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I happen to be very pro-Second Amendment, so it feels very weird for me to be on the side of the Brady Campaign in their article. In light of the Supreme Court decision today, affirming the Constitutional right of individuals to own firearms, a few pundits on blogs started pondering if the Brady could now be classified as a "hate group" because of their opposition to a Constituional right. So now there are a plethora of IP editors, SPA's and a few just pushing a POV trying to use the criteria of a hate group showing in the Wikipedia article on that topic to try to justify calling the Brady Campaign a hate group. I detest the Brady Campaign and disagree with them on everything I can think of, but this seems to be just wrong and the "vote" being taken is turning into a mob rule situation because, as one of the SPA's put it "the whole point of wikipedia is truth by consensus. If enough people think that it qualifies as a hate group (It already fits the definition), then I believe we should put it up there" Perhaps some outside eyes would be helpful. Niteshift36 ( talk) 06:20, 29 June 2010 (UTC)
There is a current problem over articles to do with Northern Ireland, primarily the Northern Ireland county articles over whether or not they should include their relation to the rest of the islands counties when manual of styles used on other countries counties don't make reference to other entities.
Primarily this involves around a lengthy discussion on whether it should be mentioned in a Northern Ireland county lede that it is one of the "32 counties of Ireland". Of the six editors who have taken part it is split even down the middle. I have tried to be flexible but the inflexibility of others has meant i am now standing firmer than before and have rejected a newer proposal i put foward myself.
The issue is contentious as there aren't 32 counties in Ireland anymore, the Republic of Ireland has constituted 29 counties since 1994. The term is also conentious as it is primarily used by Irish nationalists and republican ideology in respects to Ireland, and even though 32 counties is used by the GAA, they are an organisation with strong links to Irish republicanism and so can't be seen as a neutral reference. One editor Laurel_Lodged said that removal of the term would be best due to its potential troublesome nature.
I keep getting quoted manual of styles used on other articles to circumvent suggestions that might detract from the sense of all-Ireland (such as including Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland county navbox, and adding UK into the lede), whilst the same editors ignore manual of styles used on other articles to suit their own ends which is essentially Wikipedia:Gaming the system.
The England, Wales, and Scotland county articles don't show their relations to counties in the other parts of the UK, so why should Northern Ireland? The same issue affects the county maps used. I was told by a user (Superfopp) that i couldn't use a six-county map of Northern Ireland in a navbox as it'd make Northern Ireland "look like an island" despite other navboxes and infoboxes making use of "island" like country maps. And that he'd rather have no picture used at all as i don't agree that the all-Ireland one he used is needed. On infoboxes every county in the UK is shown in relation to their constituent country but Northern Ireland is shown in relation to an entire island and thus also a country it isn't politically a part of.
There was even a proposal put forward by one user that Counties of Northern Ireland should be merged with Counties of Ireland. This is another attempt to blur the border and deny Northern Ireland its right of distinction.
My pov swings one way on the debate and i others desire to maintain Northern Irelands distinction from the other political entities on the island, whilst the others prefer to keep Northern Ireland within an all-Ireland context - politically or not. At times some of us, me including how gotten hot-headed and irrational.
So essentially i want to ask for neutral point of views on whether Northern Ireland should have to show its relation to the rest of the island when other articles don't show their relation to other political entities - and whether Northern Ireland articles such as county articles can properly assert their political distinction from the rest of this island with ledes and maps that don't make reference to other countries or geographical regions which can be found out in the actual Northern Ireland article itself. If people want to see an all-Ireland view of Ireland they can go to the relevant articles. I believe using the manual-of-style used on other UK county articles would be the best way. Mabuska (talk) 11:10, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
"The island of Ireland is divided into two major political units - Northern Ireland, which along with England, Scotland, and Wales forms the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. Of the 32 counties of Ireland, 26 are in the Republic. Of the four historic provinces, three and part of the fourth are in the Republic." Frommer's Ireland, 2006
"The term 'All-Irish' is in common use for many cultural, sports, and other purposes, and many events, competitions, and organizations are 'All-Irish', that is, they cover the entire area of the 32 traditional counties of the island and not just the Republic of Ireland." World and Its Peoples, 2010
"The twenty-six traditional counties of Eire and the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland are used as the standard Irish geographical designations." - Robert A. Faleer, Church Woodwork in the British Isles, 1100-1535, 2009
Colouring the infoboxes a specific colour especially green for the south and orange for the north might be quite contentious and stereotyping the entities, i would accept a different colour for Northern Ireland though, say the neutral blue used as default on Wiki navboxes.
Is is biased Scolaire to ask for Northern Ireland county articles to conform to the standards and styles used on other articles across Wikipedia or their own set of principles? We weren't on the brink of agreement as two other participants didn't agree with the usage of 32 counties so there was no concensus. In the end it was more of just you and me. I have however put forward an idea on the discussion page on regards to the county ledes along with one last proposal, or rather change of one single word.
Martinvl made good points that i can agree with. Though his points have holes:
As the county map shows the relationship of Northern Irish counties to Northern Ireland is there a need to include "32 counties in the lede? People can see the relationship in the map. And why can't a simple 6-county map be used for a Northern Ireland county navbox? I had to request a neutral colour be used for them as it is to help show some distinction between the countries. If a 32 county one is to be used for the Northern Ireland county articles infobox map - can it be a fair compromise to use a 6 county map for the Northern Ireland county navbox? For a small box a more specific map is better than an all-Ireland one.
If Northern Ireland counties are to be shown and described in an all-Ireland context, do they have to match the same manual of styles as Republic of Ireland counties? Can they not maintain distinction whilst including the context?
By the way just because i am a member of WikiProject Unionism in Ireland and believe in Northern Ireland maintaining its distinction - it doesn't make me a unionist. I am also a member of WikiProject Gaeliege and Irish Republicanism. Also is it forum-shopping to ask for neutral povs on the issue as we all lean one way or the other and independant views are needed to show what way other people outside of the box think to see what a broader feeling is? Mabuska (talk) 22:47, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
Martinvls comments and about navbox pictures amongst other things. Mabuska (talk) 20:54, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
I don't understand why this was brought here as it was being dealt with @ WikiProject Ireland. I have no problem with Northern Ireland and saying it is part of the UK but I think for all of the reasons laid out above and in the WikiProject Ireland discussion we should make reference to the 32 countries and also to the four provinces. Bjmullan ( talk) 16:27, 18 June 2010 (UTC)
The topics mentioned here by have been discussed (each to various degrees, some not really at all) on WikiProject Ireland however external out-of-the-box views were needed to see if there was a way to break the deadlock with external input and ideas and to see should Northern Ireland always be mentioned in relation to the Republic of Ireland - and it has proved fruitful to varying degrees i believe.
The infoboxes really do need to declare the country the county belongs to. The best way i think for a Singapoean etc. would be to talk about 32-counties where it can be properly expanded upon - in the history section of the articles. The all-Ireland county map can also fit in there to. Why must it be in the lede or infobox? Should they not deal with the immediate concerns of the county rather than its historical or traditional relations to the whole island?
It would also free up the infobox for a more specific and possibly detailed map than the all-Ireland one would allow. I.e. a Northern Ireland county map that can show the main settlements in the county or a slightly topographical map which is currently impossible. I.e. just like this French one: [[File:France_relief_location_map.jpg]]
Also i was told that there was no need to state its part of the UK as people can find that out by clicking the Northern Ireland link - well on that methodology they could click a link and see the counties relation to all-Ireland - is that not what the Counties of Ireland page is for?
A point i'm going to re-raise as its not been mentioned by anyone: What is wrong with using a county map of Northern Ireland for a county navbox, i.e. in this one i created (its currently not in use):
I've been told it makes it look like an island and on that basis the editor would rather have no map. However many articles make use of "island" country maps. I think that it looks very nice in the navbox. I feel that the navbox should also state the country the county belongs to for clarification as several of the Republic of Ireland county navboxes declare "Ireland" afterwards yet i was told that as other county navboxes for the UK don't declare what state they belong to then Northern Ireland ones shouldn't. Something should be inputted to make clear where the county belongs to politically especially as Ireland counties have more potential to be troublesome than English or Scottish ones. Mabuska (talk) 18:08, 19 June 2010 (UTC)
Some editors, having tacitly acknowledged that they were on dodgy ground with administrative divisions of states, have now changed tactics and switched to "cultural" reasons as a fig-leaf for their irredentist objectives. They will find that this too is barren ground. For what is the context of this "culture"? Why no other reason than political necessity. In other words, it's the old "divide and conquor" strategem that every large power with imperialist ambitions, from Caesar to Henry II has practiced. There was no such "culture" of counties, 32 or otherwise, prior to this imperialist carve up. You'll need to shift ground again guys. Laurel Lodged ( talk) 13:34, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
Having already been taken to 3RR today for reverting subtle POV promotional editing at this article, can someone please take on yet another IP pushing the same unsourced promotional content? [1]. Thanks!
I have started a discussion at the non-free content review page regarding the possible deletion of an image. The reasoning for its removal is for both potential violation of WP:NFCC and neutrality so I thought I would throw a link to the conversation here. Wikipedia:Non-free content review#File:Mehserle-mugshot.jpg-- Cptnono ( talk) 04:50, 23 June 2010 (UTC)
This article reads like a promotional pamphlet for the place. Phrases such as "provides children with a house of dreams", "the breathtaking experience", "excellent performances in different styles" and last but by no means least "large quantities of breathtaking and exciting amusements to satisfy anyone's desire for modern entertainments" are must definitely NPOV. -- Panzer71 ( talk) 16:55, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
{{ Kosovo-note}} seems a bit dubious to me, or at least the placing of it on certain articles, say for example Morinë (which isn't even in Kosovo!) or Jarinje, where the template text is roughly as long as the article text which already deals with the sovereignty dispute. The template talk page might have been a better place to raise this, but I fear that the number of people with that watchlisted won't be that high and it might be a better idea for some fresh eyes on this. I'll drop a note there with a link to this discussion though. Thanks. 2 lines of K 303 13:59, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
Excuse me I am the IP editor in discussion - I am not a sock for any one. I do not want an account. Please respect that. This is unfair to try to make out that I am some sock for a banned editor. I did add the Kosovo template to a number of articles - I think nearly all of which were in the Category: Government of Kosovo category...what on earth is wrong with that? As Tadija says, the note should be listed on those articles. 84.203.69.86 ( talk) 21:10, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
I am conscious that I am likely to be censored soon...Please set out the reason, the evidence (if you like) - before you go off trying to ban me for being some sock? Do I get a hearing? 84.203.69.86 ( talk) 21:27, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
In my opinion, the bolded text should be deleted from the lead:
Judaism rejects assertions that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh.
It is the only place in the lead section where an argument which supports a particular belief is presented. Such text does not appear anywhere else in the lead section, and was only added recently by a currently banned sockpuppet. Flash 22:12, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
It would help if User:Bluerasberry and User:Slatersteven at least glanced at the actual article. The text is not bold. Flash bolded it here to indicate which part she/he wanted to delete. Noloop ( talk) 22:29, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
Sorry for the misunderstanding, my post was a bit confusing.
The reason why I consider the text to violate NPOV is that arguments or reasons behind a particular belief is not found elsewhere in the lead section. For example, Judaism reject Jesus as the Messiah because they argue he didn't fulfill the Messianic prophecies. Conversely, Christianity believes Jesus to be the Messiah because they argue he did fulfill those prophecies or that he will fulfill the rest at the second coming, but those arguments are not included. I believe the lead would be more readable if it didn't included arguments or reasons behind religious beliefs, and just simply state the beliefs themselves. Flash 23:48, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
Yes, whether he fulfilled Messianic prophecies or not is irrelevant to this article. However, "he did not fulfill Messianic prophecies" is not a religious belief; the sources all refer to it as an argument for the belief that Jesus is not the Messiah, rather than a stand alone belief. For example, [3] Flash 00:05, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
The Ten Commandments article has been stable for a year and a half with the text of its three Biblical versions sitting side by side for comparison, but with the divergent version otherwise split off as a sub-article, Ritual Decalogue. Now several editors are edit warring to have that version deleted from the main article, without presenting any evidence in argument apart from their own opinions. AFAIK, per WP:BRD, the old stable form of the article should at least remain in place unless and until we can work out a new consensus. I agree that, as the 3rd version is not the TC's of popular conception, a sub-article is warranted, with the main article concentrating on the other two versions; however, in a table purporting to compare the versions of the TC's, all three should be included. Otherwise IMO the article is only about some of the TC's, and so shouldn't be called "Ten Commandments". Any opinions here?
A typical argument for deletion is that, although there are three Decalogues, there are only two sets of Ten Commandments, because "Decalogue" and "Ten Commandments" are not synonyms except in academic writing, despite the fact that the article itself treats the terms as synonyms, and every dictionary I've consulted treats them as synonyms. (Webster's Collegiate, which would presumably cover common rather than just academic usage, simply defines "Decalogue" as "TEN COMMANDMENTS" and pays it no more attention than that.)
There are numerous RS's which refer to the three versions of the TC's/Decalogue. For example, in The Hebrew Bible: A Brief Socio-Literary Introduction (Norman Gottwald, 2008), in the lede of the section called "Terse Lists of Prohibitions: The Ten Commandments" (p. 118), it says,
[Exod. 34, which I bolded, is what the editors want to deleted from the TC's article.]
