Wikipedia as a Grievance Board

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The article in question is Orissa IIT Controversy. As per the edit records, earlier probably it was called 'Educational Neglect of Orissa'.

The most aggressive editor writes or signs himself as SDass.

Even on the Discussion panel, a very feeble protest as well amazement have been registered about the purpose as well as the propriety of such an article on an encyclopaedia even if it is wikipedia.

There are nearly 62 references in the article. There is one theme. The theme is that the Government of India is bend upon ruining Orissa. The person who has written the article has really done a job. I do not know about the authenticity of the data which he has provided even if there are 62 references. I just look at the data and find that Goa, Tripura and Sikkim are more neglected states as compared to Orissa. However, the way it is written only in favour of one state, it is really deplorable because the author feels that they are the smaller states. It is bad if Orissa is given step motherly treatment but it is equally unjustifiable to make an argument in your favour by underrating the existence of other states with in the same country.

I am amazed to find such an article here on Wikipedia. Wikipedia has well worded and well laid out guidelines about the choice of topics. But in case of India, it is trying to play new BBC which always sees slums in India. (Recently they also see Patels.)

There is a charter of citizens on Indian Image site. It invites the grievance of the citizens which can be lodged with Ministry of Personal Affairs, Public Grievance and Pension.

Then there is Indian Media which is quite active in such type of Muckraking reporting. There are numerous pressures groups which could be approached.

However, the person has found Wikipedia also as a place of showing his angst. He really suffers pain for the poverty and educational neglect of the Kalinga. The Indian Government must get attentive because soon such a person may go out and start a separatist movement even in the name of Kalinga or Kharvela as his hero.

Wikipedia has allowed such a writing on its site. Wikipedia is presently rich with such articles for which it is being sought. There are hidden advertisement attempts also but they could be overlooked. There are some objectionable and unjustifiable presentation of facts and figures concerning India which are allowed in name of allowing counter views. (Kindly check the map of India, especially the state of Arunanchal Pardesh which has been shown as disputed.)

The article should be removed. There is clear POV.

For reference check that following link if it remains there.

Orissa IIT Controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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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Anti-social behaviour - A Concept: First here: Random

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Anti-Social Behaviour: Well it is a concept for Sociology and Psychology. It is categorised as such by the Wikipedia editors. For this blog, I believe that it is the first 'Concept' to be reached through Random article. I am not sure how I reached this article. I was actually doing my own work and had left the computer. When I again accessed the computer, I found it here. Generally in between my reading and writing I give gaps, a type of recess, a type of rest to self. It is then that I open news boards, newspapers and Wikipedia. It generally happens that I do not care to check out that on which sheet what result has appeared as my ultimate task is something else. Anyhow, I was soon attracted towards it.

For we teachers in the social sciences, concept are very vital. For the common man, they convey some meaning but for the scholars in the field of knowledge, they have a specific meaning as they are the terminology in which the scholars deal the knowledge in their field. Hence, this article qualifies to be on this blog.

From the discussion, which is presently very less, it seems that it is a product of the editorial team itself who have used Wikitionary to write this concept. No doubt, it lacks a peculiar content standard.

On the other hand, it has given me new meanings also. Anti-Social as a concept is mainly a sociology concept. In sociology, the anomaly group activities and harming activities are seriously studied. However, herein some new dimensions, like the activities on internet have been suggested. Further, they have also covered it under a third category about which I was not aware and that is Law and here especially UK law.

There is need to improving the content standard of this article.

Link to the article as follows:

Anti-social behaviour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Kessler Foundation - Random Article

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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.

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The link to the article
Kessler Foundation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof - Random Article:

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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

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Video Games Entries: Random

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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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William Offield - A Stub of Stub

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William Offield!! Who was he?

He was probably the first settler of Indiana.

I teach American history in Punjab India in college affiliated to Punjab University. I am interested in the American history articles. Therefore, movement, I reached this article, and read the date 1821, I read the article. There is nothing in it. Is it a biography? No.

Is it trying to record one and only one event in the history of America that a settler (was a title holder or mere a squattor) came to a new place?

