NOTERAT. Forskaren Rupert Sheldrake skriver att efter att han kritiserat en grupp som kallar sig ”The Guerrilla Skeptics” utsattes Wikipedia-sidan om honom för ett angrepp från denna grupp. De skriver om posten om Rupert Sheldrake på ett vilseledande sätt. Sheldrake kommenterar.
Text: Torbjörn Sassersson
Från Rupert Sheldrakes nyhetsbrev den 9 oktober 2013:
”In my newsletter in June I mentioned that a group called Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia have been subverting Wikipedia in areas concerned with spirituality, psychic phenomena and complementary medicine. Soon afterwards, a squad of guerrilla skeptics captured the Wikipedia page about me, and have controlled it ever since, editing it in the most biased possible way. Several other editors have tried to restore a more neutral point of view, in accordance with Wikipedia policies.”
”Wikipedia has strict rules against editors working in groups and against people advocating a particular point of view. The Guerrilla Skeptics have been flouting these rules for more than two years, coordinating their groups through secret Facebook pages. It’s time their activities are brought to a halt, because they are undermining the basic principles of Wikipedia, and rendering hundreds of entries untrustworthy.”
Från Rupert Sheldrakes blogg den 5 oktober 2013:
”Wikipedia is a wonderful invention. But precisely because it’s so trusted and convenient, people with their own agendas keep trying to take it over. Editing wars are common. According to researchers at Oxford University, the most controversial subjects worldwide include Israel and God.
This is not surprising. Everyone knows that there are opposing views on politics and religion, and many people recognise a biased account when they see it. But in the realm of science, things are different. Most people have no scientific expertise and believe that science is objective. Their trust is now being abused systematically by a highly motivated group of activists called Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia.”
Föredragsorganisationen Ted.com censurerade tidigare i år Rupert Sheldrakes föredrag på Ted.com. Trots protester har Ted.com vägrat att återpublicera hans föredrag på sin hemsida. Läs mer om det.
Mostvarigheten till ”The Guerrilla Skeptics” i Sverige är aktivistföreningen Vetenskap & Folkbildning (VoF ), en förening som idag mest består av unga arga killar som verkar sakna en fadersgestalt i sina liv. Se kritisk sajt om VoF.
Text: Torbjörn Sassersson
Relaterat
Rupert Sheldrake på engelspråkiga Wikipedia
Rupert Sheldrake på svenskspråkiga Wikipedia
Rupert Sheldrakes blogg ”Science Set Free”
Kritisk sajt om Vetenskap & Folkbildning