That is, both terms are commonly applied to the two versions the article concentrates on (the 'Ethical Decalogue'), but the third version is also called the "ten commandments" in the Bible itself. Also,
This "Ritual Decalogue", as it's called to disambiguate, has also been called the "ritual Ten Commandments" as far back as a century ago:
Again, I can see removing discussion of the third version to a subarticle, but I can't see deleting it from a table that purports to compare the versions of the TC's. WP:BRD should IMO be respected during the discussion phase ('there is no R after the D'). — kwami ( talk) 06:53, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
I ran across National Development Front as part of the July copyediting drive by the Guild of Copyeditors. The article describes the group in ways that may not be adequately or accurately sourced or couched (such as describing the group as "extremist," which is almost always a loaded term, and "hard-line"). I declined a major copyedit because of the potential for POV problems and placed an expert and POV check tag on the article as needing to be resolved before I could do any major copyediting on it. I am not familiar enough with this subject to really tackle a significant content dispute if someone wants to edit war over it, but I am concerned about the article's tone, so I thought bringing it here might get a few more eyes on it. And, of course, it may ultimately be fine, but I'd rather someone a little more knowledgeable take a look. Thanks. — e. ripley\ talk 12:08, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
On Tourism in Israel users have been removing any mention of the fact that East Jerusalem is considered occupied Palestinian territory and repeatedly implying that EJ is in Israel. This is a view not accepted by any state except for Israel and the super-majority of sources are clear on the point that EJ is not in Israel. This edit shows the issue here with users insisting that EJ be included without any mention of the overwhelming view that it is occupied territory. Is it acceptable under WP:NPOV to imply that EJ is in Israel when the overwhelming majority of quality sources clearly state that it is not? nableezy - 02:50, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
Hi,
I recently created an account to update the Living Persons Bio for Paula Begoun. I work for her, and didn't realize that this was a conflict (I thought if we provided citations, etc,) and thus the page received the "Bias Message." I understood, and revised further to remove any possible suspect details, and gave even further credible citations. I spoke with a person in my "Talk" and they suggested I attach a note here for a neutral editor to voluteer to give us a green light or advise of any further edits. I thought that by divulging my connection to Paula Begoun that would be transparency, but I understand the process. Any volunteers would be great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Begoun Paula's Choice ( talk) 23:39, 9 July 2010 (UTC) Nathan
Here is the "Talk" log:
Thank you, I appreciate the help! I am not sure if this question is your department, but the page in question http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Begoun received a flag for bias warning. I have revised and removed any language that may have warrented this, along with providing additional credible citations. Again, I am not sure if this is your department, but would this qualify to have the warning removed? Paula's Choice ( talk) 23:39, 9 July 2010 (UTC) Nathan
I get the impression that you're directly connected with Paula Begoun; it would be good if you get a totally neutral person to review it first. Wikipedia:Neutral point of view/Noticeboard is most often used for problems with people trying to advertise, but I think that if you left a note there asking for some neutral editor/s to give it read, you'd probably find a volunteer or two. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 23:01, 9 July 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paula's Choice ( talk • contribs)
There is currently a disagreement on neutrality that is hindering improvement to the East Africa page. It centres around whether or not to mention an unrecognised state within the outline of this geographic region's composition.
The bulleted part (see top) of this outline is based on the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, which is a geographical grouping of countries for statistical purposes. Because the UN does not recognise the existence of Somaliland as a separate state of its own, its name will not be mentioned in this source. No editor is proposing tampering with this definition, which is strictly a reflection of the source. The second part of the outline (see directly underneath) defines the region in a purely geographic sense, and uses multiple sources. Inclusion of the red text is disputed on the grounds that it doesn't belong on a list of countries:
East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and (in a wider sense) also Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia (including the breakaway republic of Somaliland), Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan. [citations omitted]
Inclusion was proposed initially because neutral policy would normally dictate that all sides to a dispute be represented. Sovereignty over Somaliland is a prominent dispute in current affairs. It is listed in the List of states with limited recognition and List of sovereign states.
Sources used will also need to be checked for neutrality.
No discussion has taken place on the talk page because an identical (and rather lengthy) argument surrounding the inclusion of the same name on a template took place here and concluded here, and involved the same editors. Night w ( talk) 05:50, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
"The Government does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state, neither does the rest of the international community. The UK has signed up to a common EU position and to many UN Security Council Presidential Statements, which refer to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia."
The above by Midday clears up any confusion as to what the definition of East Africa is in mainstream literature, several wikipedia lists or templates where the inclusion of Somaliland is systematically pushed from a biased perspective through sheer weight of numbers(which is wrongfully portrayed as being 'concensus') does not equal 'a new mainstream definition' that is used by 'neutral sources' -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 14:13, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
I agree with everything stated above by Night w regarding the circumstances in this case. I would direct commenting editors to the List of states with limited recognition page for some background in this area of International Politics and very strongly encourage a reading of the prev. discussion here and here as noted above also. The treatment of disputes from an objective perceptive is key for any encyclopedia. I strongly believe we should not take sides in international disputes. Treating states with limited recognition as equal to one another is therefore very important. Those who take sides in these conflicts should really try to check their POV at the door when they come to improve the project; in this case, that has not happened. Wikipedians are people, and people can be very nationalistic sometimes leading them to become very combative in their editing. Taking sides in international disputes on wikipedia is rarely productive.
In regards to pages that have to do with this state I have had been told/called so many things and quoted so many WP policies guidelines (though often incorrectly). Some times I am spreading propaganda, sometimes I am the 'separatists' themselves, sometimes I am soap-boxing, sometimes when I use sources provided by others arguing - those sources are no longer valid, sometimes I am an advocate, and on and on. I really want this issue settled, because there are many pages across the project that need to be rendered neutral. Hopefully in this discussion, excessively long repetitive comments will not rule the day. I do not want to find consensus on a subject, only to move on to another page and have the same edits challenged by the same few editors.
Be wary, this discussion is NOT about Somaliland's international status. No one disputes the fact that no state recognizes it currently. No one disputes the fact that no international organization recognizes it currently. Somaliland exists as a de facto state only, and is defined as such by outside observers. The best article on the subject that I have found is here: http://yalejournal.org/article/de-facto-statehood-strange-case-somaliland [30]
As far as edits of mine above are concerned as quoted by Midday; the first is me adding a redirect on the list of sovereign states page. I do not understand how that is relevant. The second confirms only that I am involved with this dispute. I did not add Somaliland to Wikipedia, it was on those lists long before I came along. Please do not break up my comment. To all editors here, feel free to talk to me on my talk page. Thanks. Outback the koala ( talk) 02:59, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
To Middayexpress:
I sympathise with Outback's frustration over this. I always try to assume good faith when disagreeing with editors, but on rare occasions you come across certain users who will persist again and again, no matter how many instances occur in which they're forced to concede to policy and consensus. In this case, there are editors involved who are incredibly knowledgable on the subject, and have the potential to make great improvements to the site, but their ability to make unbiased, encyclopædic edits is thwarted by a conflict of interest with their subject. Night w ( talk) 06:09, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
1) The part of the article the sentence occupies is not the UN list, but the secondary definition: "East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of . . ."
2) The second ref given states "Somaliland located in the north part of Somalia in East Africa is a small country . . ."
3) I am constantly amazed at Wikipedeans failure to find and use up-to-date sources. A simple search on Amazon and using the "Search inside this book" feature turned up Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History and Society (2008), which refers to Somaliland as a republic while discussing its lack of diplomatic recognition, and even uses the term "breakaway republic" on p. 121.
3) This article concerns a geographical designation, not a political demarcation. In geography, the term " country" is used to designate a geographical region. The geographical region in question is generally designated by the name "Somaliland," whether it is or isn't an independent nation.
4) The sentence doesn't say Somaliland is a sovereign nation, so any objections based on that reason do not apply. In fact, it states that Somaliland is part of Somolia with the status of a "breakaway republic", which appears to be a correct description. Somaliland appears to engage in informal diplomatic activities; it has been autonomous since 1991 with no effort on the part of Somalia to force it back into the state of Somalia that I have been able to discover; it has its own army; and the people don't pay taxes to Somalia. But it's not recognised by other countries, so its status is a kind of twilight zone of sovereignty. It's not a matter of urgency to other countries because it is small and poor.
5) The purpose of Wikipedia is to convey information to as many people as possible. Some of those people, obviously, consider Somaliland to be an independent, sovereign nation. Others don't, so it is a matter of dispute. Most people don't care and haven't thought about it. The purpose of the sentence is to convey what geographical regions are included in the term "East Africa." Those who consider Somaliland an independent nation would wonder why it wasn't on the list if it were left off; those who don't consider it an independent nation would note that it is designated as part of Somalia.
The sentence as quoted would satisfy everyone except those who are active partisans on either side. Wikipedia is not written to settle scores, succor either side in a dispute, or declare which side is correct; Wikipedia is written to convey correct information to the largest number of people. By doing so in no way does it portray a slanted point of view by using the language in the sentence, in my opinion.
To recap, the sentence does not state Somaliland is an independent nation; Somaliland is the term used to describe the geographical area in question as evidenced by the ref in 2) above, and the article is about the definition of a geographical area. Tom Reedy ( talk) 04:01, 4 May 2010 (UTC)
The part of the article the sentence occupies is not the UN list, but the secondary definition: "East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of . . ."
The second ref given states "Somaliland located in the north part of Somalia in East Africa is a small country . . ."
I am constantly amazed at Wikipedeans failure to find and use up-to-date sources. A simple search on Amazon and using the "Search inside this book" feature turned up Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History and Society (2008), which refers to Somaliland as a republic while discussing its lack of diplomatic recognition, and even uses the term "breakaway republic" on p. 121.
"Thus when the union was formed, its precise legal effects had not been laid down in any instrument having binding force in both parts of the State. As explained below, the matter was clarified seven months later by the adoption of a new Act of Union with retroactive effect from July 1, 1960 for the whole territory of the Republic ...To dispel any uncertainties, it was thought desirable, as a first step, to enact a law applicable to the whole territory of the Republic, defining the legal effects of the union with as much precision as possible. This was done on January 31, 1961, six months after unification, when the National Assembly adopted by acclamation a new Act of Union, which repealed the Union of Somaliland and Somalia Law, and which was made retroactive as from July 1, 1960."
Middayexpress ( talk) 05:00, 5 May 2010 (UTC)"One component of the structural defects of this vigorous campaign for "Somaliland" administration within the geographical confines of Hargeisa and its vicinities is the infringement of the Act of Union, a fundamental error emanating from an arbitrary means of dissolving the union of Somalia."
Middayexpress ( talk) 04:14, 6 May 2010 (UTC)"It is not sufficient to discuss an opinion as fact merely by stating "some people believe...", a practice referred to as "mass attribution". [1] A reliable source supporting a statement that a group holds an opinion must accurately describe how large this group is."
An observation ( objective) expresses a fact. An interpretation ( subjective) expresses an opinion. A fact can be asserted without simon-says inline-text phrasing. An opinion must be attributed to so-and-so said.
This article concerns a geographical designation, not a political demarcation. In geography, the term " country" is used to designate a geographical region. The geographical region in question is generally designated by the name "Somaliland," whether it is or isn't an independent nation.
The sentence doesn't say Somaliland is a sovereign nation, so any objections based on that reason do not apply. In fact, it states that Somaliland is part of Somolia with the status of a "breakaway republic", which appears to be a correct description. Somaliland appears to engage in informal diplomatic activities; it has been autonomous since 1991 with no effort on the part of Somalia to force it back into the state of Somalia that I have been able to discover; it has its own army; and the people don't pay taxes to Somalia. But it's not recognised by other countries, so its status is a kind of twilight zone of sovereignty. It's not a matter of urgency to other countries because it is small and poor.
"While the United States does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state, we continue regularly to engage with Somaliland as a regional administration and to support programs that encourage democratization and economic development in the Somaliland region. We have consistently voted for United Nations Security Council resolutions reaffirming respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and unity of Somalia.
"The Somaliland president, Dahir Rayale Kahin, is regarded more as a governor by other nations, even though he considers himself to be as much a president as, say, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya or Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, three prominent presidents on this continent."
"The Somaliland passport — which bears the region's logo and looks as official as any other nation's — is not recognized by any country in the world, although the neighboring countries of Ethiopia and Djibouti do allow people to travel with it while still not officially recognizing Somaliland as a country."
"Independence does not rely solely on whether it is deserved, but on the existing realpolitik. Sadly for Somaliland, they fall between the cracks in international law and cannot win the argument for de jure recognition while Somalia remains without a viable government, so they must instead push for de facto recognition – which no one is willing to offer."
The purpose of Wikipedia is to convey information to as many people as possible. Some of those people, obviously, consider Somaliland to be an independent, sovereign nation. Others don't, so it is a matter of dispute. Most people don't care and haven't thought about it. The purpose of the sentence is to convey what geographical regions are included in the term "East Africa." Those who consider Somaliland an independent nation would wonder why it wasn't on the list if it were left off; those who don't consider it an independent nation would note that it is designated as part of Somalia.
The sentence as quoted would satisfy everyone except those who are active partisans on either side. Wikipedia is not written to settle scores, succor either side in a dispute, or declare which side is correct; Wikipedia is written to convey correct information to the largest number of people. By doing so in no way does it portray a slanted point of view by using the language in the sentence, in my opinion.
