Uncyclopedia

{{Short description|Satirical website that parodies Wikipedia}}

{{pp|small=yes}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox website

| name = Uncyclopedia

| logo = Uncyclopedia logo notext.svg

| logo_caption =

| screenshot = Uncyclopedia screenshot.png

| collapsible = yes

| caption = The main page of Uncyclopedia (retrieved May 24, 2019) is similar to Wikipedia's.

| type = Online encyclopedia, satire

| registration = Optional

| owner = Works are owned by their authors
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 (English-language version)

| author = Jonathan "Chronarion" Huang,
"Stillwaters"

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2005|01|05}}

| current_status = Active

| revenue = Donations{{cite web|url=https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:Donate |title=Uncyclopedia:Donate|access-date=October 23, 2015|website=Uncyclopedia|format=Wiki}}

| url = English Uncyclopedia:
{{url|https://en.uncyclopedia.co}} (2013 fork)
{{url|https://uncyclopedia.com}} (2019 fork)

}}

Uncyclopedia is the name of several forks of satirical online encyclopedias that parody Wikipedia. Its logo, a hollow "puzzle potato", parodies Wikipedia's globe puzzle logo,{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/06/stories/2006110601060400.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070225120233/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/06/stories/2006110601060400.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = February 25, 2007 | title = Surely, you must be joking! | access-date = February 11, 2007 | last = Sankar | first = Anand |date=November 6, 2006 | work = The Hindu | location=Chennai, India}} and it styles itself as "the content-free encyclopedia", parodying Wikipedia's slogan of "the free encyclopedia" and likely as a play on the fact that Wikipedia is described as a "free-content" encyclopedia. Founded in 2005{{cite news |title=The brains behind Uncyclopedia |publisher=.net |date=May 3, 2007 |url=http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/discover-interview/the-brains-behind-uncyclopedia |access-date=November 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201124056/http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/discover-interview/the-brains-behind-uncyclopedia |archive-date=December 1, 2007 }} as an English-language wiki, the project spans more than 75 languages as well as several subprojects parodying other wikis. Uncyclopedia's name is a portmanteau of the prefix un- and the word encyclopedia.{{cite web | url = http://desciclopedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A1gina_principal | title = Desciclopédia | access-date = June 21, 2014 | format = Wiki | work = Uncyclopedia}}

Various styles of humor are used as vehicles for parody, from pointed satire to light sarcasm, along with structured in-jokes and frequent non sequiturs. The site has attracted media attention for its articles on controversial subjects including religion, prominent people, places, politics, and pseudoscience.

Many Uncyclopedia articles contain graphics with a link to the corresponding Wikipedia article; Uncyclopedia often denotes the corresponding Wikipedia article to its content as being listed "for those without comedic tastes", and Wikipedia's article written by "so-called experts".

History

File:UnclopediaOnWP.JPG

Uncyclopedia was launched on January 5, 2005, by Jonathan Huang, known online as "Chronarion", and a partner known online as "Stillwaters". It was originally situated at uncyclopedia.org. In July 2006, it was acquired by Fandom, then known as Wikia.{{Cite web|url=https://community.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Craiglpalmer/Wikia_is_now_Fandom_powered_by_Wikia|title=Wikia is now Fandom powered by Wikia|last=Palmer|first=Craig L.|website=Community Central|date=September 26, 2016|access-date=October 5, 2016|publisher=Wikia, Inc.}}

In January 2013, some Uncyclopedia editors and administrators set up a fork of Uncyclopedia at en.uncyclopedia.co, in response to Wikia's censorship, insertion of advertising, and the imposition of content warnings.{{cite web|url=http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:Forks_in_the_road_-_Uncyclopedia_moving_from_Wikia,_a_discussion|title=Forks in the road – Uncyclopedia moving from Wikia, a discussion|website=Uncyclopedia.com|access-date=February 28, 2019|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327172015/http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:Forks_in_the_road_-_Uncyclopedia_moving_from_Wikia,_a_discussion|url-status=dead}} Fandom ceased hosting its version of Uncyclopedia{{Cite web|url=https://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:A_message_from_Fandom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228065732/http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:A_message_from_Fandom|archive-date=February 28, 2019|title=A message from Fandom|quote=... So we are looking again at Uncyc's content, and have decided that it's not the sort of thing that we want to host anymore.|publisher=Uncyclopedia (Wikia)|access-date=February 27, 2019|url-status=dead}} on May 14, 2019, and the Fandom site (colloquially known as the "spoon", a play on "fork") moved to uncyclopedia.ca, and in September 2021 to uncyclopedia.com. In 2023, each of these English-language versions had approximately 37,000 content pages, second only to the Portuguese. The Fandom version of the site now shows only a "Not a valid community" landing page.

