Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Bias and formatting

[Dries van Oosten]

On Wed, 17 Jan 2001, Tom Chance wrote:

> Right, I think the peer review system is good but how
> do you account for viewpoints and bias? For instance,
> trying to get an unbiased article on the Bolshevik
> Revolution of 1917, or the first test tube baby, would
> be a nightmare as everyone has a different view. And
> its increadibly hard not to bring your views into your
> writing.

The idea is that by giving a review and also a background from the writer,
you know how to weigh the information. There should be facts in the
encyclopedia, but a contributor should be allowed to be a bit biased in
his/her manner of speech. This is filtered out because of the fact
that there are supposed to be a lot of contributors and by the peer
reviewers.

> So if an article is submitted and somebody
> has a view to the contrary, surely a system by which
> that view of the subject is made as much a part of the
> article as the original itself... as opposed to a
> review, which would be little more than a subtext.

If you read an article and the writer is veru biased, you notice this as a
reader and you will want to read the reviewers report, to see if this is
in your imagination or it is really biased. I think this is a self
correcting mechanism.

> This project certainly looks VERY exciting though.

That's certain.

Groeten,
Dries