Revision as of 23:11, 8 October 2010 editLudwigs2 (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers19,240 edits →'equal validity' warning: r to KC← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 16:35, 14 December 2024 edit undoRemsense (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Page movers, New page reviewers, Template editors60,962 edits Undid revision 1263034059 by 73.181.151.189 (talk) rm non sequiturTags: Undo Mobile edit Mobile app edit iOS app edit App undo | ||
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{{Press | |||
| subject = policy | |||
| author = Nishant Kauntia | |||
| title = The Edit Wars: How Misplaced Pages earned the ire of the Hindu Right | |||
| org = '']'' | |||
| url = https://caravanmagazine.in/media/wikipedia-earned-ire-hindu-right | |||
| date = 30 November 2020 | |||
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| accessdate = 9 December 2020 | |||
| subject2 = policy | |||
| author2 = Syeda ShahBano Ijaz | |||
| title2 = How Conflicts and Population Loss Led to the Rise of English Misplaced Pages’s Credibility | |||
| org2 = ] | |||
| url2 = https://politicalsciencenow.com/how-conflicts-and-population-loss-led-to-the-rise-of-english-wikipedias-credibility/ | |||
| date2 = 29 May 2023 | |||
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| archiveurl2 = | |||
| archivedate2 = | |||
| accessdate2 = 30 May 2023 | |||
| subject3 = policy | |||
| author3 = Aaron Bandler | |||
| title3 = Misplaced Pages Editors Place a Near Total Ban on Calling Gaza Health Ministry “Hamas-Run” | |||
| org3 = ] | |||
| url3 = https://jewishjournal.com/news/united-states/376157/wikipedia-editors-place-a-near-total-ban-on-calling-gaza-health-ministry-hamas-run/ | |||
| date3 = 25 October 2024 | |||
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| accessdate3 = 26 October 2024 | |||
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<div class="infobox" style="width: 20em;"> | |||
;Archived discussions | |||
: ] Discussions before October 2004 | : ] Discussions before October 2004 | ||
: ] Closing out 2004 | : ] Closing out 2004 | ||
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'''Note:''' Edit history of |
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__TOC__ | __TOC__ | ||
== Clarification for known issues or criticism sections == | |||
== Report of biased article == | |||
It seems like known issues or criticism sections are not allowed in Misplaced Pages acording to @] see ]. I am deply worried on this agresion on the neutrality of Misplaced Pages. Many articles have similar sections and discussions in the past settled these sections as valid. See ] Could someone clarify? ] (]) 14:57, 29 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
I would like to report an extremely biased article - http://en.wikipedia.org/Evolution or Evolution. | |||
:This user is beating a ]. It has already been explained to them that a section for "known issues" is (1) unencyclopedic and contravenes ], being an indiscriminate list of trivial matters that belong on a help center or ], not Misplaced Pages; (2) non-neutral, as it directly goes against ] and ] by having a section dedicated to non-notable software bugs, which also has issues with ]; and (3) unnecessary, as any major controversies can and will be integrated in existing sections, as it is currently being done. I'll once again remind the user that (1) ]; (2) ]; and (3) they should ] by simply repeating their arguments. ] (]) 16:54, 29 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
It is written from the perspective that it is the one and only truth, which is NOT neutral. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 15:41, 30 August 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--> | |||
:A more neutral framing is "Reception", which makes room for the full range of opinions. Calling the section "criticism" is non-neutral because the heading naturally excludes positive comments. Yes, you can find articles from the past that fail ]. But they should be tagged and fixed, not used as examples of why we ignore ]. ] (]) 18:54, 29 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
::OK, thanks. I will move the issues under the Reception section. ] (]) 06:25, 30 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::84.78, you need to do ''three'' things here: | |||
:::# Use neutral language, like "Reception". "Reception", by the way, implies that it's about what relevant experts think. | |||
:::# Don't put any criticism in a separate section if it could be reasonably placed in an existing one. It's better to have something like "It has 12345 GB, which has been criticized as too little storage" than to have "It has 12345 GB" in one section and "It has been criticized for having too little storage" in another. | |||
:::# Don't include every single known or suspected problem. Only include the problems that multiple independent reliable sources believe are significant. For example, if ''multiple'' computer magazines say "This device only has a foo, and it really ought to have a baz", then that's probably fine, but you probably shouldn't include anything that can only be sourced to a single source. If it's a significant problem, then you should be able to find multiple reports. If you can only find one website (especially if it's largely driven by sales commissions, customer reviews, or social media), then you shouldn't include it. | |||
:::] (]) 21:07, 30 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::What the others said. Plus such section headings tend to towards including things that would otherwise not merit inclusion.<b style="color: #0000cc;">''North8000''</b> (]) 21:28, 30 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::{{ec}}#3 is the key point. Not every software bug is notable — in fact, most of them aren't. Only if they have attracted widespread coverage from reliable sources, of if they have special significance/relevance, do they warrant a mention. ] (]) 21:28, 30 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
The later part of this thread focused on neutrality issues but another might be the primary one here. The guidelines / policies that others are referring to (with WP:Not at the core of them) are in essence emphasizing that we are an enclyclopedia covering topics in enclyclopedia-type articles. So this is not "all information" and so you might be seeking to include information that is not enclyclopedia article type information. <b style="color: #0000cc;">''North8000''</b> (]) 21:36, 30 September 2024 (UTC) | |||
::Alternative viewpoints do not always need to be presented... See ]. ] (]) 15:52, 30 August 2010 (UTC) | |||
:Do you mean that notable issues with a product should not be allowed in wikipedia and thus be removed? Please, calrify and I will start removing any notable issue from any product page in Misplaced Pages. ] (]) 13:17, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
== Clarification of ] for individual sources == | |||
::No, that is not at all what North meant… ''notable'' (or perhaps noteworthy) issues with a product (ie those widely reported on) ''should'' be mentioned. However, we don’t mention EVERY issue with a product. Trivial issues can be (and usually are) omitted. An examination of the sources, discussion and consensus determines whether a specific issue is noteworthy or trivial. ] (]) 13:41, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::OK, thanks. All the issues that @] is trying to hide are notable (accoding to Misplaced Pages notability definition). ] (]) 15:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::... No they are not. Please substantiate your arguments rather than simply continue to make claims like this. What "definition" are you referring to, and how so? I also don't appreciate your continual ] that I am making Misplaced Pages non-neutral, {{tqq|trying to hide}} information, or {{tqq|seem like a Google employee}}. ] (]) 16:04, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::I assume that 90.167 means ] instead of ]. ''Notability'' is Misplaced Pages's jargon for whether a subject deserves at ], and I don't think they mean to say that each of these consumer complaints deserves a completely separate article. ] (]) 16:48, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::Good point… DUE vs UNDUE (which is determined by coverage in sources) is the criteria here, not Notability. ] (]) 16:58, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::::The page Misplaced Pages:Notability ], but "notable" is often used generically as a synonym of "noteworthy", i.e. worthy of inclusion on a Misplaced Pages article. It's important for the IP user to recognize that ], so just because they can find a source for something doesn't mean it is not trivial and interests a general audience. This is discussed at ]. ] (]) 17:40, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::::These issues are supported by multiple sources. So, they are considered ]. I think Misplaced Pages needs to clarify if these are allowed or not as there are many similar articles. ] (]) 20:00, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::::::The first issue was added like this: | |||
:::::::::* Some owners are reporting a camera tilt issue. Google has not made any comments yet. | |||
:::::::::The source added for this issue was: | |||
:::::::::* | |||
:::::::::That's one (1) issue with one (1) source. One source ≠ multiple sources. ''Each'' complaint needs coverage in multiple sources. How else are we to know whether that's a widespread problem, or just something that a couple of people complained about? ] (]) 21:54, 1 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::::::Sure, I will add more sources. ] (]) 07:00, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
{{od}}Either the IP user is ] or ], as they have once again restored the list of known issues despite being told multiple times that it violates ] and ]. They have also ignored repeated requests not to edit-war and wait for consensus to fully develop before altering the status quo, so I can no longer assume good faith.{{pb}}The "sources" that ] are not reliable (]). Virtually all of them are newsblogs, and at most two can be considered marginally reliable. The absence of significant coverage from reputable sources is an indicator that these software bugs are not noteworthy for inclusion, and the IP user should ] at this point. ] (]) 07:14, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:All of the sources in the page are either from other weblogs or the primary source. Sould we remove the whole article altogether for lack of reliable sources? ] (]) 07:37, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::That's not true. The article cites the Associated Press, ''The Verge'', ''Wired'', ''The New York Times'', Bloomberg News, and more. If you're not sure what constitutes a reliable source, please consult ] and see ] for a list of common sources. Your tone here is combative, and you seem to avoid addressing the issues at hand, namely, ], ], and ]. Editors have explained to you that an indiscriminate list of software bugs is unencyclopedic and does not belong on Misplaced Pages, and only if a particular issue has contextual significance and has received significant coverage from reliable sources can it be integrated into other sections in the article. If you are unable to understand this, or simply refuse to work with Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines, then let's close this discussion and ], because ] on Misplaced Pages, and you must be willing to adhere to Misplaced Pages's policies and guidelines and work with other editors. ] (]) 16:03, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::@], I think this is what the ] processes are for. I doubt the IP has enough experience to know how it works, but they do seem to be trying to comply with all the rules. Would you be willing to show the IP how it's done, by starting a discussion on the talk page, and marching through the list, from ] all the way to RFC if necessary, addressing each individual item at a time? ] (]) 16:33, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::Although I have tried to assume good faith, it no longer seems to me that the IP user is trying to follow our PAGs. They have been asked several times, "Please don't edit-war, please don't restore your edit until consensus is reached", yet they continue to do so. They have also been told (by at least four editors), "A standalone list section dedicated to software bugs is unencyclopedic, please don't add it", yet they continue to do so. This discussion