Seigenthaler and Wikipedia

May 26, 2005: A bio of Seigenthaler is posted on Wikipedia.

May 29, 2005: A Wikipedia contributor corrects a misspelling of the word “early.”

September 2005: A friend of Seigenthaler’s alerts him to the fake biography.

September 23, 2005: A correct version of Seigenthaler’s bio taken from the First Amendment Center is posted.

October 7, 2005: Seigenthaler’s fake biography is deleted from Wikipedia.

November 30, 2005: Seigenthaler’s editorial “A false Wikipedia ‘biography’” appears in USA Today.

December 5, 2005: Wikipedia changes its policy to only allow registered users to create content. Unregistered users can still edit existing entries.

December 2005: Daniel Brandt, who runs a Wikipedia Watch website and is a book indexer, matches the IP address from which the original Seigenthaler bio was posted with that of a delivery company.

December 9, 2005: Brian Chase of Nashville, an operations manager at for the delivery company, tells Seigenthaler he is responsible for the fake biography, which he intended as a prank meant to shock a co-worker. Chase resigns from his job; Seigenthaler urges Chase’s boss to rehire him.

December 2005: The current “John Seigenthaler Sr.” Wikipedia entry is protected numerous times because of vandalism. Wikipedia protection prevents anyone from editing the article.

December 30, 2005: Seigenthaler writes an op-ed in the Tennessean in which he details the aftermath of the controversy.