I’m feeling Wikified. I’ve spent time these past two weeks trying to make sense of the laws of Wikipedia–how to edit, reference and code entries and updates for this online encyclopedia. Who out there, besides myself and my Social Media classmates, is contributing to the 2.4 million articles that appear on this site just in English?

I figured I’d have a little fun (a class requirement and a personal priority) and choose a topic not only of interest to me, but one that might have a little controversy attached. At least on the discussion boards. For my Wikiscanner Report, I decided to investigate who is editing, updating and revising the entry on the Indy Racing League, also known as the IRL.

I wasn’t all that surprised when Wikiscanner reported that there were 246 edits made to the page between 2003 and 2007. Unfortunately, there are no reports for this year. On WikiScanner FAQ, creator Virgil Griffith admits that he has not updated the database since August 2007 though he plans an overhaul and update this summer.

Comcast Cable Communications Inc. (Indianapolis) had the most entries, with 15 edits primarily related to the cars’ engines. Layered Technologies Inc. posted 11 changes, including some external links. IP 69.192.229.42 spent three days in September 2005 making nine different adjustments related to cars, engines, Rookies of the Year and controversy.

There is nothing like a good sporting controversy.

Because some of the IRL edits were so old and have since been updated, I found more interesting comments on the IRL discussion and talk page. It started out much as I might expect: “I was looking at Wikipedia today and decided to see what they had on the EARL. The article wasn’t sufficiently negative, so I made some changes.” Another editor responded that “someone else might want to respond to that.”

And then quickly the tone changed. “I sure hope you’re not referring to me as the terrorist, cuz I think my edit history shows differently.” Huh, I thought, where did THAT come from?

Kurohone continued with his discussion that an entry on injury problems needed to be “NPOVed” or neutral point of viewed. “If you don’t like mine, what do you suggest,” he asked.

Another response requested the source for the post that the IRL gives away “tens of thousands of tickets.”
And then Kurohone posted: “It’d be nice to keep the trolls off of here, this is an encyclopedia, not a messageboard. Keep it to crapwagon, alright, guys?”

And they say that Indy racing controversy is only on the track.

The rest of the discussion truly did sound like a message board, with complaints of “vandalism” and negative or biased posts. Some facts were thrown in occasionally, but sourcing was limited. Which renews the question debated previously on these pages: Should we trust what we read in Wikipedia, and should it be open to everyone or just verified experts?