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WIRED
a day ago
- General
- WIRED
How One Wikipedia Editor Unraveled the ‘Single Largest Self-Promotion Operation' in the Site's History
Photograph:Quick—what are the top entries in the category "Wikipedia articles written in the greatest number of languages"? The answer is countries. Turkey tops the list with Wikipedia entries in 332 different languages, while the US is second with 327 and Japan is third with 324. Other common words make their appearance as one looks down the list. "Dog" (275 languages) tops "cat" (273). Jesus (274) beats "Adolf Hitler" (242). And all of them beat "sex" (122), which is also bested by "fever," "Chiang Kai-Shek," and the number "13." But if you had looked at the list a couple months back, something would have been different. Turkey, the US, and Japan were still in the same order near the top of the leaderboard, but the number one slot was occupied by an unlikely contender: David Woodard, who had Wikipedia entries in 335 different languages. You ... haven't heard of David Woodard? Woodard is a composer who infamously wrote a "prequiem"—that is, a "pre requiem"—in 2001 for Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who had murdered 168 people with a truck bomb. The piece was to be performed at a church near McVeigh's execution site in Terre Haute, Indiana, then recorded and played on the radio so that McVeigh would have a chance to hear it. According to the LA Times, which spoke to the composer, "Woodard's hope in performing the 12-minute piece, he said, is to 'cause the soul of Timothy McVeigh to go to heaven.'" According to BBC coverage from the time, Woodard "says McVeigh is '33 and nearly universally despised at the time of his execution'—like Jesus Christ." Hoo boy. Woodard also had a scheme to help save Nueva Germania, an 1880s colony in Paraguay that was designed to let German culture flourish away from the influence of European Jews. Friedrich Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth, was one of the founding colonists. Elisabeth's husband killed himself as the colony collapsed; she returned to Europe. (Lest you subscribe to the common view that Nietzsche was himself some kind of crude racist, know that he loathed his brother-in-law's racism and cut ties with his sister when she left Europe. Unfortunately, due to his later madness, he eventually ended up under her care for several years, and she edited his works after his death in ways that made him look more like a proto-Nazi.) Some descendants of the colonists still live at Nueva Germania, but the colony is now poor and run-down, and Elisabeth's house is almost gone. "As an artist who is fed up with much of the pretentious nonsense that has come to define Western culture," Woodard told SF Gate, "I am drawn to the idea of an Aryan vacuum in the middle of the jungle." So what was a guy like this doing with articles in 335 different languages? Inquiring minds want to know, which is why people have posted questions to sites like Reddit over the last year asking about the Woodard situation. "Is he super important and this is the first I'm hearing of him?" one asked. "Is it a superfan polyglot who wants everyone to know about his favourite writer/composer? Is it someone using AI to artificially boost this guy's performance metrics?" The Investigation A Wikipedia editor who goes by "Grnrchst" recently decided to find out, diving deep into the articles about Woodard and into any edits that placed his name in other articles. The results of this lengthy and tedious investigation were written up in the August 9 edition of the Signpost, a volunteer-run online newspaper about Wikipedia. Grnrchst's conclusion was direct: "I discovered what I think might have been the single largest self-promotion operation in Wikipedia's history, spanning over a decade and covering as many as 200 accounts and even more proxy IP addresses." A network of accounts with an unusual interest in Woodard was identified, and its activities over the last decade were mapped. Starting in 2015, these accounts inserted Woodard's name "into no fewer than 93 articles (including 'Pliers,' 'Brown pelican,' and 'Bundesautobahn'), often referencing self-published sources by Woodard himself." And that was just in the English version of Wikipedia. From 2017 to 2019, the accounts "created articles about David Woodard in at least 92 different languages, creating a new article every six days on average... They started off with Latin-script European languages, but quickly branched out into other families and scripts from all corners of the globe, even writing articles in constructed languages; they also went from writing full-length article translations, to low-effort stub articles, which would go on to make up the vast majority of all translations (easily 90 percent or more)." Translated languages included Nahuatl, Extremaduran, and Kirundi. Grnrchst concluded that "this amount of translations across so many different languages would either imply this person is one of the most advanced polyglots in human history, or they were spamming machine translations; the latter is more likely." After a reduction in activity, things ramped up again in 2021, as IP addresses from around the world started creating Woodard references and articles once more. For instance, "addresses from Canada, Germany, Indonesia, the UK and