A third site, at mirror.uncyc.org, functions only as a mirror website with backup copies of some Uncyclopedia pages.

Structure

Uncyclopedia is built on the same MediaWiki software that Wikipedia uses. However, during Fandom's (Wikia's) hosting of Uncyclopedia, Fandom extensively modified its version of MediaWiki version 1.19, making the Fandom Uncyclopedia site incompatible with later MediaWiki versions. In May 2018, Fandom dropped support for the Monobook skin that its Uncyclopedia site had used to mimic Wikipedia, claiming this was necessary to achieve GDPR compliance,{{cite web|last=Quievryn|first=Tim|title=The Future of Monobook on FANDOM |url=https://community.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:1456214|access-date=May 21, 2018|date=May 21, 2018|website=Community Central|publisher=Wikia, Inc.}} and warned that local work-arounds could not be extended to new visitors and editors by default.{{Cite web|url=http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:R.I.P._Monobook_-_any_aftermath_plan%3F|title=R.I.P. Monobook – any aftermath plan?|publisher=Uncyclopedia (Wikia)|access-date=June 16, 2018|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327172021/http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:R.I.P._Monobook_-_any_aftermath_plan%3F|url-status=dead}} Since all Uncyclopedias split off or were removed from Fandom, they mostly switched to using Vector instead (with MinervaNeue on mobile), in order to continue parodying Wikipedia.

Uncyclopedia projects are run independently by their own members, though some users have accounts on multiple Uncyclopedias. They contain interlanguage links to each other, but there is no global governing organization comparable to the Wikimedia Foundation that oversees Wikipedia as well as its sister projects.

Content

Uncyclopedia's content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) license, although some content, notably images, is copyrighted.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Main_Page|title = Uncyclopedia|access-date = October 23, 2015|format = Wiki}} Different Uncyclopedias sometimes have different licenses; for example, dÉsencyclopédie (French Uncyclopedia) is dual-licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 and the GFDL. As of May 2024, the English-language Uncyclopedia contains approximately 37,700 articles.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Special:Statistics|title = Uncyclopedia statistics|access-date = March 6, 2021|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}}

Many articles on Uncyclopedia link to corresponding Wikipedia article on the subject, and they often designate Wikipedia's content as being written by "so-called experts"; this is most often denoted by Uncyclopedia articles with a corresponding Wikipedia article having a graphic located to the side of an article linking the related Wikipedia article to be used for "those without comedic tastes".{{Cite web |date=2022-02-15 |title=7 Top Sites Like Wikipedia That You Should Check Out in 2023 |url=https://www.nichepursuits.com/sites-like-wikipedia/ |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Niche Pursuits |language=en-US}}

=Articles=

File:DogLabels.png that include dogs.]]

Uncyclopedia encourages satire that is close to or resembles the truth. However, many articles employ absurdist humor and little, if any, factual accuracy remains. For example, Uncyclopedia's article about Wikipedia claims that Wikipedia is a parody of Uncyclopedia, not the reverse.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Wikipedia|title = Uncyclopedia article about Wikipedia|access-date = July 31, 2010|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} Many articles on the site contradict each other, even articles on the same subject.{{Cn|date=October 2023}}

Like Wikipedia's "Five pillars", Uncyclopedia has "Five pliers", including "Satirical point of view".{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:Five_pliers|title = Uncyclopedia:Five pliers|access-date = January 6, 2013|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} Its code of conduct follows from three main rules: "Be funny and not just stupid", "Don't be a dick", and "Dance like you've never danced before!"{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:Rules|title = Uncyclopedia:Rules|access-date = January 6, 2013|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}}

