Spy Agencies Now Share the Wikipedia Way

Typically, the US intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense invent gadgets that often find their way into daily American life. But aiming for better teamwork, US spies have turned to open-source software as invented by Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia where anyone can propose, write or edit entries. US Intellipedia, not open to the public, will allow staff of 16 intelligence agencies, under a range of classification categories, to contribute to reports on sensitive topics. Unlike Wikipedia, which allows anonymous entries, Intellipedia will require author and editor names, but won’t include sensitive details such as names of sources or satellite reports. Such an open system might have allowed more questions to emerge after some officials mistakenly reported that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the reason for the US invasion in March 2003 – or even alerted analysts to the 9/11 plot. Developers expect the new system to compile observations in an orderly way, highlighting bad sources or information early in any process and providing new perspectives. – YaleGlobal