"...if an extradition treaty exists with Ethiopia, which like the rest of the world does not recognize Somaliland's independence and therefore cannot enter into any treaty with it." -- Human Rights Watch, July 2009
How about we stopped focusing on Middayexpress as a person and started processing the information he has posted here, instead of trying to bully him into pariah status? It's laughable that we have individuals attacking Middayexpress for being elaborate and posting verifiable information, when they themselves were the ones who were blatantly using wrong sources on the East Africa article in question to support their edits, even in this very discussion a very lengthy case for Somaliland was made through multiple points and sources proven to be directly/in-directly connected to the seccessionist cause, and used to nicely synthesize a sentence that is never proclaimed in the original sources, when these points were addressed and refuted through the use of sources not connected to the Somali government, suddenly nobody wants to continue the discussion? Interesting. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 00:52, 6 May 2010 (UTC)
Can you give me an opinion, Outback? I am seeing two issues here. One is that it is not obvious what single dividing line to use to separate states which ought to be named in various lists of countries throughout Wikipedia from those states which ought not to be included; the other issue, which is relatively minor and prosaic, is that assuming some states without full international recognition should pass the dividing line by meeting inclusion criteria, how should the lists be demarcated to indicate a difference between controversial and non-controversial entries. To what extent do you feel that the problem is a lack of defined inclusion criteria, and would be solvable with this kind of definition? Is there another big point in this issue which needs to be addressed? Blue Rasberry 17:22, 14 June 2010 (UTC)
I have been looking into this problem for a while, and it is my opinion that this is something that could be sorted fairly easily if the arguments were organized. User:Outback the koala above has just suggested that I review some talk pages to get some information which I requested. While I am glad this issue came to the NPOV discussion board, it is going to be hard to find a fair number of good reviewers until someone better organizes the arguments.
I just put the talks from the Africa topic template Archive, the current Africa topic template talk, and this NPOVN board posting in my word processing program. Single spaced and 12 point font, these 56,000 words made 83 pages for me. Outback, am I correct that this is what you are asking me to review? There is one medcab case here and another one here; they are very similar and do not currently reference each other, and I think there is also an RfC somewhere, and all that is in addition to the 56k words. It is my opinion that regardless of mediation case or discussion board, the route to resolution will involve condensing all of this into specific points.
I hope you find whatever kind of help you are looking for, but if I may make a suggestion, then please allow me. I think things would go a lot more smoothly and much more quickly if you listed the possible solutions, summarized the problems with each, and then presented that instead of long discussions. At the very least, describe your own solution and we can talk only about that. As a disinterested third party it would be wrong for me to sort out all this content and make your presentation for you, and considering the amount of content, this needs to be sorted and represented in some form that suggests a solution. At this time are you able to propose any solutions, or would you rather get input from editors other than me first? Blue Rasberry 20:32, 25 June 2010 (UTC)
I noticed that there is a standing request for informal mediation for this page, is this still desired/needed? If so, I would be willing to help out. Ronk01 ( talk) 12:49, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
I have opened the mediation casepage, and ask that all involved parties make a statement under the "discussion" header on the casepage so I can get an idea of the views people have here. Thank you. Ronk01 ( talk) 15:51, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
Disclaimer: I am uncircumcised citation needed / non-circumcised citation needed.
Now that I've got your attention (and apologies for the way too much information...), could I draw your attention to a dispute at Talk:Circumcision#The problem with language deemed offensive such as "Uncircumcised", and in particular efforts to resolve it at Talk:Circumcision#Feedback request on consensus for 'uncircumcised'. This is a dispute about the neutrality of the word "uncircumcised". It's been going on for a while, and has previously spilled over into ANI (which is how I encountered it) but has continued since then, without any sign of being resolved amicably.
I've asked the editors there to summarise their positions for and against "uncircumcised", which they have done at:
Many thanks. TFOWR 11:20, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:: Correction: Two national medical associations avoiding it in recent policy statements, and two examples of advocacy groups explaining why it is problematic. -
MishMich -
Talk - 12:21, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:::: It is not a distortion. These are the official policy statements of the two national medical professional associations of two European countries, one in the UK - the
BMA - the other the Netherlands. I removed your comment, as it as in the section for support that the term is not neutral - and it did not fit under that section; and I notified you of that so you could move it to a more appropriate section. You replaced it in that section - so I moved it to the section for support that it is neutral. I have not attacked you, I fail to see why you bring bad-faith accusations against me, especially as you have had no previous interaction. Stick to the issue under discussion - do not attack editors you do not agree with here, please. -
MishMich -
Talk - 22:11, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
As with TFOWR, I ran across this issue in ANI due to the fact there was an edit war going on in the article. Most Americans in my age bracket, Jew and Gentile alike, were circumcised routinely, for hygienic reasons, and while I'm glad they did, I have no particular interest in the issue one way or another. I do understand that certain political groups do. What I don't like in wikipedia is when single-purpose accounts or narrowly-focused accounts try to impose a fringe or one-sided view into an article in an effort to try to give that view false notability, which is an approach that we more experienced editors have seen time after time, and when we try to excise it, we are predictably accused of being part of a conspiracy against their cause. "Uncircumcised" is one word whose meaning is both non-judgmentally descriptive, and unambiguous in its definition. Its alleged "pejorative" nature is the invention of political correctness, citing obsolete usages of the term. Its primary definition simply describes the condition of not having been circumcised. There is no notable neutrality issue with that term. ← Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:12, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
::: Fortunately that is not the case here, as mine is not an SPA '(insert - and I have not engaged in an edit war on this matter)', and my only involvement in the article is from the point I was first alerted to the neutrality issues inherent in the article. I live in the UK, which is closer to the rest of European and other English speaking countries outside the USA, where circumcision is not routine, is not the norm, and is not widely accepted amongst the public or medical associations. If this article is to be neutral, it has to go further in representing a global view. The USA is in a minority in the west when it comes to routine circumcision. -
MishMich -
Talk - 13:19, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
::::: You persist in putting words into my mouth. I have not said that 'intact penis' should be substituted for 'uncircumcised penis'. I have said that I am sensitive to the problem that people have with the word 'intact'; rather, I have said, very clearly, several times (without any objection given as to why it would be problematic) that 'penis with foreskin' would be good alternative that people COULD use (not MUST). I have never insisted that only one term can be used to describe a penis that has not been circumcised, I have offered an alternative. This has been ignored. I have also clearly stated I have no personal problem with 'uncircumcised', but am sensitive to the fact that some people have issues with it (just like with 'intact'); however, I do not see it as neutral. I have also made it clear that only see it as derogatory when applied to a person, not a thing - as in the way it has been used by some religious groups to refer to 'gentiles', 'infidels', or 'heathens'; this is a different situation. So, all I am suggesting is that 'uncircumcised penis' does not need to be rigidly enforced as the only way of referring to a penis with a foreskin, but 'penis with foreskin' would be just as appropriate - and both accurate and neutral. Instead, I get bombarded with all sorts of irrelevant comments that do not address my point. The
BMA and others avoid it, some advocacy groups object to it, so clearly not everybody likes it - so why insist that we only use that term? The neutral approach would be to find a term that is not problematic - to 'either side' - and use that. I can think of no better way of describing a penis with a foreskin by calling it what it is, rather than what it is not. -
MishMich -
Talk - 16:14, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:::::::: Please explain how describing a penis with a foreskin as a "penis with foreskin" is weasel words. The unmodified penis has a foreskin, the modfied penis doesn't because it has been circumcised - so is referred to as a 'circumcised penis'. -
MishMich -
Talk - 18:20, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
I have struck out my comments, as I have been informed that the person who placed this request for comment asked that discussion take place on the article talk page (I misread that, and took him to mean 'here' as here, not there). Please make further comments there, not here - I will establish a section for that discussion. - MishMich - Talk - 22:21, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
Could some other editors come to Talk:List of teetotalers#Religious section edits and help decide whether this edit is or is not in keeping with WP:NPOV? Thanks. + An gr 08:51, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Israeli settler violence is having some reverts based on how to describe Yesh Din.
This started because an editor added "pro-Palestinian" (inclusion I disagree with although personally it makes some sense) to a line that called the group "the Israeli human rights group". It is obvious that it is a human rights group. However, it is just as important that their focus is in the Palestinian territories. They have a dog in the fight and it impacts their assessment of the subject. Not making any mention of this could be misleading to the reader since the group is not (and not expected to) neutral. There are a handful of solutions which border from easy to absurd:
Seems like a trivial issue that some simple wording could have fixed but I don't trust anyone over there (including myself) to be looking at this with clearly neutral eyes and there have already been too many reverts and bickering (again some only in the edit summaries and others on the talk page) to be productive. Any suggestions on if the wording can be altered to address the concerns? Cptnono ( talk) 06:02, 15 July 2010 (UTC)
This article has been the subject of what I believe is a NPOV violation within the lede. A few editors are attempting to insert the following sentence into the lede.
The site's founders are self-described conservatives who are frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-christian media bias
Which is derived from the following quotes from this source.
McIntyre described the philosophy behind the website as based on "freedom" and "common-sense values." Said Bevan, "We think debate on the issues is a very important thing. We post a variety of opinions." "We have a frustration that all conservatives have," said McIntyre, "which is the bias in the media against conservatives, religious conservatives, Christian conservatives."
I believe this has several issues.
Thoughts? Arzel ( talk) 00:56, 24 June 2010 (UTC)
While some have suggested the column selection is conservative-leaning, the site does include columns and commentary from both sides of the spectrum.
The site's founders are self-described conservatives who are frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-christian media bias and while some have suggested the column selection is conservative-leaning, the site does include columns and commentary from both sides of the spectrum.
RealClearPolitics offers its own commentary as well. On March 24, it offered this assessment of the mainstream media's coverage of the tiny number of American casualties thus far in the Iraq war: "Did the media really expect no U.S. soldiers would die? That no one would be taken prisoner? That there wouldn't be any civilian casualties? That is exactly what you'd believe if you read the headlines today: 'U.S. Forces Take Heavy Casualties'-Susan Glasser, Washington Post, 'Doubts Raised on Strategy'-Thomas Ricks, Washington Post. . . . "Even worse, on the index pages of the three largest online newspapers in the country there is no mention of the 100-acre chemical plant discovered by U.S. troops yesterday. To most people this would seem like a pretty significant development-after all, isn't discovering WMD facilities one of the main objectives of the invasion?" McIntyre described the philosophy behind the website as based on "freedom" and "common-sense values." Said Bevan, "We think debate on the issues is a very important thing. We post a variety of opinions." "We have a frustration that all conservatives have," said McIntyre, "which is the bias in the media against conservatives, religious conservatives, Christian conservatives." RealClearPolitics also dissected the media's disingenuous coverage of Asan Akbar's attack on fellow members of the 101st Airborne. "When the story initially broke on Saturday night it was widely reported that the suspect was a 'Muslim-American' soldier," it said March 24. "By Sunday morning that descriptor had been scrubbed from virtually every report. This morning, only the LA Times gives the story any play on its main page. . . . The New York Times, by contrast, puts the story on its 'National' page and does the most blatant PC whitewash imaginable. . . . The Times serves up this quote from Akbar's stepfather: 'I remember last Christmas he was complaining about the double standards in the military,' Mr. Bilal said. 'Hasan told me it was difficult for a black man to get rank in the military, and he was having a hard time.' Only the New York Times could take the fact that a Muslim soldier in the U.S. Army attacked his own comrades in an unprecedented way and turn it into an indictment of the Army itself for being racist."
Is anyone going to discuss any of the issues I brought forward? I will take silence as concensus without further discussion. Arzel ( talk) 04:20, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
"A summary of RCP founders' philosophy is not undue weight." -this quote from above is what I take issue with, and it's about as deep as your argument has gone on the undue weight issue. What I've been trying to say is that this quote is not a summary of RCP founding philosophy. It's just a quote, with little elaboration to go with it, and including it in the lead is undue weight. Trying to pass it off as a good summary statement for their founding philosophy is disingenuous at best. Please provide a better argument than: it's a summary of their philosophy, therefore it's not undue weight. Excuse my directness, no hostility intended, I just dread going in circles. Ubiq ( talk) 00:46, 29 June 2010 (UTC)
Recently Genesis creation myth was renamed to Genesis creation narrative after a long discussion. I feel that this is a clear violation of WP:NPOV, since we have numerous other creation myth and creation mythology pages that was not renamed, giving this myth special status among them. The definitions of narrative and myth are quite different. I started a discussion on this point here, and would like to bring it up here as well. — raeky ( talk | edits) 23:00, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Mary Ann Block: Badly written with multiple uncited POV lines suggesting she A) Knows what she's doing, or B) Doesn't. 66.75.27.117 ( talk) 22:35, 17 July 2010 (UTC)
Should an editor be allowed to add scare quotes around a term because they allege that the cited sources are incorrect to use that term?
An example of this is when a creationist adds scare quotes around the "theory" of evolution, or when a climate-change skeptic adds scare quotes around climate "science" or around "scientific consensus". In this case, monarchists are trying to add scare quotes around "British monarchy" because they allege that the cited sources are wrong to use the term.
The Wikipedia article on scare quotes states: "Style guides generally recommend the avoidance of scare quotes in impartial works, such as in encyclopedia articles or academic discussion." Wikipedia:Manual of Style specifically discourages the use of scare quotes.
The article where this dispute is taking place is Debate on the monarchy in Canada, and on its talk page there has been an initial discussion and an ongoing Request for Comment discussion, both of which I started.
