Jimbo Wales, Wiki founder, allegedly trades edits for money

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2008-03-15 03:38pm

More woes for Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales

Asher Moses
March 11, 2008 - 12:39PM

The toughest two weeks of Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales's career just became a whole lot worse, with a former chief scientist at one of the world's biggest technology companies claiming Wales traded Wiki edits for donations.

Jeff Merkey, a former computer scientist at Novell, claims Wales told him in 2006 that in exchange for a substantial donation from Merkey, he would edit his uncomplimentary Wikipedia entry to make it more favourable.

Merkey made a $US5000 ($5455) donation in 2006 and the edit history for his Wikipedia entry showed that, around the same time, Wales personally made changes to the entry after wiping it out completely and ordering editors to start over.

Merkey's claims were published in a statement on a Wikipedia mailing list. On the same mailing list, Wales called the allegation "nonsense".

The claim is the most damning yet against Wales, who was last week accused by a former Wikipedia executive of improperly using the non-profit organisation's funds for his own lavish recreation.

Earlier, an ex-girlfriend, Rachel Marsden, leaked instant messaging transcripts that purported to show Wales using his influence to improperly make changes to Marsden's Wikipedia entry so he could continue "f---ing [her] brains out".

On the Wikipedia mailing list, Wales said he would "never offer, nor accept any offer, whereby a donation would buy someone special editorial treatment in the encyclopedia".

When he erased Merkey's Wikipedia entry in May 2006, Wales told Wikipedia users he did so "because of the unpleasantness of it" and asked them to "be extra careful here to be courteous and assume good faith".

A Wikipedia user, "Aim Here", quickly questioned Wales's reasoning: "Have you been making secret dealings behind everyone's back? So much for Wikipedia's openness."

Following his decision to erase Merkey's entry and start over, Wales placed it under his "special protection". Protected entries can only be edited by Wikipedia administrators.

Wales's edits to the page related to various lawsuits Merkey had been embroiled in.

Merkey was sued by Novell after his departure from the company for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets.

In 2005, he filed a harassment lawsuit against various people and organisations including the geek news website Slashdot. Then in 2006 he filed suit against Natural Selection Foods and Delta Air Lines, claiming his son became ill from eating spinach contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Post by **K. A. Pital** » 2008-03-15 04:26pm

Earlier, an ex-girlfriend, Rachel Marsden, leaked instant messaging transcripts that purported to show Wales using his influence to improperly make changes to Marsden's Wikipedia entry so he could continue "f---ing [her] brains out".

Wow.

You can't make that shit up. I somehow find this really hilarious. You make it an issue to change a Wikipedia article about you to allow someone to fuck you?

Coop D'etat · Post by **Coop D'etat** » 2008-03-15 05:16pm

Stas Bush wrote:
Earlier, an ex-girlfriend, Rachel Marsden, leaked instant messaging transcripts that purported to show Wales using his influence to improperly make changes to Marsden's Wikipedia entry so he could continue "f---ing [her] brains out".
Wow. You can't make that shit up. I somehow find this really hilarious. You make it an issue to change a Wikipedia article about you to allow someone to fuck you?

It becomees more understandable if you look her up. She's a Canadian Ann Coulter wannabe with a long history of bizarre and creepy romantic escapades, starting with allegedly stalking a swim coach at Simon Fraser Univeristy.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-15 05:47pm

No Adam's apple, small hands. No surprises this time! Not quite the Coulter equivalent.

I'm not going to chastise him for this move. if I were fucking her, I'd probably be a dick on an online encyclopædia with all the respect of the National Enquirer.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-03-15 05:51pm

Are you sure that isn't Aurora Snow?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-15 06:01pm

Says Rachel Marsden on the picture. Are you telling me the Internet lied?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-03-15 06:19pm

I wouldn't dream of such a thing.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-15 06:21pm

I added her because she's nice eye candy. I don't really care what Jimbo does and who to, though you gotta admit, if it's hot tail, that's as good a reason to skew Wiki credibility as anyone else has.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2008-03-15 06:31pm

Dunno this one doesn't look too hot.

The first one Vlad posted looks good but it's obviously a publicity still and the colors are off, so my brain immediately went digitally altered and then automatic turn off like fake boobs.

Melchior · Post by **Melchior** » 2008-03-15 07:05pm

brianeyci wrote:Dunno this one doesn't look too hot.

The first one Vlad posted looks good but it's obviously a publicity still and the colors are off, so my brain immediately went digitally altered and then automatic turn off like fake boobs.

Ironically, the one on Wikipedia is even worse.

Post by **Edi** » 2008-03-16 02:48pm

This sort of thing is nothing new. Jimbo Wales is a liar and a crook through and through and if he says the sun rises in the east, I'll believe his account of that event when I personally witness the sun rising in the east.