Wikipedia at least seems to support my view:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer

I certainly will not  say that I admire Charles Manson and think he is great and I will not say he should not have been put in prison.  But I think he has a significant place in history though.  That seems like a given when you think of how many people have heard of him and that he influenced Marilyn Manson, Axel Rose, was represented on South Park as a character and so on.  BUT what I do find really bizarre and stupid is that some people are labeling him as a serial killer.  My understanding is that Charles was convicted of murder but was not convicted of personally killing anyone.  So apparently that would make him the only serial killer I have heard of who has never personally killed anyone.  So that begs the question to me, why are people not labeling Al Capone as a serial killer?????  He seems to be somewhat glorified as a gangster and I cannot recall any reference to people calling him a serial killer.  Were his demands to have people killed considered acceptable because it was in the line of his business?????  He had a lot more people killed than Charles did AND I would not be too surprised if he actually did do a few people in himself, though I have not done the research for that part. 

This blog was spurred by the following CNN report on Charles's upcoming parole hearing:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/crime/2012/04/07/charles-manson-parole-hearing.cnn