【Dear Utol: Catfish Episode 46】

Despite how much we all love it,Dear Utol: Catfish Episode 46 Wikipedia is not a credible source. That's because any one can edit content at any time, adding in falsehoods that can sit there until, well, someone notices.

Case in point: a page dedicated to the bibliography of Hillary Clinton redirected to Adolf Hilter's autobiography Mein Kampfon Monday for over 16 hours.

SEE ALSO: Facebook isn't alone—moderating the internet is basically impossible Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

According to the edit history, the page was edited to redirect at 6:26 a.m. UTC, which is 2:26 a.m. ET. When you edit a Wikipedia entry, your IP address is logged and is publicly facing. We plugged that address into a tool that provides clues about who's behind the IP, including details about their Internet Service Provider.

Looking up the IP address, the editor of the post was using Comcast's internet service, somewhere near Mount Laurel, New Jersey when they made the changes. Looks like someone had a late night messing with Clinton's bibliography.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While problematic for Wikipedia and services that rely on its users for policing, this is sadly nothing new for the internet or the encyclopedia. Anyone can edit a Wikipedia article they want at any time, and the site depends on ethical people to correct those false edits to show accurate and up-to-date information. Trolling on Wikipedia isn't uncommon, though calling Clinton Hitler is a lot worse than editing the invertebrate page to include Paul Ryan.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

In a time where "fake news" is a household phrase, and popular opinion -- not facts --can sway elections and the stock exchange, it's incredibly important that accurate information be out there on a site such as Wikipedia, even if this was just an unfunny and weak attempt at trolling.

To be fair to Wikipedia, this was not the Clinton's main page, but a sub page for books that she has penned located way at the bottom of her extremely extensive entry. Additionally, the bibliography page hasn't been edited in nearly a month.

It's unclear how often Clinton's page gets trolled, but it's indeed low-hanging fruit given Wikipedia's editing free-for-all. Wikipedia, which is monitored by tens of thousands of volunteer editors, has yet to respond to inquiries about the edit.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While Wikipedia is a massive site that gets a TON of readers every day, we could only find one tweet in reference to the edit.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

At 6:00 p.m. ET, just minutes after Mashable emailed a request for comment, the edit had been restored by Wikipedia user Gfoley4. According to their bio, they spend their time "on Wikipedia reverting vandalism, reviewing AFC submissions, and working on transit-related articles."

UPDATE: May 22, 2017, 5:40 p.m. PDT

A spokesperson for Wikipedia, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia, responded to Mashable's request for comment, confirming that the page was vandalized, then restored by a volunteer editor.

Vandalism does happen from time to time on Wikipedia, but we find that the vast majority of articles are not vandalized. When vandalism does occur, it is typically reverted within minutes. In this case, the vandalism may have remained longer (less than 24 hours) because the article is relatively low traffic, averaging 34 pageviews per day.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Melania Trump doesn't want your pity for her 'boy-like' husband

---

• Games
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Social Good

• The Best Gaming Concept Art of 2016
• Teen is raising money to send girls to see 'Hidden Figures'
• London's most popular man on Happn tells us how to build the best profile
• Intel wants to use sensors and robots to overhaul in
• The Anatomy of Liberal Melancholy
• This country downloaded and used the most Android apps in 2016
• A big Antarctic ice crack is forcing scientists to evacuate research station
• Ed Sheeran just scored his first No. 1 song with 'Shape of You'
• Exceptionally rare radio sources detected in the distant universe
• Dear Donald, you're messing with the wrong Ivanka

• Facebook posts about voting will get a link to 'authoritative' info
• Best Gifts for Moms who Travel
• YouTuber MrBeast's 'Finger on the App' challenge went for 70 hours
• Didion’s Details by Leslie Jamison
• Hollywood icon Anna May Wong honored with her own Barbie
• The whitewashing of roller skating's online revival
• Cherchez la Femme by Jenny Hendrix
• Hollywood writers are on strike. Here’s what that means for your favourite TV shows.
• Musk's removal of legacy verified checkmarks did not drive Twitter Blue subscriptions
• Shane Dawson's apology and deeper issues with racism in entertainment

• Apple is actively looking at AI search for Safari
• Twitter will now loop all videos under 6.5 seconds after Vine closes
• 30 years after the real 'Cool Runnings,' Jamaican bobsled teamcrowdfunds for a coach
• 'Even stray dogs have a right to live': India's Supreme Court rules
• Waitin’ on the Student Debt Jubilee
• Young Thug didn't show up to a music video shoot but that didn't stop the director
• Chinese lady stabs enforcement officer in the neck with fruit on a skewer
• Google's first Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches are coming in February
• Best robot vacuum deal: Get the Roborock Q5 Max for 53% off at Amazon
• Even the LA Chargers' new coach calls the NFL's lamest team the San Diego Chargers

• SpaceX's Starlink will provide free satellite internet to families in Texas school district
• How to download your Vines before it's too late to save them
• Trump is using Facebook ads to unload Inauguration tickets
• Governor orders subway train redesign, because he thought it looked like a cricket
• Best robot vacuum deal: Get the Roborock Q5 Max for 53% off at Amazon
• Sassy Zuckerberg touts Facebook's power to defend Oculus in court
• Marketplace app Letgo raises $175 million in quest to take on Craigslist
• Very brave men wrangle a giant snake out of a car engine
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 12, 2025
• One of the most underrated heroes in comics is back. Here's a first look