has been a ''de facto'' 3O request, so I am not optimistic additional discussion will be any more productive. I'm also not sure what an RfC would look like — a question along the lines of "should a list of software bugs be included" would likely yield the response I summarized above: "no, but if a particular issue is noteworthy they can be discussed in other sections" ... ]! I also recognize there may be a language barrier (the IPs geolocate to Spain), but ] and this is not an excuse for disruptive behavior. ] (]) 17:17, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::We could stop the edit warring at ], but I think the open question (i.e., the point upon which you and the IP differ) is whether the sources provided indicate that the material is DUE. An RFC question could look like "Shall we include <this sentence>, using <these sources>?" ] (]) 17:26, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::I would say it seems pretty clear that newsblogs are generally unreliable, especially if they lack meaningful editorial oversight, have a poor track record, tend to publish anything for clicks, and are rarely cited by other reputable sources. I think to justify an exemption to ], there would need to be stronger sources like the ones listed at ] — at the very least, it should be reputable enough to have its own Misplaced Pages article. But what are your thoughts? As I said, this discussion is essentially an informal 3O/RfC/DRN. ] (]) 17:45, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::::I don't know enough about the subject area to know what the usual sourcing standards are. For all I know, these could be highly reputable websites. Alternatively, they could all be AI-generated fakes. I don't have the background information to be able to tell them apart. I find it much easier to evaluate academic sources than news-ish websites. ] (]) 20:57, 2 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::::@] These news outlets are being used for references in many Misplaced Pages articles if you want to challenge them then you should challenge them Misplaced Pages wide. ] (]) 09:24, 3 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
I'm starting up a new observation, I have an interest in a particular article, see my log. I'm seeking an analogy to the exception about hearsay evidence - that you can in fact establish that somebody said something - a speech act - while refusing to say that in any sense the truth of what they say is established. So, rather than focusing on the truth of a claim, whether that claim has been stated by a reputable source, that it could be established that a given claim is "out there", which to my way of seeking would involve a lower threshold to establish that - as compared to the truth of what is being claimed. If the current set of wikipedia ideas do not allow for this, I suggest that be a modification. If that is not possible, well, *groan* ] (]) 20:42, 15 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:So, there are two policy issues related to this: | |||
I was talking with a new editor who had expressed concern about a film review being presented in an unbalanced way (the review was overwhelmingly positive, but in the Misplaced Pages article text the negative part of the review was given equal weighting with the positive parts). He didn't know the words for the problem he was describing, but seemed to be talking about "undue weight" given to the negative aspects. So I was about to point him to ], which I for some reason remembered having something about how to give a balanced representation of the views of ''a particular source'' (as opposed to how the article, ''overall'', should proportionally represent the views ''of all sources''), but then noticed that nothing like this is here. | |||
:1- verifying that the person said it, and that Misplaced Pages is quoting them accurately. This is covered in WP:V and WP:RS. | |||
:2- establishing that Misplaced Pages should mention the quote in the first place. This is covered at WP:NPOV, and specifically by WP:UNDUE. | |||
:Essentially, we want to cite the original (primary) source for Verifiability purposes, but want to cite Secondary sources for DUE Weight purposes. Thus, best practice is to cite both. ] (]) 21:41, 15 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
::The challenge is that saying "So-and-so said ____" implies that ____ is not only true but also relevant/important. | |||
::In some areas, we can move to a higher class of sources (e.g., replace social media posts about politician's hairstyles with scholarly sources that look at the same politician's policy stances). In other areas, that's not possible. | |||
::Editors will always have to use their judgment to determine whether a given point actually belongs in an encyclopedia article. ] (]) 00:23, 16 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::OK, thanks for that. I'll see how I go applying this in the next few days.] (]) 00:32, 17 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Well sourced, journalist written, mainstream corporate media based critical contents is nowhere near as problematic as Awards & Accolades section citing the award granting group, other .org, trade groups. ] (]) 19:52, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
I'd like to add something to ], along the lines of: '''When describing the views expressed in a particular source, discuss them in proportion to their prominence within that source.''' I don't know where this should be included, or how it should ultimately be written, but I think this is important. -- ] (]) 16:34, 3 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
:There is something similar at ]. --] (]) 20:52, 4 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
::Good idea to include the statement in the article...] ] 11:14, 7 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
:I agree in theory, and I think this particular example hinges on whether you recognize these websites as "journalist written, mainstream corporate media" vs just some websites. ] (]) 22:29, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
== She or it == | |||
== Due and undue weight and articles on religion: potential guidelines for ordering for neutrality == | |||
I am party to a dispute on what Undue means ]. I may have mis-understood Undue. The basics are that I bleive a soures to be being used in way that gives its views undue attention, based mainly on the fact that its a recomendation of a science blog based (if latter ceaveats are accepted) on non scientific reasons (and the person is n ot a scientist anyway). Hta the recomendatiuon is not in fact relevant to the articel, and thqats its a trivial mention anyway. The other side of the deabte says its not undue becasue I amalkking about the person who holds the view itslef. I am in fact mistaken?] (]) 19:02, 7 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
For articles on religious topics which do have a broad and NPOV material (not just the views of a single denomination), should there be some editorial guideline for ordering to the presentation of semi-controversial information to reduce undue weight or cumulative non-NPOV? | |||
:Perhaps you are mistaken. This is not a question about ], but about ]. You cannot use blogs as ]. The question of due or undue weight would come only after that.] ] 18:17, 8 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
::I should explain. I have said on the talk page that this is undue as its diffilcult to see why her views are notable on a this blog. I am asking is that view mistaken and that any one who is published iin a newpaper (as a columnist) can be used as a source regardless of any qulification they may not hold (this is not just about this source I am using it as an example). To word it another way does the rule exclude Joe Blogs who writes a column for the Big newspaper of the world from being used as a source for opinions he is not actualy an expert on?] (]) 12:47, 9 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
::: Allow me to explain Slater's question in a more coherent manner. An article is about "X". A NYT review says "I like X". Slater makes the argument that the review shouldn't be listed in X's entry, because it gives undue weight to the NYTimes. But ] doesn't work that way -- it is the ''opinion about X itself'' (i.e. the fact that X is liked) that can be given undue weight, if for instance many other reviewers say "I don't like X", then presenting only positive opinions (regardless of their source) is an undue weight issue. | |||
:::Undue weight is about the statements/view/opinions/whatever of the sources as they relate to the article subject, not about the sources themselves. A source can of course present reliability or notability issues, but by itself, not undue weight. ]<sup>]</sup> 15:26, 9 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::PLease do not misrepresnt what I say. I have not said it gives undue weight to the NYT (and indead have made it clear its not the HYT I object to) but to the views of one columnist. Moreover the artciel is not about 'X', the artciel is about x and the commentator its not a review its about a problom) says I like 'Y' (and that is the limit of the 'review' a one line comment at the end of an in a four or five paragraph articel).] (]) 16:00, 9 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
The guidelines that come to mind are: | |||
:::::Slatersteven: it would really help me out if you took a little more time writing your posts. the spelling and grammar errors make it difficult to understand what you're after, and this is not an easy topic to begin with. | |||
0. Editors should NOT order the sections merely according to their length or the order they were added, unless the sections have already been arranged so that the length reflects some reasonably objective editorial metric or system: due weight or notability or chronology or genericity etc. | |||
:::::That being said, ] refers to representation of a theory or opinion ''on wikipedia''. It does not refer to sources, but rather to how the statements that sources make should appear on the article. Ms. whateverhername made a statement, that statement was printed in the NYT, the NYT is a reliable source for many kinds of statements, all is good to that point. Now we have to ask "How much weight does that statement carry in the discussion about the topic"? A NYT op-ed piece would not carry much weight at all in terms of the ''science'' of global warming, but it might carry more weight in terms of the ''popularity'' of a blog. It's a question of how the opinion is being used and what its purpose is in the article. --] 18:15, 9 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::::::Thats what I thought (more or less). As to the specific case its dfficult to tell what the statement is being used for. it seems to be used to demonstrate an endorsment of the blog, but its difficult to see why this view is significant to the blog.] (]) 11:07, 10 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
1. If the presentation starts chronologically/historically, the article should generally continue chronologically/historically. I.e. for Christian-related topic, a series like Ancient/Patristic/Catholic-Orthodox/Protestant/Non-conformist/Liberal or whatever. E.g. ]. | |||
===Some minor edits for clarity=== | |||
Just tidyied the syntax a little. As far as I can tell, did not change the meaning ] (]) 16:25, 27 September 2010 (UTC) | |||
1a. Where chronological listing might give undue weight to some marginal information, it could be put at the end, or grouped into a subsection like "Other". This may help flow of reading too. | |||
== Serious NPOV/SYNTH problem with ] and ] == | |||
2. If the material is best thought of as a series of parallel developments without strong interaction, then organizing by topic/stream/denomination could be appropriate. For example, the ] article has its main split into an Orthodox section then a Catholic section, with chronological considerations in the paragraphs not the sections. | |||
I've started a talk page discussion . If anyone here is well-versed in the NPOV policy, please participate if you can, because I think these articles' problems need to be hammered out, possibly with deletion. ] (]) 02:51, 6 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
2a. In this case, the issue of the order of denominations is also appropriate to consider: I suggest that where some idea is notably or primarily or most simply associated with some single denomination or group (e.g. Orthodoxy and "energia" or Catholicism and "essence" or perhaps "sola fide" and Protestantism) then that denomination or group should be treated first. | |||
