By Madhu Roy

Aug 27 (IBNS) Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is contemplating to impose more discipline with new restrictions on the editing of articles.

The website has been increasingly drawing some decidedly juvenile pranks.

It is interesting that in one of the most recent embarrassments, Democratic Senators Robert

Byrd and Edward Kennedy were prematurely declared dead by rogue editors.

The latest changes come as Wikipedia continues trying to balance a need for credibility and a desire for openness.

While anyone can still edit entries, the site is testing pages that require changes to be approved by an experienced Wikipedia editor before they show up.

If the site’s users respond well to the test run, the new restrictions will apply to all entries for living people in the next few weeks.

The idea is to block the kind of high-profile vandalism that has marred some pages.

Still, Wikipedia risks discouraging legitimate editing if restrictions on changes or additions become too burdensome, such that articles won’t get better or keep up with events.

That may be especially true on more obscure pages with fewer active volunteers to approve edits in a timely way.

Aware of the risks, Wikipedia has set the criteria for “experienced editor” status relatively low. Users who are registered for a few days can give changes the OK, according to Jay Walsh, a spokesman for the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, which runs the site.