other places added some trivia about Woodard to all 15 Wikipedia articles about the calea ternifolia ." Then things got "more sophisticated." From December 2021 through June 2025, 183 articles were created about Woodard, each in a different language's Wikipedia and each by a unique account. These accounts followed a pattern of behavior: They were "created, often with a fairly generic name, and made a user page with a single image on it. They then made dozens of minor edits to unrelated articles, before creating an article about David Woodard, then making a dozen or so more minor edits before disappearing off the platform." Grnrchst believes that all the activity was meant to "create as many articles about Woodard as possible, and to spread photos of and information on Woodard to as many articles as possible, while hiding that activity as much as possible... I came to believe that David Woodard himself, or someone close to him, had been operating this network of accounts and IP addresses for the purposes of cynical self-promotion." After the Grnrchst report, Wikipedia's global stewards removed 235 articles on Woodard from Wikipedia instances with few users or administrators. Larger Wikipedias were free to make their own community decisions, and they removed another 80 articles and banned numerous accounts. "A full decade of dedicated self-promotion by an individual network has been undone in only a few weeks by our community," Grnrchst noted. In the end, just 20 articles about Woodard remain, such as this one in English, which does not mention the controversy. We were unable to get in touch with Woodard, whose personal website is password-protected and only available "by invitation." Could the whole thing be some kind of "art project," with the real payoff being exposure and being written about? Perhaps. But whatever the motive behind the decade-long effort to boost Woodard on Wikipedia, the incident reminds us just how much effort some people are willing to put into polluting open or public-facing projects for their own ends. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How a Taipei-controlled island close to mainland's coast shows the limits of both sides
On Quemoy Island, off the coast of Fujian province in mainland China, people passing the statue of Chiang Kai-shek in the main residential area of Jincheng can see an inscription in Chinese characters: 'Saviour of the Nation'. Advertisement In 2025, it is an oddity for both Taiwanese and mainland Chinese alike. In Taiwan , the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has moved to erase Chiang Kai-shek's legacy , with some viewing Chiang as a symbol of dictatorship and authoritarian rule, while on the mainland the man once seen as an enemy of the Communist Party is now a symbol of historical connection between the two sides of the strait. Quemoy county has a population of 130,000 and consists of Quemoy Island, Little Quemoy Island and several islets. It is less than 10km (6.2 miles) from the mainland city of Xiamen but is administered by Taipei authorities based 200km away. 00:00 War scarred bunkers on Quemoy reflect the islands' frontline role in Taiwan Strait tension War scarred bunkers on Quemoy reflect the islands' frontline role in Taiwan Strait tension Once a front line in the Taiwan Strait conflict, Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, has transformed from a heavily militarised zone into a quiet community caught between two competing political systems. But a day trip to the island in mid-June and on-the-ground interviews show the clear limits both Beijing and Taipei face in influencing the island. Advertisement During periods of military stand-off between the two sides, Quemoy has been seen as a model by Taipei for promoting its system of governance as opposed to the socialist system on the other side. The leadership in Taipei still touts it as a front line to deter the People's Liberation Army.
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan downgrades Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum to ‘camp area' as it grapples with legacy
Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum has officially been consigned to history, as Taiwan's military reclassified the site in the city of Taoyuan as a 'camp area' – the latest move by the island's independence-leaning authorities to erase the legacy of the former Kuomintang (KMT) leader. Advertisement The mausoleum of Chiang's son and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, located just 2.2km (1.4 miles) from his father's tomb, was also reclassified, according to a notice issued by the island's defence ministry on April 22. The two sites, which house the preserved remains of the two former leaders, will no longer be referred to as 'mausoleums' or 'spirit-worship facilities', according to the announcement. It said the elder Chiang's resting place, previously known as the Cihu Mausoleum, would be renamed the 'Cihu Camp Area', while his son's Daxi Mausoleum would be designated as the 'Daxi Camp Area'. 01:40 Tens of thousands rally in Taiwan against William Lai as recall turmoil engulfs legislature Tens of thousands rally in Taiwan against William Lai as recall turmoil engulfs legislature In the announcement, the military said the revised guidelines reflected updated administrative needs and the 2014 reclassification of Taoyuan as a metropolitan area.
