Crap articles

[Botto]

That article links to List of American writers of the Baby boomer generation (T-H-L), which in turn links to

* Literature in the 1970s
* Literature in the 1980s
* Literature in the 1990s
* Literature in the 2000s

Surprisingly, the last three are redlinks. You'd think someone would have created them by now.

Now WTF is this? List of football clubs sponsoring FIFA video game player (T-H-L)

He's not even trying to hide it anymore.

[Johnny Au]

Woodbine Centre (T-H-L)

This article is about a shopping mall in Toronto that happens to have Ontario's largest indoor amusement park. However, it is very weasely and peacocky.

[lilburne]

The pupils would of course be removed to a safe distance, to witness this act of kindness).

[Poetlister]

Thomas Moult (T-H-L) starts "Thomas Moult (1893–1974) was a versatile English journalist and writer, and one of the Georgian poets." While it is true that one of his poems was included in one (and only one) of the five anthologies of Georgian Poetry (T-H-L) edited by Edward Marsh, his style differs from what is generally regarded as the Georgian style, and he does not feature in the later anthologies of J. C. Squire (T-H-L) or James Reeves (writer) (T-H-L).

[Hex]

If you're anything like me, in the 1980s you wanted to have a plasma globe, because those things looked so damn cool. And now on the rare occasions when you still see one, you wonder vaguely how those suckers work. Well, get ready for the answer as provided by Plasma globe (T-H-L):

A plasma globe or plasma lamp (also called plasma ball, dome, sphere, tube or orb, depending on shape) is (usually) a clear glass sphere filled with a mixture of various noble gases with a high-voltage electrode in the center of the sphere.

Plasma filaments extend from the inner electrode to the outer glass insulator, giving the appearance of multiple constant beams of colored light (see corona discharge and electric glow discharge). Plasma globes were most popular as novelty items in the 1980s.[1]

The plasma lamp was invented by Nikola Tesla[2] after his experimentation with high-frequency currents in an evacuated glass tube for the purpose of studying high voltage phenomena, but the modern versions were known to be first designed by Bill Parker.[1] Tesla called this invention an inert gas discharge tube.

There are a lot of links in this highly useful lede (got to love that "(usually)" in the very first sentence), but I've only linked here the one related to what I wanted to know. What it links to is this part of Plasma (physics) (T-H-L):

Filamentation

Striations or string-like structures,[27] also known as Birkeland currents, are seen in many plasmas, like the plasma ball, the aurora,[28] lightning,[29] electric arcs, solar flares,[30] and supernova remnants.[31] They are sometimes associated with larger current densities, and the interaction with the magnetic field can form a magnetic rope structure.[32] High power microwave breakdown at atmospheric pressure also leads to the formation of filamentary structures.[33] (See also Plasma pinch)

Filamentation also refers to the self-focusing of a high power laser pulse. At high powers, the nonlinear part of the index of refraction becomes important and causes a higher index of refraction in the center of the laser beam, where the laser is brighter than at the edges, causing a feedback that focuses the laser even more. The tighter focused laser has a higher peak brightness (irradiance) that forms a plasma. The plasma has an index of refraction lower than one, and causes a defocusing of the laser beam. The interplay of the focusing index of refraction, and the defocusing plasma makes the formation of a long filament of plasma that can be micrometers to kilometers in length.[34] One interesting aspect of the filamentation generated plasma is the relatively low ion density due to defocusing effects of the ionized electrons.[35] (See also Filament propagation)

The general-purpose encyclopedia for the non-expert reader!

The "Description" section of the plasma ball article is a complete mess of technical detail. And, of course, it also doesn't explain what plasma is.

The article's first citation is to an article on that well-regarded reference source, Softpedia, called How Do Plasma Lamps Work? Which has provided a helpful source for plagiarism.

Plasma lamps are mostly used as curiosities and to obtain unique light effects.... They also have educational purpose, that is, they can be used to explain several physical aspects of electrical currents.

