U of M News Wire: November 8, 2007

 
 
U of M researchers reveal new findings about Wikipedia authorship and vandalism
One-tenth of 1 percent of editors account for nearly half of Wikipedia's content value

By Mark Cassutt
U of M News Wire

An ongoing study by University of Minnesota researchers has revealed that only one-tenth of 1 percent of Wikipedia users account for nearly half the content value of the free online encyclopedia, as measured by readership. That one-tenth of 1 percent equates to about 4,200 people on the web editing content on Wikipedia.
 
In addition, the computer science and engineering faculty and students conducting the study have discovered that very few edits inflict damage on the content and damage is typically fixed quickly. In most cases, over 40 percent of all incidences of vandalism were fixed within one page view.  That means that most times, damage to content was fixed before more than one person saw the entry.
 
The results of the study by computer science and engineering professors John Riedl and Loren Terveen and doctoral students Reid Priedhorsky (project lead), Jilin Chen, Tony Lamm and Katie Panciera are reported in the academic research paper titled "Creating, Destroying and Restoring Value in Wikipedia." The paper was published in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Group 2007 Conference proceedings on Nov. 4.
 
"Our research suggests vandalism on Wikipedia is a relatively small problem today," said Terveen. "But continued research is needed to contain that damage in the future."
 
The U of M study estimated a probability of less than one-half percent (0.0037) that the typical viewing of a Wikipedia article would find it in a damaged state. However, the researchers found that the chances of encountering vandalism on a typical page view increased over time, although the authors identified a break in the trend around June 2006, late in the study period. They attributed this to the increased use of anti-vandalism software programs called bots.  Bots are able to detect problems to the page and repair the problem.  
 
Terveen said since anyone can go on Wikipedia and create, post and edit content – there was a growing interest in the value of the content and how the site functioned.
 
He added that one of the policies of Wikipedia is that it isn’t a place for original research, he said.  So it isn’t something that should be used for a reference, however, every fact or assertion posted is supported by a reference – which makes it a good starting point.
 
“From a student’s point of view, if you start with Wikipedia you can get the basics,” Terveen said.
 
Wikipedia features more than seven million articles in 200 languages. It is a unique Web site, because it does not rely on professional editors to contribute information, instead it allows any user to post, edit and manipulate the information. The Wikipedia Web site boasts 75,000 contributors to date.
 
 
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New U of M quarantine facility will be locking down pathogens
By Justin Ware
U of M News Wire

Researchers will be able to get one step ahead of dangerous pathogens that could damage Minnesota crops and forests by using the tools provided by a new state-of-the-art building on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus.
 
The new Plant Pathology Research Facility will allow scientists to research pests that cause diseases such as Asian soybean rust, sudden oak death and new strains of stem rust on small grains.
 
"Crop diseases are a constant threat to our agricultural community and the state has a role to play in helping protect our farmers," said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson. "This facility is a valuable resource that will help us cope with these threats for years to come."
 
The $6 million building was dedicated on Nov. 7 and will be jointly operated by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
 
"The University of Minnesota is the only university in the Midwest with this type of research capability. These facilities will serve as a magnet to attract scientists who are driven to discover the best way to help protect plants from deadly disease," said Beverly Durgan, director of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and dean of the University of Minnesota Extension.
 
When licensed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the facility will be approved as a bio-safety three (BL3) facility and be eligible to study a variety of plant diseases. Currently, only three BL3 facilities in the United States are allowed to work with and conduct research on exotic plant pathogens. Special security and air filtration systems in the new facility will ensure the pathogens aren't released into the environment.
 
Research in the building will focus on plant pathogens that could damage crops or forests if they were introduced to Minnesota. Plant pathogens can be inadvertently spread by wind, travelers, food products or shipping, or deliberately spread to cause economic, political or human health problems.
 
The Plant Pathology Research Facility will be a final piece of a $24 million plant growth facilities project that includes classrooms, 15,000 square feet of growing space in state-of-the-art greenhouses and an Insect Quarantine Facility. The Insect Quarantine Facility opened in 2003 and allows researchers to analyze the potential usefulness of beneficial insects in the control of soybean aphids, buckthorn, garlic mustard and other pests.
 
The University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the USDA Forest Service will all use the facility to conduct to research.
 
 
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Growing Concerns
A parenting question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson of the University of Minnesota

Question: My mother-in-law is very upset that my four-month-old uses a pacifier. She worries that we're making a sissy out of him and she says that it will give him crooked teeth. Should we be concerned?
 
Answer: Your mother-in-law is not alone in her concerns about your baby's use of the pacifier. Her point of view was very common a few years ago and is still shared by many people today. However, most child development specialists see no cause for worry when a baby uses a pacifier. As for the effect on your child's teeth, dentists say there is no evidence that pacifiers cause crooked teeth. Concerning the impact on your son's emotional development, rest assured that using a pacifier will do no harm and, in fact, probably will do him good.  
 
The instinct to suck is very strong in nearly all babies, so strong that they often need much more sucking than they get through the feeding experience. Sucking is a great source of comfort to a baby, and a pacifier can provide an easy way for the baby to soothe himself at times when mom and dad are busy and not available to provide comfort. A baby's need to suck is often especially high when he is tired, not feeling well, cutting teeth, or is in an unfamiliar environment that makes him feel somewhat unsettled.   
 
If you were to interfere with your baby's efforts to comfort himself, his need for the pacifier probably would become even more intense. But if your son is allowed to satisfy that need for comfort, he will gradually outgrow his need for the pacifier. The surest way to help your baby grow to be a strong, secure boy is to show him that you respect his need to feel safe, comfortable and satisfied now. As your son becomes increasingly sociable, as he learns to babble and make faces and play with others, as he begins to move around and explore the world around him – the pacifier will become less interesting to him. Of course, for many months he may still want the comfort the pacifier provides when he's sleepy and alone, but eventually he won't even need it then. He will develop new ways to feel calm and comforted – like snuggling under a favorite blanket, listening to grandma read a bedtime story or hearing dad sing a lullaby. Keep in mind that no matter how young or how old we are, we all need comfort. By letting your child find comfort in his pacifier, you are showing him that his needs count.
          
 
Dr. Erickson is a senior fellow and director of the Harris Programs in the Center for Early Childhood Education at the University of Minnesota
 
Want to hear more parenting advice?
Dr. Erickson and her daughter can be heard every Sunday, from 2 - 4 p.m., on “Good Enough Moms,” on FM107.1 radio in the Twin Cities or via Webcast at www.FM1071.com