FIC-o-Pedia

Wow. Just when I think I can't stand to see another word on this topic, there it is.

Here I am, looking around for Reuben's blog to try to find the stuff about SLURL. I'm still not getting how to hook that up with photobucket BTW if anyone has figured that out (or any MyServer sort of thing). So I'm googling and clicking and all of a sudden I see a section in Wikopedia entitled:

"Feted Inner Core"

As a subset of the article on Second Life as a whole, a link within "issues and criticisms".

I have little use for Wikopedia, which I view as the tool of lazy and biased journalists. It very much has a cultish feeling about it, and it was founded and run by an Ayn Randian, turns out (*shudders*).

The article is curious, like all things Wikopedia, written and edited by many hands. I have no idea who put their hand to all this, certainly not me.

Curious because it gets the original story all wrong (those of us well-steeped in the legend by now know all about the Starax kitsch statue in the water in front of the view at Ravenglass and the Pahoa Jade defensive refusal to address the issue and publication of a rant directed against one person in the forums -- which was left to fester by forums moderators for days -- weeks -- it's still there).

But then, in the concise way of those outside the problem better able to study it, the article gets right to the point about the media coverage; the Wells Fargo deal; the Infonet deal. Three instances of supporting documentation for the premise.

Nevertheless, some hysterical force has gone to work trying to get this article deleted. There is a note that it is slated for deletion, and a rash of busybodies explaining how it is "not encyclopedic" and "conspiracy theory". Geez. Well, it was never a conspiracy; it was merely a decription of what was in plain sight LOL. Everybody knows that.

Thinking there might be an issue someday of "What Wikopedia Erases," I thought I'd preserve the entry here for posterity. If you're able to work the edit levers of Wikopedia, go and add your 2 cents -- I did.

Feted Inner Core

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How to list a page for deletion (log)[ Show ]

To list an article for deletion after adding {{subst:afd}} at the top, you have to do the following:

I.	Create its AfD subpage. Include this text: {{subst:afd2|pg=Feted Inner Core|text=Reason}} ~~~~
II.	Add a line to today's AfD. Add this text: {{subst:afd3|pg=Feted Inner Core}} Include [[Feted Inner Core]] in the edit summary.

The Feted Inner Core (also known as the Fetid Inner Core) is a conspiracy theory that exists among certain players of the computer game Second Life. It argues that certain groups of players use their relationship with the staff of Linden Lab, the game providers, to obtain favours that advantage their in-game businesses at the disadvantage of others. Since businesses within Second Life can be run for real-world money - the game's currency, Linden dollars, has a maintained exchange rate with the US dollar - this is considered a significant danger.

The majority of players of Second Life are unaware of the existence of the theory; many others believe that it is simply incorrect. Some believe that some players are favoured by Linden Lab but have earned this through hard work and providing good services; others acknowledge this but still considered it to be a bad thing on the grounds that favouring those who have worked hard in the past may discourage others from working hard in the future (since the favours are already gone). Others believe it to be literally correct. Some players are offended by it, and some satiricially embrace it; a "FIC" website has been created bearing a logo, and badges showing the logo have been worn by some players in-game and displayed at some invents.

The term Feted Inner Core was coined by Prokofy Neva, who later denied that it was a conspiracy theory, claiming instead that it referred to a collection of phenomena that arose naturally from human group behaviour rather than a deliberate decision to conspire.

[edit]

Example allegations

• The most common allegation of FIC is to do with placement in Second Life's external publicity; this was the original meaning of the Feted part of Feted Inner Core. Detractors argue that this grants a publicity advantage to the placed person's business that is unbeatable by any in-game means. Linden Lab have begun to operate an application system allowing any player to apply to be included in external publicity, but controversy still exists over images shown on the game's website, for which no clear selection process has been given. Defenders argue that images on the website are not significant publicity since the website is rarely visited by actual participants of the game.

• The second most common allegation is to do with provision of services requested by external agents. The most infamous case was one in which a contract for a large US dollar fee for the construction of an in-world area for the Wells Fargo bank was awarded directly to an existing building group rather than being available for anyone else. Defenders argue that this was necessary since going through a tender process would have slowed down Linden Lab's ability to fulfill Wells Fargo's request.

• Further allegations are raised with respect to grid-wide services, such as the InfoNet information distribution system, which was bought by Linden Lab from a private business within the game.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feted_Inner_Core"

Comments

[T_S_Kimball]

Left a comment, thanks for the heads-up.

--TSK

[Anonymous]

Your analysis of Wikipedia is poor and very puerile.

[Moo2u]

heh. This is right up there with the hotep wikipedia entry :p

[wow gold]

heh. This is right up there with the hotep wikipedia entry

[LV Monogram Minilin]

But to blame this on the public is to miss the point.