Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that allows anyone to contribute knowledge, is tightening its regulations following a complaint from a prominent journalist who alleged the site published false information linking him to the assassination of Kennedy.
Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, announced that the system will now require users to register for an account before they can create a new entry. Although this measure won’t entirely prevent the submission of inaccurate information, the new rule will assist the site’s 600 volunteers in more easily reviewing and deleting unfounded claims and defamatory content. Wales also hopes that requiring registration will limit the number of entries created.
Visitors to Wikipedia can still edit existing content without needing to create an account. The registration process takes only about 15 to 20 seconds, as the site does not require an email address for activation.
This change was implemented after John Seigenthaler, a former administrative assistant to Robert Kennedy, wrote in USA Today that his biography on Wikipedia falsely implicated him in the assassination of Attorney General Robert Kennedy and his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Seigenthaler, who is also the editorial director of USA Today, stated that his biography was subsequently edited, but still contained several inaccuracies because the site’s volunteers confused him with his son, a journalist at NBC News.
Wikipedia is often regarded as a prime example of a flexible method for gathering human knowledge. Currently, there are about 850,000 entries in English on this encyclopedia. Since its launch in 2001, it has grown significantly and become a vast repository of information covering a wide range of topics, from medieval art to nanotechnology.
