Wikipedia editors began to express their own misgivings, the number of which increased as the days progressed. Meanwhile, Brandt had already begun documenting his concerns about Essjay in a series of private communications to the ''The New Yorker''. |
|||
==Essjay's response== |
|||
Soon after the controversy, Essjay responded on his Wikipedia user talk page, in part writing:<ref name="Essjay's_Response_16:06_March_1_2007">Essjay's response in his own words on his talk page at 16:06, 1 March 2007 Wikipedian time. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AEssjay&diff=111847534&oldid=111838285 My response] Retrieved on [[2007]]-[[March 7|03-07]].</ref> |
|||
{{cquote|''...I *am* sorry if anyone in the Wikipedia community has been hurt by my decision to use disinformation to protect myself. I'm not sorry that I protected myself; I believed, and continue to believe, that I was right to protect myself, in light of the problems encountered on the internet in these trying times. I have spoken to all of my close friends here about this, and have heard resoundingly that they understand my position, and they support me. Jimbo and many others in Wikipedia's hierarchy have made thier [''sic''] support known as well...''}} |
|||
With Brandt having apparently piqued the alarm of ''The New Yorker'', in February 2007 it issued a rare correction. Its July 31, 2006, article "Know It All", contained an important error, it said. Essjay was, in fact, 24-year-old Ryan Jordan of Kentucky. He held no advanced degrees and had never taught. Later revelations revealed that Jordan was a college dropout who had often used ''Catholicism for Dummies'' to source his editorial work on Wikipedia articles. Jordan's claim to have had a three month special position with a United States Bankruptcy Trustee in Louisville also proved false, when Trustee office said they had no record that Jordan had ever worked there. |
|||
==See also== |
|||
*[[Criticism of Wikipedia]] |
|||
*[[Reliability of Wikipedia]] |
|||
*[[Wikipedia community]] |
|||
==Jordan's initial reactions== |
|||
== References == |
|||
At the beginning of the revelation, Jordan had bragged about fooling Schiff at his Wikipedia user page, saying he must have been "doing a good job playing the part". Travelling within India at the time, Wales' initial reactions was, "I regard it as a pseudonym and I don’t really have a problem with it." Wales voiced support for Essjay, citing how valuable he had been as a Wikipedia contributor. Yet as the controversy continued to erupt, Essjay apologized to Wales and wrote on his user page, |
|||
<BLOCKQUOTE> |
|||
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"><references /></div> |
|||
I *am* sorry if anyone in the Wikipedia community has been hurt by my decision to use disinformation to protect myself. I'm not sorry that I protected myself; I believed, and continue to believe, that I was right to protect myself, in light of the problems encountered on the internet in these trying times. I have spoken to all of my close friends here about this, and have heard resoundingly that they understand my position, and they support me. Jimbo and many others in Wikipedia's hierarchy have made thier [''sic''] support known as well...'' |
|||
</BLOCKQUOTE> |
|||
==Reaction from critics of Wikipedia== |
|||
== News sources == |
|||
{{Expand|date=March 2007}} |
|||
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> |
|||
The controversy that had already started continued to unfold. Critics of Wikipedia had been heavily weighing in since day one. The blogosphere was particularly replete with critics' words. [[Larry Sanger]] responded to Wales position on the controversy on his [[Citizendium]] blog: |
|||
<blockquote> |
|||
; [[February 28]] [[2007]] |
|||
There’s something utterly breathtaking, and ultimately tragic, about Jimmy telling ''The New Yorker'' that ''he doesn’t have a problem'' with Essjay’s lies, and by essentially ''honoring'' Essjay after his lies were exposed.... Doesn’t Jimmy know that this has the potential to be even more damaging to Wikipedia than the Seigenthaler situation, since it reflects directly on the judgment and values of the management of Wikipedia? |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia Source For 'New Yorker' A Fraud |url= http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/02/28/wikipedia-source-for-new-yorker-a-fraud |publisher=WebProNews| first= David A. |last=Lutter |date= [[February 28]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
</blockquote> |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Ode to Wikipedia Riddled with Errors |url= http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/02/new-yorker-butchered-facts-in-wikipedia-ode.php |publisher=[[Radar (magazine)|Radar Magazine]]| first= Jeff |last=Bercovici |date= [[February 28]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
Wales later issued a new statement on his user talk page. |
|||
; [[March 1]] [[2007]] |
|||
<blockquote> |
|||
I have been for several days in a remote part of India with little or no Internet access. I only learned this morning that EssJay used his false credentials in content disputes. I understood this to be primarily the matter of a pseudonymous identity (something very mild and completely understandable given the personal dangers possible on the Internet) and not a matter of violation of people's trust. I want to make it perfectly clear that my past support of EssJay in this matter was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on. Even now, I have not been able to check diffs, etc. |
