Talk:Yearbook

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[edit] Request for comments

This is my first full-length article that I created from scratch. I'd appreciate any comments or editing. Quickbeam

This is an amazing article for your first full-length one from scratch. Keep up the good work! :-) — bdesham


cant fault the actual information but i will say that is is completely north america orientated, perhaps a little research into european and world wide yearbooks would be helpfulLJ


In response to the complete North American focus, I've added the perspective of Australian yearbooks. I know that European yearbooks are also slightly different as well. Please add other countries to reduce the North American bias. In regards to the structure of this article, is the default going to remain North American based, with other country information serving as subsidiary sections?Noftus

I would think that each article of this more-or-less local/regional type would necessarily have the orientation of the person who first posts it. As people from other places expand it, we all will get a broader view of the subject. Lou Sander 16:14, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] could time and money be better spent?

Are yearbooks a distraction for the teachers and students working on them?
could time and money be better spent by the teachers on preparing lessons, helping struggling children, marking or heven forbid more time to themselves. For students rather than getting all worked up about thier photograph in the year book or piece in the yearbook could the students be doing their homework preparing for exams or heven forbid relaxing and having a social life away from school with their real friends not accosiates at school.Lucy-marie 16:57, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

Are you sure the comment about students being preoccupied with being photographed for the yearbook is appropriate for this forum? Even though it is a valid opinion, the way I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), the discussion forum relates to content only, not one's opinions. [[Briguy52748 18:28, 1 June 2006 (UTC)]]

Can i ask where else i am meant to expres my opinions on this subject?Lucy-marie 20:02, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

Y'know, I'm not really sure at this point. You may want to speak to an administrator on where you can express such opinions; they're always glad to assist you with any questions you have. [[Briguy52748 20:17, 1 June 2006 (UTC)]]
Journalism is integral to the western society. While I can't specifically cite Americans, some of the world's most respected journalists started out in school based publications such as yearbooks. So no. Yearbooks are not a distraction - they are a function of education which is integral to educating tomorrow's news reporters. About students getting 'worked up' about their photograph, there is nothing shameful about continuing this (self image and appearance) in printed media - it's a phenomenon that was spurned by tv and movies - ie fame. There is nothing productive about scolding the tail (printed yearbooks). --Noftus 02:42, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

On the note aren't school sports just the same? Some schools, escpecially in the midwest and New England, have football that goes all year with athletes often time getting free passes in school. Never have I heard of or experienced students that get special treatment for being in yearbook. And Btw, students who try to be in yearbooks aren't. Yearbooks strive to have Candid photos. (Endrbn 09:14, 18 June 2006 (UTC))

a good yearbook is used to remember the school year and what happened that year. yearbooks are the few things from high school that are not throw away, proving that they be somewhat valued from the customers, the students. Yearbooks are important for schools, yes money could be spent elsewhere, that also goes for the art department, money spent on that could be spent elsewhere. Yearbooks also promote school spirit, people on yearbook are usually the most spirited, and supportive of their school. this is an important article for wikipedia to have. --Zoniac123 02:52, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Neutrality

There is no neutrality at all in this article. The use if phrases such as "can be a treasure" and "attendees are fuelled with ideas" This is not NPOV and must be rectified. There are others but these are just two i could quickly find. The whole article need completely re-writing and staring again because this is just one of some serious or even terminal problems with the article.--Jjamesj 13:43, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Clean up