Parodying Wikipedia's article review service peer review, Uncyclopedia has a "Pee Review" where authors seek review by other Uncyclopedians on humor, grammar, spelling, use of images, and overall presentation.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Pee_Review|title = Uncyclopedia:Pee Review|access-date = January 6, 2013|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}}{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Template:Pee_Review_Table|title = Template:Pee Review Table|access-date = January 6, 2013|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} Users can post to other wiki pages to solicit coding help and review or request user-edited images. Like Wikipedia, Uncyclopedia features articles and images on its front page. A system of user voting decides which articles and images to feature, usually deciding based on humor and writing quality. The site also welcomes audio contributions such as narration of articles.

Uncyclopedia's articles often begin with quotations, usually misquoted, fictitiously attributed or entirely fabricated.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:In-jokes|title = In-jokes|access-date = January 6, 2013|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} Among the most recurrent themes is the invention of quotes attributed to Oscar Wilde, prompted by an article stating that inventing Wilde quotes was the "national sport of England", and themes such as "kitten huffing" (the inhalation of the souls of cats as a form of drug abuse).

Much like Wikipedia, Uncyclopedia has policies concerning vanity articles, which are articles written by an individual associated with the subject of the page. Vanity articles were disallowed after many of them produced flame wars. Uncyclopedia does not police conflict of interest but may delete submissions as non-notable on a case-by-case basis, using an AfD-like system called "Votes for deletion" (VfD) and a CSD-like system called "QuickVFD".

One of Uncyclopedia's most popular articles,{{Cite web|title=Top 10 Articles of 2005|url=https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:Top_10_Articles_of_2005|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Uncyclopedia|date=March 25, 2006|language=en}} "AAAAAAAAA!", is a nonsensical page, with its content completely consisting of the upper case letter A with images and some punctuation marks.

=Site-wide pranks=

File:New-Bouncywikilogo.gif

Some jokes involve the entire website, sometimes including a re-skin of the main page, such as with holiday themes. In 2012, as a parody of Wikipedia's black-out protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) et al., Uncyclopedia blocked all content for a day with a notice claiming to support the bills.{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Forum:SOPA-protest_blackout_on_the_18th._Join_it%3F?oldid=5412015|title = Forum:SOPA-protest blackout on the 18th. Join it?|access-date = April 8, 2012|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia|date = January 24, 2012}} A tradition of April Fool's Day front page pranks occurs on the wiki, including a "blood donation" plea banner to spoof wiki donation banners on April 1, 2014.{{cite web | url=http://aprilfoolsdayontheweb.com/joke/20140249 | title=A reskin for April Fool's Day 2014 | access-date = April 21, 2014 | work = April Fool's Day On The Web}} For one week in 2013, the Wikia fork interrupted viewing with a claim that the site was unavailable, spoofing a notice on the NASA website during the United States federal government shutdown of 2013.{{cite web | url=http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:A_reskin_for_the_US_government_shutdown | title=A reskin for the US government shutdown | access-date=January 24, 2014 | format=Wiki | work=Uncyclopedia | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115143743/http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:A_reskin_for_the_US_government_shutdown | archive-date=November 15, 2017 | url-status=dead }}

=Traditions=

Each year, Uncyclopedia writers create a list of 100{{nbs}}worst reflections of that year, marking website milestones or simply news. Most years, the creators of the list reveal that they have once again put off the list until the last second, and simply skip a large chunk to get to a hundred in time. Other Uncyclopedia traditions include creating a "top{{nbs}}10" list of articles for each year, chosen by popular vote.{{citation needed|date= March 2024}}

=Subprojects=

class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:1em 2em;"
Uncyclomedia project

! Object of parody

UnBooks

| Wikibooks

UnNews

| Wikinews

Undictionary

| Wiktionary

Un-Bestiary

| Wikispecies

Uncycloversity

| Wikiversity

UnQuotable

| Wikiquote

UnScripts

| Wikisource

UnMeta-Wiki

| Wikimedia Meta-Wiki

UnCommons
(Uncyclomedia Commons)

| Wikimedia Commons

UnSignpost

| Wikipedia Signpost

UnTunes

| iTunes

UnVoyage

| Wikivoyage

HowTo

| wikiHow

Why?