|||
I have asked EssJay to resign his positions of trust within the community. In terms of the full parameters of what happens next, I advise (as usual) that we take a calm, loving, and reasonable approach. From the moment this whole thing became known, EssJay has been contrite and apologetic. People who characterize him as being "proud" of it or "bragging" are badly mistaken. |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6163357.html|title=Wikipedia 101: Check your sources|accessdate = 2007-03-02|publisher=CNET News|year=[[1 March]] [[2007]]|first=Margaret|last=Kane}} |
|||
</blockquote> |
|||
* {{cite news |title= The Wikipedia Admin Brouhaha |url= http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/03/01/the-wikipedia-admin-brouhaha |publisher=WebProNews| first= Mathew |last=Ingram |date= [[March 1]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite web|url=http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/000329.html|title=Wikipedia: J.S. on Essjay|accessdate = 2007-03-02|publisher=ASCII|year=01 March 2007|first=Jason S|last=Sadofsky|authorlink=Jason Scott Sadofsky}} |
|||
The next day, Sanger responded: |
|||
; [[March 2]] [[2007]] |
|||
<blockquote> |
|||
Jimmy’s statement implies that the only thing that occasions his request for Essjay’s resignation–just ten days after appointing him to the Arbitration Committee–was his newfound knowledge that Essjay “used his false credentials in content disputes.” That apparently is the only thing that would ”violate people’s trust.” Since Jimmy declared he didn’t “have a problem with it” to The New Yorker, it seems Jimmy finds nothing wrong, nothing trust-violating, with the act itself of openly and falsely touting many advanced degrees on Wikipedia. But there most obviously is something wrong with it, and it’s just as disturbing for Wikipedia’s head to fail to see anything wrong with it. |
|||
</blockquote> |
|||
==Wikipedia's reactions== |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Essjay, the Ersatz Academic|url=http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1909 |publisher= [[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]|date= [[March 2]] [[2007]]|last=Read|first=Brock}} |
|||
{{Expand|date=March 2007}} |
|||
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/03/02/wiki_manager_lied_about_background/|title=Wikipedia manager lied about background|accessdate = 2007-03-02|publisher=bit.tech.net|year=[[2 March]] [[2007]]|first=Brett|last=Thomas}} |
|||
As a result of the controversy, Wikipedia users began a review of Essjay's previous edits and discovered evidence he flaunted his fictional professorship to influence editorial consideration of edits he made. "People have gone through his edits and found places where he was basically cashing in on his fake credentials to bolster his arguments," said Michael Snow, a Wikipedia administrator and founder of the Wikipedia community newspaper, ''The Wikipedia Signpost''. "Those will get looked at again." |
|||
==Jordan's resignation== |
|||
; [[March 5]] [[2007]] |
|||
Following the intense scrutiny from bloggers, internally from Wikipedia, Wales later wrote on his Wikipedia User talk page, "I have asked Essjay to resign his positions of trust within the community." Jordan resigned the same day. |
|||
==Ongoing story== |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=271|title=Wikipedia: Why does Essjay need to “protect himself”?|accessdate = 2007-03-05|publisher=ZD Net|year=[[5 March]] [[2007]]|author=Mitch Ratcliffe}} |
|||
{{Expand|date=March 2007}} |
|||
==See also== |
|||
; [[March 6]] [[2007]] |
|||
* [[Criticism of Wikipedia]] |
|||
* [[Wikipedia community]] |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8x57fGj|title=Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=ITworld.com|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]|author=Dan Blacharski}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8xXu2IA|title=Wikipedia hit by identity crisis as student admits posing as professor|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]|author=Stephen Foley|work=World news}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8xKwJRS|title=Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=Foreign Policy|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]|work=Editors}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Farewell, Wikipedia?|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/06/wikipedia_crisis/ |publisher= [[The Register]]|first=Andrew|last=Orlowski|authorlink=Andrew Orlowski|date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Fake professor in Wikipedia storm|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6423659.stm |publisher= [[BBC News]]|first= |last=Staff |date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.unison.ie/worldnews/stories.php3?ca=30&si=1788073|title=Key Wikipedia 'editor' unmasked as fraud|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[Irish Independent]]|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/wwiki106.xml|title=Fake Wikipedia prof altered 20,000 entries|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|first= Catherine|last= Elsworth |year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006660778|title=Controversy Emanates Over Fake Editor On Wikipedia|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[All Headline News]]|first= Jacob|last= Cherian|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/Bogus_professor_resigns_as_Wiki_editor/20070306-024535-7990r/|title=Bogus