[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia - first with the news

Tue Apr 12 16:25:01 UTC 2005

Since '''a talk page''' was linked by the mainstream media, I'm very
glad that everyone involved with the sourcing and discussion of that
news was so polite.  No revert wars, no calling anyone idiots, just
civilized discussion about whether or not we could verify it.  Yay us!

On Apr 12, 2005 10:49 AM, Arwel Parry <arwel at cartref.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> This item
> [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/internet/2005/04/12/wikipedia_first_with_the_news.html]
> from todays' Guardian notes that we had the correct details for [[Andrea
> Dworkin]]'s death date over 24 hours before the mainstream media, and
> also points to the discussion on the talk page when we weren't sure if
> the rumours were true.
> ---
> "Imagine an encyclopedia," wrote blogger Joe Gratz, "that had someone's
> death noted in their biography before the first major news outlet had
> even published an obituary." The death was that of feminist writer and
> campaigner Andrea Dworkin, the encyclopedia Wikipedia, and Gratz was
> absolutely correct.
> 
> Guardian Unlimited reported Dworkin's death, confirmed by her agent,
> shortly before 1800 GMT yesterday, the first major news outlet to do so.
> Though the correct date of her death was posted at the top of her
> Wikipedia biography at least 24 hours earlier.
> 
> Wikipedia's discussion page explains how it happened. The news was
> circulating on feminist mailing lists shortly after Dworkin died in her
> sleep on Saturday, and from there it found its way to the encyclopedia
> and some blogs. But a lack of corroboration from the press and certainty
> over the source - again gone over on the discussion page - meant the
> Wikipedia writers and some of their readers could not decide if it was
> true. The correct date was taken down at least once, and the item hardly
> pushed.
> 
> One British blogger, Lisa Rullsenberg, found the situation "very
> curious"; it caused confusion here too, unused as we were to researching
> a news story and finding Wikipedia the sole supporting published source,
> breaking the news in its own quiet and understated manner.
> 
> --
> Arwel Parry
> http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/
> 
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