How Wikipedia fights vandals
So, you want to write a Wikipedia article? OK, anyone can...but here are some guidelines: Your info has to have a legitimate source, a degree of notability and you can't write yourself a love letter.
The online encyclopedia's openness makes it vulnerable to the shady business of users inserting false information and bias. But according to Sue Gardner, the former executive director of Wikimedia Foundation, "the upside of that openness vastly outweighs the downside." Gardner explains how the website defends itself against vandalism in the video above.
High profile pages -- like that of former U.S. president George W. Bush -- need a layer of protection to stop would-be vandals. Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales explains that Bush's article, among other hot topics, is only available to Wikipedians who've established themselves in the community.
With over 30 million articles published, it's no wonder that Wikipedia has to rein in the occasional self-promoter or corporate PR attempt. What's a better way to get your message out there? Wales explains.
Editor's Note: This Overtime post was originally published on April 5, 2015.