[WikiEN-l] Test case: policing content

Mon Mar 21 20:17:32 UTC 2005

actionforum at comcast.net wrote:

>-------------- Original message -------------- 
>  
>
>>I've been spreading {{unreferenced}} tags with great (slightly 
>>restrained, after the TFD nomination ;-) glee, and I see others 
>>have taken to it too. 
>>    
>>
>What are your standards for applying an "unreferenced" tag?  Do you apply it to every statement in an article that doesn't have a reference?  Or do you just select statements that appear to be
>outliers or unlikely from your experience?
>
>I think in a scientific article, indescriminate use of the unreferenced tag would collide with the assumption of good faith.  Many facts in our articles are not referenced, but if you were to challenge for instance the statement that beta blockers inhibit the nocturnal release of melatonin, especially after the statement had been in the article for awhile, the burden should be on you to at least have checked the PDR and have done a medline search.
>
Indiscriminate unreferenced tags could be a problem anywhere, not just 
in scientific articles.  The primary obligation for someone challenging 
a statement should be to put a polite question on the contributor's talk 
page and give him at least a week to respond.  Doing that would be prima 
facie evidence that you have assumed good faith.  If the wrong facts 
have been there for a year another week won't make a big difference.

Ec