Good Idea, Misguided Idea

Ordinarily due to the fact that this entry has substance I'd lock it down (yes, if you're only seeing meaningless crap these days, you should find and talk to me). However, I find the very _idea_ of this thing so prone to abuse that I'm not going to bother classifying it.

If I'm wrong in any of my theories/beliefs/assumptions/"facts" concerning this, let me know and I'll edit accordingly.

I have a bad feeling about this- http://furry.wikicities.com/wiki/WikiFur_Central

Do I even _have_ to mention why the idea of a freely editable Wiki for furrydom is a dubious notion?

Let's see-

1) I can post my own entry about me, saying whatever I want.

2) I can post an entry about _others_, saying whatever I want.

3) Others can post about themselves, saying whatever they want.

4) Others can post about _me_, saying whatever they want.

5) There's _no_ fact-checking.

6) I'm sure furs can be trusted to keep anything they'd post in a furry wiki completely objective. Oh wait- NO THEY CAN'T.

You know, if this was just going to cover basic stuff, that's fine. However, it already has entries on _people_ who are alive, which I think isn't just a poor idea but possibly opens it up to litigation (can you say libel kids?).

I'm already waiting for an entry about me to pop up. I can't wait to see what kinds of delightful information it might contain.

I suspect there are already some people gushing over what a wonderful idea this thing is. To them I say- have you taken 5 seconds to consider how it can be subverted?

Holy Genesis Device Batman.


But you know, since a lot of the more controversial stuff does include log posting, I'm sure the credibility goes up. Because, you know, it's not like anyone could fabricate a log. Oh wait- yes they can!

You give me a credible site that actually has a team of fact-checkers (or even consensus-checkers) and I'll say "Well, maybe." You give me a site that anyone can modify, and worse, that _looks_ credible on the surface, and I'll say "This is SUCH a bad plan."

That Didn't Take Long

Under an hour from posting my concerns about the Furry Wiki to hearing about (and from) someone who took abuse there and had to have their entry blocked.

Some concerns-

1) What's to stop someone from posting about you indirectly?

2) How do they verify identity? (I can claim to be 'Iago' and provide an e-mail address, but what does that mean???)

3) Sure you can edit an inaccuracy. And then someone else can edit it back. Even if the staff are keeping tabs I'm not sure what steps there are to prevent a factual 'tug-of-war'.

4) Isn't it all-too-easy to violate someone's privacy with this tool? Even if information is available on another website, that wouldn't mean it was intended to be linked to.

No, this whole idea seems ill-conceived barring further information. In a worst-case scenario I can _easily_ see a lawsuit eruptiing from this.

Any updates on _this_ topic will be public.