Wikipedia Anonymous

Part of An Oil Book Relied on Wikipedia -"Black Gold: The New Frontier in Oil For Investors" by George Orwel, copied five paragraphs from a Wikipedia article on the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. Snooze. Mr. Orwel stole his own name and couldn't even spell it. He stole the title of his book from the Beverly Hillbillies (George - How could you pass up Black Gold or Texas Tea - Investor's Dilemma), but couldn't seem to decide whether it was history, geography, journalism or a "how-to" investment guide. Five paragraphs from Wikipedia is petty larceny for this guy.

Is Wikipedia a source of questionable veracity? Unquestionably, but, let's face facts. If Mr. Orwel is willing to steal for his book, is he really going to worry about a small thing like accuracy. While the merits of Mr. Orwel's conduct and book are both questionable, the fun here is deep in the story:

"The principal author of the Wikipedia article, reached via his user page there, wrote in an e-mail message that he considered the damages “insignificant,” and had “made no effort to contact the author or publisher.” He described himself as follows: “I’m male, in my 40s, have a Ph.D. in physics, and work as a professor at a university in California. I view my Wikipedia writings as a form of procrastination from real work, so I’d prefer to remain anonymous and not reveal the extent of my procrastination to colleagues.”

Funny guy and funnier motive. I don't feel like writing up that article for Black Hole Monthly just yet, I'll post something on Wikipedia instead. As Good As News confesses to some closet Wikipedia posting of its own: subject - additions to the article on my town in suburban New Jersey covering history and famous natives and residents; motive - local pride and a cynical desire to maintain local real estate prices (yet another reason you should not trust Wikipedia); surprising side effect - just one day after I created a local hall of fame featuring athletes, authors, composers, politicians, etc. I found a completely unfamous "notable" , hiding alphabetically among the elite I had carefully chosen. She subsequently disappeared.

Is there a legion of Wikipedia impostors, planting themselves as celebrities, authorities, somebodies - just to see their name in lights, find out how long it will take some one to notice they are not famous, put one over the editors?

What about enormously successful Brian Grazer, Ron Howard's business partner, Hollywood Producer of Varied Interests, Many Hits, but Little Fame. No, he's not faking Wikipedia entries, he belongs there. When Mr. Grazer visits, he leaves a calling card. Grazer plants a small portrait of himself, nestled discretely among the the host's family photos, then waits to see when it will be discovered and what will happen.

Gee, your Uncle Fred has lost a lot of weight, is he OK?

I thought that was your second cousin from San Francisco, the one who was a Goth all through high school and college.

No, wait, doesn't this look like that guy who came to dinner with Frannie last month, Bobby Phaser, Brian Glasser, something like that?

A little, but what kind of lunatic would do this, doesn't he have a family of his own?

We better warn Frannie, who knows what other fetishes this guy might have - she could be seeing a serial killer.

Want a quick bump in status? Print Mr. Grazer's picture (from the top of this post), frame it in a cheap, heart shape frame and place it quietly next to Uncle Frank in your family photo - corner. Then tell all your friends you just had dinner with a famous Hollywood producter.