Week 3 discussion please read carefully

Week 3 Discussion — A Wikipedia Hoax

In this Discussion we’ll reflect on Wikipedia, one of the top ten most visited websites in the world.

Review the audio file below, which will direct you to the links just beneath it. After reviewing the file, proceed to the Discussion prompt (below).

The links below will open in a new window.

1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=279384468

2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Jarre

3.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280510606

4.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280558491

5.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280558753#Quotes

6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280629550

7.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280649291#Quotes

8.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280872760

9.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Jarre&oldid=280893979

10.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/mar/31/maurice-jarre-obituary

11.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30699302/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/student-hoaxes-worlds-media-wikipedia/#.WxNYbu4vypo

Initial post

Respond to the story.

Think about the story narrated in the audio file and illustrated in the links. What is this story about? Is it about problems with Wikipedia? Is it a story about problems with the internet? Is it a story about problems with traditional newspapers? Is it a story about an individual act of vandalism?  Maybe some combination of all of these?

Explain.

Remember that in the Discussions we are practicing “microstyle.” (If you need a quick review, here is a link to last week’s microstyle reading.) For your first reply in our Wikipedia discussion, write a subject line that forecasts a point you are focusing on in your reply. Here are a couple of examples of effective Discussion 3 subject lines written by past ILR260 students:

“Where were the fact checkers?”
“Hoaxster makes point but isn’t blameless”

Reply to peers

Reply to at least two classmates.

Further exploration (optional)

• To quickly experience Wikipedia editing, go to the Wikipedia Sandbox, click on the Edit tab, add or delete some text, and click on the Save Page button.
• To check out edits made from US Congress IP addresses and from IP addresses of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America members (Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), check out these Twitter feeds:

Scoring

Respond to the Discussion prompt (5 points)
Edit subject line to forecast specific content of response (1 point)
Reply to two classmates (4 points)

To go to the Week 3 Discussion board, follow the “Week 3 Discussion” link located under Week 3.  Then “Reply” to the prompt to post your initial response.