| Answers.com

Un-Games

| Choose your own adventure books

UnDebate

| Debatepedia

UnPoetia

| Poetry (in general)

Undata

| Wikidata

UnReviews

| Reviews (in general)

As well as housing many articles designed to satirize Wikipedia-style content, Uncyclopedia contains several secondary projects (known as "UnProjects").{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Uncyclopedia:UnProject|title = Uncyclopedia:UnProject|access-date = November 19, 2007|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} As of 2017, there were sixteen such subprojects,{{cite web |url = https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Template:Sisterprojects|title = Template:Sisterprojects|access-date = November 3, 2007|format = Wiki|work = Uncyclopedia}} each of which specializes in parody of a different information style. Many of these are directly analogous to Wikipedia's sister projects, while others such as UnTunes and HowTo parody projects completely unrelated to Wikipedia.

Press coverage

Uncyclopedia has been referenced in several well-known news publications from around the world, in addition to numerous local and regional newspapers and periodicals. In 2005 the Flying Spaghetti Monster entry from Uncyclopedia was mentioned in a New York Times column reporting the spread of "Pastafarianism", the religion that worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster.{{cite news |first = Sarah |last = Boxer |url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0D61F3EF93AA1575BC0A9639C8B63 |title = But Is There Intelligent Spaghetti Out There? |work = The New York Times |date=August 25, 2005 |access-date = July 18, 2006}} The column was then reprinted in other newspapers, including the Taipei Times.{{cite news |url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/08/31/2003269851 |title = 'Pastafarianism' gains prominence and support in intelligent-design drive |work = Taipei Times |date=August 25, 2005 |access-date = July 18, 2006}} The magazine .net featured an interview with Huang about Uncyclopedia in May 2007. A number of other articles have been centred on specific entries on Uncyclopedia{{snd}}most notably the article in the Arizona Daily Star, which focused on the Tucson, Arizona parody,{{cite news |url=http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/142615 |title=Online parody of Tucson not always funny, but interesting |work=Arizona Daily Star |date=August 18, 2006 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822225644/http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/142615 |archive-date=August 22, 2006 |url-status=live }}
{{cite news |url=http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/142615 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214095949/http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/142615 |archive-date=February 14, 2007 |title=Online parody of Tucson not always funny, but interesting |work=Arizona Daily Star via Wayback machine |date=February 14, 2007 |access-date=April 30, 2012 }}
and the article in the Cyprus Mail, which focused on the Cyprus article.{{cite news |first=Jean |last=Christou |title=Cyprus that great and peaceful island

|url=http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=35496&cat_id=1 |publisher=Cyprus Mail |year=2007 |access-date=November 6, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071103094028/http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=35496&cat_id=1 |archive-date = November 3, 2007}}

In addition to articles about specific entries on the wiki, several papers speak of the website in general{{snd}}usually in a section devoted to technology or the Internet. This was the case when Uncyclopedia was referenced in the Boston Herald and The Guardian.{{cite news |first = Stephanie |last = Schorow |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/819420901.html?did=819420901&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Apr+8%2C+2005&author=Stephanie+Schorow&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=BOOKMARK+DIVA%3B+This+wiki-cool+Web+site+lets+Net+surfers+define+world |title = This wiki-cool Web site lets Net surfers define world |work = Boston Herald |date = April 8, 2005 |access-date = July 18, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021062807/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/819420901.html?did=819420901&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Apr+8%2C+2005&author=Stephanie+Schorow&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=BOOKMARK+DIVA%3B+This+wiki-cool+Web+site+lets+Net+surfers+define+world |archive-date = October 21, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}{{cite news |first = Jack |last = Schofield |url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/apr/14/internet.onlinesupplement |title = Web Watch |work = Guardian Unlimited |date=April 14, 2005 |access-date = July 18, 2006 |location=London}} Although most articles mentioning Uncyclopedia are specific to the site, there are other articles about Wikia or Wikipedia that just mention its name briefly. These include the editorial in The Register discussing the Seigenthaler incident, in which Uncyclopedia was named only once.{{cite news |first = Andrew |last = Orlowski |url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/12/wikipedia_no_responsibility/ |title = There's no Wikipedia entry for 'moral responsibility'|work=The Register |date=December 12, 2005 |access-date = June 24, 2006}} It has also been listed as one of the "Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites" in PC Magazine,{{cite news | url = https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2174689,00.asp | title = Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites – Info, Reference, and Search | access-date = October 20, 2007 | work = PC Magazine | date=August 27, 2007}} as well as among the "101 most useful websites" on the internet by The Sunday Telegraph.{{cite news|title=The 101 most useful websites|last=Baker|first=David|date=March 30, 2008|newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph |location=London |page=13}} Seattle Post-Intelligencer considers Uncyclopedia to be the wiki site equivalent of The Onion.{{cite news|title=What's Online|date=September 18, 2007|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |page=D6}}

