Why are we not surprised to find MS trying this stunt – well, because being kinda geeky, we’ve seen the company pull off a lot of sneaky, underhanded, lowdown tricks (e.g., stealing Windows from Apple). If it doesn’t fit Bill Gates desired vision of reality, just pay to change the reality. Capitalism sucks …
Microsoft offers cash for Wikipedia edit
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer Tue Jan 23, 5:14 PM ET
Microsoft Corp. landed in the Wikipedia doghouse Tuesday after it offered to pay a blogger to change technical articles on the community-produced Web encyclopedia site.
While Wikipedia is known as the encyclopedia that anyone can tweak, founder Jimmy Wales and his cadre of volunteer editors, writers and moderators have blocked public-relations firms, campaign workers and anyone else perceived as having a conflict of interest from posting fluff or slanting entries. So paying for Wikipedia copy is considered a definite no-no.
“We were very disappointed to hear that Microsoft was taking that approach,” Wales said.
Read all of it here.
