User talk:Levitron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Welcome!

Hello, Levitron, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and ask your question there. Again, welcome!  From: (→Netscott) 20:19, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "History" section

Just to let you know I am personally somewhat familiar with a version of the history of Levitron that rather corresponds to that section. The version I am familiar with came from the Sherlocks. What I am less familiar with is the "other" side of the story, the Hones'. Do you have any idea where one might find a reliable source for that side of the story? (→Netscott) 18:05, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

What about the U.S. patent record, and what about Congressman Driver's articles? What about the statements of physicist Martin Simon, author of the best published physics paper on the subject of the Levitron? Are you personally somewhat familiar with those? Your clear intent here, never stated, is to suppress any mention of the actual history of the Levitron's invention and development. We are scientific people; we see the dissembling in your stated arguments and reasons for suppressing this story--"Art Bell references," being one of the most laughable ones, but certainly not the only silly argument. (For anyone reading this who wonders, Hones and the Sherlocks advertised the Levitron on Art Bell's radio program. Even if this were not an insignificant detail, clearly the fact that both parties used Bell's program would make this NPOV). We would like to get into the writing of a really good physics section of the Levitron article, as well as a good accounting of its history and development. But it's hard to get past the knowledge that this article is "owned" by corporate interests who suppress facts using spurious argumentation. Here are some spurious arguments given to defend Fascinations' suppressing of the facts surrounding the origin of the Levitron: 1. The corporate interests claim it's a "conspiracy theory" every time someone mentions the Sherlocks. The answers to this argument are clear -- we should mention the Sherlocks and also mention that some people call it a conspiracy, letting the readers and contributers decide about this rather important part of the Levitron story, rather than suppressing the reference altogether. Also, references to Congressman Driver are likewise summarily deleted, along with mention of Harrigan's name, mention of the patents, and mention of many other independent facts, making the "conspiracy theory" claim ever more silly. 2. A second spurious argument given by the corporate interests for suppressing the story is that supposedly the Levitron is a TRADEMARK and does not refer to an actual invention. This argument is pernicious. It is used to "justify" narrowing the focus of the Levitron article to essentially the established outcome of the legal trademark infringement case and practically nothing else. Part of this argument has been something like "The Levitron is a TRADEMARK NAME for a KIND of levitating top, just like the Corvette is a TRADEMARK NAME for a KIND of car. You can't write about the Levitron as if it were the whole class of levitating tops." This is spurious balderdash, and reveals the dissembling and outright intellectually dishonest motive of the person originating and/or using this "argument." In the first place, anyone writing about the Corvette would be free to include the facts surrounding its development. And in the second place, the Levitron is one-of-a-kind, and does not stand in relation to its roots as the Corvette does to the car. It is unlikely that the makers of the Corvette would come on Wikipedia to claim that you can't mention the deals or principal players involved in its origin. It is likewise unlikely that they would come on Wikipedia to suppress all mention of the history of the car either. And if they did, they would be subject to the sort of reaction that you, user "Levitron," and your other personages, are receiving here. We who enjoy reading and editing this article are for the most part scientifically oriented people. Your laughable, spurious, dissembling, dishonest, and dishonorable argumentation are TRANSPARENT to intelligence higher than a dog's. It makes for a good laugh or two sometimes, and a shake of the head. Sometimes it is a little scary for some reason, and sometimes disappointing at what people will stoop to. You may succeed in forever suppressing the actual story of the Levitron on Wikipedia. I doubt it, but who knows. You seem to have the time and motivation. But you will not influence public opinion in your favor. THIS is what people think of your actions here: that by trying to suppress a story, you make it that much more interesting. Of course that mistake was made in the 90's and is merely compounded here. Rdubeau 02:18, 25 August 2007 (UTC)