This past week, Wikipedia was rocked by revelations that high-level editors and the chair trustee of Wikimedia UK were providing personal clients with special favors and increased exposure on the Internet's encyclopedia.
At the center of the debacle were Wikimedia UK chair Roger Bamkin and fellow Wikipedian in Residence Maximillion Klein, who had been openly advertising SEO pay-for-play services for clients on his website Untrikiwiki. Klein did not admit to anything, yet quickly removed damning Web site material, and Wikimedia UK Trustee Roger Bamkin -- at the scandal's center -- resigned.
Members of the Wikipedia editing community had been calling out the paid-PR activity, yet were continually shouted down by opposing editors, effectively derailing whistle-blowers' arguments.
When news of the paid-PR scandal finally broke outside Wikipedia's discussion forums, Klein quickly removed language and artwork advertising his access and services, and posted an unapologetic statement explaining that his business believes there is nothing wrong with paid COI ("Conflict of Interest") editing for special interests on Wikipedia.
After the scandal went public, Bamkin continued to insist there was no issue or conflict with his s... [Read more]
No comments:
Post a Comment