My Wikipedia Manifesto
Some Wikiphilosophy:
- The ideals of wiki and open, anonymous editing have served Wikipedia well, but may not always do so. There is nothing sacred about immediate edit gratification if it begins to obstruct the main goal, to produce a high-quality free encyclopedia.
- "Undue weight" is an admirable policy, but should not be interpreted too literally. Achieving a neutral point of view means giving the reader a feeling for the relative significance of differing viewpoints, not strictly limiting the amount of space devoted to a minority viewpoint. In this sense, sometimes more is less.
- The notability guideline (or a renamed equivalent) ought to be based purely on existing policies, primarily verifiability. Ceteris paribus, articles on obscure but verifiable topics make Wikipedia better.
Some things I've worked on in Wikipedia:
 WikiProject History of Science - Started January 15, 2006. Current number of participants: 104
 Haeckel Gallery - scanned plates from Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (1904), completed March 25, 2006.
 Portal:History of science - Promoted to featured portal status May 23, 2006.
 Wikipedia assignment in HIST 236 - a Wikipedia term paper assignment, Fall 2006.
 - Wikipedia Signpost articles |
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- "Professors criticize, praise Wikipedia in listserv discussions", July 31, 2006
- "Wikipedia classroom assignments on the rise", December 18, 2006
- "Students in Western Civilization course find editing Wikipedia frustrating, rewarding", April 30, 2007
- "Report on Citizendium", July 30, 2007
- "WikiScanner tool creates 'minor public relations disasters' for scores of organizations", August 20, 2007
- "Vatican claims out-of-context Wikipedia quote was used to attack Pope" (with David Wilson), February 11, 2008
- "Wikimedia Board to expand, restructure, May 2, 2008
- "Explicit sexual content draws fire", May 12, 2008
- "Update on Citizendium", May 14, 2008
- "Pro-Israeli group's lobbying gets press, arbitration case", May 19, 2008
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 - Featured Articles and Good Articles |
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I wrote most of:
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I contributed at least a bit of content to:
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 - Did you know... |
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- ...that according to the controversial Hockney-Falco thesis, the rise of realism in Renaissance art, such as Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait, was largely due to the use of curved mirrors and other optical aids?
- ...that the phage group was an informal network of biologists centered around Max Delbrück that contributed heavily to the origins of molecular biology?
- ...that the nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution explains why the rates of molecular clocks are generally independent of population size?
- ...that American evolutionary biologist Jack Lester King co-authored a provocative 1969 paper, "Non-Darwinian Evolution", on the neutral theory of molecular evolution?
- ...that nutritionist-turned-molecular biologist Thomas H. Jukes was one of the few scientists ever to have a regular column in the journal Nature?
- ...that biologists Emile Zuckerkandl and Linus Pauling would intentionally avoid peer review when publishing their most provocative works on molecular evolution?
- ...that Linus Pauling and Emile Zuckerkandl proposed using protein sequences to estimate the time since genetic divergence, early in the history of molecular evolution research?
- ...that humans have lived near Nevada's Swan Lake Nature Study Area since 400 AD?
- ...that John Y. Naka's bonsai masterpiece Goshin (pictured) consists of eleven trees representing Naka's eleven grandchildren?
- ...that molecular evolutionist Morris Goodman used protein sequence data to reconstruct the evolutionary history of hemoglobin and called this the first "hard evidence of Darwinian evolution"?
- ...that according to the 2R hypothesis, the genomes of modern vertebrates are the result of two rounds of genome duplication hundreds of millions of years ago?
- ...that the Journal of Molecular Evolution, founded in 1971, was the first scientific journal dedicated to this field?
- ...that in order to fight in the Spanish Civil War, American biologist Clement Markert stowed away aboard a freighter?
- ...that Rachel Carson was so disappointed in the Oscar-winning film adaptation of her 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us that she never again sold film rights to her work?
- ...that science historians have done so much work related to Charles Darwin that this area of research is often called the Darwin Industry?
- ...that Canadian biochemist Archibald Macallum used measurements of ionic concentrations in blood sera to argue for the ancient marine origin of all vertebrates?
- ...that the Great Phenol Plot of 1915 was to divert phenol from U.S. explosives production to prop up German Bayer's aspirin business?
- ...that the history of aspirin has been marked by fierce competition, patent and trademark battles, and even an international conspiracy known as the Great Phenol Plot?
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Bigger projects:
Smaller projects:
Bios:
Future projects:
Favorites:
Other WikiProjects:
Shoutouts:
- To Ral315, who kindly chose my fake biography of him (Rachelle Anne "Chesty" LaRue) to adorn his user page.
- To Gmaxwell, who took this picture, which I would like placed atop my user page if I die in the service of Wikipedia.
- To Awadewit, whose skillful copy-editing has graced my prose on more than one occasion.
- To Phaedriel, who designed this page.
- To Duncharris, who welcomed me to Wikipedia.
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| Oh no! Suddenly everything has turned Neo-cubist! |
| It all started when Calvin engaged his dad in a minor debate! Soon Calvin could see both sides of the issue! Then poor Calvin began to see both sides of everything! |
| The traditional single viewpoint has been abandoned! Perspective has been fractured! |
| The multiple views provide too much information! It's impossible to move! Calvin quickly tries to eliminate all but one perspective! |
| It works! The world fall into a recognizable order! |
| "You're still wrong, Dad." |
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