== 'equal validity' section == | |||
2b. But where the topic applies to multiple denominations where none is clearly the most notable, and then I suggest that notability should use the proxy of the numerical strength of that denomination, following ]. This would mean Catholic section first, Protestants second, Orthodox third, Church of east fourth, others at end. | |||
I've removed this section - - since it seems to have been added to the policy with very little discussion. since it's a major shift in policy, it needs more investigation. my specific objections are as follows: | |||
# it is specifically geared towards pseudoscience, meaning this should really be in the ] guideline, not in policy. | |||
# It shifts the nature of NPOV, implying that editors can and should take a stand on issues above and beyond what is presented in reliable sources, which is a ''major'' departure from the principles of NPOV. | |||
# It encourages editorial ], since it explicitly suggests that editors should go out of their way to present strongly disapproving opinions. | |||
I'm not averse to the basic idea (particularly as part of the FRINGE guideline), but the phrasing here is poor, and as written tends to contradict some of wikipedia's core principles. at very best it needs a significant revision. --] 02:57, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
Would it be legitimate for an editor, e.g. me, to take an article e.g. ] and rearrange it chronologically/sizewise (to the order Catholic, Lutheran, Evangelical, Liberal, Neo-orthodx) just on these editorial considerations, without being accused of pushing a particular wheelbarrow? | |||
::The section you are removing is essentially a restatement and a clarification of WP:UNDUE. I don't see any problem with it. ] (]) 03:02, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
This came up because I saw (or imagined) a pattern where many articles have a large Protestant section first then a small Catholic section later: the order suggests a logical priority which is surely not appropriate or intended: for individual articles...who cares? But cumulatively an ordering in many articles favouring particular smaller groups might be create a form of bias. | |||
:(Currently, there are many articles on religious topics (Christian, presumably others) that feature only or mainly the view of one denomination or belief system. This is unavoidable, of course, given that some articles are sourced from e.g. the Catholic Encyclopedia or written by people interested or specialist in one tradition. (For example, the old article on ] had only Protestant material.) However, in the long term we hope that articles reform themselves as editors attend to WP:NPOV and undue weight etc. That is a different issue.) ] (]) 05:21, 5 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::It actually does not appear to do anything except 1), which can be remedied by some simply rewording. The section you remove advocates the OPPOSITE of 2 & 3, since it makes pretty clear that Misplaced Pages articles should reflect existing views in reliable sources, reflecting the predominant, mainstream, and majority viewpoints on a topic. I don't see where the removed section is in conflict with anything, at least in spirit. --]''''']''''' 05:12, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::Right, I don't see any objection to the removed section except that it's redundant to the rest of the policy (which doesn't seem to be considered a reason for removing anything, since the editors of this policy seem to love redundancy).--] (]) 06:14, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::::(e/c) If this were a simple restatement of UNDUE then I'd probably have no problem with it, but that would also make it entirely redundant (and thus removable anyway). However, it's not. This 'no equal validity' line of argument is intended to ''expand'' UNDUE. put roughly: UNDUE allows us to minimize or exclude fringe theories from mainstream articles, and to qualify fringe articles so that they do not give the appearance of having more prominence than they really have in scientific circles; this 'no equal validity' clause seeks to give editor the right to overrepresent and overstate mainstream positions in order to build arguments that ''refute'' fringe theories. The first is reasonable, the second is ]. Misplaced Pages is not here to take a position on these matters by promoting theories ''or'' by refuting theories. | |||
:::::honestly, the optimal solution in my view would be to shift this section over to ] (since it clearly is intended to be a clarification of UNDUE for fringe topics), and reword it somewhat so that it is not so blatantly permissive of synthesis. something along the lines of ''"Misplaced Pages may not itself be used to validate fringe views. Fringe views may be excluded from articles on scholarly topics where they are not a significant part of the mainstream literature, and where they are included may not be depicted as proven, true, valid, or accepted by the scholarly world beyond what independent sources say. Further, Misplaced Pages may not itself be used to invalidate fringe views. Misplaced Pages should describe any fringe view clearly, including critical perspectives and the view's relationship to established scholarship, but should avoid giving the appearance of attempting to debunk or disparage the topic."'' That should cover both ends of the spectrum sufficiently. --] 06:15, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::I'm confused, how exactly does the text you deleted encourage your last two points? It seems to me that it explicitly prevents an editor from doing what you says it does. As an aside, a version of "giving equal validity" has been a part of the FAQ portion of NPOV since 2003; and it has been a part of NPOV for 17 months now. To me, that makes it seem like ''eliminating'' it would be the "major shift in policy"...] (]) 14:56, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::This is the way the argument is used (exclusively, as far as I can see). A typical example is that editors working on a fringe topic article (after removing overt advocacy and misrepresentation, as they should), will go on to remove more-or-less neutral material (claiming that it's advocacy) and to pad in SPOV sources (usually from skeptical books and journals) until the article or section becomes an extended criticism of the topic rather than a neutral description of it. Editors who object that this is not a neutral or fair depiction of the topic are countered with the 'Misplaced Pages does not give equal validity' line, occasionally even extended to a claim that wikipedia does not need to treat fringe topics fairly - playing off the word ambiguity between ''giving a fringe topic 'fair representation' on mainstream articles'' (which is nonsense that violates NPOV) and ''treating a fringe topic with 'intellectual fairness''' (which is precisely what NPOV tries to promote). | |||
:::it's usually evident that these kinds of editors are either unwilling or incapable of grokking the concept of 'intellectual fairness', at least with respect to these topics. if we're going to have policy on this issue, it should reinforce intellectual fairness as a theme, not give wikilawyers a tool to trash fringe articles in the name of science. | |||
:::And yes, I know all about the NPOV FAQ thing. Let's not get into the that, because it's shoddy wikipolitics. The FAQ only existed in the first place as an effort to sneak some pseudoscience claims into policy through the back door, when there was no consensus for putting them in policy directly. one can't ethically use that speciousness to leverage new policy additions. --] 16:47, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::If someone is misinterpreting policy, that is a problem with the editor misinterpreting it, not with the policy itself. Nothing in the text you deleted, as far as I can tell, encourages the behavior of placing too much weight against a fringe topic. Please point to what part of the text you deleted encourages synthesis or encourages taking "a stand above and beyond what is presented in reliable sources," because, frankly, I don't see it. | |||
::::No idea about "wikipolitics", I only think it's odd to suggest that something that's been in the policy or FAQ of the policy for 7 years is somehow a "major shift in policy". Shrug. ] (]) 17:00, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::::The FAQ was not, and was never intended to be, policy in its own right. FAQ are for answers frequently asked questions, not for introducing novel ideas. There was a bit of a kerfluffle over this a few months back when someone tried to promote the FAQ to policy status. | |||
:::::With respect to your question, however, let's take the disputed section line by line. | |||
:::::*''The Misplaced Pages neutrality policy ''does not'' state, or imply, that we must "give equal validity" to minority views If that were the case, the result would be to legitimize and even promote such claims.'' | |||
:::::**What does this phrase mean? Misplaced Pages does not 'give validity to' or 'legitimize' anything; we're a tertiary source that describes, not a primary or secondary source that validates. Either this is a poorly phrased revision of UNDUE, where 'give equal validity' really means 'include beyond due prominence', or it specifically intended to imply that wikipedia can and should identify 'valid' theories and promote them over 'invalid' theories. it is usually interpreted in the second manner, and whether that is intentional or merely poor phrasing strikes me as irrelevant. If it's consistently being interpreted badly it should be removed. | |||
:::::*''Policy states that we must not take a stand on these issues as encyclopedia writers'' | |||
:::::**This is true, no argument. | |||
:::::*''but that does not stop us from describing the majority views ''as such''; from fairly explaining the strong arguments against the pseudoscientific theory; from describing the strong moral repugnance that many people feel toward some morally repugnant views; and so forth.'' | |||
:::::**the 'but' here is used to create a loophole in the statement that we "should not take stands as editors". This phrase '''explicitly''' suggests that editors should seek out arguments designed to refute, disparage, or demonstrate 'moral repugnance' towards fringe topics, and that such expressions are protected by policy. In other words, if someone can find a reliable source that says (for instance) ''"UFOs are a mindlessly unscientific idea that is only believed by stupid people"'', they can argue for its inclusion in the UFO article on the grounds that it's a fair (if strong) expression of the scientific opinion against UFOs and of the moral repugnance some people feel towards that idea. And then they can include six or ten or twenty similar quotes (if they so desire) on the assertion that they are "describing the majority view ''as such''". | |||
:::::There is a line between (1) including scholarly perspectives to prevent editors from legitimizing fringe theories unduly and (2) encouraging editors to actively debunk fringe theories; this phrasing blatantly erases that line. that's the problem with it. do you see what I mean? --] 18:33, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::::I'm not going to belabor the point about the FAQ/policy. I still find it strange that you would argue there is a change in policy when something has been interpreted one way for 7 years (and has been policy for 17 months without any real opposition until now) - obviously you disagree, but that's really besides the point. | |||
::::::To your first point, to give undue prominence to fringe theories ''would be'' giving them a perception of legitimacy these theories don't have in the reliable sources. I see no problem with acknowledging this fact, and that fringe advocates use Misplaced Pages to try to gain legitimacy by promoting their pet theories here. | |||
::::::I do not agree with your interpretation of the "but" as a loophole. That sentence is basically a re-statement of UNDUE. It doesn't encourage people to do anything except report what's in the reliable sources, with due weight placed. You seem to be arguing against the behavior of other editors which are violating policy, not illustrating a problem in the policy. Unless I see more substantial consensus that it violates policy, I would support a return of that section to policy. ] (]) | |||
