Is it vandalism or is it the way of the wiki?
Either way, Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s administration says it’s O.K. to do it on the taxpayer’s dime. Um, as long as whatever you’re doing is favorable to his folks.
The Florida Progressive Coalition knew something was up when almost all the bad
stuff in their wiki on Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp was replaced with good. Most of the changes concerned stories about the state having to pay $50,000 in an age discrimination suit brought after Kottkamp fired an older state worker. See actual examples of the vandalism/editing. Oddly, references to Kottkamp’s support of flying the Confederate flag, long before Charlie picked him as his running mate, were left in.
As you know (but evidently no one in the White House or Justice Department does), computers can be identified. Tracing the IP address of the computer improving Kottkamp’s wiki info showed it belonged to the Florida Department of Management Services. Further checking placed the computer on the desk of Larry Ringers, the Lieutenant Governor’s chief of staff.
After weeks of demanding an explanation of how this does not violate the state’s own policy concerning the proper use of taxpayer-funded time and equipment, FPC received a reply on June 8 from Crystal Armstrong, the deputy secretary for Enterprise Information Technology Services at the Florida Department of Management Services.
Mr. Harper,
Modifications were made to the Lt. Governor’s biographical information. Changes were made from the computer of Larry Ringers who works for the Lt. Governor. By nature, and as referenced in your correspondence, wiki pages are publicly editable.
Thank You,
Crystal Armstrong
I guess we can take that as a “Yeah, we did it. So what?”





Yup, and you can BET this is splashed across the front page of Florida newspapers and all over the 6:00 o’clock news!
State Approves Using Taxpayer Computers for Wiki Whitewash of Republican Florida Lt. Gov….
The Florida Progressive Coalition knew something was up when almost all the bad stuff in their wiki on Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp was replaced with good. Tracing the IP address of the computer "improving" Kottkamp’s info showed it belonged to t…
[...] Pensito Review – State Approves Using Taxpayer Computers for Wiki Whitewash of Republican Florida Lt. Gov. [...]