Wikipedia Bans Scientology From Site

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Exclusive In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates.

Closing out the longest-running court case in Wikiland history, the site’s Arbitration Committee voted 10 to 0 (with one abstention) in favor of the move, which takes effect immediately.

The eighth most popular site on the web, Wikipedia bills itself as "the free encyclopedia anyone can edit." Administrators frequently ban individual Wikifiddlers for their individual Wikisins. And the site's UK press officer/resident goth once silenced an entire Utah mountain in a bizarre attempt to protect a sockpuppeting ex-BusinessWeek reporter. But according to multiple administrators speaking with The Reg, the muzzling of Scientology IPs marks the first time Wikipedia has officially barred edits from such a high-profile organization for allegedly pushing its own agenda on the site.

Officially, Wikipedia frowns on those who edit "in order to promote their own interests." The site sees itself as an encyclopedia with a "neutral point of view" - whatever that is. "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," say the Wikipowersthatbe.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/29/wikipedia_bans_scientology/

[joeybee12]

1. Good...insane people shouldn't be allowed to edit this site...n/t

[dbonds]

15. They should bar the christians too.

[Maat]

2. Good for Wiki!

Tom and his buddies need to leave that good site alone!

[Starry Messenger]

3. Wow.

A) Excellent news B) Hopefully the United States will ban this "religion" someday but I doubt it.

[sakabatou]

5. I doubt it too

even though it's a giant fraud.

[Dogtown]

10. All religions are n/t

[LostinVA]

17. I don't agree with that

[Dogtown]

18. Like you anyway, Lost

It's just an opinion. I won't try to defend it.

[SPedigrees]

12. "The way to get rich is to start a religion." L Ron Hubbard

He made that statement back in the late 60s, published in a small local paper in Boston. Sure enough, it worked for him.

[sakabatou]

4. That's another strike against this monstrosity

[BlooInBloo]

6. (shrug) Religion and facts don't mix. This is well-known.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Neither do cults and facts! n/t

[BlooInBloo]

25. Tomato, tomato.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. True. I prefer to make the distinction. n/t

[BolivarianHero]

7. Good...

Now they should do the same to known Islamist, Juche, and fundamentalist Christian organisations. These wackos have no place corrupting an encylcopedia of the people!

[ColbertWatcher]

28. Wikip*dia didn't target a "religion" (read: cult) they upheld their policy.

A policy that is created by the community.

As members of the community, the cult couldn't muster enough support to alter the guidelines. Too bad for them.

[Towlie]

8. Gee... it'll take a real talented Scientology geek to figure out a way around that!

Like maybe using an outside Internet connection instead of doing it through a Scientology IP address?

[ColbertWatcher]

24. The problem with that is outside connections don't have the cult's filters. n/t

[cpompilo]

9. They banned a "religion" based on a sci-fi novel - awesome!

Another wacko religion with self aggrandizing "we are the chosen" nuts. Good for Wikipedia.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. Hubbard reputedly lifted the name "Scientology" from a 1934 German book

The book "Scientology: Science of the Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge" was first published in 1934 by the Publishing House "Ernst Reinhardt" in Munich, Germany.

Because of the name similarity and parallels in content to the philosophy of L. Ron Hubbard's "Scientology", the Free Zone Association (Freie Zone e.V.) decided to preserve this book by republishing it in its original context. It is available in German and English.

http://www.scientologie.org/english.htm

[BolivarianHero]

16. 1934...

Any relationship to the Nazis?

[dbonds]

19. ban one ban them all.

They are all equally as nutty.

[ColbertWatcher]

27. Technically, no. They banned sockpuppets pushing edits violating their NPOV policy. n/t

[Oregone]

13. First the Wikipedists came for the Scientologists, and I didn't speak because I was not one.

:)

[ColbertWatcher]

29. LOL! That's funny! n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Too bad that Germany is the only country with the balls to refuse to call it a religion

[Chovexani]

20. Co$ is a pyramid scheme

Plain and simple.

[comrade snarky]

21. Cue Scientology apologists

In 3, 2, 1...

[ColbertWatcher]

22. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! n/t

[QueenOfCalifornia]

30. I applaud them for banning

them but it will take a not even too smart scientologist to keep on editing -