wiki_jamie.jpgYesterday, the BBC Alternate Reality Game, Jamie Kane and the presumed viral marketing use of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, hit several popular weblogs including BoingBoing and Slashdot. Two entries were found, one for Jamie Kane and the other for the fictional band Boy^d Upp. Both entries presented the fictional characters as real entities and made no mention of the Alternate Reality Game. It was later discovered that the entry for Boy^d Upp originated from within the BBC.


The BBC and the authors of the entries have all spoken on the matter. The entries were created by fans of the game, neither of whom are affiliated with the Jamie Kane team or BBC Marketing in any official capacity. The entry for Jamie Kane has been drastically changed to reflect the true nature of Jamie Kane as a game. (original | current)

While this clearly shows the power and strength of Wikipedia (within hours, the entries had been edited to show factual and comprehensive information about the game), it has highlighted some of the concerns users face about trusting information online, even when that information comes from a trusted source. The articles are currently being reviewed for deletion under Wikipedia policy and it is our hope that the article for Jamie Kane is allowed to remain, not only to help point to the Alternate Reality Game but as a showcase for the strengths of community-edited encyclopedias.