Given the number of stories that have been written about embarrassing or illegal Wikipedia entries, there's plenty the pioneering site gets wrong. But not too many people would say it needed a bit more Christianity injected into the mix.
That is, apart from the folks who frequent Conservapedia, "a much-needed alternative to Wikipedia, which is increasingly anti-Christian and anti-American".
It's an attempt to bring some US Christian perspective to the idea of an open encyclopedia (though why they don't just persevere with Wikipedia edits is beyond me). Over on the Guardian's Newsblog the other day, Matt Weaver characterised reactions thusly:
Despite suspicions that it is a parody, the site is apparently deadly serious. It has become the laughing stock of the internet, as bloggers compete to find the most ludicrous entries.
In fact, it seemed that the glare of the world's intermensch has become just too much - the site's now offline. But it wasn't just a case of being crushed by traffic, or being taken down swiftly: Conservapedia isn't even cached on Google any more (the cache now seems to be working).
Oh, the mystery!
Update: Founder Andy Schlafly - son of ultra-famous US conservative campaigner Phyllis - has got in touch to say "Due to the enormous demand, we're converting to a bigger computer system. I think that's why it is down right now."
Mystery solved, kind of.
