Saturday, October 3, 2009
Vulca - Flip Flop
It is about Roman history. In India, you do not read much about Roman and Grecian History. Darius and then Alexander invaded India. Ashokan pillars were influenced by Grecian Art and now the Ashoka Chakra is emblem of India on her flag. The Kushan art during Kanishka period is enough proof of influence of Grecian art and its require no further testimony even if there are pleaders against it. If one has to understand the historiography, then he is bound to understand that how the history writing developed and how history, which was merely a part of grammar contents walked out and breathed as an identity. Then, there the seeker may learn that how during Renaissance history tried to find its feet and matured soon so that the 19th century could be declared as the century of historians. You may like it or not but as one scholar has said that it was the kings who ruled the past and they rule the history. Europe was the king when history was made a subject of serious study and you have to learn the rules which rule the history to learn what actually the history is.
But, who is Vulca?
As I have already said that I am weak in Roman history. But I have also given my view that why it is to be studied. It is a small article and an article about a person who probably worked for the last Roman Emperor. The last and the first in history are the categories for which history is most sought by the quiz masters and well even for that criteria, it deserves to explore this one paragraph based article.
The link is as follows:
Vulca - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Slave Community - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame is the featured article on October 2, 2009.
The article is a review of a different kind. It has referred to different reviews of the book. Personally, I am not able to appreciate reviews much. I have not been able to read the reviews and abandon them moment the writer alludes to some other fact, or start praising the book or just question the content. I have never been able to read long reviews. The book reviews which generally appear in newspaper are not reviews per se. They seems to be serving some motive. However, in this article, I have completed the reading of the whole article. I even borrowed some references for my personal notes.
The Slavery in Antebellum America, Slavery as a cause of American Civil War, the Abolitionist activities, all such issues interest me. I am yet not clear about many dimensions related to them. I have many questions about them which require answers. Therefore, moment I located it, I opened the article.
The slaves had survived the plantation life and had their own culture borrowed from their African ancestors. The books which I have read, especially the Great Republic by Baylyn, the issue of Slave culture has been nicely dealt with in there. However, this review has helped to have a glimpse of the methodology adopted by the historian. The brief detail which is given in the review is quite impressive and attracts the attention of the reader towards the book. Unfortunately, the publisher has not allowed google books to display any pages. The publishers should review their policy of allowing the display of the contents of the book. In case of Limited Preview, I do not think any reader could get enough out of it that he would not buy the book. If a reader requires a book, and few pages are shown to him, then I believe, that it is a good marketing strategy as you have very discretely converted a mere onlooker to a probable buyer.
As a teacher of history, I must appreciate the writer who has written this review. The history begins with sources. Then comes the methodology. The reviewers has taken care of discussing both the factors apart from discussing the subject of the book.
I read with great interest about the psychological tools to which the sources have been subjected to by the historians. I remember, that I learned about this aspect of evaluation for inference in V. N. Dattas thesis on Madan Lal Dhingra. I myself sometime believe that a historian must undertake psychological interpretations of the period under review. Mere economic or social evaluation are incomplete work as such. The Statistical Thinking impresses but a human being is more than a mere hunter of food, cloth and housing. Similarly, Man in the Society has to be studied if the society is to be studied. Therefore, it brings in the need of psychological interpretations.
Another peculiar feature of this article is that it has a very less discussion. Even then, the quality of discussion is quite relevant and scholarly in nature. There are only two people, one writer and other who is interested in studying the Slave factor in Antebellum America.
The Article is Worth reading. (Provided one knows the American History)
To visit the article, use the following link:
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Texas A&M University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Today is September 30, 2009, the date of birth of Sharadha Ram Phillauri. Today, the featured article is TAMU or the Texas A&M University.
I am attracted towards Texas. I teach American History in an Indian College and therein I teach the Civil War and Reconstruction period. I am not satisfied with the material with which I teach the history of America. There are numerous questions and area of interest about which I remain attentive. Among such quests, I am interested in learning about the Texas. For me, it was the part of the American surge towards the south. It has a fascinating history atleast for me as how it was incorporated as the one of the states of America from being a Lone star state. My curiosity is also about the people behind the Declaration of Secession, as it was the second state to pass that resolution during Civil War. While reading the article I read the sections about its president L S Ross who is mentioned as one of the Confederate General.
Anyhow, it is quite a long article about the university at College Station in Brazos County Texas. The whole article is very nicely written as there are many aspects which are covered. No doubt, it has been rated as one of the best article written by Wikipedia community.
