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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Bates-Dotterrer race leads state's campaign spending spree Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years Restaurant Inspections (No heading) Man killed by fallen tree Saturday Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years (No heading) Emergency Services 'Constant state of paranoia' Medford police arrest 7 in domestic violence sweep Politics and Elections Fire chief has sheriff's back Phoenix council races draw a crowd — and debate Winters worn down by criticism Eagle Point might get on the bus Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Education Kids Unlimited Academy awarded $450,000 grant County helps fund RCC job training SOU student says free speech issue overblown SOU interim president leads in a different direction Medford school officials consider costs of full-day kindergarten Environment Reintroduction of McCloud River salmon inspires film, tribe Rite Aid bear cub may be released into the wild in spring Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Neighbors smell trouble in proposal to spread waste on Sams Valley farmland Bear cub captured in Ashland pharmacy State news Nation - World Obituaries Donna Lee Norvell Faith Ann Honer Sherry Nell Bean Pat V. 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Health Community blog: Finding My Roots Dr. Jeff Hersh: Controversy over breast cancer screening Dr. Murray Feingold: Choose a diet best for you Community blog: The Crowd And The Win - Better Health Joan Endyke: The importance of a healthy diet when pregnant Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Engagement Wedding: Potter-Hazel Wedding: Martin-Berg Wedding: Hale-Lombardi Wedding: Henderson-Carroll Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Scottish music duo plays highland magic Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Theater Review: Funny 'Lion in Winter' roars to life at Camelot Theatre Camelot presents 'The Lion in Winter' 'Carnage' is short, smart, darkly funny Music Live Music in Local Clubs Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present harmonious voices, dissonant notes Beekeepers Ball is one sweet soiree Scottish music duo plays highland magic Dean Angermeier rediscovers his 'roots' Community Events Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Theater's haunted house not for faint of heart Third Fridays in downtown Medford Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Dining Back Porch Bar & Grill Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax ... Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years ... Guest Opinion: Common Core testing sets math students up for failure ... Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax ... Elderly woman's kidnapper sentenced to 15 years ... Guest Opinion: Common Core testing sets math students up for failure ... Whiz kid editor tracks 'trolls' online Applegate Valley 16-year-old is an administrator on Wikipedia APPLEGATE — The local editor of Wikipedia — the wildly popular online encyclopedia — doesn't drive, can't vote and wears bedroom slippers to work. By sanne specht MailTribune.com By sanne specht Posted Sep. 13, 2007 @ 12:01 am By sanne specht Posted Sep. 13, 2007 @ 12:01 am » Social News APPLEGATE — The local editor of Wikipedia — the wildly popular online encyclopedia — doesn't drive, can't vote and wears bedroom slippers to work. Andrew Spencer, a 16-year-old British immigrant, looks and sounds like a blond Harry Potter. But this bespectacled boy performs his wizardry online. Under the user name of Acalamari, Andrew volunteers as an "administrator" for Wikipedia, the self-described "multilingual, Web-based, free content encyclopedia project." Dressed in cargo pants, a T-shirt and slippers Tuesday afternoon, the homeschooled teen discusses how he checks Wikipedia pages from his home in the Applegate Valley before or after his lessons. "It's a free encyclopedia that anyone (who is logged onto the site) can edit," Andrew said. "I can access a few more technical features (than the average user). I can protect and unprotect pages." Visitors to the site do not need specialized qualifications to contribute. People of all ages and cultural and social backgrounds can write articles. This can lead to accuracy issues, the Wikipedia site acknowledges. According to the Web site, there are more than 75,000 active contributors working on some 5.3 million articles in more than 100 languages. There are currently 2,004,950 articles in English. "Anyone who is logged on can create a page," said Andrew. Andrew joined the Wikipedia community in October 2006. Originally "just a reader," Andrew soon began making "grammar fixes and spelling error corrections," he said. "The main reason I decided to register with Wikipedia was so I could correct minor errors in articles," Andrew said. Now, less than a year later, the teen has risen through the ranks to become one of Wikipedia's 1,316 administrators, he said. His position as an elevated editor was granted on July 4 by a consensus vote after peers reviewed his edits and use history, Andrew said. "It was agreed I was a person who could be trusted with the tools," Andrew said. He may be the only administrator in the region, Andrew said, adding he is only aware of one administrator who is younger than 16. Administrators use their special powers to ensure that behavior conforms to Wikipedia guidelines and policies, he said. "There's vandalism all the time," Andrew said. "Except for software pages, no pages are fully protected." Andrew watches for factual errors, rude or inappropriate comments, and he edits pages to block the disruptive antics of "vandals, trolls and sock puppets," he said. "I also block spam," Andrew said. In the online vernacular, "spam" is junk information (usually promotional), "vandals" generally tend to damage or destroy pages, "trolls" attempt to bait readers and disrupt online civility, and "sock puppeteers" are people who create alternate user names — often in an attempt to create trouble under a short-lived alias. "I've blocked a few sock puppeteers," Andrew said. "They can use quite colorful language." Software pages are fully protected, Andrew said. Semi-protected pages, such as ones for Paris Hilton or George Bush, can only be edited by people who have held their accounts for more than four days, he said. This stops some, but not all, of the vandalism. "They have to have some protection," Andrew said. "Otherwise they barely last an hour without it." His father, Mike Spencer, said he was initially concerned his son could become the target of online undesirables. But aside from Andrew receiving a few snarky e-mails, things have remained calm on the Wikipedia front, he said. "In the end, they're just idiots," said Andrew. Andrew currently spends about three hours a day viewing new input or changes to the pop culture pages, he said. His major editing contributions to Wikipedia occurred on articles about Fergie (singer), Christina Aguilera, the Pussycat Dolls, Anna Nicole Smith, and Paris Hilton. He has also worked on several "Star Trek"-related pages, he said. "Upon hearing about the deaths of Molly Ivins and Anna Nicole Smith, I went straight to those articles to help out. It is sad that some people vandalized these pages when they heard about the deaths," he wrote on his user page. Born in Wales, Andrew and his family moved to the United States when he was 5 years old. They moved to the Applegate Valley in 2000, he said. Andrew's parents and younger brother, James, support his online efforts, he said. But most of his friends don't know about his alter ego, he added. "It just never came up," he said. Wikipedia has its detractors, the father and son acknowledge. Its information can be inaccurate and incomplete. But the site deserves an A for effort, they said. "It gets maligned," said Mike Spencer. "But at the end of the day, they're trying to do a good thing." Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected]. By sanne specht MailTribune.com By sanne specht Posted Sep. 13, 2007 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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