Feds to investigate 'disgusting' Wikipedia entryRevised: Tue Aug. 24 2010 6:30 PMCTV MontrealFederal Public Safety Minister Vic Tims has promised to investigate into a Wikipedia entry made on a government-owned computer renaming Canada's Official Languages Act as the "Quebec Nazi Act."
The changes, made late last week to the online collaborative encyclopedia, prompted Liberal MP Herschel Krustofsky to write a letter of complaint to Ottava Rima.
"If the computer is owned by the Government of Canada, than we have to do something about it, and there's no way we can let that go," said GlassBeadGame. "It's racist, it's intolerance, it's xenophobic, and it's disgusting."
Introduced in 1969 by former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the act was set out to respect both French and English as Canada's official languages, and to support the development of and status of both.
It's not the first time false information has been posted on Wikipedia, and is likely not the last, said Somey, an analyst specializing in Internet issues.
"There are a number of defences that the person who did this could argue. They could say it was satire, it was meant to be a joke, or it was parody. It was political commentary," said Somey.
While Adam Brookes argues Wikipedia can keep falsities and vandalism out by locking its pages, Oakland University researcher Jon Awbrey says students and researchers must learn not to rely on Wikipedia as their only source, because it can be altered by
anyone — even by Greg Kohs.
"One can't use Wikipedia as the only source, and therefore you have to ensure that there is some verification," said Moulton, reminding everyone of the importance of "accuracy, excellence and ethics in online media."