professor resigns as Wiki editor|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[United Press International]]|first= |last= Staff|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=3&theme=&usrsess=1&id=148964|title=Wikipedia ‘Prof’ Is A Fraudster|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[The Statesman]]|first= Stephen|last= Foley|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/06/business/wiki.php|title=Wikipedia ire turns against ex-editor |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]]|first= Noam|last= Cohen|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/16845920.htm|title=Wikipedia editor resigns after credentials exposed as bogus|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|first= |last= Staff|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{Cite news|url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2928756&page=1|title=Wikiscandal: A Prominent Editor at the Popular Online Encyclopedia Is a Fraud|accessdate = 2007-03-06|publisher=[[ABC News]]|first= Russell|last= Goldman|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Controversy emanates over fake editor on Wikipedia|url= http://www.bizreport.com/2007/03/controversy_emanates_over_fake_editor_on_wikipedia.html |publisher=BizReport| first= Jacob |last=Cherian|date= [[March 6]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Bogus professor quits Wikipedia |url= http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10218/53/ |publisher=iTwire, Australia| first= Stephen|last=Withers|date= [[March 6]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia editor who posed as professor is Ky. dropout|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/NEWS01/703060446/1008 |publisher= The [[Louisville Courier-Journal]]|first= Andrew |last=Wolfson |date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= A prominent editor at Wikipedia might not be what he says|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=sci_tech&id=5098656 |publisher= 7 Online|first= Russell |last=Goldman|date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia chief promises change after 'expert' exposed as fraud |url= http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1480012.ece |publisher=Times Online|first= James |last= Doran|date= [[March 6]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
; [[March 7]] [[2007]] |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia's 'bogus' editor ousted |url= http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/2163.shtml |publisher=Freelance UK|first= |last= Staff|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Fake 'expert' scandal forces Wikipedia to review editor policy |url= http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/03/07/tech-wikipedia.html |publisher=CBC News|first= |last= Staff|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia to seek proof of credentials |url= http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_Wikipedia_Credentials.html |publisher=Associated Press|first=Brian |last=Bergstein|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{cite news|title=Wikipedia Editor Out After False Credentials Revealed |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257340,00.html| publisher=[[Fox News]]|first=James|last=Doran|accessdate=2007-08-07}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Phony Prof Triggers Wikipedia Uproar |url= http://www.technewsworld.com/story/56156.html |publisher=TechNewsWorld|first=Erika |last=Morphy|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Contributor scandal rocks Wikipedia |url= http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2184884/scandal-hits-wikipedia |publisher=vnunet|first=Shaun|last=Nichols|date= [[March 7]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
;[[March 8]], [[2007]] |
|||
* {{cite news |title= Wikipedia: Rogue editor EssJay resigns in shame |url= http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10241/53/|publisher=IT Wire|first=Alex|last=Zaharov-Reutt |date= [[March 8]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
</div> |
|||
{| style="float: right; clear: right; background-color: transparent" |
|||
|- |
|||
|{{wikinews|Jimmy Wales asks Wikipedian to resign "his positions of trust" over nonexistent degrees|Jimmy Wales asks Wikipedian to resign "his positions of trust" over nonexistent degrees}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|{{wikinews|Ex-Wikipedian accuses Pulitzer winner of bad journalistic practices|Ex-Wikipedian accuses Pulitzer winner of bad journalistic practices}} |
|||
|} |
|||
=== Audio and video === |
|||
* [http://wikipediaweekly.com/2007/03/03/episode-12-essjay-special-episode/ Wikipedia Weekly: Episode 12: Essjay (special episode)] - [[March 3]] [[2007]] |
|||
* [http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2929512 ABC News broadcast on Essjay] - [[March 6]] [[2007]] |
|||
==References== |
|||
== Primary sources == |
|||
*[http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_sociology Wikipedia sociology]", [[Meta-Wiki]], 23:30 [[March 24]] [[2006]] |
|||
* [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:lHfdhUPyGpEJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Essjay/History1+User:Essjay/History1&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a User:Essjay/History1] - archive at [[Google]] cache. Also, [http://www.webcitation.org/5N5PRq444 here], archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://wikipediaweekly.com/2007/03/03/episode-12-essjay-special-episode/ Wikipedia Weekly: Episode 12: Essjay (special episode)] - broadcast [[March 3]], [[2007]] |
