It has been reported today that Wikipedia’s cloak of anonymity will soon be put to an end with the free Internet encyclopedia planning to ask contributors who claim certain credentials to identify themselves. It’s about time Wikipedia does something like that. They should have done it a long time ago as that may have minimized the controversies and the slandering practices we have seen lately.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said in interviews by phone and instant message Wednesday from Japan that contributors still would be able to remain anonymous. But he said they should only be allowed to cite some professional expertise in a subject if those credentials have been verified.

“We always prefer to give a positive incentive rather than absolute prohibition, so that people can contribute without a lot of hassle,” Wales wrote.

Full Article [Associated Press]