Trouble at Wikipedia - Category: PCMech Wire - December 4th, 2007.

Controversy has erupted among the encyclopedia’s core contributors, after a rogue editor revealed that the site’s top administrators are using a secret insider mailing list to crackdown on perceived threats to their power.

Do we have a Wikipedia ruling class? A group of Wikipedia editors trying to maintain tight control over the content of the famous online encyclopedia?

Much of the internal uproar apparently started with the actions of one of the admins called "Durova". She banned another Wikipedia editor now referred to as "Bang Bang". Durova claimed this user was a troublemaker intent on destroying Wikipedia, saying ""He is a ripened sock with a padded history of redirects, minor edits, and some DYK work. He also indulges in obscene trolling in German, and free range sarcasm and troublemaking. If you find this user gloating, or spot his nasty side, hit him with the banhammer."

The evidence Durova had was apparently held secret until someone (apparently not happy about it) leaked one of the private emails of Durova. This private email revealed that there was a secret mailing list. In the leaked email, Durova says that Bang Bang IS a wonderfully productive editor, that the public disgrace was a fake, and that she thought Bang Bang was trying to get on the good side of the community in order to take it down from within.

Sounds like Durova is paranoid. Seen the movie Conspiracy Theory lately? Saw what happened to Mel Gibson?