|||
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20060111060701/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Essjay User:Essjay] snapshot from the [[Internet Archive]] archived on [[2006-01-11]] |
|||
*[http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2929512 ABC News broadcast on Essjay] [[March 6]], [[2007]] |
|||
* [http://www.webcitation.org/5N2Me17ss Edit in which Essjay claims to a user that he had a PhD and students under his charge -- and references <i>Catholicism for Dummies</i>] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Wikipedia Source For 'New Yorker' A Fraud |url= http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/02/28/wikipedia-source-for-new-yorker-a-fraud |publisher=WebProNews| first= David A. |last=Lutter |date= February 28, 2007}} |
|||
* [http://www.webcitation.org/5N2MZaMWP Letter by Essjay to an academic in which he falsely claims academic credentials and accomplishments]. - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Ode to Wikipedia Riddled with Errors |url= http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/02/new-yorker-butchered-facts-in-wikipedia-ode.php |publisher=[[Radar (magazine)|Radar Magazine]]| first= Jeff |last=Bercovici |date= February 28, 2007}} |
|||
* [http://www.webcitation.org/5N6JlVUxR Essjay's apology] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6163357.html|title=Wikipedia 101: Check your sources|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=CNET News|year=1 March 2007|first=Margaret|last=Kane}} |
|||
* [http://www.webcitation.org/5N56oXGmQ Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Essjay] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*{{cite news |title= The Wikipedia Admin Brouhaha |url= http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/03/01/the-wikipedia-admin-brouhaha |publisher=WebProNews| first= Mathew |last=Ingram |date= March 1, 2007}} |
|||
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Essjay User:Essjay] - Essjay's user page on Wikipedia. |
|||
*{{Cite web|url=http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/000329.html|title=Wikipedia: J.S. on Essjay|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=ASCII|year=01 March 2007|first=Jason S|last=Sadofsky|authorlink=Jason Scott Sadofsky}} |
|||
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Essjay User talk:Essjay] - Essjay's personal talk page on Wikipedia. |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Essjay, the Ersatz Academic|url=http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1909 |publisher= [[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]|date= March 2, 2007|last=Read|first=Brock}} |
|||
*{{Cite web|url=http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-6163357.html|title=Wikipedia Source For 'New Yorker' A Fraud|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=WebProNews|year=2 March 2007|first=David A.|last=Utter}} |
|||
*{{cite web| url = http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10092/53/| title = Wikipedia: did one of its admins lie?| accessdate = 2007-03-06| last = Zaharov-Reutt| first = Alex| date = [[March 2]], [[2007]]| publisher = iTWire| archiveurl =| archivedate =}} |
|||
{{cite web|title=User talk:Jimbo Wales|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&oldid=112270687}} |
|||
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/03/02/wiki_manager_lied_about_background/|title=Wikipedia manager lied about background|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=bit.tech.net|year=2 March 2007|first=Brett|last=Thomas}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=271|title=Wikipedia: Why does Essjay need to “protect himself”?|accessdate=2007-03-05|publisher=ZD Net|year=5 March 2007|author=Mitch Ratcliffe}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8x57fGj|title=Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=ITworld.com|year=6 March 2007|author=Dan Blacharski}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8xXu2IA|title=Wikipedia hit by identity crisis as student admits posing as professor|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|year=6 March 2007|author=Stephen Foley|work=World news}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5N8xKwJRS|title=Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=Foreign Policy|year=6 March 2007|work=Editors}} |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Farewell, Wikipedia?|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/06/wikipedia_crisis/ |publisher= [[The Register]]|first=Andrew|last=Orlowski|authorlink=Andrew Orlowski|date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Fake professor in Wikipedia storm|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6423659.stm |publisher= [[BBC News]]|first= |last=Staff |date=[[March 6]], [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite web|url=http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/03/01/wikipedia-firmly-supports-your-right-to-identity-fraud/|title=Wikipedia firmly supports your right to identity fraud|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=Larry Sanger|year=1 March 2007|author=Larry Sanger|work=Citizendium Blog}} |
|||
