[WikiEN-l] Re: Exeunt 172

Tue Mar 8 10:08:18 UTC 2005

------------- Original message -------------- 
> Delirium wrote: 
> > Sounds like another POV-pushing PhD holder who's annoyed that everyone 
> > doesn't just say "oh, you are an 'expert', do with the articles as you 
> > wish". 
> > 
> > (And anyone who's read any history articles by 172 can attest to the 
> > fact that they were highly propagandistic, generally turning into 
> > outright apologies, if not screeds, for left-wing dictatorships.) 
> > 
> > -Mark 
> 
> What a load of crap. Ever read the history of Russia? Yeah, that's now a 
> FA article. You can't GET FA articles that are POV screeds. 
> 
> TBSDY 

Yes, you can get FA articles that are POV, and History of Russia is just such an example.  It's POV language was just recently improved and there are many more criticisms/changes such as that which are yet to be made.    Selection of material or focus can be a source of POV, and yet can subtlely masquerade as NPOV, because the POV problem is not with the information included, but with the selectivity of what was included and what was left out.  Strangely, that article also includes superatives, which should have been a red flag.  

There are very citations of sources within the article which, while making for easier reading, usually indicates that something has limited peer review, perhaps the community interested in the subject shared the same POV, or there was just lack of interest in general, allowing authorial territoriality to achieve free reign.

                                           -- Silverback