August 22, 2007
MarkBernstein.org
 

Wikimedia Admins

Kathryn Cramer points out that, while people seem focused on anonymous wikipedia revisions submitted by corporate PR flacks, a far greater problem are the powerful, anonymous, and (largely) secret fraternity of admins who arbitrate disputes and decide what will and won't remain in Wikipedia.

Regular readers may be glad to know that Eastgate's wikipedia entry, recently tagged for deletion by an admin who thought Eastgate wasn't sufficiently notable, will stay in Wikipedia. The discussants included several distinguished professors, hypertext editors, and writers who thought Eastgate notable, and a gun collector who didn't. The judge, magisterially, decided that the weight of the evidence favored "keep", thoug he sternly warned that criticism of the individual admins would result in perpetrator being permanently banned from wikipedia.

The judge, according to his wikipedia profile, will begin 12th grade next month.