*{{Cite web|url=http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/03/03/jimmy-wales-latest-response-on-the-essjay-situation/|title=Jimmy Wales’ latest response on the Essjay situation|accessdate=2007-03-03|publisher=Larry Sanger|year=3 March 2007|author=Larry Sanger|work=Citizendium Blog}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.unison.ie/worldnews/stories.php3?ca=30&si=1788073|title=Key Wikipedia 'editor' unmasked as fraud|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[Irish Independent]]|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/wwiki106.xml|title=Fake Wikipedia prof altered 20,000 entries|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|first= Catherine|last= Elsworth |year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006660778|title=Controversy Emanates Over Fake Editor On Wikipedia|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[All Headline News]]|first= Jacob|last= Cherian|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/Bogus_professor_resigns_as_Wiki_editor/20070306-024535-7990r/|title=Bogus professor resigns as Wiki editor|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[United Press International]]|first= |last= Staff|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=3&theme=&usrsess=1&id=148964|title=Wikipedia ‘Prof’ Is A Fraudster|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[The Statesman]]|first= Stephen|last= Foley|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/06/business/wiki.php|title=Wikipedia ire turns against ex-editor |
|||
|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[International Herald Tribune]]|first= Noam|last= Cohen|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/16845920.htm|title=Wikipedia editor resigns after credentials exposed as bogus|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|first= |last= Staff|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{Cite news|url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2928756&page=1|title=Wikiscandal: A Prominent Editor at the Popular Online Encyclopedia Is a Fraud|accessdate=2007-03-06|publisher=[[ABC News]]|first= Russell|last= Goldman|year=[[6 March]] [[2007]]}} |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Controversy emanates over fake editor on Wikipedia|url= http://www.bizreport.com/2007/03/controversy_emanates_over_fake_editor_on_wikipedia.html |publisher=BizReport| first= Jacob |last=Cherian|date= March 6, 2007}} |
|||
*{{cite news |title= Bogus professor quits Wikipedia |url= http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10218/53/ |publisher=iTwire, Australia| first= Stephen|last=Withers|date= March 6, 2007}} |
|||
*[http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:lHfdhUPyGpEJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Essjay/History1+User:Essjay/History1&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a User:Essjay/History1] - archive at [[Google]] cache. Also, [http://www.webcitation.org/5N5PRq444 here], archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://www.webcitation.org/5N2Me17ss Edit in which Essjay claims to a user that he had a PhD and students under his charge] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://www.webcitation.org/5N2MZaMWP Letter by Essjay to an academic in which he falsely claims academic credentials and accomplishments]. - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://www.webcitation.org/5N6JlVUxR Essjay's apology] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://www.webcitation.org/5N56oXGmQ Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Essjay] - archive at [[WebCite]]. |
|||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Essjay User:Essjay] - Essjay's user page on Wikipedia. |
|||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Essjay User talk:Essjay] - Essjay's personal talk page on Wikipedia. |
|||
=== Essjay's userpage images === |
=== Essjay's userpage images === |
Revision as of 09:57, 8 March 2007
- July 31,2006 — The New Yorker publishes story about Wikipedia by Schiff.
- January 2007 — Essjay hired by Wikia.
- January 15, 2007 — Essjay posts autobiographical details on his user page at Wikia, giving his name, age, previous employment history from age 19, and positions within various Wikimedia Foundation projects.
- February 23, 2007 — Wales announces his appointment of Essjay to Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee.
- February 28, 2007 — Radar Online notes the fact correction appended to the The New Yorker article.
- March 3, 2007 —
- Wales issues a statement on his user talk page at Wikipedia.
- Essjay announces his retirement from Wikipedia on his user talk page at Wikipedia.
- March 6, 2007 — Story featured on World News with Charles Gibson.
The Essjay controversy is among the most publicized controversies about Wikipedia to date. It began in early 2007 when it became known that a prominent English Wikipedia editor, administrator and short-lived Wikia employee going by "Essjay" had lied about his age, background, and academic and professional credentials to Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Stacy Schiff during an interview she conducted for The New Yorker magazine for an article about Wikipedia. The public revelation of Essjay's deception, along with the flurry and breadth of media coverage that soon followed, spurred public debate about Wikipedia like none prior. Critics decried the incident as evidence of their concerns about Wikipedia's accuracy, article-creation system, non-vetting of its contributors and administrative personnel, and even the legitimacy of the Wikipedia project as a whole. Wikipedia itself went into a shocked phase of introspection over numerous of the very same issues, which as yet remain without closure.
