Info/Law

Yesterday I speculated that a controversy around the use of Wikipedia in a Georgia political campaign was really just another example of people misunderstanding Wikipedia and unfairly holding it to different standards than other media. Today, given recent developments, I am not so sure.

Secretary of State Cathy Cox has fired her campaign manager, Morton Brilliant (great name, eh?), who apparently edited her opponent’s Wikipedia entry to add mention of a drunk-driving incident involving the opponent’s son. (Well, she “accepted his resignation,” which in this case translates to “fired”). As CNN.com reports, both Cox and her opponent’s campaign cast the firing in terms of the drunk-driving issue being inappropriate and not, as I had feared, the use of Wikipedia:

Taylor spokesman Rick Dent said earlier Wednesday that the Cox campaign was “exploiting a tragedy for political reasons.” He also asked for an apology from Cox and for Brilliant to be fired.

Cox said she made it clear to her staff that the incident with Taylor’s son was off limits during the campaign.

“Today, I have once again made it clear to my staff that personal attacks, especially on the family members of candidates, are completely off limits and not at all in keeping with my desire to change the mean and bitter tone of politics,” Cox said.

I guess I was being too cynical about the level of “personal attacks” people find tolerable in a political campaign. It is a matter on which I am happy to be wrong.

Filed under: Anonymity, Peer Production