Wikipedia has shown Scientology the door. Buh-bye Scientology. 

It seems that pseudo-science “religion” Scientology didn’t play fair, (do they ever?) so it was time for Wikipedia to kick the bullies off the playground. Well, sort of.

Allow us to explain.

Of course you can still read about the cult on Wikipedia as their listing has NOT been banned from Wikipedia, but rather Scientology-based IP addresses.

Essentially, the Wikipedia arbitration committee voted unanimously to block IP addresses associated with the cult from editing their site, as they were doing it from multiple IP addresses called sockpuppet and meatpuppet accounts. But like all things on the internet, it’s a little more complicated than that.

This ban got VERY confusing to me once I started reading into Wikipedia’s full decision and all the mumbo jumbo, but we will do out best to explain.

The Huffington Post explains it a lot better that I can:

Wikipedia has banned the Church of Scientology and its members from editing its site after discovering that members of the church were editing articles in order to give the church favorable coverage.

The move is being hailed as “an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits,” and it is the first instance in which Wikipedia has banned a group as large as the Church of Scientology.

The Register reports:

According to evidence turned up by admins in this long-running Wikiland court case, multiple editors have been “openly editing [Scientology-related articles] from Church of Scientology equipment and apparently coordinating their activities.” Leaning on the famed WikiScanner, countless news stories have discussed the editing of Scientology articles from Scientology IPs, and some site admins are concerned this is “damaging Wikipedia’s reputation for neutrality.”

One admin tells The Reg that policing edits from Scientology machines has been particularly difficult because myriad editors sit behind a small number of IPs and, for some reason, the address of each editor is constantly changing. This prevents admins from determining whether a single editor is using multiple Wikipedia accounts to game the system. In Wikiland, such sockpuppeting is not allowed.

The Wikicourt considered banning edits from Scientology IPs only on Scientology-related articles. But this would require admins to “checkuser” editors - i.e. determine their IP - every time an edit is made. And even then they may not know who’s who.

The case— the fourth Scientology-related dispute on the site in four years — opened in December 2008 and closed Thursday with the Wikipedia arbitration committee voting unanimously to block IP addresses associated with the Church from editing the site.

“The purpose of Wikipedia is to create a high-quality, free-content encyclopedia in an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual respect among contributors,” part of the decision read. “Use of the encyclopedia to advance personal agendas - such as advocacy or propaganda and philosophical, ideological or religious dispute - or to publish or promote original research is prohibited.”

“Editors who access Wikipedia through an organization’s IP address and who edit Wikipedia articles which relate to that organization have a presumptive conflict of interest,” it continued. “Regardless of these editors’ specific relationship to that organization or function within it, the organization itself bears a responsibility for appropriate use of its servers and equipment. If an organization fails to manage that responsibility, Wikipedia may address persistent violations of fundamental site policies through blocks or bans.”
Read the full decision.

So there you have it.

Scientology is currently in court in France and being charged with:

“Illicit practices in attempts to sell their alleged self-help material. The Church also faces charges of illegally operating as a pharmacy by illegally treating individuals with prescription medications”.

It is rumored that Norway may follow suit. There are also many other suits filed from ex cult members. And a myriad of books of their horrid experiences is expected to follow.

So once again I have to say (and with glee) it looks like Scientology’s days are numbered. KUDOS to Wikipedia for not being bullied, and doing the right thing. It’s a start.

Now if only the US would grow some balls, refuse to have their pockets padded and pay attention to the MOUNTAIN of complaints, videos of protesters getting assaulted, evidence of fair game, ex member testimonies and books that were written and all the reports that were filed with the FBI, then maybe we could declare this a major step.

Truly, I don’t know what the US government is waiting for. I understand these things take time, but with every day that ticks by, it is another day that a Scientology Sea Org member suffers, and thousands of family members miss their children that they haven’t seen in years.

It’s one more day that Scientology bilks it’s members out of more money. It’s one more day that someone gets brainwashed. It’s another day of punishment for someone on the Sea Org’s RPF. It’s another day of exhaustion and going to bed hungry. It’s another day a girl gets forced into aborting her child.

Time is precious, let’s not give the cult one more day to harm people. Let’s not let them trick one more person into buying their “Bridge To Nowhere.”

Source: Queen