The specific article text at the center of the dispute are the following sentences that appear under the section "Polls": [33]
An Angus Reid Strategies poll conducted in September 2007 reported that the majority 53% of Canadians do not want the country to retain formal ties to the British monarchy, while 35% did, and 12% were unsure. [2]
A poll conducted by Angus Reid in March 2008 also reported that the majority of Canadians believe it is time to end the country's official relationship with the British monarchy. [3]
A group of three or four editors are trying to add scare quotes around the words "British monarchy" in those sentences because they contend that the cited polls were wrong to use the term and they wish the article presentation to somehow contest the cited term.
I have tried to point out that the core, non-negotiable Wikipedia content policies are clear about not doing that. Wikipedia:Verifiability states as its first line: "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth—whether readers can check that material added to Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source, not whether editors think it is true." Wikipedia:No original research states: "Source material should be carefully summarized or rephrased without changing its meaning or implication. Take care not to go beyond what is expressed in the sources or to use them in ways inconsistent with the intent of the source, such as using material out of context. In short, stick to the sources."
Because the Request for Comment discussion that I opened is going in circles with the same few editors ignoring these policies, I would greatly appreciate your NPOV noticeboard input there. In particular I am hoping that an administrator might come make this case in defense of Wikipedia's core principles, but I definitely welcome any and all support or constructive input. 65.92.212.239 ( talk) 05:59, 16 July 2010 (UTC)
These edits of mine were reverted: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Jesus&diff=next&oldid=374161404 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Historical_Jesus&action=historysubmit&diff=374138570&oldid=374136491 Noloop ( talk) 00:04, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
[34] and [35] are books that debate the intertwining between the scholars' religious background and the corresponding research output. I think that this merits a mention in the article (and they invalidate Griswaldo claim that the religious background is not a relevant information). -- Cyclopia talk 16:10, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
A job of the editors is decide when there is a potential conflict of interest. Christian theologians are not likely to research the historicity of Jesus and conclude "Nope, he never existed." There is a conflict of interest. The principle is true beyond religion. Newt Gingrich has Ph.D. Nonetheless, if we make a factual claim about the validity of conservative economics and use Newt Gingrich as a source, we mention it. We do so even though he has a Ph.D. It is important for the reader to know that our source is someone predisposed toward one conclusion. The scholarship of the person is not the point; conflict of interest is the point. People with Ph.D's can have a conflict of interest just as much as anybody else. The constant use of Christian sources for factual claims about historic matters--without mentioning it to the reader--is a problem. Noloop ( talk) 17:25, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
¶ As a non-Christian, I think the reverse is far more important and telling: that there are (I've read) at least four good, contemporary non-Christian sources attesting to Jesus' existence, including Tacitus and Josephus. Otherwise the reader might assume that all of the sources are Christian. So why not tackle the issue from the positive side? —— Shakescene ( talk) 16:35, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
¶ My view on this, is that much of the controversy here is not about belief in Christ, but about belief in scientists.
Griswaldo shows an almost naive belief in the neutrality of scientists, while
Cyclopia and
Noloop suggest scientist may not be completely neutral. As a scientist who has (co)authored about 20 peer reviewed papers, I would say that although scientist generally not falsify facts, they interpret their findings in the way supporting their world view. I do this, my colleagues do this. This is the core of the scientific discourse: Giving facts to support your world view trying to convince your peers. And if your facts win out, your colleagues accept this (or go out looking for counterfacts). This is what makes science work. True neutrality though is not truly part of it. In other words, my experience tell me that the view of Cyclopia and Noloop is close to the truth.
Arnoutf (
talk) 17:53, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
Is it pushing a minority POV, in violation of WP:UNDUE, to list Somaliland among the countries where Yemeni Arabic is spoken, when the cited sources list only Somalia (as well as Yemen, of course), including the part of Somali known as "Somaliland"? See the comments here and please help contribute to the discussion at Talk:Yemeni Arabic#"Somaliland". + An gr 05:39, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
There are plenty of sources that discredit the claim of Somaliland being a de facto state, and instead refer to it as a pseudo-state. Wikipedia clearly states that we do not have to entertain the wishes of a minority group, and as Somalia is the only internationally recognised country, therefore Somaliland has no place on a language article where its status as an unrecognised region/de facto whatever, is irrelevant, not to mention none of the scholarly sources vis-a-vi the language in question being used justify this. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 22:26, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Somalia's current civil war status is irrelevant to this discussion and in no way does this situation mean any seccessionist entity that has risen or will rise automatically can be forced into every article where the status of the seccessionist entity is completely off-base, not to mention UNDUE. Your personal POV of what constitutes a real state and what doesn't is also a red herring. It's laughable that your justification for the inclusion of a seccessionist entity (Somaliland) to a language article is; because it has student exchange programs with a country(Yemen) that recognises that region as part of Somalia. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 08:06, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
I would first like to invite all of those interested in joining the ongoing mediation of this topic to leave a message stating this on my talkpage. You will be sent instructions and the link to the mediation within 24 hours. Ronk01 talk, 14:01, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
This is an article about a book by academics for a wider audience. My concerns are that what is called "academic criticism" is sourced to blogs. The press reports seem to be well sourced and properly balanced, although I am not sure that WP should conclude that the book had a "mixed reception" when closer examination might show that it was on balance well received, and we don't need to make such a judgement anyway. My impression is also that academic criticism (in the correct sense of the term) is still coming through. I am going to make some changes and if necessary will post on RSN (not to forum-shop but just to get views on the blog sources). Some more eyes would be appreciated. Itsmejudith ( talk) 10:33, 21 July 2010 (UTC)
Peter Saunders work is published as a PDF on the policy exchange website. It is not peer reviewed but he shows the data points he is working with so his work is also open to be critiqued by others. So a somewhat more robust source than a typical blog-- Strathdon ( talk) 17:07, 21 July 2010 (UTC)
This Historical Jesus looks like a POV fork from Historicity of Jesus, which appears to be constructed in a way that ensures the exclusion of theological, philosphical positions that dispute the historical accuracy of received dogmatics about Jesus. Would appreciate independent scrutiny to see whether this page should be merged with the article on historicity and others which deal with issues incorporated in this topic in a balanced way. - MishMich - Talk - 12:47, 22 July 2010 (UTC)
The parties to the dispute are aiming to simplify the presentation of the dispute to make it easier for reviewer(s) to come to a decision. Until that process is complete this call for assistance should be passed over. When this situation changes, a notification will apear here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hauskalainen ( talk • contribs) 19:47, July 8, 2010
I am calling for someone with an interest in English history to review the onging dispute over numerous sections on the Talk page to this article regarding a serios NPOV issue. There are even some discussions in the last archive to the talk page of the article though the most important onces have been pulled back from archive today. From my point of view this is a NPOV issue though my editor friends there are doing their best to make out that it is one of OR or RS or whatever else they can think up.
A few months ago this section was written in a way that presented only one point of view regarding the development of English and American history. The one POV it presented was highly contentious and in my opinion breached the rules for WP:NPOV.
The issue is over a a very important dispute over a reinterpretation of a thousand years and more of English and American History and the two substantially different visions of history it creates. A flavour for the length to which editors have gone to dispute this can be seen by looking at the very many sections before the sections covering English history on that talk page.
The article is about to come out of an edit freeze and although I believe that as it stands now the article fairly represents two highly opposing views of history it does so without many reference because the article was frozen in the middle of my reconstruction work any my edit opponent has indicated an attempt to undo my good and honest work as soon as the protection is lifted.
We are really no nearer resolving this dispute. Will someone PLEASE help to look at the major issue I have raised and help us to resolve this one. Because I fear that this article has protectors in high places I would ask that this assistance comes from someone who has NOT previously involved him or herself in the resolution of disputes over gun or armament related or U.S. Constitutional topics and who ideally has been editing for more than 2 years. -- Hauskalainen ( talk) 02:09, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
A word of warning! You will find that the editors that I do battle with argue about anything and everything EXCEPT the validity of the traditional view of English history. This can give the impression that they are seriously engaging with me using Wikipedia principles but really this is (IMHO) only WP:Game. The sheer volume of their issues is enough to make any editor or reviewer walk away in fear. They should not not. The WOOD here is far more important than the TREES. These editors endlessly argue about the TREES in the hope that we will forget about the WOOD (which is that the previous editors to this argue have structured it to tell the revisionist version of history given by Professor Malcolm in her book. The radical nature of the Malcolm Thesis has not received much attention though. Kopel here refers to it quite clearly though in his review of Malcolm's work.
As the Firesign Theater comedy troupe once put it, "Everything you know is wrong."[23] To Keep and Bear Arms sweeps away over two centuries of American--and British--misunderstanding of the British right to arms, providing the first clear picture of what the right to arms meant to the British of 1689, as well as what it meant to the Americans of 1791 who drafted the Bill of Rights with the British experience very much in mind.
Malcolm states her radical thesis in the first paragraph of the Preface (p. ix). She argues that before 1689, no right to bear arms existed at all. When the 1689 Convention Parliament decided to guarantee a right to arms, the Convention chose, for political-tactical benefit, to pretend that it was reaffirming an "ancient" right to arms (pp. ix-x). In fact, argues Malcolm, the Convention created (p.1337)the right then and there, for reasons growing directly out of the political conflict of the previous century (pp. ix-xi).
and here
Although they should not, some may consider Malcolm's final chapter, detailing the evolution of the 1689 British right to arms (p.1352)into the 1791 Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the most controversial part of her book. The main body of the book ought to be the portion that attracts controversy: In it Malcolm argues that the 1689 Convention tricked the next three centuries of Britons and Americans with its claim that the British right to arms was "ancient, true, and indubitable," rather than fabricated on the spot as a result of recent experience with oppressive monarchs and their standing armies. Because Malcolm's thesis contradicts the viewpoint of almost every scholar--pro-gun or anti-gun--who has written anything on the British right to arms, one might expect controversy. So far, however, no scholar has challenged Malcolm's conclusion in print.
Malcolm's argument is, on the one hand, irrefutable, because there is no known British legal document prior to 1689 that refers to a right to arms; all the official documents call bearing arms a duty rather than a right (p. 9). But, it is not impossible for a duty and a right to coexist. Jury service was certainly a duty, but many Britons also viewed it as "an ancient, true, and indubitable right."[68] It is possible that deeper inquiry into medieval social history materials might show a similar understanding of a duty-right to arms. While the 1689 Convention may have fabricated a right in a strict legal sense, some kind of rights consciousness regarding arms must have existed beforehand, or else the Convention's assertion of an "ancient, true, and indubitable right" would have been so self-evidently absurd as not to be worth asserting.
By analogy, the provision in the Declaration of Rights against standing armies in times of peace was also novel, rather than "ancient," in that no statute had ever previously affirmed it nor had any part of the common law in any known judicial opinion or legal guidebook. Nevertheless, the declaration against standing armies obviously reflected a long-standing, widely held view about how Britain should organize its society--a viewpoint every monarch had respected until the seventeenth century. Much the same might be said about the right to arms: rights consciousness and statutory affirmation of rights need not go hand in hand, particularly in light of the English theory that the government does not "grant" rights, but rather they arise by long-standing tradition from the ancient past.
Kopel overall seems to agree with the revisionist view but this alone does not mean that it is accepted universally. I am not aware of any English history scholars who have reviewed this work because frankly I guess the right to arms does not excite people in England as much as it does people in America.-- Hauskalainen ( talk) 03:09, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
- WP articles must be based on reliable sources and so far only SaltyBoatr has provided any. Whether or not Malcolm's views are the final word, only reliable sources may be used to present alternative views. Some writers have claimed that the right to bear arms was an issue in Bacon's rebellion in Virginia, which was before the Bill of Rights 1689. However, I cannot find any scholarly sources to support this view. Blackstone's work cannot be considered a reliable source for law before the Bill of Rights, but that should not present a problem because we can use modern commentaries on his writing as sources. Also whether or not the right existed at common law, it was an auxiliary not unalienable right. There was no question that the Imperial Parliament had the power to limit or abolish this right. TFD ( talk) 23:34, 16 June 2010 (UTC) taken from Talk:Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Nature of this problem
You appear not to understand the principles required to write articles:
It would be wrong to present either Malcolm's view or your view and there are two things you can do that will help the process:
TFD ( talk) 18:32, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
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Thanks, Hauskalainen. I will look a little more into this in the next few days, but until then, here is how you win at medcab.
I will be looking for this in the archives of the talk. The medcab person will be looking for this in mediation. Notice that this process does not involve any discussion about the article's subject.
I want to help you be heard, but there is a lot of text here and I need time. Let me know if you have any comments in the meantime. Blue Rasberry 23:18, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
On July 8th Hauskalainen asked for time to prepare his case. Quite a bit of time has elapsed, with no word. As recent as yesterday [38], Hauskalainen is active defending his original research passage in the article through edit war and without any use or mention of secondary sourcing. Considering that the Mediation Cabal [39] is put on hold waiting for Hauskalainen to respond with his thoughts here, this has the appearance of a delay tactic. This may not be, but the appearances are that with the present stasis of the article being the version of original research favored by Hauskalainen, that delay may serve his purposes of protecting his original research. SaltyBoatr get wet 15:11, 24 July 2010 (UTC)
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I happen to be very pro-Second Amendment, so it feels very weird for me to be on the side of the Brady Campaign in their article. In light of the Supreme Court decision today, affirming the Constitutional right of individuals to own firearms, a few pundits on blogs started pondering if the Brady could now be classified as a "hate group" because of their opposition to a Constituional right. So now there are a plethora of IP editors, SPA's and a few just pushing a POV trying to use the criteria of a hate group showing in the Wikipedia article on that topic to try to justify calling the Brady Campaign a hate group. I detest the Brady Campaign and disagree with them on everything I can think of, but this seems to be just wrong and the "vote" being taken is turning into a mob rule situation because, as one of the SPA's put it "the whole point of wikipedia is truth by consensus. If enough people think that it qualifies as a hate group (It already fits the definition), then I believe we should put it up there" Perhaps some outside eyes would be helpful. Niteshift36 ( talk) 06:20, 29 June 2010 (UTC)
There is a current problem over articles to do with Northern Ireland, primarily the Northern Ireland county articles over whether or not they should include their relation to the rest of the islands counties when manual of styles used on other countries counties don't make reference to other entities.