Comment: A Peculiar Feature: Edit War is quite Aggressive
However, in the discussion session, I find that there were no issues about this article debated on the discussion page. On the other hand on View History page, the whole page is having log of edits which has taken place today itself. It means that this article is under great pressure and there is ongoing war between the main editors and those who want to edit it. It is a peculiar feature of this article which I have not observed earlier.
Texas A&M University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monday, September 28, 2009
Kessler Foundation - Random Article
Kessler Foundation has turned on Random article. For my exercise, it becomes the first article for humanitarian and social activity organisation on Wikipedia.
The article can be considered as the recent one as it was created on September 11, 2008 only where as the organization is working since 1985 and even before that in its previous format.
There is no discussion as such. Even it has been not be tagged under any editorial category.
There are usual links to the official site and a limited number of references.
The link to the article
Kessler Foundation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof - Random Article:
What is Hauptbahnhof?
I can not even pronounce it. It is probably a German word which means Central Station. There is an article on such Hauptbahnhofs as well central stations in Europe, which can reached through interlink in the article itself.
It is nicely written article. However, there is no discussion as such.
It has taken up some controversies about the renovation, also about the change of names and the financial planning going on in maintaining the terminus.
I have found that many railway stations in Europe, highways in Europe and also in America and Canada have found good representation on Wikipedia. I consider it as a important feature. I believe that it is reflection of present level of understanding of the earth as well developments which are taking place. Try to evaluate my statement from historic perspective. An insipid statement given about will soon acquire great significance if one remembers that how the discoveries of new continents, how the blockade of established trade routes from Arab countries brought about historic changes in the world. History is basically about consciousness in collectivity. One does not know how to look for such a collective consciousness. For me, mere taking nation, nation does not make one a patriot. It is required that one should have concrete information about the spatial spread of his country. Such understanding as the rail networks, road net works, air flight schedules etc are definitely considered as in important check point while evaluating the intelligence and activism of a person. Similarly, it shows that how far a person is mobile. Anyhow, it is one the feature of Wikipedia which I like. I generally skip such articles, but as now the policy is that even if I do not intend to pass any comment on the contents, I must record the articles which I have visited. NO doubt, I still skip reporting many of them.
One more thing, the numerous articles on transportation made me jealous and I thought of checking similar article on India. I found the article on Shivaji Terminus. Though it is one of the World Heritage Site identified by UNESCO, it is nicely written.
The link referred:
Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Video Games Entries: Random
Alternative Heading: Is Wikipedia a Magazine or a Marketing Agency
One may come across many video games entries on Random Article. They are numerous. As I have commented earlier, probably in case of Noble M15 car, they seem to be a part of marketing strategy. They virtually reduce the level of Encyclopaedia. I know that there are arguments against my statement. Let me delve some more what I say.
Check any of such entries. It is about one product and that is a commercial product. Secondly, it discusses the contents of the Video Game and nothing of long lasting nature. Try to understand, that when next set of games come, the previous games go out of favour. It is a fad, a mania, a fashion, a curiosity and nothing else. Give any game to a child or a teenager. He may get hooked to it for some days. Then he will become bored and reluctant. He may seek some new games.
Secondly, it is a commercial product. It is just a product on the market just like any other white goods. If it is there, then every white goods company should be allowed to tell about the features of their product and the exhibits they are showing elsewhere. Then it will not be an encyclopaedia. Then it will be Wikiadvertisement Agency.
On the other hand, there are some good points also. All the new games are coming with animation and they are gradually coming near to realism. Hence, it is a demonstration of development in the field of animation through computers.
Secondly, every video game discusses the System Requirement which specify the hardware needed to run the new graphics. It helps you to learn about the new changes in the field of hardware of computers. It helps to understand that if you are going for a new computer then what should you get assembled or buy for the present.
On the whole, you find numerous articles on Video games. Wikipedia becomes a magazine describing such products. Even in the external links, at the maximum, you may find the link to the official site of the game or the developer where in you are asked to pay for the product if you are interested. They are getting audience without spending money on advertisement and Wikipedia is asking for donation. Got the point.
It is not that I am totally against such articles. Even, in my field of study which is history, even the leading brains in our field have taken notice of the development in the field of animation in Video games. They are observing that how the story plots are being based on some historic stories and used in the Video games. They believe that it is promoting the sense of historicism. But, there is need to review the paradigm of articles which generally refers to a commercial product.
I am not promoting the link as giving below. It is just that I have been finding many articles on video games while using the Random click that finally I decided to comment on them. The link below is that article after which I made this comment.
Death to Spies: Moment of Truth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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