[edit] Wikipedia "Group Think" That I Disagree With
While my passion for Wikipedia is based on connecting dots, there's a few phenomenon in "Wiki Group Think" that undermine my faith in Wikipedia.
- Relatives of Presidents are Inherently Nonnotable - As long as Wikipedia has numerous and extended articles on characters and scenarios in video games, I never ceased to be amazed there's a group think of those who work the deletion logs that relatives of significant people -- particularly Presidents are inherently non-notable. A relative of a U.S. President will get an obituary in the New York Times but on wikipedia they are deleted unless they have done something other than raise a President. One of the worst offenses was Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Gerald Rudolff Ford President Ford voluntarily legally changed his birth name to this man's name. If that's not notable I don't know what is. As long as virtual video game characters are notable on wikipedia then real life people who had a real affect on our country are notable also.
- High Schools are Inherently Nonnotable - There is an amazing debate over notability of high schools. Wikipedia has articles about the tiniest of locations but if you mention a high school that serves that location (which involves budgets, multiple locations, and interactions with other areas etc.) there's folks who scream nonnotable. High schools often define a community. Again as long as folks write extensive article articles about virtual places, I find it amazing they go after real places with such a vengeance.
- Being anonymous is the best solution for editing - I am very forthright on my user page. People should know where I'm coming from. Unfortunately lots of edits are done by people who provide no background on themselves.
I have a page on Wikimedia Commons. However, I no longer upload to it (although as February 2008 I will upload U.S. government graphics there). I support the concept that a centralized database of images is a good idea. Third parties have been uploading some of my images to Commons. But I dislike it because:
- It requires a second log in
- There is no sense of community or discipline (photos there are not easily linked from there to wikipedia articles -- although Wikipedia articles easily link there).
- It is extraordinarily rudely handled. Messages are rude and explanations are sparse. I do this for free for fun. It's no fun when efforts are rudely handled.
[edit] Secrets of the Universe
- Hagar (Bible) - I really, really, really wish everybody would read this article. It so succinctly gets to the heart of the Mideast conflict (and should provide the seeds for a solution). It's just a #@$% family matter and we're all getting sucked into it.
