WHO ARE BEHIND THOSE ANONYMOUS EDITS ON WIKIPEDIA? JEJU, SOUTH KOREA

When you make an edit to Wikipedia, you have two choices: first, you can register and leave your username; or you can edit anonymously. But, when you edit anonymously, it uses your IP address - a number which identifies what computer network you are from - in lieu of a username. Wikipedia does this for convenience to distinguish your anonymous edits from someone else’s anonymous edits.

In essence, WikiScanner combines two databases: the list of all IP adresses that have made edits to Wikipedia; and what IP addresses belong to which companies. So with WikiScanner you can type a company name, and it shows you what edits have come from IP addresses owned by that company.

So for example:

This Just In … MSN Search is Great!
Microsoft’s MSN Search is now “a major competitor to Google”. Take it from this anonymous contributor, whose IP address belongs to Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft’s PR firm.

MySpace Problems Solved In in Two Quick Edits
Someone from MySpace’s IP block in Los Angeles takes issue with the “Censorship” section in MySpace’s wikipedia entry, and, um, censors it — cuts it out entirely. “Security and spyware” is similarly excised minutes later.

Armenian genocide deleted by Anonymous
Somebody from the Turkish Treasury removed the part on the Armenian genocide.

For a full list of the latest questionable edits visit here.

- Sourced from: Who’s behind Wikipedia: Virgil Griffith’s WikiScanner investigates

DEALING WITH EMAIL, JEJU, SOUTH KOREA

Email is such a funny thing. People hand you these single little messages that are no heavier than a river pebble. But it doesn’t take long until you have acquired a pile of pebbles that’s taller than you and heavier than you could ever hope to move, even if you wanted to do it over a few dozen trips. But for the person who took the time to hand you their pebble, it seems outrageous that you can’t handle that one tiny thing. “What ‘pile’? It’s just a pebble!

- Merlin Mann

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE…, JEJU, SOUTH KOREA

Our Fearless Leader makes a dramatic return from his vacation in Japan today to retake the thrown at Jeju Life. I’m planning on meeting with him sometime this weekend to talk about a few developments in his absence. Some are exciting, such as a request for an interview from Conde Nast Traveler. Others are more mundane (”Do we have room for an 800 word story in the next issue?”). And still others may be headache inducing, like a request by the Jeju Tourism Board which may or may not violate our ban on overtly advertising for them.

With Jim back I’ll be able to concentrate more on photography and story writing. I’ve gotten a big jump on the next issue, which already looks to be a good one.

 So with that I bid the Jeju Life Blog adieu, and take my camera bag in hand to beat a solemn path into the sunset.

July Issue, Jeju United, Jeju, South Korea

This morning took an unexpected turn upon receiving a phone call from our point of contact at the Jeju Tourism Policy Division.

I was requested to provide the files for this month’s issue in order for the department to print more copies. As a result we will be able to keep our distribution locations stocked longer and expand to Seoul. The copies sent there will be directly delivered into the hands of foreigners.

The July issue is due for collection from the printers tomorrow morning. We’re usually out in the first week of the month but things have changed. We’re working a lot closer with Jeju City Hall and Jeju-Si Magazine. So we’ve moved alongside them in publishing dates. Also, they’ve been great to help us with layout and design. Meaning that this should be our best looking issue yet.

In other Jeju Life news, deputy editor Brian Miller spent Sunday evening with Coach Arthur and other Jeju United players. Bonding over darts and pool it seemed to be a great evening. And we’ve come out of it with a very high opinion of the coaching staff behind JU. In fact the win last night actually takes the team into the playoffs.