Background
Wikipedia
- Also see: Wikipedia, History of Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger, and Criticism of Wikipedia
Wikipedia was launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in January 2001 as a multilingual, Web-based, free content encyclopedia that anyone with access to one of its project Websites can edit. Changes made to Wikipedia articles undergo no formal peer review and are immediately viewable on the World Wide Web. Under this deliberately open model, Wikipedia's growth has been nothing short of exponential. Within only a month, Wikipedia had 600 articles, and year later in January 2002, 20,000. On November 20, 2004, the English Wikipedia alone reached 400,000 articles, and by March 1, 2006, that number had reached 1-million. Based upon Randian objectivism, Wikipedia's undergirding philosophy is that most of its contributors are well-meaning, and that unmoderated collaboration among them will gradually improve the encyclopedia such that it is both reliable and reputable. Organizationally, Wikipedia is headed by the Wikimedia Foundation, which includes an eighteen-member advisory board with less than ten employees, each headed de facto by Jimmy Wales. Sanger left the project in 2002.
Given its decidedly non-traditional method of encyclopedia-building, Wikipedia has been subject to often intense criticisms since its 2001 inception, and on through its years of growth. While able to point to some successes, Wikipedia's article creation system and resulting content, especially on living personalities and controversial topics, have been subject to several well-publicized controversies. On November 29, 2005, John Seigenthaler Sr. wrote an op-ed in USA Today to criticize Wikipedia about a biography written contributors had written about him, which stated he had been suspected of direct involvement in the assassinations of both John and Bobby Kennedy. In late 2006, pro-golfer Fuzzy Zoeller voiced similar concerns when he filed a libel suit against the owner of an IP address, from which allegedly defamatory remarks were posted to his Wikipedia biography article.
Wikipedia runs on MediaWiki software, the sort of "guts" of Wikipedia which make it a dynamic wiki capable of producing its contents through the interactions of its users. One feature of the MediaWiki software is that it provides for each account-holding editor to create a special "user page" where they may write personal material, including information about their background, education, and accomplishments if they choose. That feature would prove instrumental in the Essjay Controversy that eventually developed.
Essjay
In February, 2005, Ryan Jordan of Kentucky signed up with the user name "Essjay" for an account as a Wikipedia editor, the title Wikipedia gives to all of its article contributors. Shortly thereafter, he added details to his invented online persona. "I am a tenured professor of theology at a private university in the eastern United States," he wrote on his userpage, where he additionally indicated he held a Ph.D. in theology and an additional doctorate in canon law. Almost straightway, Essjay went on to prove himself an extremely useful and prolific editor in the eyes of most Wikipedia contributors and its leadership. He applied to become an administrator, a user with power to delete materials and ban users, and was confirmed by majority of Wikipedia users who voted during his nomination. All the while, he exhibited what seemed a proclivity for articles on Catholic topics, which he said was his area of degreed expertise, and cited his credentials either by inference, reputation, or sometimes overtly within content disputes. Essjay began to quickly move up within Wikipedia's ranks.
July 2006 New Yorker article
During that time, in mid-2006, The New Yorker contacted the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia's parent organization, to request contact with a model Wikipedia volunteer. The renowned magazine planned a feature article about Wikipedia. Obliging, the Foundation referred the magazine to Essjay, who then contacted him by email. During the six hours of phone interviews that followed, conducted by Joyce, she queried Essjay about his real-life background, credentials, and activities. In response, Essjay directed Joyce to his Wikipedia user page, where he said he had profiled such material (see images of Essjay's user page). Relying on what Joyce described as the Wikimedia Foundation's strong commendation and authentication of Essjay, she accepted Essjay's user page material as truthful and cited it in her article titled "Know It All", published in The New Yorker's July 31, 2006 issue.
After the positive press, Essjay continued to move up within Wikipedia's ranks. Jimmy Wales appointed him to Wikipedia's twelve-member Arbitration Committee, a body of jurists of sorts with powers to decide and enforce major disputes between Wikipedia contributors. The roles of bureaucrat and then steward soon followed, each representing higher levels of power Essjay held over other Wikipedia's contributors and, ultimately, its content. Once, he sent a letter to a professor in which he used himself and his credentials to defend Wikipedia as a reliable academic source. Around this time, Essjay began claiming he had once been an account manager with a Fortune 20 company, where he was part of a ten-member team that mananaged $500-million in annual sales, and that prior he had worked as a paralegal for five years, including nearly a year with Louisville firm that represented doctors in medical licensure matter and a three months in special position with a United States Bankruptcy Trustee. All the while, to most, Essjay remained the model Wikipedia contributor. Prior only a volunteer, Essjay was hired in January 2007 by Jimmy Wales for a paid position with Wikia, founded by himslef and Angela Beesley. Only, neither Essjay's rise nor his story went unnoticed to certain of Wikipedia's critics.
