Study reveals bot-on-bot editing wars raging on Wikipedia's pages
by Ian Sample Science editor from on (#2DQ50)
Over time, the encyclopedia's software robots can become locked in combat, undoing each other's edits and changing links, say researchers
For many it is no more than the first port of call when a niggling question raises its head. Found on its pages are answers to mysteries from the fate of male anglerfish, the joys of dorodango, and the improbable death of Aeschylus.
But beneath the surface of Wikipedia lies a murky world of enduring conflict. A new study from computer scientists has found that the online encyclopedia is a battleground where silent wars have raged for years.