Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2013-10-30/In the media
Rand Paul plagiarizes Wikipedia?
Rand Paul uses Wikipedia for eugenics speech
During a speech on behalf of a gubernatorial candidate, Rand Paul advocated his pro-life position, comparing unrestricted abortions to the film Gattaca. He went on to use language and phraseology that were strikingly similar to the content of the Wikipedia page. Rachel Maddow on her namesake show was the first to report it; numerous media outlets quickly picked it up, including the Washington Post. The Post's article conceded that Wikipedia is a widely used source for trivial information, but mocked the fact that a politician would view it as a reliable source: "But who hasn't inadvertently hijacked a phrase or two from Wikipedia? Unpresidential, schmunpresidential. Wikipedia is reliable, according to a piece I hastily wrote using information I found on Wikipedia that was then cited as evidence for the same piece." The incident received other significant media coverage, with some going so far as to specifically and unequivocally state Paul or someone on his staff committed plagiarism.
The article Gattaca was initially created in 2002 by The Anome. Before the allegations surfaced, the article received anywhere from 1100 to 1500 views per day, but on 29 October, the day the allegations were initially aired, the page received 10,693 views. The Signpost reached out to Paul's office for comment, but did not receive a reply. Paul did, however, flatly deny the allegations in a statement, saying that Maddow had been spreading hate about him for the past three years.
In brief
- St. Louis Cardinals page vandalized: For a short while, according to an article from the Riverfront Times, anyone who googled St. Louis Cardinals saw a revision to the article that said, “The St. Louis Cardinals, a gay butt sex team based in ...” Though quickly reverted, the vandalism was still likely seen by thousands, as Google has integrated Wikipedia entries into its search results.
- Wikipedia Zero pilot commences: As part of the Wikipedia Zero initiative, the BBC reported that, simply by texting *515#, individuals in lesser-developed countries, particularly in some African countries, will have access to Wikipedia articles for the first time. In the media previously covered Wikipedia Zero extensively in June 2013.
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