WikiScanner makes it easier for the average netizen to track and report on examples of abuse. Although Wikipedia discourages what it calls "self-interested" edits, it does not actively prevent them. Any user can edit any entry anonymously. According to Griffiths, self-serving edits typically fall into one of three categories:
- Removal of critical information
- White-washing
- Adding negative information to a competitor's page.
Wired Magazine's Reddit news community site is among several sites publishing information about unscrupulous changes to Wikipedia content. Here's a sampling of documented edits:
- An edit from the Exxon network altered content to downplay the environmental impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
- An edit from the Wal-Mart network changed a negative comment about the company's wages.
- An edit from the Pepsi network removed details about health effects of the company's products.
- An edit from the Microsoft network added negative content to the entry about Apple.
- An edit from the Apple network added negative content to the entry about Microsoft.
