Wikipedia as astroturf tool?

Spin, Wikipedia, Spin!:

[A user calling themselves] WSDOT Alaskan Way Viaduct Project made some extensive changes to the Wikipedia article, which may very well have been changed again by the time you read this, but you can see all the changes they made here. You may notice a theme: most of the changes argue a pro-tunnel POV.

Was someone in the WSDOT office bored this afternoon, is editing Wikipedia to drum up support for the tunnel option a new WSDOT mandate, or is a tunnel fan naming themselves after the government agency?

This could work to discredit or somewhat neutralize Wikipedia’s effectiveness. Even its proponents disclaim that it’s authoritative, but to be so easily abused is unfortunate.

I doubt this little campaign will be very effective, for all that. Wikipedia is not (yet) a first-line research tool/resoure for most people, so few will be taken in by this.

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