Wacky Wiki: Violent Felon & Convicted Thief Managed Donations

As web powerhouse Google launches its own encyclopedia, "knol," the Wikimedia Foundation is batting clean-up after revelations about its recent chief operating officer, Carolyn Bothwell Doran. Doran, now in jail in Virginia for prior offenses, managed more than $1 million in donations to the parent organization of Wikipedia.

From a hit-and-run auto accident to shooting a boyfriend to kiting checks, Doran had a long history of trouble with the law. How she wound up as COO for Wikimedia is a cautionary tale. It's also an embarrassment for an internet resource founded to provide reference and information.