Primarily this involves around a lengthy discussion on whether it should be mentioned in a Northern Ireland county lede that it is one of the "32 counties of Ireland". Of the six editors who have taken part it is split even down the middle. I have tried to be flexible but the inflexibility of others has meant i am now standing firmer than before and have rejected a newer proposal i put foward myself.
The issue is contentious as there aren't 32 counties in Ireland anymore, the Republic of Ireland has constituted 29 counties since 1994. The term is also conentious as it is primarily used by Irish nationalists and republican ideology in respects to Ireland, and even though 32 counties is used by the GAA, they are an organisation with strong links to Irish republicanism and so can't be seen as a neutral reference. One editor Laurel_Lodged said that removal of the term would be best due to its potential troublesome nature.
I keep getting quoted manual of styles used on other articles to circumvent suggestions that might detract from the sense of all-Ireland (such as including Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland county navbox, and adding UK into the lede), whilst the same editors ignore manual of styles used on other articles to suit their own ends which is essentially Wikipedia:Gaming the system.
The England, Wales, and Scotland county articles don't show their relations to counties in the other parts of the UK, so why should Northern Ireland? The same issue affects the county maps used. I was told by a user (Superfopp) that i couldn't use a six-county map of Northern Ireland in a navbox as it'd make Northern Ireland "look like an island" despite other navboxes and infoboxes making use of "island" like country maps. And that he'd rather have no picture used at all as i don't agree that the all-Ireland one he used is needed. On infoboxes every county in the UK is shown in relation to their constituent country but Northern Ireland is shown in relation to an entire island and thus also a country it isn't politically a part of.
There was even a proposal put forward by one user that Counties of Northern Ireland should be merged with Counties of Ireland. This is another attempt to blur the border and deny Northern Ireland its right of distinction.
My pov swings one way on the debate and i others desire to maintain Northern Irelands distinction from the other political entities on the island, whilst the others prefer to keep Northern Ireland within an all-Ireland context - politically or not. At times some of us, me including how gotten hot-headed and irrational.
So essentially i want to ask for neutral point of views on whether Northern Ireland should have to show its relation to the rest of the island when other articles don't show their relation to other political entities - and whether Northern Ireland articles such as county articles can properly assert their political distinction from the rest of this island with ledes and maps that don't make reference to other countries or geographical regions which can be found out in the actual Northern Ireland article itself. If people want to see an all-Ireland view of Ireland they can go to the relevant articles. I believe using the manual-of-style used on other UK county articles would be the best way. Mabuska (talk) 11:10, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
"The island of Ireland is divided into two major political units - Northern Ireland, which along with England, Scotland, and Wales forms the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. Of the 32 counties of Ireland, 26 are in the Republic. Of the four historic provinces, three and part of the fourth are in the Republic." Frommer's Ireland, 2006
"The term 'All-Irish' is in common use for many cultural, sports, and other purposes, and many events, competitions, and organizations are 'All-Irish', that is, they cover the entire area of the 32 traditional counties of the island and not just the Republic of Ireland." World and Its Peoples, 2010
"The twenty-six traditional counties of Eire and the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland are used as the standard Irish geographical designations." - Robert A. Faleer, Church Woodwork in the British Isles, 1100-1535, 2009
Colouring the infoboxes a specific colour especially green for the south and orange for the north might be quite contentious and stereotyping the entities, i would accept a different colour for Northern Ireland though, say the neutral blue used as default on Wiki navboxes.
Is is biased Scolaire to ask for Northern Ireland county articles to conform to the standards and styles used on other articles across Wikipedia or their own set of principles? We weren't on the brink of agreement as two other participants didn't agree with the usage of 32 counties so there was no concensus. In the end it was more of just you and me. I have however put forward an idea on the discussion page on regards to the county ledes along with one last proposal, or rather change of one single word.
Martinvl made good points that i can agree with. Though his points have holes:
As the county map shows the relationship of Northern Irish counties to Northern Ireland is there a need to include "32 counties in the lede? People can see the relationship in the map. And why can't a simple 6-county map be used for a Northern Ireland county navbox? I had to request a neutral colour be used for them as it is to help show some distinction between the countries. If a 32 county one is to be used for the Northern Ireland county articles infobox map - can it be a fair compromise to use a 6 county map for the Northern Ireland county navbox? For a small box a more specific map is better than an all-Ireland one.
If Northern Ireland counties are to be shown and described in an all-Ireland context, do they have to match the same manual of styles as Republic of Ireland counties? Can they not maintain distinction whilst including the context?
By the way just because i am a member of WikiProject Unionism in Ireland and believe in Northern Ireland maintaining its distinction - it doesn't make me a unionist. I am also a member of WikiProject Gaeliege and Irish Republicanism. Also is it forum-shopping to ask for neutral povs on the issue as we all lean one way or the other and independant views are needed to show what way other people outside of the box think to see what a broader feeling is? Mabuska (talk) 22:47, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
Martinvls comments and about navbox pictures amongst other things. Mabuska (talk) 20:54, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
I don't understand why this was brought here as it was being dealt with @ WikiProject Ireland. I have no problem with Northern Ireland and saying it is part of the UK but I think for all of the reasons laid out above and in the WikiProject Ireland discussion we should make reference to the 32 countries and also to the four provinces. Bjmullan ( talk) 16:27, 18 June 2010 (UTC)
The topics mentioned here by have been discussed (each to various degrees, some not really at all) on WikiProject Ireland however external out-of-the-box views were needed to see if there was a way to break the deadlock with external input and ideas and to see should Northern Ireland always be mentioned in relation to the Republic of Ireland - and it has proved fruitful to varying degrees i believe.
The infoboxes really do need to declare the country the county belongs to. The best way i think for a Singapoean etc. would be to talk about 32-counties where it can be properly expanded upon - in the history section of the articles. The all-Ireland county map can also fit in there to. Why must it be in the lede or infobox? Should they not deal with the immediate concerns of the county rather than its historical or traditional relations to the whole island?
It would also free up the infobox for a more specific and possibly detailed map than the all-Ireland one would allow. I.e. a Northern Ireland county map that can show the main settlements in the county or a slightly topographical map which is currently impossible. I.e. just like this French one: [[File:France_relief_location_map.jpg]]
Also i was told that there was no need to state its part of the UK as people can find that out by clicking the Northern Ireland link - well on that methodology they could click a link and see the counties relation to all-Ireland - is that not what the Counties of Ireland page is for?
A point i'm going to re-raise as its not been mentioned by anyone: What is wrong with using a county map of Northern Ireland for a county navbox, i.e. in this one i created (its currently not in use):
I've been told it makes it look like an island and on that basis the editor would rather have no map. However many articles make use of "island" country maps. I think that it looks very nice in the navbox. I feel that the navbox should also state the country the county belongs to for clarification as several of the Republic of Ireland county navboxes declare "Ireland" afterwards yet i was told that as other county navboxes for the UK don't declare what state they belong to then Northern Ireland ones shouldn't. Something should be inputted to make clear where the county belongs to politically especially as Ireland counties have more potential to be troublesome than English or Scottish ones. Mabuska (talk) 18:08, 19 June 2010 (UTC)
Some editors, having tacitly acknowledged that they were on dodgy ground with administrative divisions of states, have now changed tactics and switched to "cultural" reasons as a fig-leaf for their irredentist objectives. They will find that this too is barren ground. For what is the context of this "culture"? Why no other reason than political necessity. In other words, it's the old "divide and conquor" strategem that every large power with imperialist ambitions, from Caesar to Henry II has practiced. There was no such "culture" of counties, 32 or otherwise, prior to this imperialist carve up. You'll need to shift ground again guys. Laurel Lodged ( talk) 13:34, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
Having already been taken to 3RR today for reverting subtle POV promotional editing at this article, can someone please take on yet another IP pushing the same unsourced promotional content? [1]. Thanks!
I have started a discussion at the non-free content review page regarding the possible deletion of an image. The reasoning for its removal is for both potential violation of WP:NFCC and neutrality so I thought I would throw a link to the conversation here. Wikipedia:Non-free content review#File:Mehserle-mugshot.jpg-- Cptnono ( talk) 04:50, 23 June 2010 (UTC)
This article reads like a promotional pamphlet for the place. Phrases such as "provides children with a house of dreams", "the breathtaking experience", "excellent performances in different styles" and last but by no means least "large quantities of breathtaking and exciting amusements to satisfy anyone's desire for modern entertainments" are must definitely NPOV. -- Panzer71 ( talk) 16:55, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
{{ Kosovo-note}} seems a bit dubious to me, or at least the placing of it on certain articles, say for example Morinë (which isn't even in Kosovo!) or Jarinje, where the template text is roughly as long as the article text which already deals with the sovereignty dispute. The template talk page might have been a better place to raise this, but I fear that the number of people with that watchlisted won't be that high and it might be a better idea for some fresh eyes on this. I'll drop a note there with a link to this discussion though. Thanks. 2 lines of K 303 13:59, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
Excuse me I am the IP editor in discussion - I am not a sock for any one. I do not want an account. Please respect that. This is unfair to try to make out that I am some sock for a banned editor. I did add the Kosovo template to a number of articles - I think nearly all of which were in the Category: Government of Kosovo category...what on earth is wrong with that? As Tadija says, the note should be listed on those articles. 84.203.69.86 ( talk) 21:10, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
I am conscious that I am likely to be censored soon...Please set out the reason, the evidence (if you like) - before you go off trying to ban me for being some sock? Do I get a hearing? 84.203.69.86 ( talk) 21:27, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
In my opinion, the bolded text should be deleted from the lead:
Judaism rejects assertions that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh.
It is the only place in the lead section where an argument which supports a particular belief is presented. Such text does not appear anywhere else in the lead section, and was only added recently by a currently banned sockpuppet. Flash 22:12, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
It would help if User:Bluerasberry and User:Slatersteven at least glanced at the actual article. The text is not bold. Flash bolded it here to indicate which part she/he wanted to delete. Noloop ( talk) 22:29, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
Sorry for the misunderstanding, my post was a bit confusing.
The reason why I consider the text to violate NPOV is that arguments or reasons behind a particular belief is not found elsewhere in the lead section. For example, Judaism reject Jesus as the Messiah because they argue he didn't fulfill the Messianic prophecies. Conversely, Christianity believes Jesus to be the Messiah because they argue he did fulfill those prophecies or that he will fulfill the rest at the second coming, but those arguments are not included. I believe the lead would be more readable if it didn't included arguments or reasons behind religious beliefs, and just simply state the beliefs themselves. Flash 23:48, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
Yes, whether he fulfilled Messianic prophecies or not is irrelevant to this article. However, "he did not fulfill Messianic prophecies" is not a religious belief; the sources all refer to it as an argument for the belief that Jesus is not the Messiah, rather than a stand alone belief. For example, [3] Flash 00:05, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
The Ten Commandments article has been stable for a year and a half with the text of its three Biblical versions sitting side by side for comparison, but with the divergent version otherwise split off as a sub-article, Ritual Decalogue. Now several editors are edit warring to have that version deleted from the main article, without presenting any evidence in argument apart from their own opinions. AFAIK, per WP:BRD, the old stable form of the article should at least remain in place unless and until we can work out a new consensus. I agree that, as the 3rd version is not the TC's of popular conception, a sub-article is warranted, with the main article concentrating on the other two versions; however, in a table purporting to compare the versions of the TC's, all three should be included. Otherwise IMO the article is only about some of the TC's, and so shouldn't be called "Ten Commandments". Any opinions here?
A typical argument for deletion is that, although there are three Decalogues, there are only two sets of Ten Commandments, because "Decalogue" and "Ten Commandments" are not synonyms except in academic writing, despite the fact that the article itself treats the terms as synonyms, and every dictionary I've consulted treats them as synonyms. (Webster's Collegiate, which would presumably cover common rather than just academic usage, simply defines "Decalogue" as "TEN COMMANDMENTS" and pays it no more attention than that.)
There are numerous RS's which refer to the three versions of the TC's/Decalogue. For example, in The Hebrew Bible: A Brief Socio-Literary Introduction (Norman Gottwald, 2008), in the lede of the section called "Terse Lists of Prohibitions: The Ten Commandments" (p. 118), it says,
[Exod. 34, which I bolded, is what the editors want to deleted from the TC's article.]
