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http://www.uniondemocrat.com/2009090897749/News/Local-News/Wikipedia-vandal=
-trashes-Sonora-in-online-posts



*Sonora has entered the debate over the accuracy of Wikipedia. *

*For two days last month, the city=92s entry on the user-edited online
encyclopedia described the town as a racist, elitist backwater.
     *

*Wikipedia has come under scrutiny over the years for inaccuracies due to
its policy of allowing the public to generate new entries and edit existing
ones. Defenders of the Wikipedia, though, say it utilizes the wisdom of the
masses and is generally no less accurate than print encyclopedias. *

*Whatever the case, Wikipedia is nonetheless currently considering making
its entries harder to edit, possibly by enlisting a number of expert
gatekeepers. *

*Sonora=92s entry makes a case for the proposed policy change. *

*From Aug. 23 to 25, according to Wikipedia=92s records, less-than-flatteri=
ng
edits by someone with the user name =93Vayne,=94 who claimed to be a 21-yea=
r-old
Sacramento college student named Michael, could be found throughout Sonora=
=92s
Wikipedia page, which dates back to 2002. *

*Vayne said Sonora=92s lack of racial and ethnic diversity, non-Christian
places of worship and economic opportunities make it an uninviting place fo=
r
some. *

*=93Many (Sonorans) are of higher economic standing and tend to be unwelcom=
ing
to visitors without money,=94 Vayne wrote. =93Visitors new to the area or w=
ho
might be considered =91ethnic=92 should prepare for the high level of ethni=
c
disparity by blending as best as possible. ... Most Latinos have sought wor=
k
and opportunity elsewhere where they are less likely to be judged due to
economic standing, skin color, or a linguistic barrier.=94 *

*Vayne also weighed in on homelessness in Sonora, saying, =93The local
government literally ignores the homeless problem.=94 *

*The entry was spotted by a Sonora resident on Aug. 24, who contacted Board
of Supervisors member Liz Bass, who represents the city, and asked her to d=
o
something about it. Bass got some local staffers on the job of restoring
Sonora=92s entry. *

*Bass said the unflattering entry amounted to =93cyber-vandalism.=94 *

*=93It sounds like a disgruntled person who didn=92t get what they wanted o=
ut of
this experience,=94 Bass said. =93I=92ve lived here 37 years. Obviously, we=
 do
have shopping centers, a homeless shelter downtown, a bypass and people of
color do live here.=94 *

*Vayne had claimed that Sonora lacked malls, divided highways and homeless
shelters. *

*Monty Youngborg, a retired volunteer for the Tuolumne County History
Museum, who does technical work for the museum, likes the idea of Wikipedia
tweaking its policy, saying its editors =93should have some verified
pedigree.=94 *

*=93You get these people, maybe they got into trouble with the cops, who ca=
n
really make a mess and put out a lot of untruths,=94 Youngborg said. =93You
never know what sets people off.=94 *

*Youngborg called Wikipedia a =93valuable tool,=94 which he uses often. *

*He said the more technical the entry, usually the more accurate it is. *

*Because of the plethora of false or biased data available not just on
Wikipedia but throughout the entire Internet, Youngborg recommends that
people use a =93jaundiced eye=94 when surfing the Web. *

*=93I think people are going to have to get a little more calloused at the
Internet,=94 Youngborg said.*

This is our current article  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora,_Californi=
a


Regards



*Keith Old*