Wikipedia gets makeover as scandal rages

This blog has been overlooking Wikipedia of late and it has taken news of a scandal to remind us that now is the time to rectify this.

The scandal involves allegations made by Fox News that the site is hosting indecent content which can be accessed in schools as Wikipedia bypasses adult content filters.

Such reports are strenuously denied by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. If you want to know more about the story it is best to check out a recent article by the Guardian.

If you want to know more about Wikipedia’s makeover, read on…

The most noticeable change on the site is the layout, closely followed by improved navigational features.

Apparently the site’s User Experience Team has altered the tool bar and search functions to make it easier for contributors to edit pages themselves; a policy in keeping with the self-policing ethos of Wikipedia.

At No Pork Pies we’re particularly impressed by the fact that if you don’t like the changes you can press a button  ‘Take Me Back’ which automatically restores the old interface.

If only everything in life had such a button!

Wikipedia can be a great tool for social media strategists looking to engage with the resourceful community which writes and edits its online pages.

Written by: James Christie on May 21, 2010.

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