In my last post, I had occasion to consult and cite the Wikipedia article on Mitt Romney. As a blogger (and in other parts of my life) I have found Wikipedia to be a useful source. It's a huge improvement over old-fashioned encyclopedias, which occupied scads of shelf space and might be updated only every twenty years (if that often). Wikipedia, by contrast, is quickly updated, and you can find almost any topic in it.
Still, I never quite rely on it when the answer I'm seeking really matters. In history and politics, the user has to be constantly aware of the possibility that he's being hoodwinked by the latest "editor" to have visited the site. It's wise to be suspicious of anything in a political or historical article that uses a present tense.
In the Romney biography, this kind of bias is clearly evident. Yes, on June 3, the article already includes the fact that on June 2, Romney announced his candidacy for President of the U.S. But the following statement is added: "Political observers and public opinion polls place him as a front-runner in the race."
That statement doesn't belong. The truth of the statement depends on your point of view (some observers and polls do not place him as a front-runner, it's only true if you add the word "Republican" before front-runner, and it's only true if a specific time/date is stated -- even those polls that support the statement might change in an instant). Probably some other editor will come along and change or fix this before long, but it demonstrates one weakness of the Wiki model.
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