I would like to note that we discussed this matter in February, and
although perhaps no consensus was formed on policy, I continue to stand
by my statements on the topic, particularly that how-tos, recipes, and
similar didactic texts are inherently POV and don't belong on Wikipedia
proper.
<http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2004-February/010873.html>
<http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2004-February/010883.html>
Note, however, that information about this kind of content is decidedly
NPOV.
For examples of articles about culturally-important dishes that are not
ridiculous strawmen, see:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guacamole>
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella>
There was a small edit war/debate about what ingredients are permitted
in Paella (see <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Paella>). One can only
imagine what kind of chaos that debate would have engendered if there
had been a recipe. And who knows if the resulting recipe would have even
been edible! :-)
In any case, the point is that there is no such thing as a neutral
recipe, only a neutral "meta-recipe".
- David
Daniel P.B.Smith wrote:
NOT a rhetorical question.
I've been very puzzled by an apparent consensus or policy--one with
which I obviously do not agree--that recipes in particular, and didactic
or "how-to" articles in general, do not belong in Wikipedia. I can give
cogent-to-me reasons for not agreeing with this. But I don't want to
discuss that now.
Here's what I want to know. Is this an example of a difficult,
carefully-threshed-out consensus that newer Wikipedians, having not
participated in that consensus, may be unaware of?
(And if so why isn't it documented on any of the policy pages I've been
able to find?)
--
Daniel P. B. Smith, dpbsmith(a)verizon.net
alternate: dpbsmith(a)alum.mit.edu
"Elinor Goulding Smith's Great Big Messy Book" is now back in print!
Sample chapter at
http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/messy.html
Buy it at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1403314063/
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