Breaking the story: from "Essjay" to Ryan Jordan
In January 2007, staunch Wikipedia critic Daniel Brandt began publicly voicing concerns about Essjay at his Website, Wikipedia Watch. A month later, a small number of Wikipedia editors began to express their own misgivings, the number of which increased as the days progressed. Meanwhile, Brandt had already begun documenting his concerns about Essjay in a series of private communications to the The New Yorker.
With Brandt having apparently piqued the alarm of The New Yorker, in February 2007 it issued a rare correction. Its July 31, 2006, article "Know It All", contained an important error, it said. Essjay was, in fact, 24-year-old Ryan Jordan of Kentucky. He held no advanced degrees and had never taught. Later revelations revealed that Jordan was a college dropout who had often used Catholicism for Dummies to source his editorial work on Wikipedia articles. Jordan's claim to have had a three month special position with a United States Bankruptcy Trustee in Louisville also proved false, when Trustee office said they had no record that Jordan had ever worked there.
Jordan's initial reactions
At the beginning of the revelation, Jordan had bragged about fooling Schiff at his Wikipedia user page, saying he must have been "doing a good job playing the part". Travelling within India at the time, Wales' initial reactions was, "I regard it as a pseudonym and I don’t really have a problem with it." Wales voiced support for Essjay, citing how valuable he had been as a Wikipedia contributor. Yet as the controversy continued to erupt, Essjay apologized to Wales and wrote on his user page,
I *am* sorry if anyone in the Wikipedia community has been hurt by my decision to use disinformation to protect myself. I'm not sorry that I protected myself; I believed, and continue to believe, that I was right to protect myself, in light of the problems encountered on the internet in these trying times. I have spoken to all of my close friends here about this, and have heard resoundingly that they understand my position, and they support me. Jimbo and many others in Wikipedia's hierarchy have made thier [sic] support known as well...
Reaction from critics of Wikipedia
The controversy that had already started continued to unfold. Critics of Wikipedia had been heavily weighing in since day one. The blogosphere was particularly replete with critics' words. Larry Sanger responded to Wales position on the controversy on his Citizendium blog:
There’s something utterly breathtaking, and ultimately tragic, about Jimmy telling The New Yorker that he doesn’t have a problem with Essjay’s lies, and by essentially honoring Essjay after his lies were exposed.... Doesn’t Jimmy know that this has the potential to be even more damaging to Wikipedia than the Seigenthaler situation, since it reflects directly on the judgment and values of the management of Wikipedia?
Wales later issued a new statement on his user talk page.
I have been for several days in a remote part of India with little or no Internet access. I only learned this morning that EssJay used his false credentials in content disputes. I understood this to be primarily the matter of a pseudonymous identity (something very mild and completely understandable given the personal dangers possible on the Internet) and not a matter of violation of people's trust. I want to make it perfectly clear that my past support of EssJay in this matter was fully based on a lack of knowledge about what has been going on. Even now, I have not been able to check diffs, etc.
I have asked EssJay to resign his positions of trust within the community. In terms of the full parameters of what happens next, I advise (as usual) that we take a calm, loving, and reasonable approach. From the moment this whole thing became known, EssJay has been contrite and apologetic. People who characterize him as being "proud" of it or "bragging" are badly mistaken.
The next day, Sanger responded:
Jimmy’s statement implies that the only thing that occasions his request for Essjay’s resignation–just ten days after appointing him to the Arbitration Committee–was his newfound knowledge that Essjay “used his false credentials in content disputes.” That apparently is the only thing that would ”violate people’s trust.” Since Jimmy declared he didn’t “have a problem with it” to The New Yorker, it seems Jimmy finds nothing wrong, nothing trust-violating, with the act itself of openly and falsely touting many advanced degrees on Wikipedia. But there most obviously is something wrong with it, and it’s just as disturbing for Wikipedia’s head to fail to see anything wrong with it.
