Edit tick

June 9, 2005 8:01 AM

Watch Wikipedia be edited in real time.
posted by a thousand writers drunk at the keyboard (17 comments total)

The synergy of this post and the user name of the poster is rather telling...
posted by sourwookie at 8:04 AM on June 9, 2005

Cool, thanks. You know you are are wikipedia too much when you recognize some of the names of editors. For those who contribute, this contribution counter is useful.
posted by blahblahblah at 8:09 AM on June 9, 2005

Like watching grass grow, only faster, and with tags.
posted by Mekon at 8:14 AM on June 9, 2005

I think this is pretty cool, and the kind of thing that wierdly hypnotizes me.

Mekon-I actually think it would be neat to be able to watch grass grow and actually see it happening. I always took it as the apotheosis of boring because there was nothing to see, really.
posted by OmieWise at 8:21 AM on June 9, 2005

Not much different than watching the websites scroll by on del.icio.us
posted by tozturk at 8:22 AM on June 9, 2005

It's interesting when you see an unpopular edit get quickly reversed by someone else. This happened multiple times in a few minutes with Tony Blair entries.
posted by mystyk at 8:30 AM on June 9, 2005

look what you've done now. you've broken it.
posted by corvine at 8:48 AM on June 9, 2005

Goddamnit, I was linked to this this morning, and I've been unable to contact it at all, ever. Then you guys come along and Slashdot Fark Metafilter it.
posted by Plutor at 9:03 AM on June 9, 2005

I didn't see the site (it was offline by the time I got there) but it sounds very similar to the Wikipedia logging IRC channels. Connect to irc.wikimedia.org and join #en.wikipedia - similar channels exist for other languages. It's amazing how fast it changes scroll past.
posted by simonw at 9:32 AM on June 9, 2005

Too bad. That would have been cool to see.
posted by raedyn at 9:56 AM on June 9, 2005

Someone must have realized we were watching the dark rituals being performed. Sure you just think it's a nice big free community resource, but Ayn Rand would recognize it as the nefarious Lovecraftian plot it is. "wikipedia"? I say Infonomicon! Necrotext!

Do you not realize the massive, IntricateAndArcane structures such a vast and intertwingled spread of information can form, especially should it be guided by the hands of hidden masters of DarkAndAncient arts? You think it's scary that the public plazas in WashingtonDC form MasonicSymbols? Did you know that if you plot the Wikipedia entries the right way, those for Hitler, bats, the RosicrucianOrder, the invention of pencils, and Foucoult's Pendulum- they form a perfect map of the Oracle at Delphi - BEFORE the Greeks came?

And you think they will allow you to watch their every move in the darkness BehindTheScenes of their demonic MediaWikia software? Did you ever stop to think why "MediaWiki" sounds so much like "MetaWitchery"? I thought not. Ah, I was once young and naive like you, but [CONNECTION CLOSED BY REMOTE HOST]
posted by freebird at 10:13 AM on June 9, 2005

Whoops. Bad, mefites, bad!
posted by deborah at 10:46 AM on June 9, 2005

I didn't see the site (it was offline by the time I got there) but it sounds very similar to the Wikipedia logging IRC channels.

Users who missed the link: Install the ChatZilla extension, restart FireFox, then click here.
posted by rafter at 10:55 AM on June 9, 2005

ONLY ONE MAN sees through the masquerade.
Ever a mere spectre, he remains hidden from those who would wish to cover the truth.
He knows the dark deceits being weaved, and witnesses the mysterious connections binding the world.
The Freebird walks the earth. And he knows.
Though temporarily silenced, we can be certain that he will still be out there. Watching.
posted by Catfry at 12:24 PM on June 9, 2005

This is why we can't have nice things. :(
posted by wolftrouble at 1:01 PM on June 9, 2005

You can see edits in real time if you log in to irc:\\browne.wikimedia.org\en.wikipedia. User Cryptoderk has created a java based tool for monitoring these edits in real time. I did an introductory writeup recently here (self-link).
posted by reflection at 2:52 PM on June 9, 2005

strangely compelling viewing - thanks
posted by senor biggles at 3:46 PM on June 9, 2005