User:Ironlion45

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Ironlion45 Is a casual Wili-user, who spends most of his (Wiki) efforts in the area of history, however he also dabbles in culinary arts and entertainment.

I am something of a gastronome, an avid gamer, gardener, reader, a history buff, and have an active interest in theology and spiritualism.

My primary focus with articles is making them clear and cohesive in nature. One of the primary failings of Wiki articles is that when they are written by dozens of people, they often look that way as well. I like to try, where I can, to help articles achieve greater continuity, and be worded in a way that makes sense, rather than sounding like rambling.

I have several beliefs regarding article-writing, which are also traits that I try to encourage in others:

>I believe that one should have extensive knowledge of the article that they are writing/contributing to.

>I believe firmly that neutrality is absolutely necessary when educating others. Bias is a communicable disease.

>I also am an advocate of fairness and ethical behavior when contributing to the Wiki.

>The more sensitive the topic, the more important that POV be absent. (ie religion, politics)

Encyclopedias have an ethical obligation to present information in a thorough (non-selective) and non-biased way, even if this is subtle bias, or a bias of omission. The writer of the article does not decide which information the reader uses, or from which perspective that information is presented. The writer of the article simply presents that information.

For example: when dealing with history topics, especially ancient history, many things are not known for certain, but are nonetheless agreed upon as true by scholars. There is a temptation to present this consensus as fact, when in reality it is only the consensus. In these situations, the article should state that "Most historians believe that Lord Blogs was born in Xton in 1126-7" rather than stating that he was in fact born there at that time.

Also, many topics are hotly contested, and a consensus is very unlikely to be reached at any time soon. E.G. the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire. In these situations, rather than fighting over who is right and wrong, and which theory will be the one that gets used, a balanced method should be used offering all, or at least several, of the different beliefs from a neutral perspective. In this way, the reader comes to understand that their are conflicting viewpoints, and will interpret the information with that knoledge in mind, and will draw their own conclusions, or seek further information, without having prejudice inflicted on them.