Criticism and controversy

{{Criticism section|date=October 2022}}

File:Uncyclopedia mobile screenshot.png

At various times, articles on Uncyclopedia have been subject to criticism from King's College (School, Auckland){{cite news| first = Catherine| last = Woulfe | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10383882 | title = Schools face new cyber bullying menace | work = The New Zealand Herald |date=May 28, 2006 | access-date = July 20, 2006}} the North-West Evening Mail,{{cite news |title=What do they know? |url=http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=509541&imageindex=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117044426/http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=509541&imageindex=0 |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |publisher=North-West Evening Mail |date=June 11, 2007 |access-date=November 8, 2007 }} Northern Irish politician James McCarry,{{cite news| first = Lesley-Anne| last = Henry | url = http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3147665.ece | archive-url = https://archive.today/20080213042345/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3147665.ece | archive-date = February 13, 2008 | title = War of words over Ulster 'Uncyclopedia' | work = Belfast Telegraph |date= November 10, 2007 | access-date = November 17, 2007}} civic leaders of Telford, Shropshire, UK,{{cite news | first = Tom | last = Johannsen | url = http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/04/14/town-hits-back-at-chav-comments/ | title = Town's fury at 'Chav' slur | work = Shropshire Star | date = April 14, 2008 | access-date = April 16, 2008 | archive-date = April 15, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080415091443/http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/04/14/town-hits-back-at-chav-comments/ | url-status = dead }} the Sioux City Journal,{{cite news | first = Laura | last = Johnson | url = http://my.siouxlandvoice.com/post/Lowesays/blog/offended_why_does_sc_keep_getting_bashed_on_the_internet.html | title = Offended? Why does S.C. keep getting bashed on the Internet? | work = The Weekender | date = July 1, 2010 | access-date = July 27, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716074506/http://my.siouxlandvoice.com/post/Lowesays/blog/offended_why_does_sc_keep_getting_bashed_on_the_internet.html | archive-date = July 16, 2011 | df = mdy-all }} Hawke's Bay Today,{{cite news | first = Alistair | last = Gray | url = http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/flaxmurder-postings-slammed/3916849/ | title = 'Flaxmurder' postings slammed | work = Hawke's Bay Today | date = July 6, 2010 | access-date = July 27, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724192704/http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/flaxmurder-postings-slammed/3916849/ | archive-date = July 24, 2011 | df = mdy-all }} and Lochaber News.{{cite news| first = Helen | last = Bushnell | url = http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/5298/Fort_mocked_in_web_spoof.html | title = Fort mocked in web spoof | work = Lochaber News |date = July 22, 2010 |access-date = July 27, 2010}}

