Another example of the unreliable wisdom of crowds?

[pmv]

I'm not sure how far this discredits the wiki model. I mean, it was eventually found out and corrected. And I guess it mattered that it was in relation to an obscure field that most people didn't care much about (Medieval Russian history, and only from the point-of-view of Chinese-speakers at that). The sheer scale of it is just kind-of funny though.

Wasn't there another case of something similar with Wikipedia in the past? I can't remember what it was, but it was one guy making vast amounts of content up about some specialist subject that he didn't actually know anything about?

Generally I'm surprised and impressed that the Wikipedia approach works as well as it does.

A Bored Chinese Housewife Spent Years Falsifying Russian History on Wikipedia

She “single-handedly invented a new way to undermine Wikipedia,” says a Wikipedian.

www.vice.com

 

[Captante]

"Wisdom of crowds" ??? 😳

Frankly if "the crowd" is all running in one direction I'm inclined to go another way rather then following the lemmings over the cliff.

 

[dullard]

Frankly if "the crowd" is all running in one direction I'm inclined to go another way rather then following the lemmings over the cliff.

Just think of elections and how "wise" the populous is in electing our leaders (and then think of other countries too).

 

[Captante]

Using Pink Floyd's "Animals" as a frame of reference, it's better to be a dog then a sheep and thus avoid being ground up in the slaughter-house.

I may never get to be a pig & OWN the slaughter-house but that might well be a "positive" too since then I'd be the one grinding up sheep.

😳

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm surprised she got away with that. Wikipedia is pretty good at fixing anything that's wrong with an article.

"Wisdom of crowds" ??? 😳

Frankly if "the crowd" is all running in one direction I'm inclined to go another way rather then following the lemmings over the cliff.

Yeah I'm the same way. Reminds me of this show I was watching once, there was a funicular (sorta like a train) that went through a mountain upwards and it failed and caught on fire inside the tunnel. This was a real thing that happened and was a re-enactment. They were showing everybody getting out of it and walking UP the tunnel. Everybody died of smoke inhalation. I was yelling at the TV like my dad does when he watches the Leafs play. In that situation I would have been the only smart person to walk down to avoid the smoke I suppose.

 

[JEDI]

Wasn't there another case of something similar with Wikipedia in the past?

African elephants and it's ears (as opposed to asian elephants)

wiki had to lock that wiki