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This user can write in the MediaWiki language |
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NEALPARR
[edit] Current work
I am currently working on this article. Please join me.
[edit] Editing Philosophy
Wikipedia is a mainstream encyclopedia, wrapped up in and documenting popular culture. It also has the unique characteristic of being an encyclopedia that anyone can edit, which means that it is edited by the masses who draw on their experiences of living in popular culture.
I'm personally fascinated by the dynamic between the established popular culture, and counterculture movements. MediaWiki itself is an experiment in countering the culture of traditional publishing. Though I was born decades later, I enjoy reading histories of the counterculture movements in the United States during the 1960s. Often I end up participating in controversial articles at Wikipedia where the topic is less than popular compared to pop culture as a whole. Some of these topics are even counter to popular culture. In this environment consisting of masses of popular culture editors, it is sometimes difficult to achieve a neutral, informed treatment of a topic, if that topic is not popular in mainstream culture. Other non-wiki encyclopedias are typically more neutral in their presentation than the popular treatment found at Wikipedia on controversial topics.
This isn't surprising. All open value ranking systems on the web end up swaying to a popular treatment. Other treatments, for example the expert treatment, are typically lost in the shuffle. The reason is because informed opinion is always eclipsed by uninformed opinion in an open system. Experts, by definition, are always the minority.
Take, for example, a system that ranks art. Typically what you may find in an online art ranking system is a thumbs up or thumbs down button. Like it, or don't like it? Unfortunately this only reflects the aesthetic appeal, and not the majority of values incorporated into art theory. Composition, context, meaning, all those values are overshadowed by the popularity value. If a lot of people really like the way a crappy piece of art looks, it has more value, despite this being a shallow judgment.
I believe in Wikipedia values. I support expert or informed edits at Wikipedia, and neutral treatments of controversial topics, versus the sometimes not informed or not neutral popular treatment that is the natural inclination of open systems like MediaWiki. Expert and neutral treatments are of tremendous value in the continued elevation of Wikipedia as a solid educational tool, and can be achieved through excellent documentation and sourcing. In pursuit of this goal, I also support patience (though I'm only human). Patience and working well with others is very important because the environment is an open system, and you do want everyone to participate.
[edit] Current wiki-mood
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[edit] My blog
A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. Here's mine.
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