Katie Halper
May 19, 2008 |
6:49 pm EST
McCainPedia is a wiki created by the DNC, which uses Media Wiki, the same technology used by Wikipedia. According to the site, McCainPedia’s goal is “to centralize research material, allowing the general public to use it as they see fit.” It’s not quite as participatory as Wikipedia, because it doesn’t allow you to edit entries. The flip side to this is that McCainPedia can “fully validate all of the information that appears, ensuring accuracy and reliability.” Another part of the website is FlipperTV, “which puts video taken by Democratic ‘trackers’ of John McCain as he campaigns across the country, and allows users to watch, download, and use the footage as they wish.” According to DNC Chair Howard Dean,
The idea behind FlipperTV is simple: let the American people hear directly from the Republican candidates unscripted and in their own words, and let them decide if they want four more years of Bush’s failed policies or a Democrat who will bring change to the White House. This video will come directly from the campaign trail, letting voters see who they truly are, not who their campaigns want them to be.
The DNC isn’t pretending to be neutral. But is not manipulating the truth or creating propraganda either. Instead, it is using the very words, positions, and videos of McCain himself to criticize the presidential nominee. Dean explains
McCainpedia provides the kind of transparency that John McCain would rather avoid and empowers millions of people to review McCain’s inconsistencies and make up their own minds about Senator McCain. Whether he’s promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, embracing lobbyist advisors, or going back on his own principles, McCain’s own words and his own record make it clear he’s the wrong choice for America’s
future.
The site seconds Dean, explaining
John McCain has been anything but transparent during the course of his campaign. From tax returns that he refuses to disclose to his failure to fully explain how he’s going to pay for his massive tax cuts for corporations, he’s attempting to avoid very basic levels of scrutiny. Because his goal is to hide facts about his policies and his record, we’ve made those available to everybody so that the American people can see for themselves that John McCain is offering a third Bush term
If you’re curious about seeing what’s on McCainPedia,
by visiting the site. You can also
by supporting Wikipedia. Check out this video, in which Wikipedia founder Jimmy Whales explains how you can
to help Wikipedia
and help the world.
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Filed under:
Culture • Ethics
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Tagged as:dean • dnc • FlipperTV • howard dean • jimmy whales • John McCain • McCain • mccainpedia • wikipedia
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