The article needs a massive clean up to-remove the US bias in the main bulk of the article i am aware that some world wide context has tried to be achieved but this has failed miserably. The whole tone of the article is that yearbooks are the greatest thing since sliced bread, this cannot be good for the article as there are some people who loathe yearbooks, and other who cannot see the point. Some people however do go over the top and take the yearbook very seriously and this should also be covered. The whole article need completely re-writing and starting again to address these problems as some of the wording his is terminally awful.--Jjamesj 13:43, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Uh, the point of the article is to inform people about yearbooks, and I don't see anywhere in the article where it implies that these books are "the greatest thing since sliced bread." If you can contribute positive improvements to this article, be my guest. (P.S. I might point out that it would be inappropriate to state people's opinions on yearbooks. I'm sure there are people who either love them or hate them, but since you insist on sources, such a statement would also require sourcing.) [[Briguy52748 18:37, 24 March 2007 (UTC)]]
The point of the article may be to inform people but thats not the point of wikipedia. The point of wikipedia is to provide a neutral and well sourced account on a subject. This article fails in all areas to do this. I also think the user was generalsising and not being serious about putting points of view in to the article, I think they were just stating their position in relation to some peoples opinions.--Lucy-marie 17:43, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
IMHO the article is an excellent summary of the subject. It has no particular point of view. It could use some references. Most references on this topic are from the commercial publishers of yearbooks, many of whose names and web sites were formerly included in the article, but were removed by editors with apparently immature views about the relationship between Wikipedia and commercial sources. Those who criticize the absence of references should possibly find some and include them. Lou Sander 19:19, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
IMHO the article is crap and not an excellent summary. The article is riddled with cultural bias, slant towards the yearbooks being an inherent "good" thing. Regardless of weather or not tis is true of false, references are essential regardless of where they come from they are still needed but the closer to being as neutral as practicable is best. The current article for all anyone knows could be made up rubbish, as there is no way of verifying any the information in the article. Also I have no interest in searching through trying to find references and according to your theory you yourself should also be finding references. The wording of the article is poor as bad phrasing is used which has been mentioned previously. This article is not an excellent review, it is a crap culturally biased pile of rubbish.--Lucy-marie 11:08, 27 March 2007 (UTC)
Lucy-marie: If you believe the article to be rubbish, then perhaps you can recommend some positive changes. I know that opinions of yearbooks — like any other topic on Wikipedia — vary among people, but I don't see this article's purpose as presenting views such as "Person A thinks yearbooks are a great summary of the school year, while Person B thinks that yearbooks are a waste of time and poorly written." I can only speak for myself, but I have done my best to make my edits to yearbooks factual and NPOV. If you disagree, then I'd like to see your proposal for a "yearbook" article. [[Briguy52748 14:21, 27 March 2007 (UTC)]]
The article should first start with a basic introduction to what a year book is, then some brief history. Then how a year book is compiled without going-into great detail such as people spend days preparing their personal comments or other such junk. All phrasing like that must be avoided. then go in to how different parts of the world vary in their year books. Exclude the military yearbooks as they aren't notable enough and Digital yearbook as just a variation on an actual year book.---Lucy-marie 14:38, 27 March 2007 (UTC)
Lucy-marie: This is a good start, and I thank you for your suggestions. Actually, I think at one time the article was close to what your vision for this article was, but I need to go through the edit history to determine if this is so. As for military yearbooks, I'd have to disagree to an extent, as several major academies publish these and — like academic yearbooks — these can be treasured momentos for those who buy them (sorry for the POV statement there, but ...); verifying and sourcing this shouldn't be that difficult. As for digital yearbooks, there was a separate article but that is being afd'ed as being non-notable; I voted to delete that article and suggested putting a few sentences into this article about this new trend as being interesting. Also, please note that the article currently has a section about yearbooks in Austraila; at one point, I think this article did have articles about the UK yearbooks (and may still have in some part of the article), but I'll have to go through edit history to confirm this. In any case, as people from other countries reads this article, I'm sure they will add grafs about the format/purpose/etc. of yearbooks from their specific region; certainly, they are invited to do so. Thanks again for your remarks, and as I get time, I will be glad to consider those in a revision of this article. [[Briguy52748 15:13, 27 March 2007 (UTC)]]

Just a reminder -- no editor or group of editors owns this or any article. No single editor's vision (or loathing, or inability to see the point) controls what should or should not be in it. The article as it stands has been there for quite a while. Any attempts at "massive cleanup," particularly in the absence of consensus among many editors, should be made very cautiously and with prior discussion on this page. Lou Sander 15:34, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, you're right Lou. Thanks for the reminder. [[Briguy52748 15:41, 27 March 2007 (UTC)]]

I do not claim to own the article or make massive changes unilaterally. The fact that one version has remained for a long time does not give it legitimacy as the best version of the article. The changes needed i have highlighted and have not made any attempt to make any changes without consultation. I have initiated a consultation over changes to be made by taking part in the discussion. I think the current version is crap and does need a massive overhaul. --Lucy-marie 16:03, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citations and Footnote

The article currently has none in the article and some must be provided or the article may be considered for deletion as there are no sources to back up statements made. This may be interpreted as POV and original research on behalf of the editors contributing to the article. --Jjamesj 13:43, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

I added some references. Lou Sander 20:22, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Origin

When and where were yearbooks established in the first place? 68.228.91.250 (talk) 11:16, 18 May 2008 (UTC)