Wikipedia: A Call to FReep

Wikipedia | 2/28/2006 | antiRepublicrat

[antiRepublicrat]

Apologies for the vanity, but I think it's about time for a concerted effort here.

Background

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can contribute to or change. It is my general non-paranoid opinion, and the opinion of many other FReepers, that Wikipedia leans to the left. By definition, this is not because of an editorial bias on the part of those running it, but because of a bias on the part of the liberal contributors. It just seems that the majority of or the most active contributors are liberals, thus the content runs liberal.

Whether we like it or not, Wikipedia is a fairly trusted source of information around the world. Some of that information unfairly makes the conservative, limited-government cause look bad. Other postings may be biased against the US or our allies.

FReepers have a wide variety of interests and areas of expertise. We live all over the country (indeed, around the world), I've noticed a lot have degrees and/or are professionals in a field, we're different kinds of conservatives, we smoke or not, we're vegetarian or not, etc.

All that makes us the perfect group to try to counter the leftist bent that plagues many of the articles on Wikipedia. Gun control, second hand smoke, abortion, etc., are ripe for oversight. I've even noticed in aviation articles that people seem to favor Airbus (Airbus used as an example of winglets, although they first appeared on an airliner in the 747-400, maybe that should be mentioned).

How to Help

We could correct a lot of mistakes if each of 1/10th of FReepers took it upon himself to monitor the content of two articles that are within his areas of expertise or knowledge. When fixing an article, please follow these simple steps:

• Get an account. Don't be like the congresscritters, be honest and get an account before making changes. This will also help in any ensuing discussion to defend your changes.
• Learn how to edit. You can tell from the example of the current text how to edit an article, but it would be best to check out the help.
• Keep neutral. We are correcting leftist/liberal edits with the facts, not trying to give a right slant to the articles. If you do slant the article, you're no better than the leftists who wrote it.
• Factual, Factual, Factual. No opinion. Facts. I see a lot of leftist pages full of opinion represented as fact. Cite sources to back yourself up.
• Don't vandalize. We're trying to increase quality, not degrade it.
• Proper English. You're not just posting a quip to FR, the quality of your writing will aid in the acceptance of your content.
• Use a Watch. All pages have a "Watch" tab on them, and clicking on it will load that page into your watch list. That way you can at see when your favorite pages were last changed by clicking "My Watch List."

[antiRepublicrat]

Well, any takers? Don't just complain about biased articles, change them and keep an eye on them in case some leftie changes them back.

[SquirrelKing]

Or how about urbandictionary.com?

FReep

[Plutarch]

Here, here. Wikipedia is important. The info at Wikipedia stays, while FR is a running stream. Make a change at Wikipedia and it is likely to be there for years to come, and referenced by thousands.

All we need do is supply facts, because as conservatives we have facts on our side.

[Termite_Commander]

Sounds good. I'm already an occasional contributor there.

[luvbach1]

I "fought" leftist Euros on an article dealing wih 9/11 and its aftermath in which patriotism, even as manifested after that horrific attack, was equated with jingoism by Euro wimp contributers to Wikipedia. Most Euros don't understand American patriotism one whit. I succeeded in mitigating some of the extreme bias.

[JillValentine]

This may be semi-unrelated, but the liberal-conservative conflict on Wikipedia reminded me of something. How did Free Republic and Democratic Underground pick each other out as enemies, so to speak? There must be thousands of conservative political sites out there, and thousands of liberal ones. Does anyone know how FR and DU came to single each other out?

[muawiyah]

Wikipedia leans left because the guys paying the bills and running it lean left. So far most of the contributors are leftleaners.

I regularly go in there and set things up right!

[muawiyah]

When it comes to European history it's valuable to work into any of your changes the expression "it was necessary to bomb them into submission, and even today, it's apparant that not enough bombing was actually done".

[adorno]

All we need do is supply facts, because as conservatives we have facts on our side.

Everytime anybody supplies a correction, somebody else will supply a different "correction" to slant the entry back the other way.

Perhaps what's needed is a "Correct-o-pedia" that will contain entries outside of the Wikipedia or any other 'pedia that slants to the left. We would then have to figure out a way to link to the "Correct-o-pedia" entry that balances out the Widipedia version.

[antiRepublicrat]

Wikipedia leans left because the guys paying the bills and running it lean left.

Their leaning means nothing if we correct with facts. If they say "I'm the owner, so it goes left like I want it" and we have the facts on our side, then we can publically disgrace them.

[Bon mots]

The same thing with Academia. They get the guys who fail at business time and again. I know a guy who always had a high opinion of himself, and was always trying different hare-brained business ideas. Actually, some of his ideas weren't all that bad, but he couldn't execute.

So of course, he keeps working on his Ph.D. forever and eventually finishes it, and the only job he can get is a low paying entry level teaching position in a University... but then the next time you see him, he's advanced... etc.

Of course, he's a liberal.

I see a similar thing with Wikipedia. The guys who have the time to actually sit and do that are smart, but not necessarily fully engaged in anything successful enough to keep them occupied on a full time basis. So they have more time to sit and enter things into Wikipedia.

Joseph Schumpeter said similar things about the eventual triumph of Socialism. The Capitalists are all too busy running their successful businesses to worry about the incrementalism of the unsuccessful fools who ratchet up their Socialist agendas...

FWIW I've entered some things into Wikipedia myself. So far they have not been edited. They are, however, fairly apolitical economic concepts. :-(

[philsfan24]

2 biggest maybe?

[philsfan24]

or the biggest from each side that is.

[muawiyah]

That's true, but the problem with inserting facts is that you have to associate with these people and I'd rather be making war on them with live bullets, and them over there with their little friends in their AlQaida evening gowns, and me over here with guys with real nukes, and tanks that work, and that sort of thing.

There really isn't any discussion we can have with the lefties anymore.

[ozoneliar]

Perhaps what's needed is a "Correct-o-pedia" that will contain entries outside of the Wikipedia or any other 'pedia that slants to the left. We would then have to figure out a way to link to the "Correct-o-pedia" entry that balances out the Widipedia version.

If somebody with enough web-savvy could create such a page, I would help fund it.

[antiRepublicrat]

Everytime anybody supplies a correction, somebody else will supply a different "correction" to slant the entry back the other way.

Not necessarily. First there's the three revert rule (to stop quick successive reversions). After that, there's a whole resolution process. You should win if you keep a cool head and the facts are behind you.

[Plutarch]

Everytime anybody supplies a correction, somebody else will supply a different "correction" to slant the entry back the other way.

Everytime? Defeatist you are. I supplied an incontrovertible fact on this page , that has not been "corrected" in many weeks. Edward Kennedy needs to be added to the list, by the way.

[antiRepublicrat]

That's true, but the problem with inserting facts is that you have to associate with these people

It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. Remember that not necessarily about you and them in a discussion. The lefties will be using their errant leftist entries in order to convince other people that they are right, to convert them.

[adorno]

If somebody with enough web-savvy could create such a page, I would help fund it.

It would not be a simple web page. It would be a sophisticated web site, but I'm sure doable. I wonder if there is anybody in this forum with enough web smarts to take you up on the offer. I have some web skills (I'm mostly a mainframer), but not to the extent needed. But, I would be willing to offer whatever design and programming skills I have.

[jpl]

That Wikipedia page on notable obese people needs more corrections.

Eric Cartman is NOT fat, he's big-boned.