On 2/4/06, Philip Welch wikipedia@philwelch.net wrote:
[But to reply to your metaphor: I certainly hope you're not intending to compare Microsoft software favorably to Wikipedia contributions. I'd rather, if we were to use this analogy, strive for something like Linux, BSD, or OS X where massive gaping security flaws aren't inherent in the system.]
Massive gaping security flaws aren't inherent in Wikipedia in regards to preventing vandalism? That's news to me.
It's not a bug, it's a feature!
Oh, I agree that it's a necessary trade-off, but it's still what it is.
Eh. I guess I don't see it as a security flaw. We should definitely continue to try to think about how to improve the system in as invisible ways as possible.
For example, one change that would be effectively invisible but would discourage vandalism would be to require summaries for all non-minor edits, which should happen anyway.
That's just one idea off the top of my head. More complex and ingenious methods, I'm sure, could be thought of.
I do think that it should be considered a community norm for everyone to do some kind of policing of incoming edits; I can think of any number of mechanisms for enforcing that norm.