Comments on: Attention American conservatives: Wikipedias are grouped by language, not by nation http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Cyde Weys http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31169 Cyde Weys Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:26:08 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31169 hgej: Yes, you are correct. For certain specific/esoteric areas of coverage, other languages will have more information than the English Wikipedia. On the balance of all topics, though, the English Wikipedia is superior. Ed: Why thank you! I've been doing this Wikipedia thing for awhile, so I've had the opportunity of making lots of observations of it. hgej: Yes, you are correct. For certain specific/esoteric areas of coverage, other languages will have more information than the English Wikipedia. On the balance of all topics, though, the English Wikipedia is superior.

Ed: Why thank you! I’ve been doing this Wikipedia thing for awhile, so I’ve had the opportunity of making lots of observations of it.

]]> By: Ed http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31168 Ed Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:00:15 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31168 Cyde Weys, you're spot on on your comments about wikipedia. You're not only right about the american conservative issues, you're correct about all the rest. Being a Portuguese myself living in England I can confirm that. Cyde Weys, you’re spot on on your comments about wikipedia.
You’re not only right about the american conservative issues, you’re correct about all the rest.
Being a Portuguese myself living in England I can confirm that.

]]> By: hgej http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31140 hgej Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:54:04 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31140 It could however be argued that levels of coverage in wikipedia are highly dependant on how much interaction you have had with england. Levels of coverage of say the old french empire are fairly limited. It could however be argued that levels of coverage in wikipedia are highly dependant on how much interaction you have had with england. Levels of coverage of say the old french empire are fairly limited.

]]> By: Cyde Weys http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31084 Cyde Weys Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:49:44 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31084 Solomon is Canadian? Well, crap. Consider most of my post directed at American conservatives who are saying the exact same things, then. It makes sense though — Canada is one of the few countries likely to benefit from global warming. Solomon is Canadian? Well, crap. Consider most of my post directed at American conservatives who are saying the exact same things, then.

It makes sense though — Canada is one of the few countries likely to benefit from global warming.

]]> By: Sage (User:Ragesoss) http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31075 Sage (User:Ragesoss) Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:23:23 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31075 Fortunately, even among American conservatives (including the fundamentalist Christian variety), such a jaundiced view of Wikipedia isn't too common (yet?). Here's an article in Human Events, by a student at Bob Jones University no less, with a downright reasable take on Wikipedia: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27412 The tone is a little negative, but at least this writer seems to have a basic grasp of how Wikipedia works. (Solomon, by the way, is Canadian, but he still fits the reality-denying mold of right-wing America.) Fortunately, even among American conservatives (including the fundamentalist Christian variety), such a jaundiced view of Wikipedia isn’t too common (yet?). Here’s an article in Human Events, by a student at Bob Jones University no less, with a downright reasable take on Wikipedia: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27412

The tone is a little negative, but at least this writer seems to have a basic grasp of how Wikipedia works.

(Solomon, by the way, is Canadian, but he still fits the reality-denying mold of right-wing America.)

]]> By: Cyde Weys http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31071 Cyde Weys Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:47:23 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31071 jeem: Thanks for pointing out the spelling error in the title. I've corrected it. I don't know how I missed it. Your points on American conservatism are pretty much bang-on. We even have the Fox News Network which exists solely to make up its own reality so that conservatives can call themselves "fair and balanced". It's entirely possible to live in a bubble — watching Fox News, listening to Rush Limbaugh, reading Red State and Little Green Footballs — and get fed so much crap you don't even know what the full range of opinion on anything even is. That's the background these people who claim that Wikipedia are biased are coming from. No wonder they run off to create their own little biased encyclopedia, which is often hilariously biased. jeem: Thanks for pointing out the spelling error in the title. I’ve corrected it. I don’t know how I missed it.

Your points on American conservatism are pretty much bang-on. We even have the Fox News Network which exists solely to make up its own reality so that conservatives can call themselves “fair and balanced”. It’s entirely possible to live in a bubble — watching Fox News, listening to Rush Limbaugh, reading Red State and Little Green Footballs — and get fed so much crap you don’t even know what the full range of opinion on anything even is. That’s the background these people who claim that Wikipedia are biased are coming from. No wonder they run off to create their own little biased encyclopedia, which is often hilariously biased.

]]> By: jeem http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31043 jeem Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:27:11 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31043 All in all, American conservatism strikes me as a very self-centered political philosophy, and this latest bit of whining just reinforces that conclusion. Solomon must have assumed that his own POV was inherently neutral - a rookie mistake - and because his bits got reverted it must be because there's a sinister liberal conspiracy at work. I don't think he's even considered that maybe edit warring is a bad approach, that the consensus of editors is against him, or that he could be something other than the final arbiter of neutrality. It's worth noting, though, that a similar situation played out on intelligent design-related articles. As a result, we have Conservapedia, the encyclopedia that thinks that UK spellings are anti-American. (cf. BBC interview March 2007) [Also: title should be "Attention", not "Attenion". Wish I had an edit button for that.] All in all, American conservatism strikes me as a very self-centered political philosophy, and this latest bit of whining just reinforces that conclusion. Solomon must have assumed that his own POV was inherently neutral – a rookie mistake – and because his bits got reverted it must be because there’s a sinister liberal conspiracy at work. I don’t think he’s even considered that maybe edit warring is a bad approach, that the consensus of editors is against him, or that he could be something other than the final arbiter of neutrality.

It’s worth noting, though, that a similar situation played out on intelligent design-related articles. As a result, we have Conservapedia, the encyclopedia that thinks that UK spellings are anti-American. (cf. BBC interview March 2007)

[Also: title should be "Attention", not "Attenion". Wish I had an edit button for that.]

]]> By: Mac Davis http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31039 Mac Davis Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:08:29 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31039 I think you have been eager to attack his words, and not his idea. Political left and political right exists in the rest of the world. He's just used to calling them liberals and conservatives. I've been an editor on Wikipedia for years now, as you, and have been happy with the upholding of WP:NPOV. Although I may have disagreed with the way things might be written or handled, I think we do a pretty good job all in all. I think you have been eager to attack his words, and not his idea. Political left and political right exists in the rest of the world. He’s just used to calling them liberals and conservatives. I’ve been an editor on Wikipedia for years now, as you, and have been happy with the upholding of WP:NPOV. Although I may have disagreed with the way things might be written or handled, I think we do a pretty good job all in all.

]]> By: T2A` http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2008/07/08/english-not-american-wikipedia/comment-page-1/#comment-31035 T2A` Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:35:35 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/?p=861#comment-31035 Well, duh. The world doesn't exist outside of American for most Americans. What did you expect? D: Well, duh. The world doesn’t exist outside of American for most Americans. What did you expect? D:

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