Founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Wikipedia is an attempt to collect and summarise all human knowledge in every major language. Its content is written and developed collaboratively by volunteers around the world, and nearly all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the internet.
Why should I care?
Wikipedia is the largest and most popular source of information online. As of April 2008 it had over 10 million articles in 253 languages, almost a quarter of which are in English. Wikipedia pages feature highly in search results and it is often the first place people will look for information about your clients.
Can this make me look foolish in any way?
Yes.
Creating or editing articles in the interests of public relations is frowned upon. By public relations, Wikipedia does not just mean people employed by PR agencies. It also means anyone who has a vested interest in the company being written about. That also means you can’t pay an independent writer to create or alter client article.
If you do get tempted or requested by a client to create or alter an article, you should bear in mind that it will be noticed and the changes will be traced back, if not to you directly, then to your company's domain. If that happens then at best, the article might be deleted. At worst you are also risking the reputation of your client and your agency.
The good news is that there is a well defined process for approaching Wikipedia contributors and asking them to create or edit on your behalf which is covered in the upcoming How-to create and edit Wikipedia articles.
Suggested further reading
Worth viewing Colbert's "Wikiality" clip while you're at it: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/72347/july-31-2006/the-word---wikiality
Never use Wikipedia as a source; but do treat with respect the sources it cites.
Posted by: Mat Morrison | September 13, 2008 at 06:00 PM