Wikipedia is renowned for its open policy, which allows virtually all Internet users to edit pages on the site. Despite being a resourceful source of information, there are skeptics who believe that the open policy of Wikipedia revisions and additions has watered down the quality of information on the site. Owing to the fact that anyone can make a contribution, there have been numerous cases of derogatory slurs, wrong information, and funny images being posted on Wikipedia pages.

Wikipedia Revisions: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Some people are mean-spirited and add defamatory information just for spite. It is comparable to online vandalism. Some people edit entries and provide inaccurate information just because they are misinformed. Other editors make typos which bring humorous results.

No matter which type of editing is done by the public, there are some outrageous edits on the Wikipedia site. Fortunately, a majority of them get deleted or fixed by professional Wikipedia editors. For those entries that remain, Wikipedia fans can find many sources of amusement. Here are some interesting edits that have been done in the past:

1. Cow Crazy

Someone wrote a paragraph on cow tipping. According to the anonymous editor, tipping a cow so it is still on two feet is known as lean beef. If the cow totally falls, it is known as ground beef. This may be funny to the editor, but the poor unsuspecting cow is not amused.

2. Holy Wiki Edit, Batman

The 1960s superhero cult classic, Batman, should have a lot of salient information. Instead, someone chose to write out the whole “Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Batman!” theme. Robin did not get an honorable mention in this silly edit.

3. All the Babies

Speaking of superheroes, there are cases where numbers are expanded accidently. It makes for some awesome world records. For instance, the entry for actress Karen Gillan says that she has birthed 68 children with Matt Smith. That is a record that Michelle Duggar has yet to beat.

4. Sunday Morning Cartoons Turned MMA

In the mixed martial arts entry, someone decided to pair up famous superheroes and villains for each boxing division. Who would want to see Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd fight for the bantamweight title? The heavyweight title is being fought by Transformers.

5. Snoop Dogg Censored

While some anonymous editors neglect important facts about an entry, others just provide too much information. We really did not need to know every perverted interpretation of Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice rap song. The edit is pretty revolting.

6. Earnest Hemmingway’s Sultry Afternoon

Earnest Hemmingway would probably not appreciate the edit that someone did for the entry about his book, Death in the Afternoon. It is supposed to be about bull fighting; however, someone added that the book also alludes to Spanish harlotry. Was the anonymous editor serious or just adding a line of bull?

7. Perception is…a Blank Page?

It is said that perception is reality. We perceive that a whole entry about this deep subject was erased and the editor just quipped that reality is a commodity. While many of us remember when cheese was a commodity, we would like to read a little more about the philosophical and metaphysical definitions of reality. It is much more that a commodity.

8. Gary the Talented Giraffe

Either some people have a warped sense of humor or bad eyesight. One public editor declared that the late actor Gary Oldman was a giraffe. It may seem like a text error; however, the person goes on to defend his strange declaration. If Oldman was a giraffe, then he was the most talented animal on the planet.

9. Corbyn Christened

While some people are apparently animals in disguise, we have some famous people mistaken for others. In the entry for Jeremy Corbyn speaking in front of the English Parliament, we see a stain-glass picture of Christ holding a lamb. The editor is either being sacrilegious or thinks highly of Corbyn.

10. Taudry Terrorist

In 2011, Osama bin Laden’s Wikipedia page was edited to purport that he was a chronic masturbator. The hacker went ahead to stay that when the US troops ambushed him in his hideout, they found a significant stash of pornographic material. In addition, 110 USB sticks, 5 computers, and 10 hard drives worth of porn was discovered.

11. False Admiration

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s page was hilariously edited in 2006, alleging that pictures of Adolf Hitler adorned his bedroom wall during his teenage years. The politician’s page was attacked by hackers who were angry with his involvement in the Iraqi war. Many readers found this hilarious.

12. The Black-Eyed Bummers

The Black Eyed Peas fell victim to a Wikipedia hacking incident in 2011. Someone thought that the band’s half-time performance during that year’s Super Bowl was not up to standard. Consequently, the hacker edited the band’s page while comparing the performance to a high school musical. This is despite the fact that the performance was well received.