:::::::lol - well, I don't suppose you have to agree, but I suggest you give a better explanation than 'That sentence is basically a re-statement of UNDUE'. I mean, an elephant is basically a restatement of a mouse if you ignore all that stuff about size and trunks and ears; everything looks pretty much like everything else if you're willing to squint hard enough. I've given some thoroughly explained reasons why I think this section expands UNDUE in unpleasant ways. They might be good reasons or bad reasons (currently I think they're good, but I'm in discussion mode here so that could change), but those reasons are not going to go away simply because you choose to poo-poo them without discussion. --] 19:47, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::::::I don't mean to "poo-poo" your reasons, just that I don't agree with them. I don't understand how you're interpreting the words you deleted as to what you say they mean. I am most certainly not in a 'discussion mode'; I tried to see where you're coming from, but don't get it, and don't plan on spending a lot of effort trying to when no one else who has commented seems to either. ] (]) 20:06, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::::::::Fair enough. However, if you really don't see a difference between what this says and what UNDUE says, then I hope you'll do me the grace of allowing me to remove something that you believe is redundant and I happen to dislike. no sense making me suffer something I find disagreeable if it adds nothing that's not said elsewhere. --] 21:44, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::::::::Wasn't it going to be moved to WP:FRINGE? --] (]) 22:08, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::::::::If you find it so disagreeable, I have no strenuous objections to its return to just being in the FAQ, though the shortcuts (WP:GEVAL, etc) should probably be redirected back to the FAQ as it was originally. ] (]) 22:19, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
{{od}}Based on Ludwigs' edit summary, which referred to a change in April, I went back and looked at what the page said at the beginning of the month: . There was a shorter, simpler version of the section then. Would that version reduce the aspects that Ludwigs dislikes, to a sufficient degree that restoring it would be a reasonable compromise? --] (]) 22:20, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:@ Enric: I was under that impression as well, but somehow it ended up here in policy. probably an honest mistake; stuff like that happens sometimes. | |||
:@ Yobol: I don't mean to be pedantic here, but you can't honestly expect that we will retain a section over objections without some explicit reason to retain it. Either this section is - as you said above - indistinguishable from and redundant with UNDUE (in which case there's no reason to retain it at all, anywhere), or this section has a meaning and purpose ''distinct from'' UNDUE which makes it useful (in which case you should spell out what the meaning and purpose are so that we can compare it against my objections). This isn't interior decorating (or some such) where we might include material just for 'atmosphere'; this is policy, and policy sections should have a definitive use. | |||
:@ Tryptofish: That shorter section is really just a condensed version of what I don't like, so it's not really an improvement. My objection to this section is that the wording is designed to encourage/allow editorial synthesis for the purpose of debunking. Policy ''does'' state that we should not take a stand on issues as encyclopedia editors, and we should not allow loopholes (as is the intention of this section) that allow some editors to take stands on some issues. look at the alternate suggestion I gave above (my ''06:15, 7 October'' post): notice how I carefully phrase it to avoid the implication that wikipedia editors can make any judgements on the validity of topics, because making assertions about the validity of a topic is ''always'' taking a stand on that topic. --] 07:11, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::Ludwigs2, how would you address the following situation without the section in question? A fringe topic gets some attention in the press (say someone claims that staring into the sun is a substitute for food, and a couple of followers die from malnutrition, having been blind the last few years of their lives). But practically nobody really takes it seriously, and so there is no discussion of the fringe claims in mainstream sources. Once the topic has been established as notable, it's almost impossible to avoid having an article on it. The only sources for details about the topic are the publications of proponents, who are making reckless and obviously false claims about science. These claims are obviously noteworthy, so there is no way we can avoid reporting that they have been made. There are no reliable sources saying explicitly that these claims are fringe, pseudoscience or even just false. There are scientific sources that clearly contradict the claims, but we cannot mention them 1. per ], because the scientific facts have 0 weight in the RS coverage of the fringe belief, and 2. per ] because Misplaced Pages would be the first to juxtapose the fringe belief and the actual facts it contradicts. (I don't agree with these arguments, but this is how it is argued in practice, often by editors who don't follow the fringe belief. And it's hard to argue against that for a common-sense application of our rules.) As a result there is a clear danger that Misplaced Pages knowingly exacerbates a real-life problem by publishing a completely unbalanced account of a fringe theory in an environment in which readers are used to relatively neutral encyclopedic articles. ] ] 09:32, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::I see that section as further clarifying policy, which of course is crucial. Sometimes to make policy clear you need to rephrase things in another way (with examples) to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as how to apply policy. Insomuch as you think the section ''breaks'' existing policy, I think you are very much incorrect; I do not strenuously object to it going back to the FAQ where it can further illustrate as to how current policy works (though I prefer it back to where it was before you removed it), but I would very much oppose removal of the section completely as it is important to make clear how to properly apply WP:UNDUE.] (]) 14:37, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::Hans: I'd have preferred a ''statement'' of the reasons for keeping the section rather than an ''example'' of how the section might be useful. examples are fluid, and subject to all sorts of rhetorical problems; statements are far less ambiguous. but I'll work with what you gave me. And incidentally, ''clarifications of policy'' for specific topics belong in guidelines, not in policy, so again, maybe we should move the section over to ] and discuss it there... | |||
:::At any rate, the first thing I would do in this case (frankly) is stop to consider whether I was having an odd dream. {{=)}} This seems like an unlikely scenario. A cult that advocates something as damaging as starting at the sun until you starve, yet only a couple of people have suffered severe physical harm over two years, and no police have gotten involved, and no newspapers or news media have investigated? I'll accept that you've chosen a 'hard case' for emphasis, but I will note the potential straw man argument implicit in choosing hyperbolic cases. | |||
::: ''That'' aside, let's break it down to cases: | |||
:::# '''The topic is only discussed in self-published, pro-group sources.''' Topic in non-notable, and doesn't belong on wikipedia. | |||
:::# '''The topic is a recent focus of public attention, so journalistic sources exist but are not well-developed.''' Topic does not belong on wikipedia, per ] | |||
:::# '''The topic is commented on extensively, but only in journalistic sources.''' In cases like this, journalistic sources will usually do their own synthesis from scientific sources to counter the group's pseudoscientific claims (journalists are allowed engage in synthesis; wikipedia editors are not). The best we can say about science directly here is that the scientific community has not specifically addressed any of these claims. | |||
:::#*Incidentally, skeptical sources are excellent for this purpose - my issue with skepticism on wikipedia is that a lot of editors treat skeptical sources as though they were 'the voice of science' when in fact skeptics are journalists synthesizing scientific understanding on heir own, outside of the scientific community. | |||
:::# '''The topic is subject to some type of governmental action.''' FDA restrictions, investigations, court cases... These are useful primary sources for establishing particular risks or dangers inherent in the practice. | |||
::: All of these cases can be handled effectively under policy without this particular section. The problem here (IMO) is that some editors are stuck in the belief that topics like this need to be 'scientifically' countered and disproven on wikipedia. They don't. Misplaced Pages editors are not journalists ''or'' scientists ''or'' police, and we have no mandate to protect people from their own misconceptions or from misconceptions fostered on them by others (per ]). We are only writing an encyclopedia, and only aiming to give the best information on topics we can as it is presented in reliable sources. Even if these groups are causing harm to individuals in the meantime, it is beyond the scope of the project; we have to wait until reliable sources weigh in on the issue. wp:UNDUE prevents questionable science from getting front-page treatment on mainstream topic articles; UNDUE and various sections of ] (NOTADVOCATE, NOTOPINION, NOTGUIDE, NOTHOWTO, NOTCRYSTAL, NOTSPECULATION), not to mention FRINGE itself, keep questionable science from being overblown as fact on pages dedicated to it. what more do we need than that? --] 18:40, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
::::The topic was unfortunately not hypothetical. I am sure that about 5-10 years ago ] went through your stage 2. The problem with stage 2 is that there are small mentions throughout many high-rate media because it's ''interesting''. This is enough to make deletion of such an article completely unrealistic in practice, although I would agree with your solution in theory. (For some perspective on our deletion process, look at ], its talk page and its AfD.) ] ] 22:22, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:::::I'm not sure what the problem you're pointing to is. there's a fairly large bridge to cross between having an article on an 'interesting' topic, and allowing that article to present itself as scientific fact. I haven't looked into this particular topic, but I find it hard to imagine that any reliable secondary source which bothered to give sungazing would not comment on the obvious health risks. that leads me to believe that what this has is causal mention in a few not-too-reliable sources. perhaps we need to expand FRINGE to lower the AfD criteria for such topics. that being said, if the topic ''is'' notable... what's the problem? all we need to do is inform people of the existence of such groups, with a few cautionary words (as the article currently provides). I don't see how that goes outside what I wrote above. --] 23:01, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
==='equal validity' convenience break=== | |||
I'm receptive to Ludwigs' desire to be careful not to introduce unintended consequences, and I also broadly agree with Yobol that it's a net positive to include some wording to elaborate on the concept. Here are <s>two</s> three possible versions that have been discussed above. Thoughts? --] (]) 17:51, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
{{ inbrief | |||
| i = Comparison of alternative versions of the section | |||
| u1= Old version, pre-April 2010 | |||
| s1= The neutrality policy does not state or imply that we must give equal validity to minority views. Doing so would legitimize and even promote such claims. Policy states that we must not take a stand on these issues as encyclopedia writers, but that does not stop us from describing the majority views as such or from fairly explaining the minority views, when they are noteworthy. | |||
| u2= Version from FAQ by Dave, April 2010 | |||
