{"id":1878,"date":"2008-08-22T03:43:00","date_gmt":"2008-08-21T18:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=1878"},"modified":"2008-08-23T03:00:14","modified_gmt":"2008-08-22T18:00:14","slug":"my-problems-with-wikipedia-its-biased-entry-on-arudou-debito","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=1878","title":{"rendered":"My problems with Wikipedia: Its biased entry on “Arudou Debito”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Handbook<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"Foreign<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"JAPANESE<\/a>
\nHi Blog. \u00a0I’ve been meaning to get to this for years now. I’m refreshed from my vacation. \u00a0Let’s get to it now.<\/p>\n

In my most recent Japan Times column (JUST BE CAUSE August 5, 2008<\/a>), I intimated that I feel rather negatively about Wikipedia (I call it “that online wall for intellectual graffiti artists”). \u00a0As much as I don’t think I should touch how historians render my history, Wikipedia’s entry on me<\/a> has been a source of consternation. \u00a0Years of slanted depictions and glaring omissions by anonymous net “historians” are doing a public disservice — exacerbated as Wikipedia increasingly gains credibility and continuously remains the top or near-top site appearing in a search engine search. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Controversial figures such as myself may naturally invite criticism, but when a couple of “guardian editors” take advantage of the fundamental weakness of Wikipedia (which, according to their interpretation of the rules, means the entry gives priority towards towards third-party opinions, whoever they are, rather than quoting the primary source) with the aim of distorting the record, this must be pointed out and corrected. \u00a0Otherwise it is harder to take Wikipedia seriously as a general source.<\/p>\n

The issues I have with the “Arudou Debito” Wikipedia entry are, in sum: \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A “Criticism” section not found in the Wikipedia entries of other “controversial figures”, such as Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama — meaning there is overwhelming voice given to the critics and no voice given any supporters for balance.
    \n<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. An avoidance of quoting primary source material just because it is archived on my website, Debito.org — even though it is often archived third-party material published by other authors.<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Omissions of books I published months and years ago.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Other historical inaccuracies and misleading summaries of issues and cases.
    \n<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Privacy issues, such as mentioning my children by name, who are still minors and not public figures.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. “Criticism” sources overwhelmingly favoring one defunct website, which seems to be connected to the “editors” standing guard over this entry.<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Other information included that is irrelevant to developing this Wikipedia entry of me as a “teacher, author, and activist”, such as my divorce.<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In other words, this page comes off less as a record of my activities as a “teacher, author, and activist”, more as an archive of criticisms. \u00a0I go into more specifics below, citing the most recent version of the “Arudou Debito” Wikipedia entry below. \u00a0My problem with each section is rendered as COMMENT FROM ARUDOU DEBITO<\/strong> below.<\/p>\n

    I will put a “neutrality” tag up on the site and let this blog entry be the anchor site for a call for improvements. \u00a0Let’s hope the Wikipedia system as it stands can right itself. \u00a0Arudou Debito in Sapporo<\/p>\n

    ======================================<\/p>\n

    (VERSION RETRIEVED AUGUST 21, 2008)<\/em><\/p>\n

    Debito Arudou<\/h1>\n
    \n

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/h3>\n
    \u00a0\u00a0(Redirected from\u00a0Arudou Debito<\/a>)<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Debito Arudou<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \"157\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
    Debito Arudou<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Born<\/th>\nDavid Christopher Aldwinckle
    \nJanuary 13<\/a>,\u00a01965<\/a>\u00a0(age\u00a043)<\/span>
    \n    \"Flag<\/a><\/span>\u00a0California<\/a>\u00a0U.S.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Residence<\/th>\n\"Flag<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Sapporo, Japan<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Nationality<\/th>\nJapanese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Home\u00a0town<\/th>\nGeneva<\/a>,\u00a0New York<\/a>[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Known\u00a0for<\/th>\nActivism<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Website<\/strong>
    \nhttps:\/\/www.debito.org<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
    \n

    COMMENT FROM ARUDOU DEBITO:<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0The picture is more than a decade old, taken 1996. \u00a0Many more recent ones are available.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Debito Arudou<\/strong>\u00a0(\u6709\u9053 \u51fa\u4eba<\/span>\u00a0Arud\u014d Debito<\/span><\/em>?<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/span>)<\/span>, a\u00a0naturalized Japanese citizen<\/a>, is a teacher, author, and activist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n

    Contents<\/h2>\n

    \u00a0[hide<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n