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan downgrades Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum to ‘camp area' as it grapples with legacy
Chiang Kai-shek's mausoleum has officially been consigned to history, as Taiwan's military reclassified the site in the city of Taoyuan as a 'camp area' – the latest move by the island's independence-leaning authorities to erase the legacy of the former Kuomintang (KMT) leader. Advertisement The mausoleum of Chiang's son and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, located just 2.2km (1.4 miles) from his father's tomb, was also reclassified, according to a notice issued by the island's defence ministry on April 22. The two sites, which house the preserved remains of the two former leaders, will no longer be referred to as 'mausoleums' or 'spirit-worship facilities', according to the announcement. It said the elder Chiang's resting place, previously known as the Cihu Mausoleum, would be renamed the 'Cihu Camp Area', while his son's Daxi Mausoleum would be designated as the 'Daxi Camp Area'. 01:40 Tens of thousands rally in Taiwan against William Lai as recall turmoil engulfs legislature Tens of thousands rally in Taiwan against William Lai as recall turmoil engulfs legislature In the announcement, the military said the revised guidelines reflected updated administrative needs and the 2014 reclassification of Taoyuan as a metropolitan area.
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Why did China declare sovereignty over a disputed reef in South China Sea?
This development comes at a time when Philippine and US troops are conducting their annual military exercises, which include preparation for potential South China Sea conflicts New Delhi China has declared sovereignty over an uninhabited reef, known as Sandy Cay, in the South China Sea potentially intensifying tensions with the Philippines regarding the disputed area. Television channel China Central Television (CCTV) reported Saturday that China's coast guard 'implemented maritime control and exercised sovereign jurisdiction' over Sandy Cay in mid-April. This announcement represents China's most recent declaration of sovereignty in these disputed waters. China has long claimed authority over this area. This report emerged while Philippine and US troops are conducting their annual military exercises, which include preparation for potential South China Sea conflicts. China has expressed opposition to these war games, claiming they disrupt 'regional strategic stability'. Tensions between China and the Philippines have persisted in the South China Sea, where both nations assert overlapping claims to reefs and small islands. China bases its claim to the South China Sea on historical grounds, tracing back to records from the Xia and Han dynasties. China defines its territorial claims through the nine-dash line, which was put forward by Chiang Kai Shek in 1947. During China's republican period, China conducted surveys, created maps, and assigned names to 291 islands and reefs in the area. The United States maintains that the South China Sea constitutes international waters and that sovereignty in the region should be determined according to the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (Unclos). Unclos stipulates that nations cannot claim sovereignty over any land formations that are underwater at high tide, or those that were previously submerged but have been artificially raised above high tide level through construction activities. Hague's ruling over nine-dash line In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled that China's expansive claims through its nine-dash line lacked legal grounding under international law, granting the Philippines a major victory. However, China, which rejects the ruling, has become more assertive in its actions. Beijing has deployed hundreds of coastguard vessels to patrol the disputed areas, raising concerns for the Philippines, other claimants, and countries operating in the South China Sea, including the United States. Recent flashpoints in South China Sea Confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea have intensified over the past year as Beijing has pushed its territorial claims. Central to recent standoffs between the Philippines and China are two hotly contested features located inside Manila's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, but which Beijing claims as its own. China uses the nine-dash line that takes in about 90 per cent of the South China Sea to assert its claim to sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, a submerged reef coveted for its bountiful fish stocks, and the Second Thomas Shoal, home to a small contingent of Filipino sailors living aboard a rusty warship that Manila intentionally grounded in 1999 to further its territorial claims. Will the US get involved at South China Sea? The United States maintains a Mutual Defence Treaty with the Philippines and has repeatedly emphasised that it would defend its ally if its coastguard or armed forces were attacked anywhere in the South China Sea. The treaty significantly increases the stakes in the Philippines-China dispute should a miscalculation occur at sea. However, Philippine officials, including Marcos, have rejected suggestions of invoking the treaty in the current situation, emphasising that it would be considered only as a last resort.