That is, both terms are commonly applied to the two versions the article concentrates on (the 'Ethical Decalogue'), but the third version is also called the "ten commandments" in the Bible itself. Also,
This "Ritual Decalogue", as it's called to disambiguate, has also been called the "ritual Ten Commandments" as far back as a century ago:
Again, I can see removing discussion of the third version to a subarticle, but I can't see deleting it from a table that purports to compare the versions of the TC's. WP:BRD should IMO be respected during the discussion phase ('there is no R after the D'). — kwami ( talk) 06:53, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
I ran across National Development Front as part of the July copyediting drive by the Guild of Copyeditors. The article describes the group in ways that may not be adequately or accurately sourced or couched (such as describing the group as "extremist," which is almost always a loaded term, and "hard-line"). I declined a major copyedit because of the potential for POV problems and placed an expert and POV check tag on the article as needing to be resolved before I could do any major copyediting on it. I am not familiar enough with this subject to really tackle a significant content dispute if someone wants to edit war over it, but I am concerned about the article's tone, so I thought bringing it here might get a few more eyes on it. And, of course, it may ultimately be fine, but I'd rather someone a little more knowledgeable take a look. Thanks. — e. ripley\ talk 12:08, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
On Tourism in Israel users have been removing any mention of the fact that East Jerusalem is considered occupied Palestinian territory and repeatedly implying that EJ is in Israel. This is a view not accepted by any state except for Israel and the super-majority of sources are clear on the point that EJ is not in Israel. This edit shows the issue here with users insisting that EJ be included without any mention of the overwhelming view that it is occupied territory. Is it acceptable under WP:NPOV to imply that EJ is in Israel when the overwhelming majority of quality sources clearly state that it is not? nableezy - 02:50, 7 July 2010 (UTC)
Hi,
I recently created an account to update the Living Persons Bio for Paula Begoun. I work for her, and didn't realize that this was a conflict (I thought if we provided citations, etc,) and thus the page received the "Bias Message." I understood, and revised further to remove any possible suspect details, and gave even further credible citations. I spoke with a person in my "Talk" and they suggested I attach a note here for a neutral editor to voluteer to give us a green light or advise of any further edits. I thought that by divulging my connection to Paula Begoun that would be transparency, but I understand the process. Any volunteers would be great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Begoun Paula's Choice ( talk) 23:39, 9 July 2010 (UTC) Nathan
Here is the "Talk" log:
Thank you, I appreciate the help! I am not sure if this question is your department, but the page in question http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Begoun received a flag for bias warning. I have revised and removed any language that may have warrented this, along with providing additional credible citations. Again, I am not sure if this is your department, but would this qualify to have the warning removed? Paula's Choice ( talk) 23:39, 9 July 2010 (UTC) Nathan
I get the impression that you're directly connected with Paula Begoun; it would be good if you get a totally neutral person to review it first. Wikipedia:Neutral point of view/Noticeboard is most often used for problems with people trying to advertise, but I think that if you left a note there asking for some neutral editor/s to give it read, you'd probably find a volunteer or two. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 23:01, 9 July 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paula's Choice ( talk • contribs)
There is currently a disagreement on neutrality that is hindering improvement to the East Africa page. It centres around whether or not to mention an unrecognised state within the outline of this geographic region's composition.
The bulleted part (see top) of this outline is based on the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, which is a geographical grouping of countries for statistical purposes. Because the UN does not recognise the existence of Somaliland as a separate state of its own, its name will not be mentioned in this source. No editor is proposing tampering with this definition, which is strictly a reflection of the source. The second part of the outline (see directly underneath) defines the region in a purely geographic sense, and uses multiple sources. Inclusion of the red text is disputed on the grounds that it doesn't belong on a list of countries:
East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and (in a wider sense) also Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia (including the breakaway republic of Somaliland), Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan. [citations omitted]
Inclusion was proposed initially because neutral policy would normally dictate that all sides to a dispute be represented. Sovereignty over Somaliland is a prominent dispute in current affairs. It is listed in the List of states with limited recognition and List of sovereign states.
Sources used will also need to be checked for neutrality.
No discussion has taken place on the talk page because an identical (and rather lengthy) argument surrounding the inclusion of the same name on a template took place here and concluded here, and involved the same editors. Night w ( talk) 05:50, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
"The Government does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state, neither does the rest of the international community. The UK has signed up to a common EU position and to many UN Security Council Presidential Statements, which refer to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia."
The above by Midday clears up any confusion as to what the definition of East Africa is in mainstream literature, several wikipedia lists or templates where the inclusion of Somaliland is systematically pushed from a biased perspective through sheer weight of numbers(which is wrongfully portrayed as being 'concensus') does not equal 'a new mainstream definition' that is used by 'neutral sources' -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 14:13, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
I agree with everything stated above by Night w regarding the circumstances in this case. I would direct commenting editors to the List of states with limited recognition page for some background in this area of International Politics and very strongly encourage a reading of the prev. discussion here and here as noted above also. The treatment of disputes from an objective perceptive is key for any encyclopedia. I strongly believe we should not take sides in international disputes. Treating states with limited recognition as equal to one another is therefore very important. Those who take sides in these conflicts should really try to check their POV at the door when they come to improve the project; in this case, that has not happened. Wikipedians are people, and people can be very nationalistic sometimes leading them to become very combative in their editing. Taking sides in international disputes on wikipedia is rarely productive.
In regards to pages that have to do with this state I have had been told/called so many things and quoted so many WP policies guidelines (though often incorrectly). Some times I am spreading propaganda, sometimes I am the 'separatists' themselves, sometimes I am soap-boxing, sometimes when I use sources provided by others arguing - those sources are no longer valid, sometimes I am an advocate, and on and on. I really want this issue settled, because there are many pages across the project that need to be rendered neutral. Hopefully in this discussion, excessively long repetitive comments will not rule the day. I do not want to find consensus on a subject, only to move on to another page and have the same edits challenged by the same few editors.
Be wary, this discussion is NOT about Somaliland's international status. No one disputes the fact that no state recognizes it currently. No one disputes the fact that no international organization recognizes it currently. Somaliland exists as a de facto state only, and is defined as such by outside observers. The best article on the subject that I have found is here: http://yalejournal.org/article/de-facto-statehood-strange-case-somaliland [30]
As far as edits of mine above are concerned as quoted by Midday; the first is me adding a redirect on the list of sovereign states page. I do not understand how that is relevant. The second confirms only that I am involved with this dispute. I did not add Somaliland to Wikipedia, it was on those lists long before I came along. Please do not break up my comment. To all editors here, feel free to talk to me on my talk page. Thanks. Outback the koala ( talk) 02:59, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
To Middayexpress:
I sympathise with Outback's frustration over this. I always try to assume good faith when disagreeing with editors, but on rare occasions you come across certain users who will persist again and again, no matter how many instances occur in which they're forced to concede to policy and consensus. In this case, there are editors involved who are incredibly knowledgable on the subject, and have the potential to make great improvements to the site, but their ability to make unbiased, encyclopædic edits is thwarted by a conflict of interest with their subject. Night w ( talk) 06:09, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
1) The part of the article the sentence occupies is not the UN list, but the secondary definition: "East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of . . ."
2) The second ref given states "Somaliland located in the north part of Somalia in East Africa is a small country . . ."
3) I am constantly amazed at Wikipedeans failure to find and use up-to-date sources. A simple search on Amazon and using the "Search inside this book" feature turned up Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History and Society (2008), which refers to Somaliland as a republic while discussing its lack of diplomatic recognition, and even uses the term "breakaway republic" on p. 121.
3) This article concerns a geographical designation, not a political demarcation. In geography, the term " country" is used to designate a geographical region. The geographical region in question is generally designated by the name "Somaliland," whether it is or isn't an independent nation.
4) The sentence doesn't say Somaliland is a sovereign nation, so any objections based on that reason do not apply. In fact, it states that Somaliland is part of Somolia with the status of a "breakaway republic", which appears to be a correct description. Somaliland appears to engage in informal diplomatic activities; it has been autonomous since 1991 with no effort on the part of Somalia to force it back into the state of Somalia that I have been able to discover; it has its own army; and the people don't pay taxes to Somalia. But it's not recognised by other countries, so its status is a kind of twilight zone of sovereignty. It's not a matter of urgency to other countries because it is small and poor.
5) The purpose of Wikipedia is to convey information to as many people as possible. Some of those people, obviously, consider Somaliland to be an independent, sovereign nation. Others don't, so it is a matter of dispute. Most people don't care and haven't thought about it. The purpose of the sentence is to convey what geographical regions are included in the term "East Africa." Those who consider Somaliland an independent nation would wonder why it wasn't on the list if it were left off; those who don't consider it an independent nation would note that it is designated as part of Somalia.
The sentence as quoted would satisfy everyone except those who are active partisans on either side. Wikipedia is not written to settle scores, succor either side in a dispute, or declare which side is correct; Wikipedia is written to convey correct information to the largest number of people. By doing so in no way does it portray a slanted point of view by using the language in the sentence, in my opinion.
To recap, the sentence does not state Somaliland is an independent nation; Somaliland is the term used to describe the geographical area in question as evidenced by the ref in 2) above, and the article is about the definition of a geographical area. Tom Reedy ( talk) 04:01, 4 May 2010 (UTC)
The part of the article the sentence occupies is not the UN list, but the secondary definition: "East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of . . ."
The second ref given states "Somaliland located in the north part of Somalia in East Africa is a small country . . ."
I am constantly amazed at Wikipedeans failure to find and use up-to-date sources. A simple search on Amazon and using the "Search inside this book" feature turned up Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History and Society (2008), which refers to Somaliland as a republic while discussing its lack of diplomatic recognition, and even uses the term "breakaway republic" on p. 121.
"Thus when the union was formed, its precise legal effects had not been laid down in any instrument having binding force in both parts of the State. As explained below, the matter was clarified seven months later by the adoption of a new Act of Union with retroactive effect from July 1, 1960 for the whole territory of the Republic ...To dispel any uncertainties, it was thought desirable, as a first step, to enact a law applicable to the whole territory of the Republic, defining the legal effects of the union with as much precision as possible. This was done on January 31, 1961, six months after unification, when the National Assembly adopted by acclamation a new Act of Union, which repealed the Union of Somaliland and Somalia Law, and which was made retroactive as from July 1, 1960."
Middayexpress ( talk) 05:00, 5 May 2010 (UTC)"One component of the structural defects of this vigorous campaign for "Somaliland" administration within the geographical confines of Hargeisa and its vicinities is the infringement of the Act of Union, a fundamental error emanating from an arbitrary means of dissolving the union of Somalia."
Middayexpress ( talk) 04:14, 6 May 2010 (UTC)"It is not sufficient to discuss an opinion as fact merely by stating "some people believe...", a practice referred to as "mass attribution". [1] A reliable source supporting a statement that a group holds an opinion must accurately describe how large this group is."
An observation ( objective) expresses a fact. An interpretation ( subjective) expresses an opinion. A fact can be asserted without simon-says inline-text phrasing. An opinion must be attributed to so-and-so said.
This article concerns a geographical designation, not a political demarcation. In geography, the term " country" is used to designate a geographical region. The geographical region in question is generally designated by the name "Somaliland," whether it is or isn't an independent nation.
The sentence doesn't say Somaliland is a sovereign nation, so any objections based on that reason do not apply. In fact, it states that Somaliland is part of Somolia with the status of a "breakaway republic", which appears to be a correct description. Somaliland appears to engage in informal diplomatic activities; it has been autonomous since 1991 with no effort on the part of Somalia to force it back into the state of Somalia that I have been able to discover; it has its own army; and the people don't pay taxes to Somalia. But it's not recognised by other countries, so its status is a kind of twilight zone of sovereignty. It's not a matter of urgency to other countries because it is small and poor.
"While the United States does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state, we continue regularly to engage with Somaliland as a regional administration and to support programs that encourage democratization and economic development in the Somaliland region. We have consistently voted for United Nations Security Council resolutions reaffirming respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and unity of Somalia.
"The Somaliland president, Dahir Rayale Kahin, is regarded more as a governor by other nations, even though he considers himself to be as much a president as, say, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya or Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, three prominent presidents on this continent."
"The Somaliland passport — which bears the region's logo and looks as official as any other nation's — is not recognized by any country in the world, although the neighboring countries of Ethiopia and Djibouti do allow people to travel with it while still not officially recognizing Somaliland as a country."
"Independence does not rely solely on whether it is deserved, but on the existing realpolitik. Sadly for Somaliland, they fall between the cracks in international law and cannot win the argument for de jure recognition while Somalia remains without a viable government, so they must instead push for de facto recognition – which no one is willing to offer."
The purpose of Wikipedia is to convey information to as many people as possible. Some of those people, obviously, consider Somaliland to be an independent, sovereign nation. Others don't, so it is a matter of dispute. Most people don't care and haven't thought about it. The purpose of the sentence is to convey what geographical regions are included in the term "East Africa." Those who consider Somaliland an independent nation would wonder why it wasn't on the list if it were left off; those who don't consider it an independent nation would note that it is designated as part of Somalia.
The sentence as quoted would satisfy everyone except those who are active partisans on either side. Wikipedia is not written to settle scores, succor either side in a dispute, or declare which side is correct; Wikipedia is written to convey correct information to the largest number of people. By doing so in no way does it portray a slanted point of view by using the language in the sentence, in my opinion.