| s2= The Misplaced Pages neutrality policy ''does not'' state, or imply, that we must "give equal validity" to minority views such as pseudoscience, the claim that the Earth is flat, or the claim that the Apollo moon landings never occurred. If that were the case, the result would be to legitimize and even promote such claims. Policy states that we must not take a stand on these issues as encyclopedia writers; but that does not stop us from describing the majority views ''as such''; from fairly explaining the strong arguments against the pseudoscientific theory; from describing the strong moral repugnance that many people feel toward some morally repugnant views; and so forth. | |||
| u3= Wording proposed by Ludwigs2, above | |||
| s3= Misplaced Pages may not itself be used to validate fringe views. Fringe views may be excluded from articles on scholarly topics where they are not a significant part of the mainstream literature, and where they are included may not be depicted as proven, true, valid, or accepted by the scholarly world beyond what independent sources say. Further, Misplaced Pages may not itself be used to invalidate fringe views. Misplaced Pages should describe any fringe view clearly, including critical perspectives and the view's relationship to established scholarship, but should avoid giving the appearance of attempting to debunk or disparage the topic. | |||
}} | |||
== the -est, "one of the first", in xxx superlatives in articles == | |||
*This was a longstanding part of policy, incorporated here in the merge from the FAQ as part of the agreed merge of the two sections of the policy, after significant discussion, so I've restored it. Ludwigs2 may feel that we should give more leeway to pseudoscience, but this is a clear statement of an essential aspect of NPOV. The proposal by Ludwigs2 above restates and modifies aspects of policy already covered under weight: tiny minority views don't need to be included, and in articles about a minority view we show its relationship to the majority view. Avoiding giving the appearance of showing clear majority views debunking or disparaging the topic is a new piece of bending over backwards to be nice to fringe views, and would be open to wikilawyering. . . ], ] 18:56, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
How do we feel about the liberal use of such sensationalistic superlatives in a lot of articles? I am seeing them everywhere. | |||
**This was not part of policy until your edit, Dave - it was part of the FAQ. and the agreement was to merge most of the FAQ into FRINGE, not into NPOV. I'm reverting you again based on the reasons I gave above. when you're ready to present reasons why this section is necessary, please do so and we'll discuss re-inclusion. --] 19:20, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
"the biggest, the first, was featured in best/top 4,523 list of xxx" in the township/]/region/state/country/time zone. and so on. Even if it's mentioned in reliable sources, I'm seeing this used excessively. | |||
<small>@trypto - I'd forgotten about that third option, which is certainly better than the current version. thanks for including it. --] 21:55, 8 October 2010 (UTC)</small> | |||
] (]) | |||
*This is done to establish notability. ] (]) 22:37, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
*Is it accurate? If so, then I don't think it's a problem, especially if it's just one or two claims per article. I'd rather read "First pizza joint in the ]" than "It's a pizza joint in the ]". It's not ] to report 'favorable' facts.{{pb}} Also, Blueboar is correct. Our notion of a ] pretty much demands that editors add some sort of information along these lines, so we can't complain too much when they do what we insist they do. ] (]) 22:38, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:I think the issue is the overly liberal use of such superlatives. I do not think that any reasonable editor would object to describing ] as the first human to journey into outer space. The quality of the sourcing is also important. If the preponderance of reliable sources describe the topic as "the first", then I have no problem including it. But sometimes these claims are sourced to low quality, lazy ] journalism. As in so many other areas of editing Misplaced Pages, a healthy dose of common sense and good editorial judgment is required. ] (]) 22:51, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::And also, "Awards and Accolades" section being considerably larger than criticism even if there's just as much critical information based on news reports. ] (]) 22:56, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::Well, listicle formatting may give a false impression there (a list of three awards takes up more screen space than a prose sentence naming the same three awards), but the problem with unbalanced attention isn't really about the superlatives. Someone can be widely recognized as the best guitarist and a person with serious personal problems; a business can produce the finest widgets and the biggest polluter of the town's water supply. And because of the effects of ] on ], it is sometimes the case that what looks big at the moment turns out to be a temporary blip. It can be difficult to get the balance right, even when you're trying hard. ] (]) 23:38, 1 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::It's certainly noteworthy to say that they're the worst town polluter though, along with being the finest maker of widget Y. ] (]) 00:13, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::"was the first restaurant in township to phase out single use flatware, and has the largest solar generation among all sit-down restaurants in the county" sort of thing is what I was referring to. ] (]) 00:17, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::Assuming that they got some attention from (e.g.) the local newspaper about this, what's wrong with that? That might be what they're actually notable for. Maybe the next paragraph (or next year's version of the article) is going to say that the owners campaigned for a local ], or that their solar array caught fire and burned down the entire historic district. If that's what the sources give attention to that restaurant for, then deciding that this is unimportant is what this policy calls "editorial bias". | |||
:::In some cases, what's important is that it happens at all. In such a case, the article might say less about "first" and "largest", and instead say something like "The owners are interested in environmental issues and have consequently stopped providing single-use flatware and installed a solar power system". But you really would have to consider everything the source says before deciding what to write. "They're eco-conscious" isn't a good explanation if the facts are that the solar power company was having a contest, and the super-competitive owner was determined to beat his arch-rival, Other Restaurant. ] (]) 00:52, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::But in grand scheme of thing, those insignificant claims like the biggest snail ever seen (on my property) usually don't belong in an encyclopedia. It can be in editorial gray zone, but those "first in township" like claims are clearly comparable to that watermelon example. | |||
::::Although I'm not exactly known as being an inclusionist while some others are extreme inclusionist. ] (]) 04:27, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::::If independent sources make a big deal out of _____, then it doesn't matter if _____ seems insignificant to a Misplaced Pages editor. Instead of imposing our personal biases on the sources (why did they waste space on that unimportant cruft?!), we should reflect the sources as best we can. | |||
:::::Sometimes there are ways to represent the facts in a less-enthusiastic tone. "The biggest, oldest, and best restaurant in Smallville" may become "the only restaurant in Smallville". But ultimately, if the main reason the sources are writing about the restaurant is because they have solar panels on the roof, or a record-setting ball of twine in the garden, or because ], the Misplaced Pages articles really do need to reflect that fact. | |||
:::::Sometimes it's not actually obvious why some "trivia" might be more important than it looks at first blush. For example, "24-bed hospital with the only emergency room within 25 miles of town" probably sounds like pure promotionalism to some editors – but they wouldn't think that if they knew what effect that particular combination of size and distance has on unlocking US federal funding. There could be a hidden importance behind other kinds of "unimportant" facts, too. ] (]) 07:33, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::::I tend to agree if the attention is brought upon by the independent source in an intellectually independent way. | |||
::::::I'll use real example.. " LA Weekly listed it as one of the ten best "Online Resources for Metal Knowledge" in 2013." in ], I find questionable. It's just in a list, but it was an editor decision to bring up that it's in a list. ] (]) 14:51, 2 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
: I'm repeating what other people have said, but this is the easiest way to clear the ] hurdle, if it exists. I agree it can start to feel sensationalistic. That's why we avoid saying "X is the greatest movie of all time", and instead say "X was named the greatest film of all time by publication A, B, and C." The first is an opinion, the second is a fact (about an opinion). ] (]) 13:47, 3 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
== Comedy is subjective == | |||
<small>Why are we whispering? (just kidding)</small> I assume the third option to which you refer is the pre-April one, right? If so, could that be a compromise upon which we could agree? --] (]) 22:01, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
I see comedy hasn't been discussed in the archives. I added it to the subjective section. We should be careful about overweighting articles with suggestions of offense or the like, sourced to conventional sources. Consider that those '''not''' offended are unlikely to be reported on, resulting in POV issues. Thoughts here? ] (]) 21:24, 5 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
==='equal validity' warning=== | |||
No consensus for change has yet been reached. Ludwigs2, your edit warring to try to enforce your change on the policy is disruptive. Gain consensus for the change ''first''; do not attempt to make substantial changes to long standing policy without such consensus. Puppy has spoken. ]<small><sup>]</sup>]</small> 22:15, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:KC, you need to learn to read discussion and participate on the talk page before you start throwing your sysop weight around. I removed this section because it was added without proper consensus from the old NPOV FAQ; I thought it was appropriate to do so, I've given good reasons for my actions, and for why I think the section is useless, I am willing and able to discuss the issues, and I am not inclined to put up with tendentious editors - even if they are sysops - who think they can use the weight of numbers to force inappropriate material into policy without discussion. '''You all''' are the ones acting against consensus (based on your obvious refusal to engage in consensus discussion), and as a sysop you should - frankly - be ashamed of yourself. now are you going to give reasons for your revert, or not? And please not, if you say no, I'm going to start looking into the procedure for de-sysopping. --] 23:11, 8 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:@] I see you reverted without explanation, would you like to discuss? ] (]) 15:11, 6 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
== NPOV Mondragon Corporation == | |||
::Not really, I don't feel the need to justify reverting a unilateral addition to site policy. I did explain it, though: there's an "etc." on that list for a reason. <span style="border-radius:2px;padding:3px;background:#1E816F">]<span style="color:#fff"> ‥ </span>]</span> 19:11, 6 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:::] edits are a conventional way to collaborate on the project though it may feel a little strange sometimes! Objections/reverts are best received when discussed or explained. Do you have an opinion on comedians and how sources can get ]-y? ] (]) 04:41, 7 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
::::Right. You made a bold edit, and I reverted it. We've completed ], as I've already explained my reasoning both in the edit summary and in a reply here. <span style="border-radius:2px;padding:3px;background:#1E816F">]<span style="color:#fff"> ‥ </span>]</span> 04:55, 7 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
