Wikipedia blocks a web of alternative information

From: Publico.es

Rebelion.org is a means of information-their editors prefer to call it "counter" - composed of a dozen volunteers, as can be read on its website, "published the news that are not considered important by traditional media." Today, one of his colleagues had noticed that Wikipedia has blocked access to this newspaper since the free encyclopedia.

One of those responsible for Rebellion, Carlos Martinez, explains: "We reached an email from one of our colleagues is that, while publisher usual articles on Wikipedia. He told us that, after writing a text, when tried to put a link to our site, the program prevented him from saving it. "

The editing system of the free encyclopedia, which allows the provision of Internet, check all pages you want to put a reference to an article and compares them with a blacklist of sites. If you get the list prevents save the article. The cause appears as block reasons is that Rebellion is considered "non-neutral source nor verifiable."

"We are not neutral"

Carlos Martinez, surprised by appearing in this blacklist, note that theirs is a means small-about 30,000 daily readers-who wants to make opposition to the mainstream media. "Of course we do not want to be neutral, nor does the Cope or El Mundo what are they? And I do not want to censure the media," clarifies. Apart from its specific situation for Martinez, this case may have a dangerous drift. "If we Wikipedia censorship, we're going in the wrong direction", he regretted.

On the second argument, the inability to verify the information of Rebellion, Martinez replied: "We have good and bad articles, but this is not the issue."

The author of the entrance to the news site on the blacklist responds to aliases Gusgus. Mercedes, who preferred not give his surname, is librarian. This is a post elected by registered users of Wikipedia, which grants certain privileges when it comes to edit articles or deal with those published.

As she explains, the argument to block links to articles is that Rebellion "is not a valid source for Wikipedia because anyone can write." The Free Encyclopedia requires, when writing an article, put references to give consistency to content. "But this same happens with Wikipedia, you can not use it as a reference."

Gusgus invites those responsible for Rebellion to state its case in the discussion list comprising librarians and ask for their exclusion from the blacklist of Wikipedia.
The credentials of librarians from the Encyclopedia

Election by majority

Librarians of Wikipedia are a special category of the free encyclopedia editors. They must be nominated by another librarian, elected by an absolute majority of registered users who participate in the vote, and hosted by a third editor. The Spanish edition of Wikipedia has chosen a hundred.

Deleting items

Formerly known as administrators, are the only ones who can delete articles and images of Wikipedia. They can also view and restore deleted pages.

Finnish pages

Although all users can write a text in the encyclopedia, some articles are protected against edits and corrections. Only the small number of librarians can enter and modify them.

Blocking users

One of the diseases of Wikipedia is the vandalism of Internet advertising that fills or falsehoods. Librarians can block subscribers. They also have the same authority against those who are not registered.

Limits

All these privileges are not, in theory, absolute. They are subject to compliance with a series of 'Policy Wikipedia'.