[Foundation-l] Can anyone really edit Wikipedia?

Thu Sep 25 15:02:50 UTC 2008

I tried to correct a sentence on the article MySpace in the English
Wikipedia today. Well, I never got around to doing it.

Here is what I'm hit with when I click the edit button. I really tried
to change the stuff I wanted. I gave up.

====Beginning of madness======

{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{Infobox Dotcom company
|company_name = MySpace
|company_slogan = A Place for Friends
|owner = [[Fox Interactive Media]]
|company_logo = [[Image:MySpace logo.svg|225px]]
|company_type = [[Subsidiary]]
|foundation = 2003
|location_city = [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], [[California]]
|location_country = U.S.
|key_people = [[Tom Anderson (MySpace)|Tom Anderson]],
President<br>[[Chris DeWolfe]], CEO
|num_employees = 300
|url = [http://www.myspace.com/ MySpace.com]
|registration = Required
|launch_date = August, 2003
|current_status = Active
|language = [[MySpace#International sites|15 languages]]
|advertising = [[Google]], [[AdSense]]
|website_type = [[Social network service|Social networking]]
}}
[[Image:Foxinteractivemediaheadquarters.jpg|thumb|260px|Fox
Interactive Media headquarters, 407 North Maple Drive, [[Beverly
Hills]], California, where MySpace is also housed]]

'''MySpace''' is a popular [[social network service|social
networking]] [[website]] offering an interactive, user-submitted
network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music
and videos for teenagers and adults internationally. Its headquarters
are in [[Beverly Hills]], [[California]],
[[USA]],<ref>[http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2006/08/my_space_is_not_thei.php
My Space is not their space anymore] - Article on the move to
[[Beverly Hills]]. Retrieved March 16, 2007.</ref> where it shares an
office building with its immediate owner, [[Fox Interactive Media]];
which is owned by [[News Corporation]], which has its headquarters in
[[New York City]]. In June 2006, MySpace was the most popular social
networking site in the [[United
States]].<ref>[http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/
MySpace, America's Number One]</ref>
According to [[comScore]], MySpace has been overtaken by main
competitor [[Facebook]] in April 2008, based on monthly unique
visitors.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Facebook_Largest_Fastest_Growing_Social_Network/551-92134-643.html
|title=Facebook: Largest, Fastest Growing Social Network
|accessdate=2008-08-14 |author=Techtree News Staff |date=2008-08-13
|work=Techtree.com |publisher=ITNation |doi= |archiveurl=
|archivedate= |quote= }}</ref>
The company employs 300 staff<ref name="CNNMoney-MyspaceCowboys">{{cite news
| url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/04/8384727/index.htm
| publisher=CNN
| title=MySpace Cowboys
| last=Sellers
| first=Patricia
| date=2006-08-24
| accessdate=2006-08-28
}}</ref> and does not disclose [[revenue]]s or [[profit]]s separately
from News Corporation. The 100 millionth account was created on August
6, 2006<ref name="MySpace100Millionth Profile">{{cite news
|url=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=100000000
|publisher=MySpace
|title=100,000,000th Account
|date=2007-02-25
|accessdate=2007-02-21
}}</ref> in the [[Netherlands]]<ref name="Murdochcomments">{{cite news
| url=http://internet.seekingalpha.com/article/15237
| publisher=SeekingAlpha
| title=Rupert Murdoch Comments on Fox Interactive's Growth
| last=Murdoch
| first=Rupert
| date=2006-08-09
| accessdate=2006-09-12
}}</ref> and approximately 106 million accounts on September 8,
2006,<ref name="ElReg-MySpaceMusic">{{cite news
| url = http://go.theregister.com/feed/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/08/myspace_threatens_record_labels/
| title = MySpace music deal poses multiple threats
| date=  2006-09-08
| accessdate = 2006-09-08
| publisher = The Register
}}</ref> and the site attracts 230,000 new users per day.<ref>{{cite
news|last=Sellers|first=Patricia|title=MySpace
cowboys|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/09/04/8384727/index.htm|work=[[Money
(magazine)|Money]]|publisher=CNN.com|date=2006-09-04|accessdate=2008-04-13}}</ref>

=======End of madness======

If we're really to bring knowledge to the world, it's becoming urgent
that we work on accessibility, because even experienced users (I
consider myself one) just can't do it.

In any case, if anyone wants to (can?) make the change, here is what I
wanted to change:

Change the sentence "The 100 millionth account was created on August
6, 2006[5] in the Netherlands[6] and approximately 106 million
accounts on September 8, 2006,[7] and the site attracts 230,000 new
users per day.[8]"

Which does not make sense, to something like:

"The 100 millionth account was created on August 6, 2006 [5] in the
Netherlands [6] and the site counted approximately 106 million
accounts on September 8, 2006 [7]. MySpace.com attracts 230,000 new
users per day. [8]"

Which actually makes sense.

Delphine

-- 
~notafish

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