:I have notified ]. ] (]) 17:29, 6 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
== How would you go about reporting groups of high reputation on Misplaced Pages if they violate NPOV and hold certain pages of Misplaced Pages hostage ? == | |||
] | |||
My concern is those large groups with high reputation that bully other users editing in good faith when they have genuine issues with the larger groups edits that they want to fix ] (]) 01:53, 12 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
A lot of the prose in this article comes across as glowingly approving, with a lot of canned platitudes and essentially no acknowledgement of the potential negatives of the approach.I think this article is propaganda. | |||
just a copy and paste from the group web page,With out NPOV all or most of the links go back to a self published Websites and is against Wiki NPOV --] (]) 13:42, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:First off, this should be posted on the article's talk page or (if you run into a wall there) at ], not here. Second, when if do post it at ], please read the instructions at the top; you need to provide specifics on ''why'' it is not neutral (i.e. specifically how does it violate ]), rather than just saying "It's propaganda". Also keep in mind ]. If you've got a problem with an article, just go ahead and fix it. You don't have to complain and get permission first. - ] (]) 14:24, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:Generally, we should ]. That said, follow the ] policy. —] (]) 06:24, 12 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
*I should have put this in a Question form - - - Self Published Websites Can they be used to build an Article ?? | |||
Like I stated above, most Citations come from their own Website and or Blogs - It is my understanding Blogs are not NPOV or RS ???I thought this page was to ask Questions about NPOV... Thank YOU ! ?--] (]) 15:05, 7 October 2010 (UTC) | |||
:See ] and ]. -- ] (]) 15:34, 7 October 2010 (UTC) |
Latest revision as of 16:35, 14 December 2024
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Clarification for known issues or criticism sections
It seems like known issues or criticism sections are not allowed in Misplaced Pages acording to @InfiniteNexus see Talk:Pixel_9#Known issues section and neutrality. I am deply worried on this agresion on the neutrality of Misplaced Pages. Many articles have similar sections and discussions in the past settled these sections as valid. See Talk:Pixel 5#Known issues section blanking Could someone clarify? 90.167.218.96 (talk) 14:57, 29 September 2024 (UTC)
- This user is beating a WP:DEADHORSE. It has already been explained to them that a section for "known issues" is (1) unencyclopedic and contravenes WP:NOTCHANGELOG, being an indiscriminate list of trivial matters that belong on a help center or issue tracking system, not Misplaced Pages; (2) non-neutral, as it directly goes against WP:CSECTION and WP:TRIVIA by having a section dedicated to non-notable software bugs, which also has issues with WP:UNDUE; and (3) unnecessary, as any major controversies can and will be integrated in existing sections, as it is currently being done. I'll once again remind the user that (1) two wrongs don't make a right; (2) consensus is not determined by the number of raw votes but by the strength of the arguments presented; and (3) they should stop going around in circles by simply repeating their arguments. InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:54, 29 September 2024 (UTC)
- A more neutral framing is "Reception", which makes room for the full range of opinions. Calling the section "criticism" is non-neutral because the heading naturally excludes positive comments. Yes, you can find articles from the past that fail WP:NPOV. But they should be tagged and fixed, not used as examples of why we ignore WP:NPOV. Shooterwalker (talk) 18:54, 29 September 2024 (UTC)
- OK, thanks. I will move the issues under the Reception section. 84.78.243.26 (talk) 06:25, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
- 84.78, you need to do three things here:
- Use neutral language, like "Reception". "Reception", by the way, implies that it's about what relevant experts think.
- Don't put any criticism in a separate section if it could be reasonably placed in an existing one. It's better to have something like "It has 12345 GB, which has been criticized as too little storage" than to have "It has 12345 GB" in one section and "It has been criticized for having too little storage" in another.
- Don't include every single known or suspected problem. Only include the problems that multiple independent reliable sources believe are significant. For example, if multiple computer magazines say "This device only has a foo, and it really ought to have a baz", then that's probably fine, but you probably shouldn't include anything that can only be sourced to a single source. If it's a significant problem, then you should be able to find multiple reports. If you can only find one website (especially if it's largely driven by sales commissions, customer reviews, or social media), then you shouldn't include it.
- WhatamIdoing (talk) 21:07, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
- What the others said. Plus such section headings tend to towards including things that would otherwise not merit inclusion.North8000 (talk) 21:28, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
- (edit conflict)#3 is the key point. Not every software bug is notable — in fact, most of them aren't. Only if they have attracted widespread coverage from reliable sources, of if they have special significance/relevance, do they warrant a mention. InfiniteNexus (talk) 21:28, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
- 84.78, you need to do three things here:
- OK, thanks. I will move the issues under the Reception section. 84.78.243.26 (talk) 06:25, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
The later part of this thread focused on neutrality issues but another might be the primary one here. The guidelines / policies that others are referring to (with WP:Not at the core of them) are in essence emphasizing that we are an enclyclopedia covering topics in enclyclopedia-type articles. So this is not "all information" and so you might be seeking to include information that is not enclyclopedia article type information. North8000 (talk) 21:36, 30 September 2024 (UTC)
- Do you mean that notable issues with a product should not be allowed in wikipedia and thus be removed? Please, calrify and I will start removing any notable issue from any product page in Misplaced Pages. 80.103.136.237 (talk) 13:17, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- No, that is not at all what North meant… notable (or perhaps noteworthy) issues with a product (ie those widely reported on) should be mentioned. However, we don’t mention EVERY issue with a product. Trivial issues can be (and usually are) omitted. An examination of the sources, discussion and consensus determines whether a specific issue is noteworthy or trivial. Blueboar (talk) 13:41, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- OK, thanks. All the issues that @InfiniteNexus is trying to hide are notable (accoding to Misplaced Pages notability definition). 90.167.219.84 (talk) 15:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- ... No they are not. Please substantiate your arguments rather than simply continue to make claims like this. What "definition" are you referring to, and how so? I also don't appreciate your continual bad-faith assertions that I am making Misplaced Pages non-neutral,
trying to hide
information, orseem like a Google employee
. InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:04, 1 October 2024 (UTC)- I assume that 90.167 means WP:Due weight instead of Misplaced Pages:Notability. Notability is Misplaced Pages's jargon for whether a subject deserves at WP:Separate, stand-alone article, and I don't think they mean to say that each of these consumer complaints deserves a completely separate article. WhatamIdoing (talk) 16:48, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- Good point… DUE vs UNDUE (which is determined by coverage in sources) is the criteria here, not Notability. Blueboar (talk) 16:58, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- The page Misplaced Pages:Notability does not apply to content within articles, but "notable" is often used generically as a synonym of "noteworthy", i.e. worthy of inclusion on a Misplaced Pages article. It's important for the IP user to recognize that verifiability does not guarantee inclusion, so just because they can find a source for something doesn't mean it is not trivial and interests a general audience. This is discussed at WP:INDISCRIMINATE. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:40, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- These issues are supported by multiple sources. So, they are considered WP:Due weight. I think Misplaced Pages needs to clarify if these are allowed or not as there are many similar articles. 80.103.137.123 (talk) 20:00, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- The first issue was added like this:
- Some owners are reporting a camera tilt issue. Google has not made any comments yet.
- The source added for this issue was:
- That's one (1) issue with one (1) source. One source ≠ multiple sources. Each complaint needs coverage in multiple sources. How else are we to know whether that's a widespread problem, or just something that a couple of people complained about? WhatamIdoing (talk) 21:54, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- Sure, I will add more sources. 90.167.218.158 (talk) 07:00, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- The first issue was added like this:
- These issues are supported by multiple sources. So, they are considered WP:Due weight. I think Misplaced Pages needs to clarify if these are allowed or not as there are many similar articles. 80.103.137.123 (talk) 20:00, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- The page Misplaced Pages:Notability does not apply to content within articles, but "notable" is often used generically as a synonym of "noteworthy", i.e. worthy of inclusion on a Misplaced Pages article. It's important for the IP user to recognize that verifiability does not guarantee inclusion, so just because they can find a source for something doesn't mean it is not trivial and interests a general audience. This is discussed at WP:INDISCRIMINATE. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:40, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- Good point… DUE vs UNDUE (which is determined by coverage in sources) is the criteria here, not Notability. Blueboar (talk) 16:58, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- I assume that 90.167 means WP:Due weight instead of Misplaced Pages:Notability. Notability is Misplaced Pages's jargon for whether a subject deserves at WP:Separate, stand-alone article, and I don't think they mean to say that each of these consumer complaints deserves a completely separate article. WhatamIdoing (talk) 16:48, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- ... No they are not. Please substantiate your arguments rather than simply continue to make claims like this. What "definition" are you referring to, and how so? I also don't appreciate your continual bad-faith assertions that I am making Misplaced Pages non-neutral,
- OK, thanks. All the issues that @InfiniteNexus is trying to hide are notable (accoding to Misplaced Pages notability definition). 90.167.219.84 (talk) 15:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
- No, that is not at all what North meant… notable (or perhaps noteworthy) issues with a product (ie those widely reported on) should be mentioned. However, we don’t mention EVERY issue with a product. Trivial issues can be (and usually are) omitted. An examination of the sources, discussion and consensus determines whether a specific issue is noteworthy or trivial. Blueboar (talk) 13:41, 1 October 2024 (UTC)
Either the IP user is intentionally being disruptive or unable to understand the relevant policies and guidelines, as they have once again restored the list of known issues despite being told multiple times that it violates WP:NOT and WP:CSECTION. They have also ignored repeated requests not to edit-war and wait for consensus to fully develop before altering the status quo, so I can no longer assume good faith.
