The sun sometimes shines on the wicked (which surely includes most of us!). For a long time there was a label on the Footy article in Wikipedia, presumably put there by Wikipedia management, saying that the article should be merged with another parent article. This has now been removed. Even in the world of Wikipedia, we appear to have won recognition and credibility.
Incidentally, the article now also contains a link to Andrew Cook’s website selling 507s. Does anyone think we should remove this/complain. My own view is that we should let it be. It is well presented if a little fulsome and overblown (how did ge get an endoresment from Bruce Farr?). It probably does more good than it does harm and it is open to anyone else to put links there up to the limits of the tolerance of said Wikipedia management.
Maybe to keep the force ballanced, remain unbiased, and keep fair to all, there should be a link to the official footy site, where all manufacturers and relevent info. are listed.
Or each of us could do our own Wiki-Footy thing, with only the promotion of our own product, but that would be in poor taste.
Well a wikipedia article can be change by anybody, I just read the article (08/06/08 at 12 pm CT in usa), and as far as I know there is a lot of reference to other design, I don’t see the necessity to remove his link, if the other dealers want there link there they can add it or as you said build their own wiki things.
Actually Wikipedia etiquette asks that users NOT add links etc pertaining to their own commercial or personal interest. Comprehensive guidelines are posted on the following page:
The short of it is; if Andrew posted his own link it should be taken down; Wikipedia is not a promotional venue … if the community has determined his commerical product is so important as to be the singular manafacturer’s link or one of many posted on the site, that’s another matter and so-be-it.
I “third” what tmark and nigel say… Wiki is for information, not commercialism. If we want people to be able to find manufacturers then we should attach the link to the footy site with a caption detailing how to find manufacturers… then, all are equally represented on a site that is designed to do just that – equally represent all aspects of an issue. Andrew, this is in no way directed at you in a personal way… simply as a page that reflects upon the community, I personally feel that the community alone should be represented, without unequally highlighting certain aspects of it.
I’ll know that as I have wrote some articles in the french and english version when I was working concerning brazing but as you said you just have to register nothing hard to do, the only thing to know is that they kept your IP address so don’t mess around
One would think that some relative references should be included when registering, so the Wikipedia people would know you are ‘qualified’ to write an article. I have seen articles where there are many notes from wikipedia reviewers to say that references are needed to prove the satatements written.
Angus, I agree. Lets keep it to Footys. Its not supposed to be a ‘chat room’ about the social mores and aspirations of anybody, even Footy owners and/or sailors.
Rod