Breakups are never easy, no matter which side of the fence you stand on. Clean breaks are nice, but when is that ever the case? There is always one person harboring animosity against the other.
With an unfavorable history like that of political journalist Rachel Marsden, it’s hard to imagine why any man would decide to get involved with her, even for a one-night stand.
Rachel Marsden, a Canadian pundit now residing in New York, has developed quite the reputation for herself in both her professional and personal life. Professionally, she has made herself known as a political columnist, a radio/TV personality and as a media strategist, according to her website.
But as far as her personal life goes, her Wikipedia profile lists three “personal controversies” including her allegations of sexual harassment with her swim coach in 1997, a one-year probation sentence for criminally harassing a Vancouver radio host after a breakup in 2004, and the investigation of an Ontario police officer just last year after she said the officer leaked anti-terrorism documents to her.
After a brief fling with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, she has yet another personal controversy to add to the list. She initially contacted him in 2006 to delete her biography, claiming it was wrong and libelous, according to her Wikipedia profile.
After reviewing her biography, Wales deemed it as not up to “Wikipedia standards” and, following protocol, brought up Marsden’s concerns with a group of trusted volunteers, who specifically deal with complaints regarding biographies of living persons.
Wales had never even met Marsden until this year. After accusations that his relationship with her was a conflict of interest, he made it perfectly clear in a statement he posted that it was a one-time meeting. That’s a really clever way to say one-night stand. I didn’t even catch that until I read about the “Wiki Quickie” from a source separate from Wikipedia.
No wonder Marsden was pissed. She found out she was just another notch on his bedpost on the Web. Marsden retaliated by not only publicizing transcripts of their instant message exchanges (to prove she was more than a one-time deal?), but she also went on eBay and auctioned off some clothing left behind by Wales after their one steamy night of passion. (And this accomplishes what?)
I hope the sex was worth the headache, Jimbo.
In the midst of this Internet drama, allegations of Wales misusing Wikipedia resources also surfaced, thanks to the private instant messages Marsden leaked to Valleywag. Those very IMs also suggest that, “Wales violated Wikipedia’s rules to encourage favorable changes to Marsden’s Wikipedia profile,” as reported by San Jose Mercury News.
It was those very allegations that caused Wales to “set the record straight” in the first place because his “role with Wikipedia is being dragged into it.”
If Wales is so concerned about his reputation, maybe he should have thought twice about dating a woman with a history of getting revenge on her boyfriends.
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia of knowledge. You’d think that Wales would have taken into consideration the knowledge of Marsden’s conniving past.
Niki Payne is a senior journalism major, a columnist and an assistant city editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.
