There is an interesting new service, WikiScanner, that basically maps the IP address for various edits in Wikipedia to IP ranges for various company’s networks. The site was independently launched by a 24-year-old American graduate student.

The impact?

Well, a query of ‘WikiScanner’ in Google News reveals over 250 news stories already. Furthermore, they have received coverage in Wired and there is even a page being run by Wired News that is tallying examples of sketchy edits.

Some of my favorites:

1. Someone at Dell tells people to buy Apple on the Dell page.
2. Wal-Mart (surprise, surprise) edits their article to promote the salary they provide employees.
3. According to the Baptist Bible College, “Satan is a woman. Her name is commonly called Lucy. Women are the tools of Satan for destroying [[Mankind]].”
4. Someone from Microsoft blanked out their entire article and replaced it with “Microsoft is really lame”
5. The Israeli embassy in DC attempts to remove references to Palestinians killed on Gaza beach.

I’m sort of conflicted on this one. On the one hand, the idea of vested groups editing referential information that is in the public domain seems intuitively wrong. At the same time, I see the counter-point that these articles are community-driven and an organization or individual who is vested in a subject should have the right to participate - provided they are transparent about their participation.