Wikipedia's reactions
As a result of the controversy, Wikipedia users began a review of Essjay's previous edits and discovered evidence he flaunted his fictional professorship to influence editorial consideration of edits he made. "People have gone through his edits and found places where he was basically cashing in on his fake credentials to bolster his arguments," said Michael Snow, a Wikipedia administrator and founder of the Wikipedia community newspaper, The Wikipedia Signpost. "Those will get looked at again."
Jordan's resignation
Following the intense scrutiny from bloggers, internally from Wikipedia, Wales later wrote on his Wikipedia User talk page, "I have asked Essjay to resign his positions of trust within the community." Jordan resigned the same day.
Ongoing story
See also
References
- Wikipedia sociology", Meta-Wiki, 23:30 March 24 2006
- Wikipedia Weekly: Episode 12: Essjay (special episode) - broadcast March 3, 2007
- ABC News broadcast on Essjay March 6, 2007
- Lutter, David A. (February 28, 2007). "Wikipedia Source For 'New Yorker' A Fraud". WebProNews.
- Bercovici, Jeff (February 28, 2007). "Ode to Wikipedia Riddled with Errors". Radar Magazine.
- Kane, Margaret (1 March 2007). "Wikipedia 101: Check your sources". CNET News. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- Ingram, Mathew (March 1, 2007). "The Wikipedia Admin Brouhaha". WebProNews.
- Sadofsky, Jason S (01 March 2007). "Wikipedia: J.S. on Essjay". ASCII. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Read, Brock (March 2, 2007). "Essjay, the Ersatz Academic". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Utter, David A. (2 March 2007). "Wikipedia Source For 'New Yorker' A Fraud". WebProNews. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- Zaharov-Reutt, Alex (March 2, 2007). "Wikipedia: did one of its admins lie?". iTWire. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)
- Thomas, Brett (2 March 2007). "Wikipedia manager lied about background". bit.tech.net. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- Mitch Ratcliffe (5 March 2007). "Wikipedia: Why does Essjay need to "protect himself"?". ZD Net. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
- Dan Blacharski (6 March 2007). "Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud". ITworld.com. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- Stephen Foley (6 March 2007). "Wikipedia hit by identity crisis as student admits posing as professor". World news. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- "Blog Insights: Wikipedia's great fraud". Editors. Foreign Policy. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- Orlowski, Andrew (March 6, 2007). "Farewell, Wikipedia?". The Register.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - Staff (March 6, 2007). "Fake professor in Wikipedia storm". BBC News.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - Larry Sanger (1 March 2007). "Wikipedia firmly supports your right to identity fraud". Citizendium Blog. Larry Sanger. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- Larry Sanger (3 March 2007). "Jimmy Wales' latest response on the Essjay situation". Citizendium Blog. Larry Sanger. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- "Key Wikipedia 'editor' unmasked as fraud". Irish Independent. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Elsworth, Catherine (6 March 2007). "Fake Wikipedia prof altered 20,000 entries". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Cherian, Jacob (6 March 2007). "Controversy Emanates Over Fake Editor On Wikipedia". All Headline News. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Staff (6 March 2007). "Bogus professor resigns as Wiki editor". United Press International. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Foley, Stephen (6 March 2007). "Wikipedia 'Prof' Is A Fraudster". The Statesman. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Cohen, Noam (6 March 2007). "Wikipedia ire turns against ex-editor". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Staff (6 March 2007). "Wikipedia editor resigns after credentials exposed as bogus". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Goldman, Russell (6 March 2007). "Wikiscandal: A Prominent Editor at the Popular Online Encyclopedia Is a Fraud". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - Cherian, Jacob (March 6, 2007). "Controversy emanates over fake editor on Wikipedia". BizReport.
- Withers, Stephen (March 6, 2007). "Bogus professor quits Wikipedia". iTwire, Australia.
- User:Essjay/History1 - archive at Google cache. Also, here, archive at WebCite.
- Edit in which Essjay claims to a user that he had a PhD and students under his charge - archive at WebCite.
- Letter by Essjay to an academic in which he falsely claims academic credentials and accomplishments. - archive at WebCite.
- Essjay's apology - archive at WebCite.
- Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Essjay - archive at WebCite.
- User:Essjay - Essjay's user page on Wikipedia.
- User talk:Essjay - Essjay's personal talk page on Wikipedia.
Essjay's userpage images
-
Screenshot of Essjay's Wikia staff user page, circa March 1 2007
-
Image posted by Essjay as himself