WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks stays in the news and has for many years, but few of my friends have actually visited the website, or even know it exists. It is described as an international non-profit, journalistic organization that publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. The published editorial policy says it accepts only documents that are "of political, diplomatic, historical, or ethical interest" and excludes "material that is already publicly available." Its website was initiated in 2006 in Iceland by the organization Sunshine Press. It no longer uses the 'wiki' method of user input and also is not related to Wikipedia.


WikiLeaks relies on volunteers and describes its founders as a mixture of Asian dissidents, journalists, mathematicians, and start-up company technologists from the United States, Taiwan, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. As of June 2009, the website had more than 1,200 registered volunteers and listed an advisory board, including Julian Assange and seven other people. It is entirely run on donations. Lawyers around the world provide pro bono assistance as needed.



Its leader, Julian Assange described himself in a private conversation as "the heart and soul of this organization, its founder, philosopher, spokesperson, original coder, organizer, financier, and all the rest." LINK

Wiki

As you may or may not know, a wiki on the internet is a group of interconnected sites that is built from user interaction. Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Dramatica and Metapedia are all examples of this “wiki” model. WikiLeaks has recently been in the headlines for its collection of unclassified, classified information. Wikipedia is a brilliant collection of facts that are donated, then editable by anyone. The idea is that the masses will keep the information honest and correct.

In Hawaiian, “wiki wiki” means “quick.” Creator Ward Cunningham decided that a “wiki” online would be a quick way to access and manipulate vast amounts of information.

WTF

The CIA task force assessing damage from leaked U.S. diplomatic documents named the 'WikiLeaks Task Force', has the same abbreviation as a popular online saying, WTF. How appropriate.