Changes

Wikipedia claims to be edited by volunteers rather than by paid editors who are pushing the point of view of their clients. Paid Wikipedia editors have added a large number of [[Bias in Wikipedia|biased]] articles on less than notable<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability&oldid=600916287</ref> people and businesses.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability&oldid=600916287#Self-promotion_and_indiscriminate_publicity</ref>

Wikipedia claims to be edited by volunteers rather than by paid editors who are pushing the point of view of their clients. Paid Wikipedia editors have added a large number of [[Bias in Wikipedia|biased]] articles on less than notable<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability&oldid=600916287</ref> people and businesses.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability&oldid=600916287#Self-promotion_and_indiscriminate_publicity</ref>

In theory, Wikipedia articles are supposed to be written by disinterested volunteers based on reliable secondary sources.  However, because Google will rank a Wikipedia article as the first result when a person searches on the article's title, [[Public Relations]] firms and "reputation management" companies work hard to remove any negative or controversial facts from Wikipedia articles relating to their clients.  Although such paid editing is not allowed, Wikipedia does little to enforce its rules against paid editing and there are numerous examples of paid editors introducing biased content on behalf of their clients.

In theory, Wikipedia articles are supposed to be written by disinterested volunteers based on reliable secondary sources.  However, because Google will rank a Wikipedia article as the first result when a person searches on the article's title, [[Public Relations]] firms and "reputation management" companies work hard to remove any negative or controversial facts from Wikipedia articles relating to their clients.  Although such paid editing is not allowed, Wikipedia does little to enforce its rules against paid editing and there are numerous examples of paid editors introducing biased content on behalf of their clients.

==Paralympics==

==Paralympics==

Historically, [[Wikipedia]] did not give much coverage to the Paralympics, because most paralympic athletes did not receive much independent media coverage and hence did not satisfy Wikipedia's notability test for having articles in its online encyclopedia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability_%28sports%29&oldid=507180157#Olympic_and_Paralympic_Games|title=Wikipedia:Notabiity (sports)|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>  However, in 2011, the [[Australian Paralympic Committee]] (APC) issued an Request for Proposal to pay someone to write a history of Australia's paralympians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/APC%20Paralympic%20history%20request%20for%20proposals%20document.pdf|title=Paralymic History Request for Proposals|format=PDF|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref> The original plans was for the resulting document to be published as a book.  Instead, a team, which included the President (who was also then serving on the Wikipedia Arbitration Committee) and Vice President of Wikimedia Australia, won the contract and decided to post their work on Wikipedia.  As a result, the APC hired one of them as a "Wikipedian in residence" and they also organized a competition to encourage volunteer editors to write about paralympians called "Wikimedians to the Games" offering as a prize two trips to London to cover the 2012 Paralympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Paralympic_Movement_in_Australia/Wikimedians_to_the_Games|title=Wikimedians to the Games|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>  The contest did not draw many entrants nor generate much content.  Most of the content was generated by the paid writer instead of by volunteers.  At the last minute, they proposed a new combined Olympic/paralympic competition.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Olympics/Paralympics&diff=prev&oldid=499714886|title=Olympic/Paralympic WikiCup? |date=June 28, 2012|accessdate=August 30, 3012}}</ref> Apparently, the two people who are going to London to cover the Paralympics are the paid writer and her significant other.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Olympics/Paralympics&diff=prev&oldid=503661796|title=Covering the Olympics/Paralympics live and in person for Wikipedia and other WMF projects|date=July 22, 2012|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref> Their "wikinews" coverage gained about 300-400 readers, worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User%3ALauraHale&diff=509717911&oldid=507354260|title=User:LauraHale|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>

Historically, [[Wikipedia]] did not give much coverage to the Paralympics, because most paralympic athletes did not receive much independent media coverage and hence did not satisfy Wikipedia's notability test for having articles in its online encyclopedia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Notability_%28sports%29&oldid=507180157#Olympic_and_Paralympic_Games|title=Wikipedia:Notabiity (sports)|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>  However, in 2011, the [[Australian Paralympic Committee]] (APC) issued an Request for Proposal to pay someone to write a history of Australia's paralympians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sites/default/files/APC%20Paralympic%20history%20request%20for%20proposals%20document.pdf|title=Paralymic History Request for Proposals|format=PDF|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref> The original plans was for the resulting document to be published as a book.  Instead, a team, which included the President (who was also then serving on the Wikipedia Arbitration Committee) and Vice President of Wikimedia Australia, won the contract and decided to post their work on Wikipedia.  As a result, the APC hired one of them as a "Wikipedian in residence" and they also organized a competition to encourage volunteer editors to write about paralympians called "Wikimedians to the Games" offering as a prize two trips to London to cover the 2012 Paralympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Paralympic_Movement_in_Australia/Wikimedians_to_the_Games|title=Wikimedians to the Games|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>  The contest did not draw many entrants nor generate much content.  Most of the content was generated by the paid writer instead of by volunteers.  At the last minute, they proposed a new combined Olympic/paralympic competition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Olympics/Paralympics&diff=prev&oldid=499714886|title=Olympic/Paralympic WikiCup? |date=June 28, 2012|accessdate=August 30, 3012}}</ref> Apparently, the two people who are going to London to cover the Paralympics are the paid writer and her significant other.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Olympics/Paralympics&diff=prev&oldid=503661796|title=Covering the Olympics/Paralympics live and in person for Wikipedia and other WMF projects|date=July 22, 2012|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref> Their "wikinews" coverage gained about 300-400 readers, worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User%3ALauraHale&diff=509717911&oldid=507354260|title=User:LauraHale|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref>