"...if an extradition treaty exists with Ethiopia, which like the rest of the world does not recognize Somaliland's independence and therefore cannot enter into any treaty with it." -- Human Rights Watch, July 2009
How about we stopped focusing on Middayexpress as a person and started processing the information he has posted here, instead of trying to bully him into pariah status? It's laughable that we have individuals attacking Middayexpress for being elaborate and posting verifiable information, when they themselves were the ones who were blatantly using wrong sources on the East Africa article in question to support their edits, even in this very discussion a very lengthy case for Somaliland was made through multiple points and sources proven to be directly/in-directly connected to the seccessionist cause, and used to nicely synthesize a sentence that is never proclaimed in the original sources, when these points were addressed and refuted through the use of sources not connected to the Somali government, suddenly nobody wants to continue the discussion? Interesting. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 00:52, 6 May 2010 (UTC)
Can you give me an opinion, Outback? I am seeing two issues here. One is that it is not obvious what single dividing line to use to separate states which ought to be named in various lists of countries throughout Wikipedia from those states which ought not to be included; the other issue, which is relatively minor and prosaic, is that assuming some states without full international recognition should pass the dividing line by meeting inclusion criteria, how should the lists be demarcated to indicate a difference between controversial and non-controversial entries. To what extent do you feel that the problem is a lack of defined inclusion criteria, and would be solvable with this kind of definition? Is there another big point in this issue which needs to be addressed? Blue Rasberry 17:22, 14 June 2010 (UTC)
I have been looking into this problem for a while, and it is my opinion that this is something that could be sorted fairly easily if the arguments were organized. User:Outback the koala above has just suggested that I review some talk pages to get some information which I requested. While I am glad this issue came to the NPOV discussion board, it is going to be hard to find a fair number of good reviewers until someone better organizes the arguments.
I just put the talks from the Africa topic template Archive, the current Africa topic template talk, and this NPOVN board posting in my word processing program. Single spaced and 12 point font, these 56,000 words made 83 pages for me. Outback, am I correct that this is what you are asking me to review? There is one medcab case here and another one here; they are very similar and do not currently reference each other, and I think there is also an RfC somewhere, and all that is in addition to the 56k words. It is my opinion that regardless of mediation case or discussion board, the route to resolution will involve condensing all of this into specific points.
I hope you find whatever kind of help you are looking for, but if I may make a suggestion, then please allow me. I think things would go a lot more smoothly and much more quickly if you listed the possible solutions, summarized the problems with each, and then presented that instead of long discussions. At the very least, describe your own solution and we can talk only about that. As a disinterested third party it would be wrong for me to sort out all this content and make your presentation for you, and considering the amount of content, this needs to be sorted and represented in some form that suggests a solution. At this time are you able to propose any solutions, or would you rather get input from editors other than me first? Blue Rasberry 20:32, 25 June 2010 (UTC)
I noticed that there is a standing request for informal mediation for this page, is this still desired/needed? If so, I would be willing to help out. Ronk01 ( talk) 12:49, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
I have opened the mediation casepage, and ask that all involved parties make a statement under the "discussion" header on the casepage so I can get an idea of the views people have here. Thank you. Ronk01 ( talk) 15:51, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
Disclaimer: I am uncircumcised citation needed / non-circumcised citation needed.
Now that I've got your attention (and apologies for the way too much information...), could I draw your attention to a dispute at Talk:Circumcision#The problem with language deemed offensive such as "Uncircumcised", and in particular efforts to resolve it at Talk:Circumcision#Feedback request on consensus for 'uncircumcised'. This is a dispute about the neutrality of the word "uncircumcised". It's been going on for a while, and has previously spilled over into ANI (which is how I encountered it) but has continued since then, without any sign of being resolved amicably.
I've asked the editors there to summarise their positions for and against "uncircumcised", which they have done at:
Many thanks. TFOWR 11:20, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:: Correction: Two national medical associations avoiding it in recent policy statements, and two examples of advocacy groups explaining why it is problematic. -
MishMich -
Talk - 12:21, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:::: It is not a distortion. These are the official policy statements of the two national medical professional associations of two European countries, one in the UK - the
BMA - the other the Netherlands. I removed your comment, as it as in the section for support that the term is not neutral - and it did not fit under that section; and I notified you of that so you could move it to a more appropriate section. You replaced it in that section - so I moved it to the section for support that it is neutral. I have not attacked you, I fail to see why you bring bad-faith accusations against me, especially as you have had no previous interaction. Stick to the issue under discussion - do not attack editors you do not agree with here, please. -
MishMich -
Talk - 22:11, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
As with TFOWR, I ran across this issue in ANI due to the fact there was an edit war going on in the article. Most Americans in my age bracket, Jew and Gentile alike, were circumcised routinely, for hygienic reasons, and while I'm glad they did, I have no particular interest in the issue one way or another. I do understand that certain political groups do. What I don't like in wikipedia is when single-purpose accounts or narrowly-focused accounts try to impose a fringe or one-sided view into an article in an effort to try to give that view false notability, which is an approach that we more experienced editors have seen time after time, and when we try to excise it, we are predictably accused of being part of a conspiracy against their cause. "Uncircumcised" is one word whose meaning is both non-judgmentally descriptive, and unambiguous in its definition. Its alleged "pejorative" nature is the invention of political correctness, citing obsolete usages of the term. Its primary definition simply describes the condition of not having been circumcised. There is no notable neutrality issue with that term. ← Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:12, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
::: Fortunately that is not the case here, as mine is not an SPA '(insert - and I have not engaged in an edit war on this matter)', and my only involvement in the article is from the point I was first alerted to the neutrality issues inherent in the article. I live in the UK, which is closer to the rest of European and other English speaking countries outside the USA, where circumcision is not routine, is not the norm, and is not widely accepted amongst the public or medical associations. If this article is to be neutral, it has to go further in representing a global view. The USA is in a minority in the west when it comes to routine circumcision. -
MishMich -
Talk - 13:19, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
::::: You persist in putting words into my mouth. I have not said that 'intact penis' should be substituted for 'uncircumcised penis'. I have said that I am sensitive to the problem that people have with the word 'intact'; rather, I have said, very clearly, several times (without any objection given as to why it would be problematic) that 'penis with foreskin' would be good alternative that people COULD use (not MUST). I have never insisted that only one term can be used to describe a penis that has not been circumcised, I have offered an alternative. This has been ignored. I have also clearly stated I have no personal problem with 'uncircumcised', but am sensitive to the fact that some people have issues with it (just like with 'intact'); however, I do not see it as neutral. I have also made it clear that only see it as derogatory when applied to a person, not a thing - as in the way it has been used by some religious groups to refer to 'gentiles', 'infidels', or 'heathens'; this is a different situation. So, all I am suggesting is that 'uncircumcised penis' does not need to be rigidly enforced as the only way of referring to a penis with a foreskin, but 'penis with foreskin' would be just as appropriate - and both accurate and neutral. Instead, I get bombarded with all sorts of irrelevant comments that do not address my point. The
BMA and others avoid it, some advocacy groups object to it, so clearly not everybody likes it - so why insist that we only use that term? The neutral approach would be to find a term that is not problematic - to 'either side' - and use that. I can think of no better way of describing a penis with a foreskin by calling it what it is, rather than what it is not. -
MishMich -
Talk - 16:14, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
:::::::: Please explain how describing a penis with a foreskin as a "penis with foreskin" is weasel words. The unmodified penis has a foreskin, the modfied penis doesn't because it has been circumcised - so is referred to as a 'circumcised penis'. -
MishMich -
Talk - 18:20, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
I have struck out my comments, as I have been informed that the person who placed this request for comment asked that discussion take place on the article talk page (I misread that, and took him to mean 'here' as here, not there). Please make further comments there, not here - I will establish a section for that discussion. - MishMich - Talk - 22:21, 8 July 2010 (UTC)
Could some other editors come to Talk:List of teetotalers#Religious section edits and help decide whether this edit is or is not in keeping with WP:NPOV? Thanks. + An gr 08:51, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Israeli settler violence is having some reverts based on how to describe Yesh Din.
This started because an editor added "pro-Palestinian" (inclusion I disagree with although personally it makes some sense) to a line that called the group "the Israeli human rights group". It is obvious that it is a human rights group. However, it is just as important that their focus is in the Palestinian territories. They have a dog in the fight and it impacts their assessment of the subject. Not making any mention of this could be misleading to the reader since the group is not (and not expected to) neutral. There are a handful of solutions which border from easy to absurd:
Seems like a trivial issue that some simple wording could have fixed but I don't trust anyone over there (including myself) to be looking at this with clearly neutral eyes and there have already been too many reverts and bickering (again some only in the edit summaries and others on the talk page) to be productive. Any suggestions on if the wording can be altered to address the concerns? Cptnono ( talk) 06:02, 15 July 2010 (UTC)
This article has been the subject of what I believe is a NPOV violation within the lede. A few editors are attempting to insert the following sentence into the lede.
The site's founders are self-described conservatives who are frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-christian media bias
Which is derived from the following quotes from this source.
McIntyre described the philosophy behind the website as based on "freedom" and "common-sense values." Said Bevan, "We think debate on the issues is a very important thing. We post a variety of opinions." "We have a frustration that all conservatives have," said McIntyre, "which is the bias in the media against conservatives, religious conservatives, Christian conservatives."
I believe this has several issues.
Thoughts? Arzel ( talk) 00:56, 24 June 2010 (UTC)
While some have suggested the column selection is conservative-leaning, the site does include columns and commentary from both sides of the spectrum.
The site's founders are self-described conservatives who are frustrated with what they perceive as anti-conservative, anti-christian media bias and while some have suggested the column selection is conservative-leaning, the site does include columns and commentary from both sides of the spectrum.
RealClearPolitics offers its own commentary as well. On March 24, it offered this assessment of the mainstream media's coverage of the tiny number of American casualties thus far in the Iraq war: "Did the media really expect no U.S. soldiers would die? That no one would be taken prisoner? That there wouldn't be any civilian casualties? That is exactly what you'd believe if you read the headlines today: 'U.S. Forces Take Heavy Casualties'-Susan Glasser, Washington Post, 'Doubts Raised on Strategy'-Thomas Ricks, Washington Post. . . . "Even worse, on the index pages of the three largest online newspapers in the country there is no mention of the 100-acre chemical plant discovered by U.S. troops yesterday. To most people this would seem like a pretty significant development-after all, isn't discovering WMD facilities one of the main objectives of the invasion?" McIntyre described the philosophy behind the website as based on "freedom" and "common-sense values." Said Bevan, "We think debate on the issues is a very important thing. We post a variety of opinions." "We have a frustration that all conservatives have," said McIntyre, "which is the bias in the media against conservatives, religious conservatives, Christian conservatives." RealClearPolitics also dissected the media's disingenuous coverage of Asan Akbar's attack on fellow members of the 101st Airborne. "When the story initially broke on Saturday night it was widely reported that the suspect was a 'Muslim-American' soldier," it said March 24. "By Sunday morning that descriptor had been scrubbed from virtually every report. This morning, only the LA Times gives the story any play on its main page. . . . The New York Times, by contrast, puts the story on its 'National' page and does the most blatant PC whitewash imaginable. . . . The Times serves up this quote from Akbar's stepfather: 'I remember last Christmas he was complaining about the double standards in the military,' Mr. Bilal said. 'Hasan told me it was difficult for a black man to get rank in the military, and he was having a hard time.' Only the New York Times could take the fact that a Muslim soldier in the U.S. Army attacked his own comrades in an unprecedented way and turn it into an indictment of the Army itself for being racist."
Is anyone going to discuss any of the issues I brought forward? I will take silence as concensus without further discussion. Arzel ( talk) 04:20, 28 June 2010 (UTC)
"A summary of RCP founders' philosophy is not undue weight." -this quote from above is what I take issue with, and it's about as deep as your argument has gone on the undue weight issue. What I've been trying to say is that this quote is not a summary of RCP founding philosophy. It's just a quote, with little elaboration to go with it, and including it in the lead is undue weight. Trying to pass it off as a good summary statement for their founding philosophy is disingenuous at best. Please provide a better argument than: it's a summary of their philosophy, therefore it's not undue weight. Excuse my directness, no hostility intended, I just dread going in circles. Ubiq ( talk) 00:46, 29 June 2010 (UTC)
Recently Genesis creation myth was renamed to Genesis creation narrative after a long discussion. I feel that this is a clear violation of WP:NPOV, since we have numerous other creation myth and creation mythology pages that was not renamed, giving this myth special status among them. The definitions of narrative and myth are quite different. I started a discussion on this point here, and would like to bring it up here as well. — raeky ( talk | edits) 23:00, 14 July 2010 (UTC)
Mary Ann Block: Badly written with multiple uncited POV lines suggesting she A) Knows what she's doing, or B) Doesn't. 66.75.27.117 ( talk) 22:35, 17 July 2010 (UTC)
Should an editor be allowed to add scare quotes around a term because they allege that the cited sources are incorrect to use that term?
An example of this is when a creationist adds scare quotes around the "theory" of evolution, or when a climate-change skeptic adds scare quotes around climate "science" or around "scientific consensus". In this case, monarchists are trying to add scare quotes around "British monarchy" because they allege that the cited sources are wrong to use the term.
The Wikipedia article on scare quotes states: "Style guides generally recommend the avoidance of scare quotes in impartial works, such as in encyclopedia articles or academic discussion." Wikipedia:Manual of Style specifically discourages the use of scare quotes.
The article where this dispute is taking place is Debate on the monarchy in Canada, and on its talk page there has been an initial discussion and an ongoing Request for Comment discussion, both of which I started.
