[Marxism] CIA, FBI computers used for Wikipedia edits

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070816/ts_nm/security_wikipedia_dc
CIA, FBI computers used for Wikipedia edits

By Randall MikkelsenThu Aug 16, 6:43 PM ET

People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online 
encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the 
Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program.

The changes may violate Wikipedia's conflict-of-interest guidelines, a 
spokeswoman for the site said on Thursday.

The program, WikiScanner, was developed by Virgil Griffith of the Santa 
Fe Institute in New Mexico and posted this month on a Web site that was 
quickly overwhelmed with searches.

The program allows users to track the source of computers used to make 
changes to the popular Internet encyclopedia where anyone can submit and 
edit entries.

WikiScanner revealed that CIA computers were used to edit an entry on 
the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A graphic on casualties was 
edited to add that many figures were estimated and were not broken down 
by class.

Another entry on former CIA chief William Colby was edited by CIA 
computers to expand his career history and discuss the merits of a 
Vietnam War rural pacification program that he headed.

Aerial and satellite images of the U.S. prison for terrorism suspects at 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were removed using a computer traced to the FBI, 
WikiScanner showed.

CIA spokesman George Little said he could not confirm whether CIA 
computers were used in the changes, adding that "the agency always 
expects its computer systems to be used responsibly."

The FBI did not have an immediate response.

Computers at numerous other organizations and companies were found to 
have been involved in editing articles related to them.

Griffith said he developed WikiScanner "to create minor public relations 
disasters for companies and organizations I dislike (and) to see what 
'interesting organizations' (which I am neutral towards) are up to."

It was not known whether changes were made by an official representative 
of an agency or company, Griffith said, but it was certain the change 
was made by someone with access to the organization's network.

It violates Wikipedia's neutrality guidelines for a person with close 
ties to an issue to contribute to an entry about it, said spokeswoman 
Sandy Ordonez of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia's parent organization.

However, she said, "Wikipedia is self-correcting," meaning misleading 
entries can be quickly revised by another editor. She said Wikimedia 
welcomed the WikiScanner.

WikiScanner can be found at wikiscanner.virgil.gr/

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