Word of the Day: Wikidness

Wikidness (noun): the quality or state of being Wikid
Wikid (adjective): mischievous or playfully malicious; knowingly falsifying material added to Wikipedia (or other, similar Wiki sites), typically done out of spite, evil or morally bad intent, or similarly abject desires

See it in context HERE in the CNET article, "Media outlets (and Wikipedia) fooled by Irishman".

Of course, this would all have sounded even better in the native French. But what is truly disheartening is Fitzgerald's explanation for his descent into Wikidness.

Here's some more information on the story:

If any of you have ever studied sociology, you'll know that it largely consists of making stuff up about society and pretending that you've discovered an astonishing truth.

This might be at least the acorn for an oak of explanation as to why an Irish sociology student named Shane Fitzgerald decided to make up a quote and slip it into a Wikipedia entry.

Fitzgerald chose the Wikipedia entry of recently deceased French composer Maurice Jarre, who wrote the music for films such as "Doctor Zhivago," "Dead Poets Society," and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo."

He inserted his poetry into the dead man's mouth, only to see Wikipedia's incisive editors excise it.

He tried again. Within 6 minutes, Wikipedia's editors flicked it off as if it were a defecating fly. However, the third time he tried, [...] the quote stayed up for 25 hours.

This was enough time for the Guardian, the Independent, and many other newspapers and blogs to insert it in their obituaries of Jarre.

You have to love Fitzgerald's explanations (if you can believe the CNET writer).

Anyone else out there either (1) done some Wikid editing, or (2) seen this in action elsewhere?