The specific article text at the center of the dispute are the following sentences that appear under the section "Polls": [33]
An Angus Reid Strategies poll conducted in September 2007 reported that the majority 53% of Canadians do not want the country to retain formal ties to the British monarchy, while 35% did, and 12% were unsure. [2]
A poll conducted by Angus Reid in March 2008 also reported that the majority of Canadians believe it is time to end the country's official relationship with the British monarchy. [3]
A group of three or four editors are trying to add scare quotes around the words "British monarchy" in those sentences because they contend that the cited polls were wrong to use the term and they wish the article presentation to somehow contest the cited term.
I have tried to point out that the core, non-negotiable Wikipedia content policies are clear about not doing that. Wikipedia:Verifiability states as its first line: "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth—whether readers can check that material added to Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source, not whether editors think it is true." Wikipedia:No original research states: "Source material should be carefully summarized or rephrased without changing its meaning or implication. Take care not to go beyond what is expressed in the sources or to use them in ways inconsistent with the intent of the source, such as using material out of context. In short, stick to the sources."
Because the Request for Comment discussion that I opened is going in circles with the same few editors ignoring these policies, I would greatly appreciate your NPOV noticeboard input there. In particular I am hoping that an administrator might come make this case in defense of Wikipedia's core principles, but I definitely welcome any and all support or constructive input. 65.92.212.239 ( talk) 05:59, 16 July 2010 (UTC)
These edits of mine were reverted: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Jesus&diff=next&oldid=374161404 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Historical_Jesus&action=historysubmit&diff=374138570&oldid=374136491 Noloop ( talk) 00:04, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
[34] and [35] are books that debate the intertwining between the scholars' religious background and the corresponding research output. I think that this merits a mention in the article (and they invalidate Griswaldo claim that the religious background is not a relevant information). -- Cyclopia talk 16:10, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
A job of the editors is decide when there is a potential conflict of interest. Christian theologians are not likely to research the historicity of Jesus and conclude "Nope, he never existed." There is a conflict of interest. The principle is true beyond religion. Newt Gingrich has Ph.D. Nonetheless, if we make a factual claim about the validity of conservative economics and use Newt Gingrich as a source, we mention it. We do so even though he has a Ph.D. It is important for the reader to know that our source is someone predisposed toward one conclusion. The scholarship of the person is not the point; conflict of interest is the point. People with Ph.D's can have a conflict of interest just as much as anybody else. The constant use of Christian sources for factual claims about historic matters--without mentioning it to the reader--is a problem. Noloop ( talk) 17:25, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
¶ As a non-Christian, I think the reverse is far more important and telling: that there are (I've read) at least four good, contemporary non-Christian sources attesting to Jesus' existence, including Tacitus and Josephus. Otherwise the reader might assume that all of the sources are Christian. So why not tackle the issue from the positive side? —— Shakescene ( talk) 16:35, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
¶ My view on this, is that much of the controversy here is not about belief in Christ, but about belief in scientists.
Griswaldo shows an almost naive belief in the neutrality of scientists, while
Cyclopia and
Noloop suggest scientist may not be completely neutral. As a scientist who has (co)authored about 20 peer reviewed papers, I would say that although scientist generally not falsify facts, they interpret their findings in the way supporting their world view. I do this, my colleagues do this. This is the core of the scientific discourse: Giving facts to support your world view trying to convince your peers. And if your facts win out, your colleagues accept this (or go out looking for counterfacts). This is what makes science work. True neutrality though is not truly part of it. In other words, my experience tell me that the view of Cyclopia and Noloop is close to the truth.
Arnoutf (
talk) 17:53, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
Is it pushing a minority POV, in violation of WP:UNDUE, to list Somaliland among the countries where Yemeni Arabic is spoken, when the cited sources list only Somalia (as well as Yemen, of course), including the part of Somali known as "Somaliland"? See the comments here and please help contribute to the discussion at Talk:Yemeni Arabic#"Somaliland". + An gr 05:39, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
There are plenty of sources that discredit the claim of Somaliland being a de facto state, and instead refer to it as a pseudo-state. Wikipedia clearly states that we do not have to entertain the wishes of a minority group, and as Somalia is the only internationally recognised country, therefore Somaliland has no place on a language article where its status as an unrecognised region/de facto whatever, is irrelevant, not to mention none of the scholarly sources vis-a-vi the language in question being used justify this. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 22:26, 19 July 2010 (UTC)
Somalia's current civil war status is irrelevant to this discussion and in no way does this situation mean any seccessionist entity that has risen or will rise automatically can be forced into every article where the status of the seccessionist entity is completely off-base, not to mention UNDUE. Your personal POV of what constitutes a real state and what doesn't is also a red herring. It's laughable that your justification for the inclusion of a seccessionist entity (Somaliland) to a language article is; because it has student exchange programs with a country(Yemen) that recognises that region as part of Somalia. -- Scoobycentric ( talk) 08:06, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
I would first like to invite all of those interested in joining the ongoing mediation of this topic to leave a message stating this on my talkpage. You will be sent instructions and the link to the mediation within 24 hours. Ronk01 talk, 14:01, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
This is an article about a book by academics for a wider audience. My concerns are that what is called "academic criticism" is sourced to blogs. The press reports seem to be well sourced and properly balanced, although I am not sure that WP should conclude that the book had a "mixed reception" when closer examination might show that it was on balance well received, and we don't need to make such a judgement anyway. My impression is also that academic criticism (in the correct sense of the term) is still coming through. I am going to make some changes and if necessary will post on RSN (not to forum-shop but just to get views on the blog sources). Some more eyes would be appreciated. Itsmejudith ( talk) 10:33, 21 July 2010 (UTC)
Peter Saunders work is published as a PDF on the policy exchange website. It is not peer reviewed but he shows the data points he is working with so his work is also open to be critiqued by others. So a somewhat more robust source than a typical blog-- Strathdon ( talk) 17:07, 21 July 2010 (UTC)
This Historical Jesus looks like a POV fork from Historicity of Jesus, which appears to be constructed in a way that ensures the exclusion of theological, philosphical positions that dispute the historical accuracy of received dogmatics about Jesus. Would appreciate independent scrutiny to see whether this page should be merged with the article on historicity and others which deal with issues incorporated in this topic in a balanced way. - MishMich - Talk - 12:47, 22 July 2010 (UTC)
The parties to the dispute are aiming to simplify the presentation of the dispute to make it easier for reviewer(s) to come to a decision. Until that process is complete this call for assistance should be passed over. When this situation changes, a notification will apear here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hauskalainen ( talk • contribs) 19:47, July 8, 2010
I am calling for someone with an interest in English history to review the onging dispute over numerous sections on the Talk page to this article regarding a serios NPOV issue. There are even some discussions in the last archive to the talk page of the article though the most important onces have been pulled back from archive today. From my point of view this is a NPOV issue though my editor friends there are doing their best to make out that it is one of OR or RS or whatever else they can think up.
A few months ago this section was written in a way that presented only one point of view regarding the development of English and American history. The one POV it presented was highly contentious and in my opinion breached the rules for WP:NPOV.
The issue is over a a very important dispute over a reinterpretation of a thousand years and more of English and American History and the two substantially different visions of history it creates. A flavour for the length to which editors have gone to dispute this can be seen by looking at the very many sections before the sections covering English history on that talk page.
The article is about to come out of an edit freeze and although I believe that as it stands now the article fairly represents two highly opposing views of history it does so without many reference because the article was frozen in the middle of my reconstruction work any my edit opponent has indicated an attempt to undo my good and honest work as soon as the protection is lifted.
We are really no nearer resolving this dispute. Will someone PLEASE help to look at the major issue I have raised and help us to resolve this one. Because I fear that this article has protectors in high places I would ask that this assistance comes from someone who has NOT previously involved him or herself in the resolution of disputes over gun or armament related or U.S. Constitutional topics and who ideally has been editing for more than 2 years. -- Hauskalainen ( talk) 02:09, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
A word of warning! You will find that the editors that I do battle with argue about anything and everything EXCEPT the validity of the traditional view of English history. This can give the impression that they are seriously engaging with me using Wikipedia principles but really this is (IMHO) only WP:Game. The sheer volume of their issues is enough to make any editor or reviewer walk away in fear. They should not not. The WOOD here is far more important than the TREES. These editors endlessly argue about the TREES in the hope that we will forget about the WOOD (which is that the previous editors to this argue have structured it to tell the revisionist version of history given by Professor Malcolm in her book. The radical nature of the Malcolm Thesis has not received much attention though. Kopel here refers to it quite clearly though in his review of Malcolm's work.
As the Firesign Theater comedy troupe once put it, "Everything you know is wrong."[23] To Keep and Bear Arms sweeps away over two centuries of American--and British--misunderstanding of the British right to arms, providing the first clear picture of what the right to arms meant to the British of 1689, as well as what it meant to the Americans of 1791 who drafted the Bill of Rights with the British experience very much in mind.
Malcolm states her radical thesis in the first paragraph of the Preface (p. ix). She argues that before 1689, no right to bear arms existed at all. When the 1689 Convention Parliament decided to guarantee a right to arms, the Convention chose, for political-tactical benefit, to pretend that it was reaffirming an "ancient" right to arms (pp. ix-x). In fact, argues Malcolm, the Convention created (p.1337)the right then and there, for reasons growing directly out of the political conflict of the previous century (pp. ix-xi).
and here
Although they should not, some may consider Malcolm's final chapter, detailing the evolution of the 1689 British right to arms (p.1352)into the 1791 Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the most controversial part of her book. The main body of the book ought to be the portion that attracts controversy: In it Malcolm argues that the 1689 Convention tricked the next three centuries of Britons and Americans with its claim that the British right to arms was "ancient, true, and indubitable," rather than fabricated on the spot as a result of recent experience with oppressive monarchs and their standing armies. Because Malcolm's thesis contradicts the viewpoint of almost every scholar--pro-gun or anti-gun--who has written anything on the British right to arms, one might expect controversy. So far, however, no scholar has challenged Malcolm's conclusion in print.
Malcolm's argument is, on the one hand, irrefutable, because there is no known British legal document prior to 1689 that refers to a right to arms; all the official documents call bearing arms a duty rather than a right (p. 9). But, it is not impossible for a duty and a right to coexist. Jury service was certainly a duty, but many Britons also viewed it as "an ancient, true, and indubitable right."[68] It is possible that deeper inquiry into medieval social history materials might show a similar understanding of a duty-right to arms. While the 1689 Convention may have fabricated a right in a strict legal sense, some kind of rights consciousness regarding arms must have existed beforehand, or else the Convention's assertion of an "ancient, true, and indubitable right" would have been so self-evidently absurd as not to be worth asserting.
By analogy, the provision in the Declaration of Rights against standing armies in times of peace was also novel, rather than "ancient," in that no statute had ever previously affirmed it nor had any part of the common law in any known judicial opinion or legal guidebook. Nevertheless, the declaration against standing armies obviously reflected a long-standing, widely held view about how Britain should organize its society--a viewpoint every monarch had respected until the seventeenth century. Much the same might be said about the right to arms: rights consciousness and statutory affirmation of rights need not go hand in hand, particularly in light of the English theory that the government does not "grant" rights, but rather they arise by long-standing tradition from the ancient past.
Kopel overall seems to agree with the revisionist view but this alone does not mean that it is accepted universally. I am not aware of any English history scholars who have reviewed this work because frankly I guess the right to arms does not excite people in England as much as it does people in America.-- Hauskalainen ( talk) 03:09, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
- WP articles must be based on reliable sources and so far only SaltyBoatr has provided any. Whether or not Malcolm's views are the final word, only reliable sources may be used to present alternative views. Some writers have claimed that the right to bear arms was an issue in Bacon's rebellion in Virginia, which was before the Bill of Rights 1689. However, I cannot find any scholarly sources to support this view. Blackstone's work cannot be considered a reliable source for law before the Bill of Rights, but that should not present a problem because we can use modern commentaries on his writing as sources. Also whether or not the right existed at common law, it was an auxiliary not unalienable right. There was no question that the Imperial Parliament had the power to limit or abolish this right. TFD ( talk) 23:34, 16 June 2010 (UTC) taken from Talk:Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Nature of this problem
You appear not to understand the principles required to write articles:
It would be wrong to present either Malcolm's view or your view and there are two things you can do that will help the process:
TFD ( talk) 18:32, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
This page is not a forum for general discussion about Neutral point of view/Noticeboard/Archive 15. Any such comments may be removed or refactored. Please limit discussion to improvement of this page. You may wish to ask factual questions about Neutral point of view/Noticeboard/Archive 15 at the Reference desk. |
Thanks, Hauskalainen. I will look a little more into this in the next few days, but until then, here is how you win at medcab.
I will be looking for this in the archives of the talk. The medcab person will be looking for this in mediation. Notice that this process does not involve any discussion about the article's subject.
I want to help you be heard, but there is a lot of text here and I need time. Let me know if you have any comments in the meantime. Blue Rasberry 23:18, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
On July 8th Hauskalainen asked for time to prepare his case. Quite a bit of time has elapsed, with no word. As recent as yesterday [38], Hauskalainen is active defending his original research passage in the article through edit war and without any use or mention of secondary sourcing. Considering that the Mediation Cabal [39] is put on hold waiting for Hauskalainen to respond with his thoughts here, this has the appearance of a delay tactic. This may not be, but the appearances are that with the present stasis of the article being the version of original research favored by Hauskalainen, that delay may serve his purposes of protecting his original research. SaltyBoatr get wet 15:11, 24 July 2010 (UTC)