There are quite attractive photographs of wild on display. There are references to book of histories. But, the content does not qualify the heading William Offield.

There is no discussion as such. Even the editors have not found it a Stub class article.

It is a stub class article which tells only one event about a person and the person as such remains unidentified.

Check the link

William Offield - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Mohammed Alim Khan : A new browsing

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I reached the article through a different route. I call it a new route. However, I am not going to make a category for it.

Well, there are other links on the main page which can also be used for general browsing. There are categories displayed on the upper side. Among those categories, there is link to Biography.

Being a student of history, biography attracts. Biographies are generally accepted as a part of literature of the language in which it is written and historians use it as source. Mere biography is not considered history as such. That is other thing that in some definitions, History is generally rated as a subject which is based on biographies. Well, that is now fully discarded and such an approach is generally adopted while writing political history.

The article was shown under selected portrait.

Is it really a photograph of Mohammed Alim Khan?

I was attracted towards it because in a small snippet it was written that Emir ruled over Bukhara. Bukhara as a name of a place appears during the Medieval History of India. But, we generally do not find much details on the background of the people of that period. In case of A L Srivastva, I read with full attention the activities of Babar before he became the ruler of Kabul. However, similar details are not found as such.

I was highly disappointed with the contents of this article. The discussion virtually reflects the objections of even general readers who had participated in developing this article. First of the details of the family background of Emir is doubtful but it is displayed. On the discussion section, the right objection has been raised. Similarly, the very authenticity of the photograph is questioned and there is a point. However, there is no one there to authenticate it. Rather great stress is given to the caption or rather detail provided under the photograph. It is shown to have been clicked in 1911. But, the quality of photograph seems to be result of latest technology. Even Wilson, or for that Churchill or any other leader from 1910 to 1945 were not lucky to have such a photograph.

The contents are highly doubtful in nature.

Mohammed Alim Khan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dance and Dancers in Ancient Egypt - Flip to Selection

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Dances and Dancers in Ancient Egypt seems to have many 'firsts' to it.

It has a different formatting.

It is a long article but does not have a single interlink.

There are references but all of them are from online digital sources. There is a book in reference and even that has a link on books.google.com.

There is no discussion at present.

It is a recent article which started on July 17, 2009. It is a long article but very few edits. It is started by editor N.said which does not have given any biodata about himself.

The article has only one category and that is Ancient Egyptian Culture.

The opening paragraph is very nicely written and shows that it is original writing written by a person who has good understanding of the topic from historic perspective.However, the rest of the detail is not all that impressive. It lacks the quality because there are very less number of references and quotes. Secondly, interlinks are not there.

On the whole, I have found it a unique article.

This link is as follows:
Dance and Dancers in Ancient Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Noble M15 - First Vehicle on Random Click

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I am definitely interested in cars. I desire to learn more about sports car. However, I do not have much knowledge about them. Secondly, I do not know about the leading European car manufacturers.

This was the first such article on Sports Car or at least on a motorized vehicle which appeared on using Random article option. Noble M15 is a sports car of Noble automotive of England and designed by Lee Noble.

The article was created on July 31, 2006 by Jaganath, a word which sounds like an Indian word Jagan Nath.

There is no discussion on the talk page. Even the edit page is confined to one age only since 2006. In external links, there is link to the Homepage of the manufacturer.

Comment

There is only one link under External link category. The suggested link is the official page of the manufacturer. I have not visited the manufacturer page. I have developed this feeling that the Wikipedia is very discretely used as a Public Relation Device and advertisement board. I have collected some examples and developed an impression about their collective nature. I think that those who are in the filed of marketing may be interested in that. Or rather, they are already on the job and I am just discovering their game which is going on Wikipedia.