The "sources" that the IP has just added are not reliable (WP:RS). Virtually all of them are newsblogs, and at most two can be considered marginally reliable. The absence of significant coverage from reputable sources is an indicator that these software bugs are not noteworthy for inclusion, and the IP user should WP:DROPTHESTICK at this point. InfiniteNexus (talk) 07:14, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- All of the sources in the page are either from other weblogs or the primary source. Sould we remove the whole article altogether for lack of reliable sources? 90.167.203.206 (talk) 07:37, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- That's not true. The article cites the Associated Press, The Verge, Wired, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, and more. If you're not sure what constitutes a reliable source, please consult WP:RS and see WP:RSPS for a list of common sources. Your tone here is combative, and you seem to avoid addressing the issues at hand, namely, WP:NOT, WP:UNDUE, and WP:CSECTION. Editors have explained to you that an indiscriminate list of software bugs is unencyclopedic and does not belong on Misplaced Pages, and only if a particular issue has contextual significance and has received significant coverage from reliable sources can it be integrated into other sections in the article. If you are unable to understand this, or simply refuse to work with Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines, then let's close this discussion and move on, because competence is required on Misplaced Pages, and you must be willing to adhere to Misplaced Pages's policies and guidelines and work with other editors. InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:03, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- @InfiniteNexus, I think this is what the Misplaced Pages:Dispute resolution processes are for. I doubt the IP has enough experience to know how it works, but they do seem to be trying to comply with all the rules. Would you be willing to show the IP how it's done, by starting a discussion on the talk page, and marching through the list, from Misplaced Pages:Third opinion all the way to RFC if necessary, addressing each individual item at a time? WhatamIdoing (talk) 16:33, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- Although I have tried to assume good faith, it no longer seems to me that the IP user is trying to follow our PAGs. They have been asked several times, "Please don't edit-war, please don't restore your edit until consensus is reached", yet they continue to do so. They have also been told (by at least four editors), "A standalone list section dedicated to software bugs is unencyclopedic, please don't add it", yet they continue to do so. This discussion has been a de facto 3O request, so I am not optimistic additional discussion will be any more productive. I'm also not sure what an RfC would look like — a question along the lines of "should a list of software bugs be included" would likely yield the response I summarized above: "no, but if a particular issue is noteworthy they can be discussed in other sections" ... which is what I've told the IP since the beginning! I also recognize there may be a language barrier (the IPs geolocate to Spain), but competence is still required and this is not an excuse for disruptive behavior. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:17, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- We could stop the edit warring at Misplaced Pages:Requests for page protection, but I think the open question (i.e., the point upon which you and the IP differ) is whether the sources provided indicate that the material is DUE. An RFC question could look like "Shall we include <this sentence>, using <these sources>?" WhatamIdoing (talk) 17:26, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- I would say it seems pretty clear that newsblogs are generally unreliable, especially if they lack meaningful editorial oversight, have a poor track record, tend to publish anything for clicks, and are rarely cited by other reputable sources. I think to justify an exemption to WP:NOTCHANGELOG, there would need to be stronger sources like the ones listed at WP:RSPS — at the very least, it should be reputable enough to have its own Misplaced Pages article. But what are your thoughts? As I said, this discussion is essentially an informal 3O/RfC/DRN. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:45, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- I don't know enough about the subject area to know what the usual sourcing standards are. For all I know, these could be highly reputable websites. Alternatively, they could all be AI-generated fakes. I don't have the background information to be able to tell them apart. I find it much easier to evaluate academic sources than news-ish websites. WhatamIdoing (talk) 20:57, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- @InfiniteNexus These news outlets are being used for references in many Misplaced Pages articles if you want to challenge them then you should challenge them Misplaced Pages wide. 85.48.187.242 (talk) 09:24, 3 October 2024 (UTC)
- I don't know enough about the subject area to know what the usual sourcing standards are. For all I know, these could be highly reputable websites. Alternatively, they could all be AI-generated fakes. I don't have the background information to be able to tell them apart. I find it much easier to evaluate academic sources than news-ish websites. WhatamIdoing (talk) 20:57, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- I would say it seems pretty clear that newsblogs are generally unreliable, especially if they lack meaningful editorial oversight, have a poor track record, tend to publish anything for clicks, and are rarely cited by other reputable sources. I think to justify an exemption to WP:NOTCHANGELOG, there would need to be stronger sources like the ones listed at WP:RSPS — at the very least, it should be reputable enough to have its own Misplaced Pages article. But what are your thoughts? As I said, this discussion is essentially an informal 3O/RfC/DRN. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:45, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- We could stop the edit warring at Misplaced Pages:Requests for page protection, but I think the open question (i.e., the point upon which you and the IP differ) is whether the sources provided indicate that the material is DUE. An RFC question could look like "Shall we include <this sentence>, using <these sources>?" WhatamIdoing (talk) 17:26, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- Although I have tried to assume good faith, it no longer seems to me that the IP user is trying to follow our PAGs. They have been asked several times, "Please don't edit-war, please don't restore your edit until consensus is reached", yet they continue to do so. They have also been told (by at least four editors), "A standalone list section dedicated to software bugs is unencyclopedic, please don't add it", yet they continue to do so. This discussion has been a de facto 3O request, so I am not optimistic additional discussion will be any more productive. I'm also not sure what an RfC would look like — a question along the lines of "should a list of software bugs be included" would likely yield the response I summarized above: "no, but if a particular issue is noteworthy they can be discussed in other sections" ... which is what I've told the IP since the beginning! I also recognize there may be a language barrier (the IPs geolocate to Spain), but competence is still required and this is not an excuse for disruptive behavior. InfiniteNexus (talk) 17:17, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- @InfiniteNexus, I think this is what the Misplaced Pages:Dispute resolution processes are for. I doubt the IP has enough experience to know how it works, but they do seem to be trying to comply with all the rules. Would you be willing to show the IP how it's done, by starting a discussion on the talk page, and marching through the list, from Misplaced Pages:Third opinion all the way to RFC if necessary, addressing each individual item at a time? WhatamIdoing (talk) 16:33, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
- That's not true. The article cites the Associated Press, The Verge, Wired, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, and more. If you're not sure what constitutes a reliable source, please consult WP:RS and see WP:RSPS for a list of common sources. Your tone here is combative, and you seem to avoid addressing the issues at hand, namely, WP:NOT, WP:UNDUE, and WP:CSECTION. Editors have explained to you that an indiscriminate list of software bugs is unencyclopedic and does not belong on Misplaced Pages, and only if a particular issue has contextual significance and has received significant coverage from reliable sources can it be integrated into other sections in the article. If you are unable to understand this, or simply refuse to work with Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines, then let's close this discussion and move on, because competence is required on Misplaced Pages, and you must be willing to adhere to Misplaced Pages's policies and guidelines and work with other editors. InfiniteNexus (talk) 16:03, 2 October 2024 (UTC)
I'm starting up a new observation, I have an interest in a particular article, see my log. I'm seeking an analogy to the exception about hearsay evidence - that you can in fact establish that somebody said something - a speech act - while refusing to say that in any sense the truth of what they say is established. So, rather than focusing on the truth of a claim, whether that claim has been stated by a reputable source, that it could be established that a given claim is "out there", which to my way of seeking would involve a lower threshold to establish that - as compared to the truth of what is being claimed. If the current set of wikipedia ideas do not allow for this, I suggest that be a modification. If that is not possible, well, *groan* JohnAugust (talk) 20:42, 15 October 2024 (UTC)
- So, there are two policy issues related to this:
- 1- verifying that the person said it, and that Misplaced Pages is quoting them accurately. This is covered in WP:V and WP:RS.
- 2- establishing that Misplaced Pages should mention the quote in the first place. This is covered at WP:NPOV, and specifically by WP:UNDUE.
- Essentially, we want to cite the original (primary) source for Verifiability purposes, but want to cite Secondary sources for DUE Weight purposes. Thus, best practice is to cite both. Blueboar (talk) 21:41, 15 October 2024 (UTC)
- The challenge is that saying "So-and-so said ____" implies that ____ is not only true but also relevant/important.
- In some areas, we can move to a higher class of sources (e.g., replace social media posts about politician's hairstyles with scholarly sources that look at the same politician's policy stances). In other areas, that's not possible.
- Editors will always have to use their judgment to determine whether a given point actually belongs in an encyclopedia article. WhatamIdoing (talk) 00:23, 16 October 2024 (UTC)
- OK, thanks for that. I'll see how I go applying this in the next few days.JohnAugust (talk) 00:32, 17 October 2024 (UTC)
Well sourced, journalist written, mainstream corporate media based critical contents is nowhere near as problematic as Awards & Accolades section citing the award granting group, other .org, trade groups. Graywalls (talk) 19:52, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- I agree in theory, and I think this particular example hinges on whether you recognize these websites as "journalist written, mainstream corporate media" vs just some websites. WhatamIdoing (talk) 22:29, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
Due and undue weight and articles on religion: potential guidelines for ordering for neutrality
For articles on religious topics which do have a broad and NPOV material (not just the views of a single denomination), should there be some editorial guideline for ordering to the presentation of semi-controversial information to reduce undue weight or cumulative non-NPOV?
The guidelines that come to mind are:
0. Editors should NOT order the sections merely according to their length or the order they were added, unless the sections have already been arranged so that the length reflects some reasonably objective editorial metric or system: due weight or notability or chronology or genericity etc.
1. If the presentation starts chronologically/historically, the article should generally continue chronologically/historically. I.e. for Christian-related topic, a series like Ancient/Patristic/Catholic-Orthodox/Protestant/Non-conformist/Liberal or whatever. E.g. Biblical_inerrancy.
1a. Where chronological listing might give undue weight to some marginal information, it could be put at the end, or grouped into a subsection like "Other". This may help flow of reading too.
2. If the material is best thought of as a series of parallel developments without strong interaction, then organizing by topic/stream/denomination could be appropriate. For example, the Essence–energies_distinction article has its main split into an Orthodox section then a Catholic section, with chronological considerations in the paragraphs not the sections.