In December 2012, there was a separate funding controversy as these individuals traveled from Australia to Colorado in the United States to photograph and write about a [[skiing]] competition for para-sport athletes.<ref>http://www.wikimedia.org.au/w/index.php?title=Proposal:Paralympic_Winter_Sports&oldid=8387</ref> They sought $4,635 in funding from the Australia Wikimedia Chapter for their trip, but started the trip before hearing a reply and pressed their funding claim while already on route. If Wikipedia relies upon secondary sources, it is not clear why they should fund amateur photographers and journalist to travel to para-sport events on the other side of the globe.

In December 2012, there was a separate funding controversy as these individuals traveled from Australia to Colorado in the United States to photograph and write about a [[skiing]] competition for para-sport athletes.<ref>http://www.wikimedia.org.au/w/index.php?title=Proposal:Paralympic_Winter_Sports&oldid=8387</ref> They sought $4,635 in funding from the Australia Wikimedia Chapter for their trip, but started the trip before hearing a reply and pressed their funding claim while already on route. If Wikipedia relies upon secondary sources, it is not clear why they should fund amateur photographers and journalist to travel to para-sport events on the other side of the globe.

Nor was it clear why one of the thousands of Wikipedia volunteers in the United States could not have covered the event in Colorado instead of a three-person team from Australia. Perhaps to seek protection for this policy transgression, the editor has since publicly self-identified as "LGBT".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:LauraHale&diff=4455712&oldid=4455711|title=User:LauraHale|date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>

Nor was it clear why one of the thousands of Wikipedia volunteers in the United States could not have covered the event in Colorado instead of a three-person team from Australia. Perhaps to seek protection for this policy transgression, the editor has since publicly self-identified as "LGBT".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:LauraHale&diff=4455712&oldid=4455711|title=User:LauraHale|date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>

==Vonage==

==Vonage==

In January 2012, four new editors registered with Wikipedia and started to make edits only on the Vonage article<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vonage&diff=475805081&oldid=469974275</ref> removing unfavorable facts and adding promotional materials.  This was noticed by a [[Reddit]] user,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/wikipedia/comments/115vum/did_vonage_try_to_sterilize_its_wikipedia_article/|title=Did Vonage try to sterilize its Wikipedia article?|accessdate=October 11, 2012|date=October 9, 2012}}</ref> which was then cited on the Wikipedia article's talk page.  Although the biased edits made by users with names like "VonageAdmin" are now being cleaned-up, the edits persisted for ten months.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/news/wikipedia-whitewash-wikipedia-911-ipo/|work=Daily Dot|title=

In January 2012, four new editors registered with Wikipedia and started to make edits only on the Vonage article<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vonage&diff=475805081&oldid=469974275</ref> removing unfavorable facts and adding promotional materials.  This was noticed by a [[Reddit]] user,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/wikipedia/comments/115vum/did_vonage_try_to_sterilize_its_wikipedia_article/|title=Did Vonage try to sterilize its Wikipedia article?|accessdate=October 11, 2012|date=October 9, 2012}}</ref> which was then cited on the Wikipedia article's talk page.  Although the biased edits made by users with names like "VonageAdmin" are now being cleaned-up, the edits persisted for ten months.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/news/wikipedia-whitewash-wikipedia-911-ipo/|work=Daily Dot|title=

Did Vonage attempt to whitewash its Wikipedia page?|date=October 9, 2012|accessdate=October 11, 2012}}</ref>

Did Vonage attempt to whitewash its Wikipedia page?|date=October 9, 2012|accessdate=October 11, 2012}}</ref>

