Don't Throw Wiki From The Train

Back in April 2008, an unregistered Wiki editor vandalized the Irving Gordon article that referred to Patty Page's 1950s hit song Mama From The Train. In an obvious reference to a Danny Devito movie, this editor changed the text to read Throw Mama From The Train. Then he added a rather naughty parenthetical note about Mama for good measure. Amazingly, this and an equally naughty note about Nat King Cole's hit Unforgettable remained uncorrected until today - nine months later. A similar assault on the song article was halted in its tracks in only one minute. (That editor might have caught both edits if he'd checked the user contributions and posted a warning like he was supposed to.)

Turns out that the vandal toyed with only two Wiki articles and, like Snagglepuss, exited Stage Right, never to return. I inaugurated the vandal's assigned Wiki talk page and added a less than subtle warning to behave in the future. If he ever returns to the scene and launches a new campaign against the 1950's or any other topic, he'll soon have tried Wiki's patience and he'll be on the outside looking in.

This all came to my attention because my Fifties music friend from yesterday's article wrote to tell me about this Patti Page disinformation campaign. My friend gets around the Web, but it wasn't always that way. I'm proud of his ability to get around the communications superhighway. But he didn't detect the connivance behind this edit. I saw it right away, mostly because I've got some experience and know how to confirm my suspicions.

My friend lamented the article's deficiencies but then passed an equivocal judgment on Wiki, saying,"See why I'm skeptical about that do-it-yourself portal of knowledge? :-) Though I know it does have lots of useful & accurate material in it. I make use of it myself, but know how to approach it with some caution. There's just not enough editorial supervision to prevent such nonsense as the above being put in."

He knows there can be errors in it, but he uses it anyway, but with a degree of caution. I couldn't have said it better myself.

I found some hope in his closing remarks that suggest he'll someday accept his duty to become a Wiki editor. You might see darkness, but I see some light working its way in. "Guess I should write in a correction, but I doubt that I will. It's not my project. "