IP Notes

"Imagine an encyclopedia," wrote blogger Joe Gratz, "that had someone’s death noted in their biography before the first major news outlet had even published an obituary." The death was that of feminist writer and campaigner Andrea Dworkin, the encyclopedia Wikipedia, and Gratz was imagining nothing.

Guardian Unlimited reported Dworkin's death, confirmed by her agent, shortly before 1800 GMT yesterday, the first major news outlet to do so, though the correct date of her death was posted at the top of her Wikipedia biography at least 24 hours earlier.

Wikipedia's discussion page explains how it happened. The news was circulating on feminist mailing lists shortly after Dworkin died in her sleep on Saturday, and from there it found its way to the encyclopedia and some blogs. But a lack of corroboration from the press and certainty over the source - again gone over on the discussion page - meant the Wikipedia writers and some of their readers could not decide if it was true. The correct date was taken down at least once, and the item hardly pushed.