Wikipedia is Whack
8/8/2006
On The Colbert Report (Comedy Central – 11:30 PM) the other day, Colbert did a little bit on Wikipedia. For those of you that are unfamiliar, Wikipedia is a web site that is set up like a reference encyclopedia that has varied entries about pretty much anything. All you do is type in a person, place or thing and an article pops up giving you all the info and “facts” that you need.
I put that words in quotes because, evidently, the text of these various posts can be edited by anyone with internet access. All someone has to do is log in (I think) and change anything they want. The danger, of course, is that, very quickly, rumor can become fact.
So Colbert suggested that we should type in the fact that "the elephant population in Africa has tripled in the last ten years" making the conservationists cries and pleas ridiculous. His theory being that if you keep this obvious fabrication up on the site long enough, the information would eventually become "common knowledge."
I think Colbert's punchline was "creating a world of democratized knowledge."
I think his idea is brilliant. But instead of fucking with important things…like saving the elephants…why don't we do something that would be more inconsequential. Something subtle enough that might go unchallenged for a long time so kids everywhere in twenty years will be learning about it as if it were really true.
I thought about this long and hard for several days. I used all my intellectual guile, spending hours studying the charts, color coded maps and pie graphs that I constructed for this very purpose, but still, nothing really came to me. Then, as proof of the old adage, "a watched pot never boils," I turned on the radio and there it was.
What we could do is find any Wikipedia entry, about anything really, find an appropriate place and insert the four words
"an uncredited Phil Collins."
Let's see if it works!
How about gangsta rap...
Snoop produced a pornographic film called Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle with Hustler magazine in 2001, where he combines hip hop music with X-rated material. From then on, many films of the genre followed, and finally ended up with founding the Snoopadelic Films company in 2005 with an uncredited Phil Collins.
"Fo' shizzle, my nizzle"
...or speed metal...
Megadeth is an American speed/heavy/thrash metal band led by Dave Mustaine. The group was formed in 1983, disbanded in 2002, and reformed in 2004 with an uncredited Phil Collins.
...or film...
Star Wars is a science fantasy saga and fictional universe created by writer/producer/director George Lucas with an uncredited Phil Collins during the 1970s.
...and comic books.
Although Daredevil had been home to the work of many comic-book legends — Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, John Romita Sr. and an uncredited Phil Collins, among others — it was not until Frank Miller's entrance on the title in the late 1970s that Daredevil was regarded as either popular or influential.
Hell. Why not structural engineering?
The bridge was designed by Chief engineer Othmar Ammann, who also designed most of the other major crossings of New York City , including the George Washington Bridge, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, the Triborough Bridge and the Throgs Neck Bridge with an uncredited Phil Collins.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE !!!
Larry
posted by Larry B | 8:05 PM
6 Comments:
LOL!...or how about:
The "grassy knoll" of Dealey Plaza is a small, sloping hill inside the plaza that became infamous following the John F. Kennedy assassination. The knoll was above President Kennedy and to his right (west and north) during the assassination on November 22, 1963......Behind the picket fence was the train control tower which Lee Bowers was working in during the assassination; He claimed to have seen several strangers and an uncredited Phil Collins in the area minutes before the assassination...
You know what I think about this Larry, which is that it is f**king hilarious. Perhaps some things should remain elite, like knowledge and the responsibility of putting together reference resources. Seriously, an encyclopedia entry for Megadeth? WTF?
The Internet is rife with dubious sources and out-right hoaxes. This is well-documented and anyone who takes anything they find on the Internet as "fact" is either naive or delusional. That said, Wikipedia has built a pretty good community of editors and done an admirable job of policing their site. "...an uncredited Phil Collins" would be corrected before too many people were tainted by this hoax.
Consider this, Wikipedia has four for every three errors that Encyclopedia Britannica has...a minor miracle on the error-prone Internet. Also, Britannica's errors are committed to print and linger for years on academic bookshelves. All in all, Wikipedia is a pretty good place to start, and getting better.
