Policing Wikipedia in West Yorkshire

The Telegraph reports on a tussle over the Wikipedia entry on the chief constable of West Yorkshire Police. This has resulted in the entry being locked for the next two weeks.

The neutral point of view is an admirable perspective, but so much in our political, public, legal and academic life depends on an argument between opposing views that this type of dispute will become more and more common. (To give another West Yorkshire example, it's easy to see that 'positive' and 'negative' views have also contributed to the Leeds Metropolitan University entry. Cussed folk, these tykes.)

Comments

[AJG]

Having read the opening paragraph of the Leeds Met wiki entry, it appears that whoever wrote it will never be a best selling author...

[Richard Bailey]

Good point, AJG. How many bestsellers have been written by committee?

[AJG]

I doubt it's committee - I think it's embittered individual syndrome. Either that or incredibly dim person syndrome. I'm undecided.
Each point is made very quickly. Everything seems to be short. and possibly sweet.

Or am I being too picky?

[Richard Bailey]

Wikis have great potential for collaborative use: I'd say the wiki concept is much more powerful than, say, blogging.

But... wikis will usually work best when there's a team of like-minded people working to a common goal.

A tug-of-war over facts and opinions will not often produce a good read.

I'd say there's a need for a revival in editing skills throughout the web, and not just on Wikipedia.