In January 2008, the Malaysian Internal Security Ministry issued a directive alerting newspaper editors not to trust Uncyclopedia. It said the article concerning Malaysia contained "untruths, insults and ridicule" and was demeaning to the country.{{cite news|first=Jeff |last=Ooi |title=Alert over Uncyclopedia on Malaysia |url=http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/lemaklemang/post.htm?id=63001799&t=tag |publisher=CNET Asia |date=January 15, 2008 |access-date=November 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080126055948/http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/lemaklemang/post.htm?id=63001799 |archive-date=January 26, 2008 }}{{cite news|script-title=zh:侮辱大马网站 内安部冀关注 |url=http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2008/01/15/6.html |publisher=Kwong Wah Yit Poh |date=January 15, 2008 |access-date=January 16, 2008 |language=zh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517203007/http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2008/01/15/6.html |archive-date=May 17, 2008 }}

The site uses a layout that looks similar to Wikipedia's,{{cite news|first=Rich |last=Ray |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-126047958.html |title=Web Watch |work=Florida Times Union |date=June 21, 2008 |access-date=July 11, 2008 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} which may confuse inexperienced users who misinterpret the content as factual.{{cite news| first = Tobias | last = Schormann | url = http://www.technewsworld.com/story/web20/62193.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071117044426/http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=509541&imageindex=0 | archive-date=November 17, 2007 | title = Wikipedia Spoofs: Not So Serious, Pal | work = TechNewsWorld |date= March 19, 2008 | access-date = March 19, 2008}}{{cite book |title=The Hula Hoop |last=Lanigan |first= Judith |year=2007 |page=146 }}

{{anchor|Absurdopedia}}In November 2012, the page "HowTo:Commit suicide" on Absurdopedia, the Russian-language Uncyclopedia, was legally prohibited by the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor). Absurdopedia administrator Edward Chernenko unsuccessfully sued them under his right to science and culture guaranteed by the Russian Constitution. During the proceedings, the Russian government and its experts claimed that Absurdopedia is intentionally trying to increase the number of child suicides in Russia by providing children with instructions for killing themselves.{{in lang|ru}} [http://habrahabr.ru/post/175205/ How we went to court against Rospotrebnadzor]{{snd}}Habrahabr, April 3, 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://telekomza.ru/2013/04/03/kak-pravilno-suditsya-s-rospotrebnadzorom/|title=Как правильно: судиться с Роспотребнадзором|website=telekomza.ru}} {{asof|2013}}, the case is currently in the ECHR.{{Update inline|date=April 2025}}[http://ria.ru/society/20131217/984701207.html Appeal of access block to Absurdopedia was sent to ECHR{{snd}}Ria Novosti, 17.12.2013]{{in lang|ru}}

In 2014, the page "HowTo:Make a bomb at home" on Absurdopedia was included in the Russian list of extremist materials.{{Cite web|url=https://tjournal.ru/law/50713-absurdopedia-bomb|title=Кулинарные рецепты с "Абсурдопедии" дважды внесли в список экстремистских материалов – Право на TJ|first=Султан|last=Сулейманов|date=May 5, 2014|website=TJ}}

In August 2014, the logo displayed for Greggs on its Google profile was mistakenly temporarily switched to the logo used on Uncyclopedia's article on the subject at the Wikia site due to a caching issue, causing a PR crisis for the company.{{cite web |date=August 20, 2014 |title=Greggs Google fail – was the bakery's response to its logo mishap a stroke of marketing genius |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/greggs-google-fail-was-the-bakerys-response-to-its-logo-mishap-a-stroke-of-marketing-genius-9681928.html |access-date=October 29, 2014 |website=Independent.co.uk}}{{cite web |date=August 19, 2014 |title=Greggs bakery shows how to handle a social media nightmare after offensive logo appears on Google |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11043644/Greggs-bakery-shows-how-to-handle-a-social-media-nightmare-after-offensive-logo-appears-on-Google.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11043644/Greggs-bakery-shows-how-to-handle-a-social-media-nightmare-after-offensive-logo-appears-on-Google.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |access-date=October 29, 2014}}{{cbignore}}

In 2017, two pages of Absurdopedia were banned in Russia: "HowTo:Bathe a cat" for "calls to violence against animals" and "HowTo:Make a nuclear bomb" for "information on manufacturing weapons".[https://roskomsvoboda.org/36189/ Absurdopedia of real life]{{snd}}Roscomsvoboda, February 13, 2018.{{in lang|ru}}

See also

References

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