http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/03/08/wikipedia.credentials.ap/index.html

            We all know that the internet is a large network that allows for easy dissemination of large amounts of information.  This is what has made Wikipedia such a powerful tool, as user submissions have resulted in 1.7 million articles in English alone.  What makes Wikipedia particularly useful is the anonymity of article submissions.  As Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales explains that “anonymity puts a reader’s attention on the substance of what people have written rather than who they are.” 

            However this anonymity also leads to abuses of the system, from fraudulent entries to juvenile vandalism on existing entries.  One of the cases that came to light recently is that of Ryan Jordan, a prominent poster who had claimed to be a theology professor. 
Jordan had even recently been given administrative powers to block edits or users.  To rectify this problem, Wikpedia now requires those who claim expertise to prove it.  However,
Wales maintains that users can still post anonymously if they choose not to claim expertise. 

            I think Wikipedia has achieved a delicate balance in keeping the information flow that makes the internet such an asset while putting measures in place to strengthen the validity of posts.  They faced a problem similar to what early search engines had – a need to refine the quality of information in their respective products.  Both were able to improve their services while maintaining the core purpose of their product.  For example, search engines refined searches without falling for website tricks (such as looking for “authority” type pages instead of pages that simply repeat a word over and over), and Wikipedia retains its anonymity feature while tightening controls on ‘expert’ posters.