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Holy See manipulated the encyclopaedia intentionally "...lack all of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC) had edited entries on topics seriousness and logic. It is absurd even to think that such an such as the "children overboard" affair, as reported in the Sydney initiative could have even been considered." Forced to explain Morning Herald on 24 August. PM John Howard stated that he how it could have happened, he said that there are many had not asked any of his staff to edit those entries. WikiScanner computers in the Vatican and that anyone could have access to revealed, too, that Department of Defence staff had made more Wikipedia on any one of them. than 5,000 changes to the encyclopaedia, but the Herald reported Equally interesting is that a computer traced to American that they were now blocked from editing entries (note that a Airlines (AA) was used to make a significant change about 9/11. general IP number can be used by several departments). The original entry read: "Two American Airlines aircraft were Commenting on ABC News, the chair of Electronic Frontiers hijacked and crashed during the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Australia, Dale Clapperton, said: "You also have to ask yourself Attack: American Airlines Flight 77 (a Boeing 757) and whether it's a responsible and reasonable use of taxpayer dollars to American Airlines Flight 11 (a Boeing 767)"—to which an AA have public servants trying to sanitise entries on Wikipedia using employee added (somewhat ungrammatically): "Although these taxpayer-paid resources to make their point of view more flights were daily departures before and a month after September acceptable to the current government." In a follow-up Herald 11, 2001. Neither flight 11 nor 77 were scheduled on September _ report of 30 August, the PMC secretary claimed that the IP number 11, 2001. The records kept by the Bureau of Transportation did not belong to the department but instead to Macquarie Statistics (http://www.bts.gov/gis/) do not list either flight that Telecom—a claim that experts and the Herald dispute as highly day." (See http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/august2007/ unlikely, stating they have more evidence than merely an IP 260807_b_airlines.htm.) What are we address to identify the government to make of this? department as the source. But WikiScanner especially revealed that most abuse originates from corporate Disinformation weapon the UK Dufependen of 18 Avgus 2007, | __ WikiScanner especially headlines in mid-August 2007, there Wal-Mart cleaned some statements about revealed that most abuse was one Wikipedia incident which ‘senor mectuean sun. | originates from corporate five Joss ateton tan computer removed paragraphs about clients—and politicians. intelligence agencies had been using Walden O'Dell, chief executive of the Wikipedia for disinformation purposes, company, which revealed that he had thus proving Sarfatti's Orwellian been "a top fund-raiser" for George W. allegation. Bush. Such cleaning should be seen as Daniel Brandt posted a summary on rewriting history. Even if the edits are not The Wikipedia Review website on 1 correct, Wikipedia's policy should be to insert "it is alleged" or August. The incident involved Pierre Salinger. He was a White statements to that effect. House press secretary to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, served The Independent, along with many media sources, mentioned as a US senator from California in 1964 and was campaign other abuses. Griffith's tool also discovered that acomputerowned manager for Robert Kennedy. Salinger was also a famous y the US Democratic Party was used to make changes to the site investigative journalist who broke many important news stories. of right-wing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. The changes brand When he was based in London, he investigated the December Mr Limbaugh as "idiotic", a "racist" and a "bigot". An entry about 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which his audience read: "Most of them are legally retarded." killed 270 people. He and his collaborator, John K. Cooley, hired An IP address that belongs to the oil giant ExxonMobil was Linda Mack, a young graduate, to help in their research, which inked to sweeping changes to an entry on the disastrous 1989 resulted in Salinger testifying at the Camp Zeist trial in November Exxon Valdez oil spill. An allegation that the company "has not yet 2000: aid the US$5 billion in spill damages it owes to the 32,000 "I know that these two Libyans had nothing to do with it. I Alaskan fishermen" was replaced with references to the funds that know who did it and I know exactly why it was done," he said. the company has paid out. Thinking the judge would allow him to present this evidence, The Republican Party edited Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party Salinger queried: "That's all? You're not letting me tell the truth. entry so it made it clear that the US-led invasion was not a "US- Wait a minute; I know exactly who did it. I know how it was ed occupation" but a "US-led liberation"—the clearest example done," Salinger replied to the trial judge, Lord Sutherland, who of Ministry of Truth's approved Newspeak if ever there was one. simply asked him to leave the witness box. "If you wish to make Also uncovered by WikiScanner was that a computer registered a point you may do so elsewhere, but I'm afraid you may not do to the Dow Chemical Company deleted a section on the 1984 so in this court," Lord Sutherland interrupted. Bhopal chemical disaster (which ultimately killed up to 22,000 So what does this have to do with Wikipedia? "SlimVirgin" people) which occurred at a plant operated by Union Carbide, now _had been voted the most abusive administrator of Wikipedia. She a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow. had upset so many editors that some of them decided to team up It was also reported that Barbara Alton, assistant to Episcopal to research her real-life identity. Attempts to track her through bishop Charles Bennison, deleted information on a cover-up of child _ Internet technology failed. This was suspicious in itself, as sexual abuse, allegations that the bishop misappropriated US$11.6 WikiScanner has revealed. According to a team member, million in trust funds, and evidence of other scandals. When SlimVirgin "knows her way around the Internet and covered her challenged, Alton claimed that she had been ordered to delete the tracks with care". The question, therefore, was: why? information by Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. WikiScanner also uncovered that staff in Australia's Department Continued on page 77 WikiScanner especially revealed that most abuse originates from corporate clients—and politicians. NEXUS * 15 Continued on page 77 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com