Looking for Legitimacy, Wikipedia Bans The Church of Scientology

Posted on May 31, 2009 in Business/Law, Technology

In response to a long-running war between the Church of Scientology and its critics, Wikipedia has banned edits from any Scientologists and their associates. The Church of Scientology has repeatedly been reprimanded for posting self-serving edits to Wikipedia articles.

Wikipedia is designed to be as open and inclusive as possible in allowing articles and edits. But in the last four years Scientologists have been involved in four separate disputes because of their practice of posting deceptive, self-promoting material. The church’s editors tend to change their IP addresses and use multiple names in order to avoid detection, a practice which is prohibited by Wikipedia.

Using Wikipedia for self-promotion is not a practice limited to Scientologists, but it this is the first time that Wikipedia has taken such drastic measures to limit the practice. All IP addresses registered to the Church of Scientology and a number of their members are completely blocked from editing any Wikipedia articles.

The decision from Wikipedia’s arbitration committee read: “The purpose of Wikipedia is to create a high-quality, free-content encyclopedia in an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual respect among contributors. Use of the encyclopedia to advance personal agendas – such as advocacy or propaganda and philosophical, ideological or religious dispute – or to publish or promote original research is prohibited.”