People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program.

The changes may violate Wikipedia’s conflict-of-interest guidelines.

The program, WikiScanner, was developed by Virgil Griffith of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico and posted this month on a Web site that was quickly overwhelmed with searches. Update: WikiScanner site beefed up and handling the traffic.

Griffith said he developed WikiScanner “to create minor public relations disasters for companies and organizations I dislike (and) to see what ‘interesting organizations’ (which I am neutral towards) are up to.”

The Santa Fe Institute is a world leader in essential studies in science. Nice to see someone there – ready to stick his finger in the eye of some creepy Feds.



  1. TIHZ_HO says:

    So CIA and FBI are doing in another form what China does – but more sneaky…

    China just blocks Wikipedia then unblocks it and then blocks it again and on it goes…

    Better for China to take America’s lead and just edit the stuff that they don’t like…

    Cheers

  2. Jägermeister says:

    #1 – TIHZ_HO – Better for China to take America’s lead and just edit the stuff that they don’t like…

    Hopefully they’ll not use the people who translated these things… 😉

  3. TIHZ_HO says:

    #2 LOL! Why NOT?

    Great site by the way.

    Sorry off topic…

    Beijing is on a campaign to git rid of all the Chinglish 🙁 Many foreigners are upset about this as it is very entertaining. Like “Please slip down carefully”

    There is a road sign in Shanghai which is not really Chinglish but I do grin every time I see it. First allow me to explain, PUXI (PooSee) is Shanghai west of the river, Pudong is East of the river and there is road connecting the two called Longdong Rd.

    The sign that makes me grin? You guessed it, it is in Pudong and reads “Longdong to PUXI”

    Cheers

  4. Improbus says:

    You would hope the clowns at the CIA and the FBI would learn how to use anonymous proxy servers to cover their tracks. Pwned fools!

  5. jlm says:

    is anyone really surprised by this? honestly?

  6. moss says:

    Like improbus, I’m sort of surprised they weren’t using proxies. Doubtless someone in Spook-IT will explain it to the bureaucrats and they’ll get it all sorted out – by election time 2008.

  7. Jägermeister says:

    #3 – TIHZ_HO – Pudong and reads “Longdong to PUXI”

    *ROTFL*

    #4 – Improbus – You would hope the clowns at the CIA and the FBI would learn how to use anonymous proxy servers to cover their tracks.

    You would think… but it’s probably administrators doing the changes after the top brass have asked for it… and administrators aren’t likely to know much about proxy servers etc.

  8. Cinaedh says:

    I agree with both Improbus and Jägermeister. Still, someone has to be responsible for such ignorance and someone is grossly incompetent at some level.

    It makes me worry about what other things the CIA and the FBI are doing so badly.

  9. John says:

    But are the edits edits by the CIA/FBI or just by people whop work there who are goofing off while getting paid to do work, like so many people do at so many different employers?

  10. moss says:

    #9 – if you expect your computer time to be monitored while at work – and you should – the imperative is understood to be 10 times as great if you’re working for the spies.

    Cripes! I would expect to encounter microphones and cameras in the bathrooms. Why would you expect to be online – unwatched?

  11. Mr. Fusion says:

    #9, John,

    It wouldn’t matter. If they are on company time and company computers the company is responsible. The only defense for the company would be if they has a policy, the policy was actively enforced, and the company took steps to ensure that enforcement was company wide.

  12. GigG says:

    Is there a list somewhere of people who aren’t allowed to make changes to Wiki? I must have missed that.

    To equate making edits to China’s blocking Wikipedia really shows that how bias you are. God forbid that someone that actually has some knowledge of an issue (as someone at the CIA might have of Iraq) actually share that info in Wikipedia.

  13. GigG says:

    BTW there are tons of interesting edits under the US House of Reps links.

  14. Brad Lyons says:

    I notice no comment about the DNC being caught making slanderous edits to the bio entries of prominent conservatives.

    But, from what I’ve seen, par for the course here.

  15. Mr. Fusion says:

    #15, Bryon

    I am unaware of the DNC, editing slanderous comments about conservatives. Could you post a link exposing this?

    I understand that this is Right Wing Nut Neo-con Conservative Evangelical Republican Radio-head Shut-in standard operating procedure, but I’m wondering if this aspect is also an “accuse the opposition of what we do” ploy?

  16. TIHZ_HO says:

    #4, #8 CIA and the FBI would learn how to use anonymous proxy servers to cover their tracks

    You might not know this but what you suggest is not possible with Wiki to editing through an anonymous proxy server.

    I reside behind the Chinese great fire wall and Wiki gets blocked and unblocked all the time. When it is blocked I use a anonymous proxy server to access Wiki BUT I am not allowed to login or edit.

    Try it – use http://www.anonymouse.org go to Wiki and try to edit something.

    #14 It seems you are correct only on such topics with a potential for political or marketing agendas. For other apolitical neutral topics not involving Wal-Mart Wiki is a great reference – I use it all the time in my industry.

    #16 Yes pedro you are correct but one is meant to cite their sources or reasons for any editing and the spirit of Wiki is that it is not a political or marketing tool.

    Cheers

  17. TIHZ_HO says:

    #19 Well that I didn’t know. As far as for me behind the Chinese fire wall knowing my luck right after I paid it gets blocked – so I never tried.

    #7 Jägermeister I’m glad you liked that one!

    There was a hospital in Beijing called the ‘Anus and Intestine Hospital’ – until they changed to ‘The Proctology Hospital’.

    Cheers

  18. flyingelvis says:

    wiki’s are crap. who cares?

  19. Brad Lyons says:

    #17,

    Google it.

    It’s not like it’s hard to find.

  20. Mr. Fusion says:

    #22, Brad,

    WTF

    You posted the accusation. If you can’t back it up then it is pure BUlLSHIT. Don’t expect me to “find” your sources for you.

    Moran.

  21. Mr. Fusion says:

    #23, Me,

    During my self editing, I added a lower case “L” to BULLSHIT

    Sorry for any confusion.

  22. David says:

    Once again, the Feds put maximum effort in irrelevant places.


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