User talk:89.138.12.173

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Hi! if you read the breed history as outlined in the article you will see that the true origin of the Great Dane breed is a disputed topic. Thus, I'd like to request that when you want to change the breed's country of origin, you cite a source to verify your claims. The official policy is contained in [[Wikipedia::Verifiability]] and states that "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth—meaning, in this context, whether readers are able to check that material added to Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source, not whether we think it is true." As such, however strongly you feel that the breed's origin should be changed, please help me by finding a reliable source that states such origin. For now, as there's no way to verify your claim and the breed is indeed called "great dane", I'm changing the country of origin back to Denmark. Thanks! Roadmr (t|c) 14:44, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. If, as you claim, you're doing a Ph.D. on great dane-related topics, then you will encounter no problems sourcing your information about the breed's origin. The point is, on Wikipedia, your level personal knowlege doesn't qualify you to change information withour references or explanations. The references you are able to provide for any information you submit here are what gives validity to your claims, particularly on hotly-debated topics such as the great dane's origin.

Once again I urge you to check out Wikipedia:Verifiability and Wikipedia:Citing_sources for information on why you need to provide verifiable sources for your statements, and how to do that.

Thanks! Roadmr (t|c) 16:26, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Greetings-- you have been told numerous times that the claim you're making about the origin of the Great Dane breed requires a citation, and it will continue to be reverted until you provide the cite. As you claim to be an expert, you should easily be able to find such -- as you have also been told. Feel free as well to get a username -- whether justly or not, it tends to encourage people to take one a bit more seriously. DavidOaks (talk) 02:06, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
For example, Colliers Encyclopedia, 1993, sv Great Dane: The breed originated in Germany, probably from a cross between the English mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound." (Barbara Stein). That happens to be the only deadtree reference I have lying around; the article's less than 100 words, and it's aimed at children. A breeders' site offers evidence for Danish origin [1] A dog-fanciers site simply identifies the question as controversial [2] Fact is, I don't care much one way or another, but you should have been doing this rather than merely asserting. DavidOaks (talk) 02:15, 3 June 2008 (UTC)