Wikipedia Scanner

As I was reading this article it was interesting to learn when I do my research papers that Wikipedia doesn't always have real facts. It is one of the first fact-checking sites to come up when people searching a topic. But this encyclopedia is also maintained by its users. In this case articles can be changed by companies and individuals who are subjects of the entries. Thanks to a graduate student there is now a tool known as the Wikipedia Scanner to help keep facts real.
This new tool gives you proof of why you should not rely on Wikipedia as a source. More than likely the article you read has been edited by an individual with there opinions. Wikipedia calls itself "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit", which is another way of saying it is not fact-checked. It is not illegal, the point of Wikipedia is for readers to see facts and to share the facts they know on the article. But if you follow the IP address you'll see that most people who edit the article are not interested parties who want to make sure the facts are straight.
As I continued to read more on WIkipedia they showed examples such a Wal-Mart entry. The original entry stated "The average wage at Wal-Mart is almost double the federal minimum wage (Wal-Mart). However, founder Sam Walton once argued that his company should be exempt from the minimum wage". Someone with an IP address from Wal-Mart changed the entry to "Wages at Wal-Mart are about 20% less than at other retail stores. Founder Sam Walton once argued that his company should be exempt from the minimum wage".
The Wikipedia Scanner was a tool created by a grad student from California Institute of Technology known as Virgil Griffith. It was created to trace the comments and edits on Wikipedia entries back to their source IP address. The entries left anonymous are no longer anonymous on the site anymore. In results hoping to change how the entries are edited with real facts. Watching the video in the interview with Renee Montagne, Wired magazine Senior Editor Nicholas Thompson predicts that tool will eventually improve Wikipedia.