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View Full Version : The more supicious Wikipedia edits by Microsoft...



Kopachris
February 18th, 2009, 04:22 AM
Using WikiScanner2 (http://katrina.cs.caltech.edu/erenrich_rnd345/scanner_final/), I'm looking for some of Microsoft's more suspicious Wikipedia edits.


In the Microsoft Wikipedia article, in the section about Linux and Open Source, 207.46.125.17 deleted the part about OSS violating 238 of their patents that mentioned that the courts don't think their claim holds water.
The same IP also deleted the mention of design flaws leading to security flaws in their products in the same article.
The same IP added the part of the same article that mentions that "recent studies have shown [...] lower TCO than competitors."
Deleted the mention of Gates allegedly instructing programmers to make Lotus1-2-3 cause errors.
Deleted the mention of MS Bob being ridiculed.
Deleted a mention of FUD tactics, added a mention of some governments reversing their decisions to switch to Linux. (The former is more interesting.)
Added "Several independent studies have disputed this assumption. HOWEVER, SOME FREAKIN LINUX ANTI-MICROSOFT HACKS WILL REMOVE THIS FACTUAL INFORMATION. ALL THEY KNOW IS FUD AND NOTHING ELSE." after mentioning Windows's lower TCO.
He later deleted the shouting comment. :lol:
He also clearly tries to portray security flaws in a better light, essentially saying that they're not their fault.
Then he bashes open-source... He was going to remove something about MS's monopolistic behaviour, but then changed his mind.
Later changed the word "monopoly" to "placement".

A lot of suspicious edits by the same IP address (all of the above were from 207.46.125.17). Post any other ones you find! :)

Simian Man
February 18th, 2009, 04:25 AM
And, of course, according to whois (http://cqcounter.com/whois/) the IP belongs to Microsoft.

orc_dragoon
February 18th, 2009, 04:29 AM
Also from what Im seeing they have edited a whole crap load of Linux based and Opensource wiki documents.

Koori23
February 18th, 2009, 04:47 AM
I betcha whoever did that also would be the sorta person who'd rob a bank using their own car; that's low on gas and forget the ski mask.

earthpigg
February 18th, 2009, 05:53 AM
its all from 2005 and prior. ancient history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&limit=20&contribs=user&target=207.46.125.17

good thing i checked prior to embarrassing myself on a different forum where i know a wikipedia admin.

edit: not an admin. i dont know the wikipedia terminology... someone-fairly-influential-but-still-not-being-paid.

JackieChan
February 18th, 2009, 05:55 AM
I had no idea that companies did this types of stuff...

Twitch6000
February 18th, 2009, 06:06 AM
I had no idea that companies did this types of stuff...
Thats what happens when companies get scared... I do however think this was low...

Kopachris
February 18th, 2009, 06:08 AM
its all from 2005 and prior. ancient history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&limit=20&contribs=user&target=207.46.125.17

good thing i checked prior to embarrassing myself on a different forum where i know a wikipedia admin.

edit: not an admin. i dont know the wikipedia terminology... someone-fairly-influential-but-still-not-being-paid.
Ancient history, yes, but still somewhat embarrassing. Not quite as embarrassing as the Halloween Documents, though... :p

Turns out a lot of companies edit Wikipedia to their advantage. For instance, Exxon Mobil edited the article about the Exxon Valdez spill by taking the focus off of how much Exxon owed the Alaskan fishermen and put the focus on how much they've already spent on it. And this came from a company that just posted record profits during the recent recession!

MikeTheC
February 18th, 2009, 06:09 AM
Five Bucks says if Microsoft could edit the world's history books, they would.

Another five bucks says when the days of Microsoft and Windows are long enough in existence to merit serious discussion in school history books, Microsoft will co-opt and corrupt anyone they have to for the right to re-write about their place and actions.

As it is, God-only-knows-what they're even teaching today's kids in history class. We all know there were "errors and omissions" in our own going-through of history class back in the day.

Wouldn't it be great to have the ability to learn just how revisionist we have been over the centuries? Betcha we would be shocked and stunned.

Kopachris
February 18th, 2009, 06:13 AM
Five Bucks says if Microsoft could edit the world's history books, they would.

Another five bucks says when the days of Microsoft and Windows are long enough in existence to merit serious discussion in school history books, Microsoft will co-opt and corrupt anyone they have to for the right to re-write about their place and actions.

As it is, God-only-knows-what they're even teaching today's kids in history class. We all know there were "errors and omissions" in our own going-through of history class back in the day.

Wouldn't it be great to have the ability to learn just how revisionist we have been over the centuries? Betcha we would be shocked and stunned.
I don't doubt it. +1