Blog P.I.

It’s time once again to turn our attention to what Wikipedians turned their attention to this week, according to the most-edited list at WikiRage.

1. Article: Suleiman the Magnificent
   Why: This fourteenth century Ottoman sultan was the Featured Article on April 8.
   Detail: As usual, the front-paging of an article results in some vandalism. But the overall effect is salutary, as the article gets closer scrutiny by serious editors. In the meantime, you get enjoyable debates like this: “Article says: ‘Suleiman married a harem girl Roxelana, who became Hürrem Sultan’. I understand that PC or indifference thereto is a controversial subject, but is ‘harem girl’ (although perhaps literally correct) really the best way for us to phrase this? … As a female member of the household, she would still have been part of the harem. I don’t really see a problem with the term. I suppose we could change ‘girl” to ’slave,’ if that’s what the problem is.”


2. Article: J.K. Rowling
   Why: The children’s author who is wealthier than the Queen was the Featured Article on April 11.
   Detail: At 23:42 GMT on April 12, David4674 reduced the entire article to… nothing. His edit summary was surprisingly forthright: “Blanked the page.” But don’t worry, David4674 isn’t a real editor: he’s a sock puppet of… Dan 689. Both appear to have been banned.


3. Article: Deaths in 2008
   Why: Passing this week: Monk’s psychiatrist and numerous people I’ve never heard of.
   Detail: Abu Ubaidah al-Masri, an al Qaeda operative in Pakistan is believed to have died of hepatitis in December 2007, but U.S. government sources didn’t announce this until just the past week, hence his inclusion in the list.


4. Article: Victoria Cross
   Why: Not a television actress from the 1980s, but in fact the highest military decoration in the British Commonwealth. Featured Article? Good guess! It was on April 9.
   Detail: Only the Talk page will tell you that Major General Candy in “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp” was a fictional recipient of the VC, if it matters, and I am not sure it does.


5. Article: Yi So-yeon
   Why: As of April 8, this 29 year-old astronaut is the first Korean and second Asian woman in space
   Detail: If you’re envious now, just wait until she starts doing TV commercials. Although you might have to be in South Korea to see them, I’m sure the money is just as good.


6. Article: 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
   Why: The ceremonial relay has been in the news for controversy: Human rights protesters have targeted the ceremony, even snuffing out the flame a couple times in France.
   Detail: Not yet making the page: Complaints about the environmental impact of carrying the torch around the globe.


7. Article: Chrono Trigger
   Why: Not that Wikipedians are opposed to editing video game articles already, but this was the Featured Article on April 10.
   Detail: When the article appeared on Wikipedia’s main page on Thursday, the box art was not included, even though it is included in the article. I’m not sure I quite follow the reasoning, but Wikipedia is lately in the habit of keeping fair use images off the front page, only including an image if it is free use.


8. Article: Tomb of Antipope John XXIII
   Why: The only question is, when was it the Featured Article? The answer is April 6.
   Detail: I have to admit, this question from the Talk page crossed my mind, too: “If he’s the anti pope, does that mean he worships the anti christ?”


9. Article: American Idol (seaon 7)
   Why: It’s dominating the iTunes top 10 list, so why shouldn’t it be on the Wikipedia top ten list?
   Detail: Let’s be clear about this: “Also, regarding David Hernandez: As far as I’ve read, only incriminating pictures of him working at the bar were released. I have NEVER heard about any nude pics floating around out there on the net. Could anyone find a source to prove this? (And a link to these alleged ‘nude’ pictures. Not even for personal reasons. I’m just pretty certain only clothed pics of him with the name of the bar he works at were at VFTW and that’s it.)”


10. Article: Olympic Flame
    Why: See #5.
    Detail: I find all this torch business a little silly, but did you know that in a ceremony involving eleven “priestesses” the torch is lit by the sun’s rays using a parabolic mirror? That’s kind of cool.

Holdovers this week: Deaths in 2008, articles related to controversy involving China and the Olympics (returning from week 2)

Falling off the list: April 1, 2008; Ima Hogg; Celine Dion; April Fool’s Day; Canada on Strike; Earth Hour; NATO; Google’s hoaxes; Bette Davis

Recurring themes: Featured Articles being the most-edited of the week.

Honorable mention: Eek, a Penis! was the episode of South Park this week, and even though it was edited 220 times this week, somehow that wasn’t enough to make the top 100. I’m suspicious; #100 was controversial talk show host Randi Rhodes, and her page was edited less than 100 times in the past week. Hmm.