Re: [WikiEN-l] Re: legal liability issues

From: Sheldon Rampton <sheldon.rampton(a)verizon.net> Reply-To: wikien-l(a)wikipedia.org Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 01:01:30 -0600 To: wikien-l(a)wikipedia.org Subject: [WikiEN-l] Re: legal liability issues Hi, all. I've been corresponding with an attorney about some issues pertaining to the Disinfopedia. He has some concern about whether we might be legally liable for its content. Specifically, could we be sued for libel or slander if someone posts false information there? I think this issue is substantially the same for Disinfopedia as it is for Wikipedia, since we both use the same software and editing rules (although the editorial standards are slightly different). I'm hoping therefore that someone here can tell me what discussions have taken place about this issue already and where I might go for further information. Here's what the attorney wrote in his message to me: I responded by saying (edited here for brevity): That was my reaction when I first heard about the Wikipedia web site (www.wikipedia.org). In practice, though, it works pretty well. In reality, most people behave honorably and appropriately. They far outnumber the wackos, and people who engage in vandalism are quickly detected and banned. ... I would add that even "wackos" can sometimes make useful contributions (depending, of course, on how you define "wacko"). ... The key point here is that since everyone who visits the site can *edit* as well as *read* articles, errors and deliberate disinformation should get detected and fixed quickly. This approach has worked quite well in developing open source software such as the Linux operating system, and it seems to work well for Wikipedia. Of course, we can't expect 100% accuracy, but that's not our goal. Our goal is to create a useful and *largely* accurate tool for use in analyzing and understanding propaganda. This project is still experimental and in its infancy, but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to meet and surpass the level of accuracy found in the mainstream U.S. news media. The attorney then responded further: [SNIP] Comments, anyone? -- -------------------------------- | Sheldon Rampton | Editor, PR Watch (www.prwatch.org) | Author of books including: | Friends In Deed: The Story of US-Nicaragua Sister Cities | Toxic Sludge Is Good For You | Mad Cow USA | Trust Us, We're Experts -------------------------------- _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l(a)wikipedia.org http://www.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l