The link to the article is hinged below:

Noble M15 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Lewis Lord Russell : Just for the Photograph

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I am making this entry only because of the photograph. I hope it will be liked by the viewers and they could guess that it could have attracted the blogger. When I landed on the page, my attention was arrested by the photograph. Instead of reading the contents of the article, I enlarged the photograph. Later I came to the contents. I learnt that the actor had played the role of a villain.
Secondly, I find, that Pran, then the father of Amjad Khan (I am forgetting his name and there is quite a resemblance except Khan's face was more round.) and some of other actors from Bombay film industry had modelled themselves somewhat in similar fashion. May be, they had access to the print media of America and London related to film industries there even in their own days.
I think more than the articles and their contents, Wikipedia is also a big store house of old photographs. I am going to create a new entry as 'Photographs' in the label section. It is a good hunting ground for antiquarians.

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If interested then visit:
Lewis Lord Russell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Georgi Lozanov - Suggestopedia

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I would first like to make a policy statement. Only those post will be reported from the Random article which attracts my attention.

Today and yesterday, I had been clicking the Random button and browsed through the articles but I did not report any of them. Even today, some articles attracted my attention. Like there was one on Milyee, a name which is very popular in America. It is also a name of the a singer there. There was an article on IUPAC name which I posted on my other blog.

The Georgi Lozanov attracted my attention. It is a stub category article but even then, with its brief content material, my attention was directed to two terms namely Suggestopedia and Biofeedback, a teaching method. I also visited the official site of Georgi Lozanov. There is displayed a photograph of Georgi Lozanov. I hurriedly browsed through the site reading fast the contents. Then the main article on the wikipedia, there are two pdf files. I have yet to read them as they are downloading and seems to be bulky files. The very content, even if it is brief, attracted me. While doing my main task, I will snatch out some time to read it. I believe it is worth visiting the page.

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Georgi Lozanov page

Georgi Lozanov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Manmohan Singh (director) Random

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Manmohan Singh Director. Did I know him? However, it is for the first time that an Indian oriented article has appeared at Random Click. As per the entry, Manmohan Singh is a cinematographer in Bollywood films and directed his first film in Hindi titled Pehla Pehla Pyar. Rest he is more popular as the director of Punjabi Films, of Indian Punjab and a good lst is given on the sheet. The latest one is Munde U.K. De released in 2009.

As far as the External link is concerned there is universally popular link to the Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com. There is an entry at Internet Movie Data Base to his name. Further, he had even won filmfare award for Cinematography for Chandni and Darr. Hence, there are good authentications and the name deserve to be on Wikipedia.

On thing which I identified that the Manmohan Singh query directly takes to the sheet on Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India. It is not disambiguated. However, I am not going to make that edit on wikipedia.

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Manmohan Singh (director) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Luxeuil Abbey -The Random Article

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Luxeuli Abbey was the first Random Article of the day. It is what I had been doing for the last two months and the result is this blog.
Random article generally do not give any substantial article. I do not say that it is a norm but whenever I had been clicking Random article on the main page, generally a stub article or a commune in France, or a village in Poland,or a new music cassette, or a football players or similar such topics were landed upon and there were merely two to three lines on them. However, today in the very first click I landed on Luxeuli Abbey. I did not know anything about it. I do not know much about the Christian history. However, I am interested in Renaissance period. I am in India, and here to my dismay I find that here Dark Age concept preceding Renaissance is still prevailing. There are very few books which have referred to Middle Ages as the new concept but they do not explain that why was Dark Age concept was abandoned when it was proposed by Petrarch, the father of Humanism, who had himself introduced the term and in European Historiography itself it had remained there for all along this period. It was somewhere in 1980, the period of Postmodernism in History (Postmodernism in art is identified with 1960s) the whole concept was reviewed.

I was convinced with the review of the concept and introduction of Middle Ages concept but did not have enough examples to show that how the middle ages were a period of intellectual growth on which the Renaissance drawn upon its strength. I hardly read few lines of Luxeuli Abbey and suddenly found well here is another example which showed the changes taking place in Gaul.

However, nothing much in detail is given here. Even in discussion, there is a small debate by knowledgeable people but only that much is there. There is one substantiating reference to Catholic Encyclopaedia. I am handicapped by my lack of knowledge of European languages and if I am writing all this in English then British are the culprits. If there are many grammatical and diction mistake then my Indo-Islamic background in Punjab is the culprit.

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Link to the article:
Luxeuil Abbey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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