Ed Poor wrote:
Sheldon, I think you worry too much -- at least, as far as Jimbo and the Wikipedia project are concerned.
Wikipedia is a work in progress. I don't think anyone would bother to launch a libel action against it, if for no other reason than it's hard to hit a moving target.
I certainly hope you're right, but people file libel actions for all sorts of reasons, some of which are unfair and unreasonable. People sue in hopes of getting a quick cash settlement; they sue because they're jerks or because they're paranoid; sometimes they sue because they're in the right.
Given the nature of my own project, I certainly want to make sure that I understand how libel law could affect the Disinfopedia. However, I don't think you can just *assume* that no one would bother to sue Wikipedia. Currently you're a much larger target than Disinfopedia, reaching a larger potential audience and therefore a larger pool of potential litigants. Even if we assume that the average Wikipedian is less likely to sue than the average Disinfopedian, you still may be at higher risk.