13. Political Discourse

One of the most controversial edits was by Grant Shapps. He was formerly the chairperson of the Conservative party in the UK. He was accused of editing the page to remove information that was unflattering about him. In self-defense, he claimed he had made the edits so as to correct inaccurate information. Later on, it was claimed Grant Shapps had made further edits to his page and make nasty allegations about other politicians, including those in his party. However, none of the allegations has been proven so far.

14. Prophetic Reporter

A Sky News reporter has also been the victim of false Wikipedia edits in recent times. The first time her page was edited was after she broke the news of April Jones death. The people she told were still in search of the schoolgirl. That led to her page being edited to indicate that she was Dead. She has been mocked as being able to read the minds of Golden Retrievers. It was after she tweeted a picture of a dog in the wake of a terror attack in Paris. She claimed the dog was sad.

15. Philosopher Turned Meteorologist

Plato has also not been spared. The ancient Greek philosopher was described as having been a weatherman from Hawaii. His other skills were said to be a writer for cosmos, a surfer, and the man who founded the first higher learning institution in Ancient Florida.

Why Wikipedia is Important

Those who conduct a Google search often realize that a relevant Wikipedia link often appears among the first five results. This shows why businesses need to consider using Wikipedia as a strategic branding and marketing tool. The site is undoubtedly, one of the most powerful marketing tools that individual and corporate brands have at their disposal. By virtue of being an Internet-based collaborative media platform, businesses can effectively use it to reach a wider audience.

A business can edit its Wikipedia page so that the message resonates well with its target market. The simple act of having a page of the site boosts the reputation of a business, which might in turn boost profit margins. A high degree of prestige comes with owning a Wikipedia page. It makes a business to seem more legit, credible, and authentic.

Prospective clients are likely to hire firms that have Wikipedia pages. Page owners are also provided with an additional avenue to augment their web presence. This enhances the visibility of a business in search engine results. Wikipedia links often appear within the first five Google search results, something that might give a business the much-needed SEO boost.

A Wikipedia page can only attain a high ranking if all wiki writing guidelines are followed to the letter during its creation. Pages that do not adhere to these guidelines are often flagged or removed. Page creators ought to understand that Wikipedia is not an advertising platform and therefore, the creation of promotional or biased content is disallowed. Creating a Wikipedia page is a massive project, which needs to be error-free to guarantee maximum optimization.

For your page to receive a high ranking, you need to ensure that your business is distinguished, and that there are online articles about your operations. If this is the case, you can go ahead and create a Wikipedia page. However, this presents the greatest challenge to many page creators due to the strict guidelines that ought to be adhered to. Outside source citations prove the legitimacy and prominence of your business. This is quite cumbersome, and explains why more firms are opting to utilize the services of professional Wikipedia page creators.

Professional Wikipedia Editors

Due to the increase in the number of hacking incidents on Wikipedia, a number of SEO firms are currently offering page editing, monitoring, and translation services. Our site, Get Your Wiki is a one stop shop for such services. We offer experienced-based advice about the best Wikipedia practices. Our veteran editors who create and edit Wikipedia pages whenever a need arises. Its services are available to both individuals and corporate entities. The expertise of our editors ensure that all pages that they create are properly formatted, and referenced in accordance to Wikipedia’s regulations.

We at Get Your Wiki recognize the importance of having Wikipedia pages and therefore, create pages that are invaluable digital assets to clients. Monitoring services are similarly offered to ensure that all edits that are conducted on clients’ pages are done in good faith. We have a team of editors whose role is to vet all edits that are made.

We are also proud to have made a name for ourselves by offering Wikipedia translation services. This is done in recognition to the fact that language barriers impede the market outreach of businesses. Therefore, our team of professional translators is dedicated to ensuring that clients’ pages are translated to whatever language that they wish. This similarly ensures that clients have the ability to ethically interact with inhabitants of all regions. It also improves the online perceptibility, and the selling power of a business brand.