I'm sorry, Lord. I've done so many bad things.
March 13, 2015 7:49 AM Subscribe
Pages on Wikipedia dealing with US police brutality - in particular Eric Garner, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo - have been linked to computers at NYPD HQ.
Edits from 1 Police Plaza were made anonymously, therefore creating a permanent Wikipedia log of edits made on NYPD IP addresses. Using this information, Capital was able to write a computer program that would search Wikipedia for all anonymous edits made on the range of IP addresses registered to 1 Police Plaza.
This post was deleted for the following reason: It's sort of gross and frustrating, for sure, but interested-parties-will-try-to-edit-wikipedia isn't a new or new-to-Metafilter phenomenon and this doesn't seem like a particularly substantial new take on it such that we really need another police-misbehavior post right now. -- cortex
WikipediaVision (beta). Anonymous edits to Wikipedia (almost) in real-time (previously).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:00 AM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by filthy light thief at 8:00 AM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
During the TAM 2-parter on police in the US that aired recently, one of the producers interviewed her NYPD friend about Eric Garner, and the friend's totally bizarre, defensive world view was maybe the most disturbing moment in the entire series.
I can totally imagine that person spending time on Wikipedia correcting the "misconceptions".
posted by selfnoise at 8:02 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I can totally imagine that person spending time on Wikipedia correcting the "misconceptions".
posted by selfnoise at 8:02 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
And they're in [good/bad/expected] company: CONFIRMED: Companies Have Been Editing Wikipedia Pages To Make Themselves Look Better (June 11, 2014)
posted by filthy light thief at 8:03 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eleven top PR firms, including Ogilvy & Mather, Edelman, and FleishmanHillard, released a joint statement stating they will abide by Wikipedia’s editing policies. The statement is essentially an admission that for years PR agencies edited Wikipedia pages on their clients' behalf, ostensibly to remove "errors" but also to delete negative information about companies and to add fluffy "good news" points.When anyone can edit information, why is it shocking that public-facing companies and agencies will try to make themselves look better?
posted by filthy light thief at 8:03 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
it's not surprising, it's still scummy as hell for the nypd to do.
if you want to see what wiki updates they make in the future, feel free to follow NYPDedits.
posted by nadawi at 8:09 AM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
if you want to see what wiki updates they make in the future, feel free to follow NYPDedits.
posted by nadawi at 8:09 AM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Can't wait for the results of that "internal review."
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:25 AM on March 13, 2015
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:25 AM on March 13, 2015
When anyone can edit information, why is it shocking that public-facing companies and agencies will try to make themselves look better?
In the case of the police force, I would suggest integrity? Because being involved in editing pages on wikipedia that cover controversies regarding the force makes them look like they'd rather try to cover up and message away problems than investigate and present their findings through the justice system they are part of?
I mean, I know that the police as an institution is just as prone to venial, petty (and mortal, major) shit as everything else we humans do, but wouldn't it be nice to see them aspiring to be better?
posted by nubs at 8:26 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
In the case of the police force, I would suggest integrity? Because being involved in editing pages on wikipedia that cover controversies regarding the force makes them look like they'd rather try to cover up and message away problems than investigate and present their findings through the justice system they are part of?
I mean, I know that the police as an institution is just as prone to venial, petty (and mortal, major) shit as everything else we humans do, but wouldn't it be nice to see them aspiring to be better?
posted by nubs at 8:26 AM on March 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Honestly, this is the nature of wikipedia. Feature, not bug. Why is this even noteworthy? Were we lacking reasons to be unimpressed with the NYPD's conduct?
If this truly bothers you, donate to the Wikipedia Foundation so they can afford staff to neutralize these attempts to slant things.
posted by dry white toast at 8:29 AM on March 13, 2015
If this truly bothers you, donate to the Wikipedia Foundation so they can afford staff to neutralize these attempts to slant things.
posted by dry white toast at 8:29 AM on March 13, 2015
I mean, I know that the police as an institution is just as prone to venial, petty (and mortal, major) shit as everything else we humans do, but wouldn't it be nice to see them aspiring to be better?
That's the fatal flaw of the web, assuming the best in people.
As should be plainly obvious by this point, not everyone should have an equal say on some subjects. The problem, of course, comes in figuring who gets to decide who shouldn't have that equal say. Hopefully that's considered for the Web 3.6 Release Candidate.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:31 AM on March 13, 2015
That's the fatal flaw of the web, assuming the best in people.
As should be plainly obvious by this point, not everyone should have an equal say on some subjects. The problem, of course, comes in figuring who gets to decide who shouldn't have that equal say. Hopefully that's considered for the Web 3.6 Release Candidate.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:31 AM on March 13, 2015
Oooh, Oooh, new Wikipedia article: NYPD attempts to alter wikipedia articles. Or would that not be noteworthy?
posted by Hactar at 8:33 AM on March 13, 2015
posted by Hactar at 8:33 AM on March 13, 2015
That's the fatal flaw of the web, assuming the best in people.
I guess in the case of governments/powerful institutions and corporations, they take it as a feature, not a bug.
Ok, I tried to be hopeful and positive for a bit this morning, but it's clearly not going to take. Hello cynicism, my old friend!
posted by nubs at 8:34 AM on March 13, 2015
I guess in the case of governments/powerful institutions and corporations, they take it as a feature, not a bug.
Ok, I tried to be hopeful and positive for a bit this morning, but it's clearly not going to take. Hello cynicism, my old friend!
posted by nubs at 8:34 AM on March 13, 2015
If this truly bothers you, donate to the Wikipedia Foundation so they can afford staff to neutralize these attempts to slant things.
Could they really address this with staffing? It seems like the problem is caused by Wikipedia's outdated adherence to required anonymity. A Real Name policy, with reasonable exceptions would get rid of this issue in a minute, without necessarily sacrificing the NPOV goal.
posted by alms at 8:35 AM on March 13, 2015
Could they really address this with staffing? It seems like the problem is caused by Wikipedia's outdated adherence to required anonymity. A Real Name policy, with reasonable exceptions would get rid of this issue in a minute, without necessarily sacrificing the NPOV goal.
posted by alms at 8:35 AM on March 13, 2015
« Older Moog schematics | Saving species is essentially a forever-type... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Thorzdad at 7:51 AM on March 13, 2015 [2 favorites]