bug-gne
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Ratings


From: Hook
Subject: Re: [Bug-gnupedia] Ratings
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 06:05:08 +0800

> Yeah any marking that is based on how accurate or
> truthful an article is, is a very very bad idea. It
> will yet again further marginalise views that may not
> be common thought (like the light bulb, or the Chinese
> version of Tianemen Square as cited earlier). No
> matter how wrong a slant is on something (unless it is
> patently factually wrong to the point of being
> rubbish, like an article claiming the 2nd World War
> ended on D-Day when the Americans landed in Britain
> and the French rose up) it should be given the same
> importance on the site as any other. I think the
> readers will be intelligent enough to work out the
> truth from the spin. And if they're not, then they
> really need to be, and I don't think we should cater
> for the brainwashed people in this world.

However, there are audiences whose knowledge is considerably less than
yours - school kids for example.  From experience of listening to a fairly
lazy 18 year old talking about WW II, the level of ignorance is astounding
(by my standards anyway). Access to an online encyclopedia which has
authoritative articles would be a major benefit, access to a web site which
rates everything as equally important considerably less so.

If I want to learn about a new subject, ATM I stroll through the results of
web searches, and we all know how bad they can be.  I'd like to be able to
pick a site which has introductory articles, maybe a number written in
different styles (at least as important as different content arising from
different views), but which had an editorial policy which recognised
accuracy.

GNUpedia seems to be heading more towards a library than an encyclopedia.
There's absolutely no harm in that, but there *is* a difference.
Personally, I'd be considerably less interested in a site which rated *all*
content as equally valid -- you only have to drift through any chosen
selection of Usenet groups to see what effect a lack of moderation can have.

Paul






reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]