Talk:A-bike

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[edit] Article tone

This seems very much like an ad to me... anyone else feel that way? --feba 15:47, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Reading it, yes. I've tagged it for cleanup, but if you want to start by having a go, please do so! Cheers --Pak21 16:03, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reads a bit like an advertisement

First, I'd like to say that the A-bike looks to me like a cleverly-designed little machine and that after many edits getting rid of POV marketing language, I think this article is not terribly far off from coming across as objective.

However, statements like

The clear differences between the A-bike and other folding bicycles are the "telescopic structure" and the "twin-chain system". The telescopic structure enables the bicycle to diminish until it becomes about 25% in volume.

give me the impression I'm reading directly from company-provided promotional material. I've since modified it to say

The A-bike uses a telescoping structure to reduce the apparent volume in its collapsed state to about 25%, while the twin-chain system enables the rider to move about 3.2m per rotation of crank despite the bicycle's tiny wheels.

I have seen another bicycle like this with a twin chain system, and I have strong doubts that the actual volume of the bike is reduced so greatly.

The "See Also" links link only to other Sinclair products, not to other folding bicycles in the A-bike's class. While some people might think it natural to link to other (different) products by the same manufacturer, I think it comes across as further advertising for that manufacturer. There is, after all, already a link to both Clive Sinclair and Sinclair Research Ltd. As such, I've deleted these Sinclair-only "See Also" links until someone wants to create a set of links to comparable bicycles regardless of manufacturer. --67.188.0.96 08:49, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

I have replied to your comments under the post heading Binch Shin. 172.203.216.69 02:08, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Conflict of interest?

Just for the purposes of transparency, I'd like to call on user Binch Shin (talk · contribs) to clarify his business or personal relationship, if any, to the A-bike. The appearance is that his account was registered solely for the purpose of creating and editing this article on the A-bike. This in itself is no sin of course, but it's always a good thing to let people know where information is coming from. --67.188.0.96 08:49, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Hi, a guy in darkness, 67.188.0.96. I'm Binch Shin (talk · contribs). This is my real name and you can find me in Seoul, Korea. Unfortunately to you, I am not in the A-bike business at all. I just like the Sinclair A-bike and I'm enjoying it now. In Korea, we have a community for A-bike lovers. The number of registered members is over 5,000. Can you imagine? We have or make information originally. Every photos I uploaded are personal but not commercial. And the sentence you have erased was from 'The primary difference between the Strida and other folding bicycles is that...'. I can't understand why you call me in darkness. To write A-bike page is sometimes interest but I don't want to talk to ghost again. --Binch Shin (talk · contribs) 14:53, 1 April 2007.

Additionally, everybody can use my photos on every purpose except for selling clones. --Binch Shin (talk · contribs) 17:18, 1 April 2007.

You have licensed your photos under the GFDL, which means that anyone can use them for any purpose. You cannot retrospectively apply conditions to that licensing. --Pak21 08:06, 2 April 2007 (UTC)
I know. --Binch Shin (talk · contribs) 08:25, 3 April 2007.

[edit] Binch Shin

When some peoples erased my writings and photos on this A-bike article. I thought 'Yes. I'm Asian and have another language. This is English guys' dictionary and they require information only from themselves.' I recommended our A-bikers to be careful. 'don't upload a photo including Asian' and 'the worst photo is a good quality one'. Finally, I had to disclose a sort of my private detail(whether I have a relationship with A-bike business or not) following the situation. If you check my all writings then you can find that I didn't write any business information. Why? I don't know anything about that. Please remember a fact that I will not gain any benefit from A-bike. The only thing what I want is the A-bike information page in English dictionary for anyone who want to find information on internet. --Binch Shin 02:43, 5 April 2007 (Korea Time)

Thank you for explaining that you are simply a fan of the A-bike. The only reason I asked is because your enthusiasm for the bike was very apparent in your writing and your edit history is limited to editing this article only. This is sometimes the mark of a conflict of interest, but obviously as you have shown, not always. Please accept my apology if I've caused you any grief with this question. I have no objections to you removing the "conflict of interest" section above if you like. Also, please don't let tight image copyright policies and tight editors like myself deter you from continuing to make positive additions to Wikipedia. --67.188.0.96 08:14, 5 April 2007 (UTC)
In Binch Shin's defense, I've edited/removed a few of his additions myself for POV and other problems, and given his edit history I can see why someone might think he's trying to promote the A-bike, but in this case you seem to be seeing POV text where there is none. The clear differences between the A-bike and other folding bicycles are the "telescopic structure" and the "twin-chain system". isn't POV, it's a neutral statement. I don't know how technically accurate it is, but to remove it citing POV reasons is wrong. If no other folding bikes have telescopic structures or twin-chain systems then those differences should be stated in the article, although citations would be useful.
Your removal of the "See also" section is unfounded though. You claim those links are "further advertising for that manufacturer". Unlikely, since the Sinclair C5 hasn't been available for over 20 years, and the Zike hasn't been available for 15 years. It's not easy to advertise products that aren't on the market. Those two articles are about other Sinclair "cycle" related products. Sinclair Research Ltd is primarily known for electronics and computing, so their previous attempts at personal transport are of obvious encyclopedic relevance and interest here. The suggestion of creating a "See also" section with similar bicycles instead isn't particularly useful as that navigation is already covered by Category:Folding bicycles. 172.203.216.69 02:08, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A-bike communities

There are 5 major communities over the world. 1 is in UK and it is provided by A-bike Central. 1 is in KR. 1 is in HK. And 2 is in JP. Each community has 100 articles at least. Last year I hoped to add KR and JP communities' links on the External links. But there was a problem that these communities don't use English although they have huge information. Furthermore, an external link to a blog or a SNS(community) site is not permitted by the External links guidelines. A-bike Central also has a forum page but at the same time, every new information is created in the site. This is why the external link to A-bike Central still exists. --Binch Shin 03:03, 1 May 2007 (Korea Time)