In conclusion, I am shocked to hear these sentiments coming from bloggers! A cursory glance at this very blog would reveal opinions and editorials that, taken out of context, would be guilty of exactly the same crimes you would hang Wikipedia for. "Physician, heal thyself."
- Robespierre
The Wikipedia entry for Phil Collins himself seems rather dubious and subjective at times.
His international popularity transformed Genesis from a progressive rock group to a regular on the pop charts and an early MTV mainstay.
and
The emotionally charged ballad was an instant classic.... regarding "Against All Odds. I mean, most of the information sounds factual, but who knows what is made up from fans and trolls.
Hey Robe.
How all this started was that awhile ago a friend of mine, much younger than me, mentioned that he dug the album "All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison. After I told him that I also thought that record was one of the truly greats he dropped a bombshell on me. He told me that Phil Collins played on it.
I immediately recoiled because I could not fathom such a thing. And that was not only because I thought Phil was the King of truly soulless, meaningless pop, but, as anyone who knows me knows, I have been a lifelong Beatle fan. And not just the "hey that song is cool" variety.
I'm talking about knowing the entire minutia. Things like album side song orders, running times, quirky label designs, personal biographies, what B-Side was on what single and what year they were released, etc.
I went to at least three Beatlefest conventions back in the eighties. That is very important on this topic for two reasons. One is that was exactly the time period Phil was exploding on the charts every month. Everywhere you turned Collins was "rocking out" another ridiculous diddy. From Against All Odds to Award Shows to Miami Vice there was no escaping that guy.
And two, not one of these "super fans" who attended those conventions... the ones who pride themselves on knowing exactly how many bowel movements Lennon had in 1973... ever mentioned the Collins contribution to Harrison's masterpiece.
I can not believe it would never come up.
But my friend said he saw it somewhere so we both immediately hit the computer. He directed me to Wikipedia and, lo and behold, this is what the entry said:
The album features the talents of Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, members of Badfinger, Eric Clapton (who was left uncredited for over thirty years due to contractual constraints), Billy Preston, and a young Phil Collins who was about to join Genesis.
Is it true?
I don't know. But it is still there regardless for many to assume that it is. As far as taking it at face value, you suggest that my friend was either delusional or naïve. I don't think he was.
First of all, this was awhile ago, well before it was too publicized how free wheeling Wikipedia could be. But, more importantly, he was just someone having a passing interest in a subject and not really the time or inclination to do any scholarly research about it.
Isn't that the way "common knowledge" comes into existence?
And the comment that my blog could be taken out of context and be guilty of the same things, does not really hold water because the whole purpose of this bitch is to be a vehicle for my "editorializing" and for yours and anyone else's for that matter. No where do I claim this to be anywhere near "objective."
If I did I would put the suffix "-pedia" after the title implying some sort of comprehensive reference content.
But I really didn't mean to "come down" on Wikipedia because, as you pointed out, it probably is "well policed." In fact, I would suggest to you that the only thing truly negative mentioned about the site in my post is the title.
At first I was just going to call the thing "Wikipedia." If I did, the article would have sounded a lot less harsh and more playful which was my original intent.
Afterall, it is a proven fact that the only thing truly Whack in this world is Crack.
And as far as "healing myself."
Christ… You don’t know the half of it.
Thanks for the comments!
It was the mocking tone and lack of faith in the democratic nature of Wikipedia that I found ironic in your post. Considering that it was posted on a blog, which are being touted as the one of cornerstones in the democratization of broadcast mediums.
It's really a question of responsible inquiry, which does not end with the author rather with the consumer. Rigorously fact-checked sources are available to everyone, especially in this day and age. I don't think that Wikipedia considers itself more authoritative than a desktop reference book.
By the way, Phil Collins was a top session player in the early Seventies and did play on "All Things Must Pass". This is verified by George Harrison in the liner notes of newly remastered edition of the album that came out a few years ago.
The truth is out there.
- Robespierre
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