CIA and Vatican edit Wikipedia entries

[Amelia]

CIA and Vatican edit Wikipedia entries

August 18, 2007

The Sydney Morning Herald

A US hacker's homemade program to pinpoint origins of Wikipedia edits indicates that alterations to the popular online encyclopedia have come from the CIA and the Vatican.

Virgil Griffith's "Wikiscanner" points to Central Intelligence Agency computers as the sources of nearly 300 edits to subjects including Iran's president, the Argentine navy, and China's nuclear arsenal.

A CIA computer was the source of a whiny "Wahhhhh" inserted in a paragraph about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plans for the office.

"While I cannot confirm whether any changes were made from CIA computers, the agency always expects its computer systems to be used responsibly," CIA spokesman George Little said in response to an AFP inquiry.

Wikipedia is a communally refined Internet encyclopedia that taps into the "wisdom of the masses" by letting anyone make changes.

Its founders believe people who know better will quickly correct inaccurate or misleading information.

Griffith, a university graduate student and self-described hacker, says his software matches unique "IP" addresses of computers with Wikipedia records regarding which machines are used to make online edits.

"I came up with the idea when I heard about Congressmen getting caught for whitewashing their Wikipedia pages," Griffith explains on his website.

Most edits listed at Wikiscanner involve minor changes such as spelling. Some alterations involve removing unflattering information, adding facts or inserting insults.

Wikiscanner's roster indicates a Vatican computer was used to remove references to evidence linking Ireland's Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams to a decades-old double murder.

Someone at the US Democratic Party's Congressional campaign committee changed a description of conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to replace "comedian" with "bigot" and dub his listeners "legally retarded."

"We don't condone these sorts of activities and we take every precaution to insure our network is used in a responsible manner," committee spokesman Doug Thornell told AFP.

A Republican Party computer purportedly was used after the US invasion of Iraq to change "occupying forces" to "liberating forces" in a Baath Party entry.

A United Nations computer is identified as the source of an edit that calls a respected Italian journalist a promiscuous racist.

Someone using a US Senate computer altered a profile of veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas to complain she "interrupts" and is annoying.

An edit traced by Wikiscanner to the BBC changes causes of former prime minister Tony Blair's heart palpitations from strong coffee and vigorous gym workouts to vodka and exertion in a bedroom.

Wikiscanner also identified a BBC computer as being used to change US president George W. Bush's middle name from "Walker" to "Wanker" at Wikipedia.

A computer belonging to Reuters news service is listed as adding "mass murderer" to a Wikipedia description of Bush.

Griffith said it appears common for political figures to "whitewash" entries by replacing negative adjectives with flattering ones and that corporations seem inclined to insert criticism of competitors.

Politicians and corporations show similar tendencies to remove critical information, according to Griffith.

Griffith still considers the collaborative open Wikipedia model reliable.

"Overall -- especially for non-controversial topics -- Wikipedia already works," Griffith says on his website.

"For controversial topics, Wikipedia can be made more reliable through techniques like this one ... to counteract vandalism and disinformation."

[Dr. Shane]

I think Wikipedia's accuracy is most questionable on political issues. During election years it must be a nightmare for the Wikipedia folks to watch. I need to buy myself a good encyclopedia on CD.

[Guest]

Now that's amazing.

[LifeHiscost]

The one thing we have in America that keeps the house of cards from collapsing totally, is our sense of trust for other human beings we think are at least as trustworthy as ourselves. That trust, a gift of the Spirit, is rapidly eroding to the point where at last the infrastructure will completely come to a halt, and for many, that time is a lot closer than we might think.

While men are largely incapable of devising a conspiracy broad enough to bring this to pass, there are enough major criminal activities as well as enough completely amoral people in the world, not to mention in the United States, to cause those who do still have a sense of conscience left, to throw up there hands and at last say, "What's the use?", and themselves no longer work for a just world. (No conspiracy big enough perhaps among men, but that doesn't consider the world of darkness.)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

"Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people."Proverbs 14:34 NKJV

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."Matthew 24:12 NKJV

Blessings!

[phkrause]

Interesting article Amelia! I read where Richard was amazed, but this doesn't amaze me at all. Rome fell apart from within and so will the USA. Greed and corruption will do us in.

pk

[LifeHiscost]

HEY PKRAUSE

yes I agree that U.S. will fall from with in

dgrimm60

The only difference I see would be this,

yes I agree that the U.S. is falling from within.

As someone once said, "Cheer up, it could be worse." So I cheered up. And sure enough, it got worse.

[phkrause]

Yes LifeHiscost, thinks will always being getting worse, but we should be cheerful, because the Lord will be coming soon.

pk

[ChildofChrist]

In the Word, we are told 'not to be deceived.'

When I was a kid, I thought 'That isn't too hard'. Nowadays, unless you have intimate knowledge, it is hard and even difficult.

[nuff sed]

So................??????? My understanding is that "ANYBODY" can modify or change Wikipedia entries. Instead of complaining about it go in and change it!

[Neil D]

Yup.....Go try it...change a word or two over there....see what sort of reactions you might get...

[olger]

Yes LifeHiscost, thinks will always being getting worse, but we should be cheerful, because the Lord will be coming soon.

pk

A rather robust Amen from

`oG

[Kountzer]

The vatican/jesuits was the first major sky ring, or one of the first. There are those that say they created and controled the SS during hitlers reign, the CIA, the British secret police, and the Israeli Mosoud. I don't know if this is extreme paranoia or the truth. This article suggests that it is true.

[LifeHiscost]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

Yes LifeHiscost, thinks will always being getting worse, but we should be cheerful, because the Lord will be coming soon.

pk

A rather robust Amen from

`oG

And I second the Amen.

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward."Hebrews 10:35 KJV

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”" Luke 21:28 NKJV

Blessings!

[phkrause]

Good thought ChildofChrist. I see that so much today, especially in the world of politics. I'll leave it at that.

pk