Wikipedia’s unfair comment on Nigeria
By Our Reader
Published: Saturday, 10 Jan 2009

I happen to be one of the teenagers who resort to the Internet for information and use the Wikipedia as the main source. I was browsing through the website recently when I stumbled on an article titled “Advance Fee Fraud”.

I had thought it was a law article that would cite the history of the above mentioned word, but I couldn’t believe what I saw. The article was in no doubt written by a Nigerian who must have thought that dragging the nation’s name in the Mud would fetch him some sort of national honour or give him access to working with the government either here or outside.

The article dwelled entirely on how the “most popular crime in Nigeria” (Internet scam) was being done and what the crime-minded “Yahoo Boys” call their victims. The writer wrote so professionally on every aspect of it that one cannot but conclude that he was once into it.

The question is why do we have to wash our dirty linen in the presence of the entire world? Internet scam is, of course, an illegal act, but can two wrongs make a right?

The best way to fight Internet scam is to approach it from the victims’ end, not from here. The reason why the writer decided to identify Nigeria as the country that pioneered that act is obfuscating. Fighting Internet scam at the expense of Nigeria’s reputation won’t take us anywhere, irrespective of the medium used.

I have tried to edit the article, but the WIKI Foundation won”t just let me for reasons known to them. At the time I was writing this letter, I had sent an e-mail to Jimmy Wales (the founder of the Wiki Foundation) to consider the article.

It is now left to us all to stop soiling our reputation in the eyes of the international community.

Olusegun Feyisetan,

1, Ajegunle Str off Ijoko Rd,Sango-Otta.Ogun State.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090110031996

How come you R blaming WIKIPEDIA?
Shouldnt u be blaming d dude who posted sh?t bout Nigeria?
Please explain further y WIKI Shud be blamed cos i stil dnt get it.

only copied/ pasted. i didnt add or remove any word from it check the source link

i believe when an article is written it should be done without fear or favour and leave the interpretation to the reader but most importantly all facts should be produced without hiding any otherwise leave it for another to write if you feel biased.

it is quite unfortunate that the writeup though derogatory happens to be the truth. as long as we see evil and corruption and do nothing against it it would thrive and as they say 'bad news travel fast' and that would be what we would be known for.

it does not matter if it is only a few that do it but once it is the major news we all get packed together. sorry jjyou