2a. In this case, the issue of the order of denominations is also appropriate to consider: I suggest that where some idea is notably or primarily or most simply associated with some single denomination or group (e.g. Orthodoxy and "energia" or Catholicism and "essence" or perhaps "sola fide" and Protestantism) then that denomination or group should be treated first.
2b. But where the topic applies to multiple denominations where none is clearly the most notable, and then I suggest that notability should use the proxy of the numerical strength of that denomination, following List_of_Christian_denominations_by_number_of_members. This would mean Catholic section first, Protestants second, Orthodox third, Church of east fourth, others at end.
Would it be legitimate for an editor, e.g. me, to take an article e.g. Biblical_inspiration and rearrange it chronologically/sizewise (to the order Catholic, Lutheran, Evangelical, Liberal, Neo-orthodx) just on these editorial considerations, without being accused of pushing a particular wheelbarrow?
This came up because I saw (or imagined) a pattern where many articles have a large Protestant section first then a small Catholic section later: the order suggests a logical priority which is surely not appropriate or intended: for individual articles...who cares? But cumulatively an ordering in many articles favouring particular smaller groups might be create a form of bias.
- (Currently, there are many articles on religious topics (Christian, presumably others) that feature only or mainly the view of one denomination or belief system. This is unavoidable, of course, given that some articles are sourced from e.g. the Catholic Encyclopedia or written by people interested or specialist in one tradition. (For example, the old article on Priesthood of all believers had only Protestant material.) However, in the long term we hope that articles reform themselves as editors attend to WP:NPOV and undue weight etc. That is a different issue.) Rick Jelliffe (talk) 05:21, 5 November 2024 (UTC)
the -est, "one of the first", in xxx superlatives in articles
How do we feel about the liberal use of such sensationalistic superlatives in a lot of articles? I am seeing them everywhere. "the biggest, the first, was featured in best/top 4,523 list of xxx" in the township/Bay Area/region/state/country/time zone. and so on. Even if it's mentioned in reliable sources, I'm seeing this used excessively. Graywalls (talk)
- This is done to establish notability. Blueboar (talk) 22:37, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- Is it accurate? If so, then I don't think it's a problem, especially if it's just one or two claims per article. I'd rather read "First pizza joint in the Bay Area" than "It's a pizza joint in the Bay Area". It's not sensationalism to report 'favorable' facts. Also, Blueboar is correct. Our notion of a Misplaced Pages:Credible claim of significance pretty much demands that editors add some sort of information along these lines, so we can't complain too much when they do what we insist they do. WhatamIdoing (talk) 22:38, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- I think the issue is the overly liberal use of such superlatives. I do not think that any reasonable editor would object to describing Yuri Gagarin as the first human to journey into outer space. The quality of the sourcing is also important. If the preponderance of reliable sources describe the topic as "the first", then I have no problem including it. But sometimes these claims are sourced to low quality, lazy listicle journalism. As in so many other areas of editing Misplaced Pages, a healthy dose of common sense and good editorial judgment is required. Cullen328 (talk) 22:51, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- And also, "Awards and Accolades" section being considerably larger than criticism even if there's just as much critical information based on news reports. Graywalls (talk) 22:56, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- Well, listicle formatting may give a false impression there (a list of three awards takes up more screen space than a prose sentence naming the same three awards), but the problem with unbalanced attention isn't really about the superlatives. Someone can be widely recognized as the best guitarist and a person with serious personal problems; a business can produce the finest widgets and the biggest polluter of the town's water supply. And because of the effects of Outrage journalism on WP:RECENTISM, it is sometimes the case that what looks big at the moment turns out to be a temporary blip. It can be difficult to get the balance right, even when you're trying hard. WhatamIdoing (talk) 23:38, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- It's certainly noteworthy to say that they're the worst town polluter though, along with being the finest maker of widget Y. Graywalls (talk) 00:13, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- Well, listicle formatting may give a false impression there (a list of three awards takes up more screen space than a prose sentence naming the same three awards), but the problem with unbalanced attention isn't really about the superlatives. Someone can be widely recognized as the best guitarist and a person with serious personal problems; a business can produce the finest widgets and the biggest polluter of the town's water supply. And because of the effects of Outrage journalism on WP:RECENTISM, it is sometimes the case that what looks big at the moment turns out to be a temporary blip. It can be difficult to get the balance right, even when you're trying hard. WhatamIdoing (talk) 23:38, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- "was the first restaurant in township to phase out single use flatware, and has the largest solar generation among all sit-down restaurants in the county" sort of thing is what I was referring to. Graywalls (talk) 00:17, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- Assuming that they got some attention from (e.g.) the local newspaper about this, what's wrong with that? That might be what they're actually notable for. Maybe the next paragraph (or next year's version of the article) is going to say that the owners campaigned for a local plastic straw ban, or that their solar array caught fire and burned down the entire historic district. If that's what the sources give attention to that restaurant for, then deciding that this is unimportant is what this policy calls "editorial bias".
- In some cases, what's important is that it happens at all. In such a case, the article might say less about "first" and "largest", and instead say something like "The owners are interested in environmental issues and have consequently stopped providing single-use flatware and installed a solar power system". But you really would have to consider everything the source says before deciding what to write. "They're eco-conscious" isn't a good explanation if the facts are that the solar power company was having a contest, and the super-competitive owner was determined to beat his arch-rival, Other Restaurant. WhatamIdoing (talk) 00:52, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- But in grand scheme of thing, those insignificant claims like the biggest snail ever seen (on my property) usually don't belong in an encyclopedia. It can be in editorial gray zone, but those "first in township" like claims are clearly comparable to that watermelon example.
- Although I'm not exactly known as being an inclusionist while some others are extreme inclusionist. Graywalls (talk) 04:27, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- If independent sources make a big deal out of _____, then it doesn't matter if _____ seems insignificant to a Misplaced Pages editor. Instead of imposing our personal biases on the sources (why did they waste space on that unimportant cruft?!), we should reflect the sources as best we can.
- Sometimes there are ways to represent the facts in a less-enthusiastic tone. "The biggest, oldest, and best restaurant in Smallville" may become "the only restaurant in Smallville". But ultimately, if the main reason the sources are writing about the restaurant is because they have solar panels on the roof, or a record-setting ball of twine in the garden, or because George Washington Slept Here, the Misplaced Pages articles really do need to reflect that fact.
- Sometimes it's not actually obvious why some "trivia" might be more important than it looks at first blush. For example, "24-bed hospital with the only emergency room within 25 miles of town" probably sounds like pure promotionalism to some editors – but they wouldn't think that if they knew what effect that particular combination of size and distance has on unlocking US federal funding. There could be a hidden importance behind other kinds of "unimportant" facts, too. WhatamIdoing (talk) 07:33, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- I tend to agree if the attention is brought upon by the independent source in an intellectually independent way.
- I'll use real example.. " LA Weekly listed it as one of the ten best "Online Resources for Metal Knowledge" in 2013." in Metal Injection, I find questionable. It's just in a list, but it was an editor decision to bring up that it's in a list. Graywalls (talk) 14:51, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
- And also, "Awards and Accolades" section being considerably larger than criticism even if there's just as much critical information based on news reports. Graywalls (talk) 22:56, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
- I'm repeating what other people have said, but this is the easiest way to clear the WP:N hurdle, if it exists. I agree it can start to feel sensationalistic. That's why we avoid saying "X is the greatest movie of all time", and instead say "X was named the greatest film of all time by publication A, B, and C." The first is an opinion, the second is a fact (about an opinion). Shooterwalker (talk) 13:47, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
Comedy is subjective
I see comedy hasn't been discussed in the archives. I added it to the subjective section. We should be careful about overweighting articles with suggestions of offense or the like, sourced to conventional sources. Consider that those not offended are unlikely to be reported on, resulting in POV issues. Thoughts here? SmolBrane (talk) 21:24, 5 November 2024 (UTC)
- @Remsense I see you reverted without explanation, would you like to discuss? SmolBrane (talk) 15:11, 6 November 2024 (UTC)
- Not really, I don't feel the need to justify reverting a unilateral addition to site policy. I did explain it, though: there's an "etc." on that list for a reason. Remsense ‥ 论 19:11, 6 November 2024 (UTC)
- WP:Bold edits are a conventional way to collaborate on the project though it may feel a little strange sometimes! Objections/reverts are best received when discussed or explained. Do you have an opinion on comedians and how sources can get WP:TABLOID-y? SmolBrane (talk) 04:41, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
- Right. You made a bold edit, and I reverted it. We've completed the classic pattern, as I've already explained my reasoning both in the edit summary and in a reply here. Remsense ‥ 论 04:55, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
- WP:Bold edits are a conventional way to collaborate on the project though it may feel a little strange sometimes! Objections/reverts are best received when discussed or explained. Do you have an opinion on comedians and how sources can get WP:TABLOID-y? SmolBrane (talk) 04:41, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
- Not really, I don't feel the need to justify reverting a unilateral addition to site policy. I did explain it, though: there's an "etc." on that list for a reason. Remsense ‥ 论 19:11, 6 November 2024 (UTC)
- I have notified Misplaced Pages talk:WikiProject Comedy. SmolBrane (talk) 17:29, 6 November 2024 (UTC)
How would you go about reporting groups of high reputation on Misplaced Pages if they violate NPOV and hold certain pages of Misplaced Pages hostage ?
My concern is those large groups with high reputation that bully other users editing in good faith when they have genuine issues with the larger groups edits that they want to fix Nicholasjosey (talk) 01:53, 12 November 2024 (UTC)
- Generally, we should assume good faith. That said, follow the Misplaced Pages:Dispute resolution policy. —Bagumba (talk) 06:24, 12 November 2024 (UTC)