Is there something in Wikipedia you don't like? Here's a warning: Don't try to hire someone to "fix" it. Microsoft is making headlines down under for breaking one of the cardinal rules of the unspoken and sometimes unclear Wikipedia code of ethics.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, "Microsoft acknowledged it had approached the writer - Rick Jelliffe, who is chief technical officer of Sydney computing company Topologi, based in Pyrmont - and offered to pay him for the time it would take to correct what the company was sure were inaccuracies in Wikipedia articles on an ''open document format'' and a rival put forward by Microsoft."

Apparently irked at "slanted language" used to describe Microsoft's kinda-open-but-not-really document format, Open Document format expert Doug Mahugh contacted the CTO of an Australian consulting company to punch up the tone of the Wikipedia article in exchange for a few bucks. Anyone care to start the Wiki article entitled "How not to handle Wiki Public Relations"?