Mary Toft - The Hoax of 18th century, Featured Article

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Mary Toft was a featured article on October 21, 2009. It is a nicely written article. It makes a good reading as the substantiating links further provides you insight into Wikipedia and influence of Wikipedia. No doubt, the statement may convey contrary notions but it is how wikipedia has developed. Criticized by all but accessed mostly by those who access it the most. Well it is my view.

Before writing anything related to contents of the article, I must suggest that this article has appeared on Timesonline under 'The 10 best wikipedia enteries' written by Daniel Finkelstein. It also makes a good reading. It is from there again one can reach 'The 10 biggest Wikipedia Hoaxes' by Michael Moran again on Timesoineline.

I do not know who is promoting whom? Is it wikipedia promoting Timesonline or the other way around? But is what one of the major dimension of Wikipedia which I believe is behind the survival of portal for such a long period.

As far the contents of the article Mary Toft (or Tofts) are concerned, it is really written by a professional. The issue which is taken up in there also is an important issue and that this, how far the society can treat the experts from professional fields as seers or final words. Are they not fallible?

The story goes somewhat like this. The lady in question, Ms. Mary Taft had reported in 18th century  that she had delivered animal parts. The doctor who attended to her was convinced of the genuineness of  the  deliveries. Even a Royal surgeon visited to check the authenticity of the claim and he also returned convinced. I believe the rest should be read by the interested reader at the main site itself as the authors and editors on Wikipedia have done a marvellous job.

Also read the Discussion section. It has raised some vital issues about the scientific world.

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Mary Toft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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James Bowie -Featured Article

On October 19, 2009, the featured article on the Main page is James Bowie who was famous for his Knife fight in the history of United States of America. I am always interested in the articles related to American history because it form the part of my professional duty as a teacher. I found this article more significant because it had helped me to get an authentication and evidence for a statement which had been regularly made by the historians on American history. I had been reading about the westward movement of the Americans. I was not able to convince myself that how that had happened. There were only assertions that Americans kept moving towards west. But How? I have never found any convincing explanation. However, in this article, I have found a paragraph which gives historic account on how the senior Bowie kept moving after every five to eight years from one plantation to other plantation buying and selling and making profit every time. I now need a authentication of this information as there is no citation. I do not know whether those who have written it had the perception that they would be explaining and describing one of an important point in American history. I do not think so. I have made a note of this article and going to borrow the references about the practices adopted by people who were moving westward during the Antebellum Period of American history.

This article also shows the gap in writing of history. Herein, there is another case which demonstrates that the psychological profiling of the period and personality which is described is must for history writing. The Ranke  school of historians would be happy to find such articles wherein only the mater of fact content is given and the content as a whole conveys the meaning. However, it is not that simple. I had a question. I was not satisfied with the reading of American history wherein mere facts that Americans moved towards west was given and repeated again and again without elucidation. I wanted to read and learn about those forces and the processes that went along with them. The question was with me. If any other casual reader read this article, he may not able to appreciate the significance of the data provided in there. On the other hand, if the author of the article just hinted at the dimension which could also be derived from here, then it could have been a more fruitful exercise. Anyhow, I understand that my argument will be rejected as a matter of one's opinion.

If interested then read the whole article. There are interesting details especially about speculation and high level manipulation which is presently called the Business. Also read the discussion section. There is heading about the actual pronunciation of the word 'Bowie'. Anyhow, as the Mumbaiya Mafia world or Ram Gopal writers would say, Ganda Hai per Dhanda hai. It is dirty but it's a business.

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James Bowie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Image Source: In the link given above

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Writing Style Make You Stay and Read

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The article is about Western Australia. I did not have any interest in the information but even then I stopped to read it. The thing which attracted me was single assertive sentences. Each sentence gives a fact. The paragraph are not big.

The way it was presented just made me to read. When I read the title further reading, it has an amusing entry. I quote it.

* (1830) Account of Peron's Peninsula, in Shark's Bay, Western Australia : with remarks on its capabilities and fitness to receive a small fishing settlement : compiled from various sources by a gentleman in the service of the Hon. East India Company. From the Edinburgh Journal of Natural and Geographical Science, Vol. II, 1830, pp. 249-257.

(available as a photocopy at

I hope the readers may identify the amusing feature of the reference. The person who started this article is an experienced person with four years standing on Wikipedia. S/He is probably a student or research scholar and definitely in field of academics. The person teases by calling his reference as a result of efforts by "a gentleman". Probably, the person has forgotten to record the name of the author as the source material has appeared in a journal.

Further, there is an innocent sincerity in revealing that the article is available in the library (Battye Library) in form of photocopy. So Sweet. I just remember that when Google tried to make available the books online under the heading Print Google (Now it is Book Google) there were flood of litigations and uproar of infringement of copyright. But I just ask all such people, that getting a photocopy and then referring the contents in ones own material is an offence. Is it? Should it be?  A book, sitting like Daffodils in virgin forest, untouched by any reader, if gets attention because some research scholar ventured to pick it, becomes an act of crime. Was that book laying eggs for you? (If you do not understand the preceding line then in Hindi and Punjabi, it is quite a pugnacious taunt bordering limits of an offence!!!)

Just Check the following link to substantiate the comments above.

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Peron Peninsula - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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