==WikiPR==

==WikiPR==

A firm called "Wiki-PR" used hundreds of "sockpuppet accounts" to edit articles covering their clients for years without disclosing that the paid editing created a conflict of interest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/21/money-to-pr-firm-can-buy-good-image-on-wikipedia/?page=1|title=Click capitalism: PR firms cash in cleaning up clients' Wikipedia pages|work=Washington Times|date=October 21, 2013|first=Shaun |last=Waterman|accessdate=October 24, 2013}}</ref>  The clients included Viacom and priceline.com.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2013-10-16/News_and_notes</ref>  The matter is also being discussed by Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee&curid=4773009&diff=577350198&oldid=577350005#So_what.27s_the_deal_here.3F</ref>

A firm called "Wiki-PR" used hundreds of "sockpuppet accounts" to edit articles covering their clients for years without disclosing that the paid editing created a conflict of interest.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/21/money-to-pr-firm-can-buy-good-image-on-wikipedia/?page=1|title=Click capitalism: PR firms cash in cleaning up clients' Wikipedia pages|work=Washington Times|date=October 21, 2013|first=Shaun |last=Waterman|accessdate=October 24, 2013}}</ref>  The clients included Viacom and priceline.com.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2013-10-16/News_and_notes</ref>  The matter is also being discussed by Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee&curid=4773009&diff=577350198&oldid=577350005#So_what.27s_the_deal_here.3F</ref>

==Beutler Ink==

==Beutler Ink==

==Others==

==Others==

# In April 2013, a marketer sent out unsolicited emails claiming  to "have a Wikiepdia Admin on staff who can get your pages up and keep them up. He is also very good at fixing client's pages who have gotten slandered online. Get in touch for more details. Our price is $2,500." Wikipedia did not investigate the claim.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest/Noticeboard/Archive_63#Paid_editing_with_a_twist</ref>

# In April 2013, a marketer sent out unsolicited emails claiming  to "have a Wikiepdia Admin on staff who can get your pages up and keep them up. He is also very good at fixing client's pages who have gotten slandered online. Get in touch for more details. Our price is $2,500." Wikipedia did not investigate the claim.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest/Noticeboard/Archive_63#Paid_editing_with_a_twist</ref>

# Starting in April 2008, Karen "Fluffernutter" Ingraffea, who worked as a paid member of IBM's Watson AI team, began editing Wikipedia on company time, including the article covering the Watson AI project.<ref>https://tools.wmflabs.org/usersearch/usersearch.py?name=Fluffernutter&page=Watson+%28computer%29&server=enwiki&max=100</ref>  She married Wikipedia arbitrator Brad “Courcelles” Brown in September 2013 and no action has been taken against her for her paid editing.<ref>http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/02/09/elementary-my-dear-watson/</ref>

# Starting in April 2008, Karen "Fluffernutter" Ingraffea, who worked as a paid member of IBM's Watson AI team, began editing Wikipedia on company time, including the article covering the Watson AI project.<ref>https://tools.wmflabs.org/usersearch/usersearch.py?name=Fluffernutter&page=Watson+%28computer%29&server=enwiki&max=100</ref>  She married Wikipedia arbitrator Brad “Courcelles” Brown in September 2013 and no action has been taken against her for her paid editing.<ref>http://wikipediocracy.com/2014/02/09/elementary-my-dear-watson/</ref>

# Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) employee Sarah Stierch advertised her services as a Wikipedia writer for hire on the same freelancer site Wikimedia uses for its own contractors. Wikipedia articles she was alleged to have edited for pay include: the biography of Sally Hogshead,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sally_Hogshead&oldid=588872113</ref> an author and professional speaker; the article on ''The Leadership Challenge'',<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Leadership_Challenge&oldid=580204865</ref> a book on leadership and professional development; and the biography of Barry Posner, one of the book’s authors.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Posner_%28academic%29&oldid=586827885</ref>  Critics raised this paid editing on Jimmy Wales' talk page.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_153#Paid_editing_by_WMF_employee_on_oDesk</ref>  After Wales denied Stierch was a WMF employee, and Fluffernutter jumped to her defense, she was terminated without public explanation by the WMF on January 9.<ref>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2014-January/129466.html</ref>

# Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) employee Sarah Stierch advertised her services as a Wikipedia writer for hire on the same freelancer site Wikimedia uses for its own contractors. Wikipedia articles she was alleged to have edited for pay include: the biography of Sally Hogshead,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sally_Hogshead&oldid=588872113</ref> an author and professional speaker; the article on ''The Leadership Challenge'',<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Leadership_Challenge&oldid=580204865</ref> a book on leadership and professional development; and the biography of Barry Posner, one of the book’s authors.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Posner_%28academic%29&oldid=586827885</ref>  Critics raised this paid editing on Jimmy Wales' talk page.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales/Archive_153#Paid_editing_by_WMF_employee_on_oDesk</ref>  After Wales denied Stierch was a WMF employee, and Fluffernutter jumped to her defense, she was terminated without public explanation by the WMF on January 9.<ref>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2014-January/129466.html</ref>