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Encyclopedia Dramatica

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Encyclopedia Dramatica
Official site logo
A screenshot of Encyclopedia Dramatica
Type of site
Satirical wiki
Available inEnglish
Owner"Joseph Evers"[1][2]
Created by"girlvinyl"[3]
RevenueAd and donation driven
URLwww.encyclopediadramatica.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional (required to edit pages)

Encyclopedia Dramatica (sometimes styled as Encyclopædia Dramatica) is a parody of Internet encyclopedias such as Wikipedia,[5][6] written on a wiki,[7][8] using the MediaWiki engine. It uses apparently comprehensive referencing and linking, but is written in a satirical, intentionally politically incorrect,[9] and often abusive style.[10] Many of the articles are written in an ironic manner with the express purpose of upsetting those who take the content seriously (an activity known on the Internet as trolling).[11] The site itself claims that it is "[d]one in the spirit of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary."[4]

The content is wide-ranging, covering gossip and "drama" in other Internet forums, Internet subculture, users of web services,[5] and online catchphrases, in a manner that has been variously described as coarse, offensive and frequently obscene.[9][12][13][14] Articles at Encyclopedia Dramatica criticize MySpace[14] as well as Wikipedia and its administrators.[5]

The site received mainstream media attention after Jason Fortuny used the Encyclopedia Dramatica to post photographs, e-mails, and phone numbers from 176 responses to a Craigslist advertisement he posted in 2006 posing as a woman seeking sexual encounters with dominant men.[7][8]

Encyclopedia Dramatica has been cited as a reference on the topic of Internet culture by The Observer[15]and the New Stateman[16], and blogs such as AlterNet,[17] Language Log,[18] and the Gothamist network.[19] It is cited as an authority on imageboard (such as 4chan) slang and culture and Internet memes by Wired[11] and others.[10][20] The website served as a "favourite haunt" for Project Chanology.[9] Anonymous also used ED as a planning hub for other operations including one that led to the arrest of a Canadian child sexual abuser.[21]

References

  1. ^ The "Encyclopedia Dramatica" entry, http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Encyclopedia_Dramatica, lists Joseph Evers as owner, page is fully protected under that version as of 2008-05-30. The "Joseph Evers" entry, http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Joseph Evers lists Joseph Evers as running the parent company of ED, it was fully protected under that version from 2008-04-30 to 2008-05-03.
  2. ^ "Joseph Evers". LinkedIn.com. Retrieved 2008-05-31. I am the man behind several top-ranking websites, the most commonly known being web culture meme wiki Encyclopedia Dramatica.
  3. ^ The "about" page, http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Encyclopedia_Dramatica:About, and "Enclyclopedia Dramatica" entry, http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Encyclopedia_Dramatica, credit authorship to "girlvinyl".
  4. ^ a b http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Encyclopedia_Dramatica:About Retrieved on 25 May 2008.
  5. ^ a b c Dee, Jonathan (2007-07-01). "All the News That's Fit to Print Out". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 2008-05-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ From the "about" page, http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Encyclopedia_Dramatica:About, "(...) bear in mind that the Encyclopedia Dramatica itself is a parody of a much less funny online encyclopedia (...)" with the last words being a wikilink to Encyclopedia Dramatica's article on Wikipedia
  7. ^ a b Chonin, Neva (2006-09-17). "Sex and the City". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. pp. p.20. {{cite news}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Text "accessdate-2008-05-14" ignored (help)
  8. ^ a b "Privacy". Warren's Washington Internet Daily. 2006-09-12.
  9. ^ a b c Davies, Shaun (2008-05-08). "Critics point finger at satirical website". National Nine News.
  10. ^ a b Peckham, Charles (2008-02-01). "Encyclopedia Dramatica". Chico News & Review.
  11. ^ a b Dibbell, Julian (2008-01-18). "Mutilated Furries, Flying Phalluses: Put the Blame on Griefers, the Sociopaths of the Virtual World". Wired (16.02). San Francisco: Condé Nast Publications. Retrieved 2008-05-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ Douglas, Nick (2008-01-18). "What The Hell Are 4chan, ED, Something Awful, And 'b'?". Gawker.com.
  13. ^ "2 Do: Monday, December 26". RedEye Edition. Chicago Tribune. 2005-12-16. pp. p. 2. {{cite news}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  14. ^ a b Mitchell, John (2006-05-20). "Megabits and Pieces: The latest teen hangout". North Adams Transcript.
  15. ^ Hind, John. (2005-06-05). "What's the word?". The Observer. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Hogge, Betty (2008-06-05). "A lesson in hai culture". The New Statesman. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ Cassel, David (2007-03-08). "John Edwards' Virtual Attackers Unmasked". AlterNet.
  18. ^ Zimmer, Benjamin (2007-05-18). "Lol-lexicography". Language Log.
  19. ^ "Anonymous Protests Outside Scientology Sites". Londonist. 2008-02-11.
  20. ^ Himmelein, Gerald (2008-02-28). "Das Trollparadies". c't. Heise Zeitschriften Verlag. pp. p.100. {{cite news}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  21. ^ "Anonymous operation leads to pedophile conviction". 2006. Global Television Network. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)