Plasma lamps are mainly used as curiosities or toys for their unique lighting effects and the "tricks" that can be performed on them by users moving their hands around them. They might also form part of a school's laboratory equipment for demonstration purposes.

No credit to the source text.

[Poetlister]

The general-purpose encyclopedia for the non-expert reader!

Is Wikipedia really supposed to be that? It aims to contain all human knowledge, however difficult or obscure. Many of the mathematics articles are absolutely incomprehensible unless you understand the topic thoroughly already (and sometimes not even then).

[Ming]

The article's first citation is to an article on that well-regarded reference source, Softpedia, called How Do Plasma Lamps Work? Which has provided a helpful source for plagiarism.

Plasma lamps are mostly used as curiosities and to obtain unique light effects.... They also have educational purpose, that is, they can be used to explain several physical aspects of electrical currents.

Plasma lamps are mainly used as curiosities or toys for their unique lighting effects and the "tricks" that can be performed on them by users moving their hands around them. They might also form part of a school's laboratory equipment for demonstration purposes.

No credit to the source text.

That's because the Softpedia text is younger than the Wikipedia text: all of that text can be found in the WP article by the end of December 2007, before the Softpedia article was first published.

[Poetlister]

That's because the Softpedia text is younger than the Wikipedia text: all of that text can be found in the WP article by the end of December 2007, before the Softpedia article was first published.

It's often hard to see if something in Wikipedia is plagiarism. So many people plagiarise Wikipedia. I've often seen text I've written copied all over the place, even into published books (apart from ones that are avowedly reprints of articles).

[Hex]

No credit to the source text.

That's because the Softpedia text is younger than the Wikipedia text: all of that text can be found in the WP article by the end of December 2007, before the Softpedia article was first published.

Oh, nice. So we have a Wikipedia article citing a Softpedia article that actually plagiarized the Wikipedia article. Classic.

[thekohser]

No credit to the source text.

That's because the Softpedia text is younger than the Wikipedia text: all of that text can be found in the WP article by the end of December 2007, before the Softpedia article was first published.

Oh, nice. So we have a Wikipedia article citing a Softpedia article that actually plagiarized the Wikipedia article. Classic.

Scott, though this probably isn't the first time you've seen it, you should take a look at this.

[thekohser]

On the subject of presidential primates...

You may not have been around to remember the monkey business aboard the yacht of the same name in 1987.

Even if you do, it might come as surprise to find out that along with those two, other famous guests included Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Nicholson, Julio Iglesias, Jason Luetke and others. Uh, Jason who?

Well, that's what the Wikipedia article says, and has done since October 2011.

Jason Luetke is still going strong, a full year after you brought it to our attention. The article Talk page has asked for more information about Luetke for over a year, but still no action. Of course, maybe part of the problem is that the "reliable source" used to cite this "fact" doesn't mention Jason Luetke at all; rather, it mentions James Caan (T-H-L) in the exact spot that Wikipedia lists Jason Luetke.

Anyway, I am a big, big fan of Jason Luetke who went to Marquette University, and the IP that added him to Wikipedia is from Marquette University, so I hope that Wikipedia will continue to honor him on the Monkey Business, because you know it's a fact, if it's lasted since October 2011 and has even withstood our prompting since February 2016.

[AndyTheGrump]

List of New York City manhole cover abbreviations (T-H-L)

"This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it." Or by finding sources that actually verify the content. It appears to be almost entirely 'original research'. Though I'll concede that a manhole cover labelled 'EDISON' is probably connected to the company of the same name.

[Rogol Domedonfors]

List of New York City manhole cover abbreviations (T-H-L)

"This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it." Or by finding sources that actually verify the content. It appears to be almost entirely 'original research'. Though I'll concede that a manhole cover labelled 'EDISON' is probably connected to the company of the same name.

I would say that this is a classic. The only thing needed to make it quite perfect is an edit war between two enthusiasts over some point of naming, BSBQ for example. Also fertile grounds for hoaxing, of course. Perhaps Jeremy Corbyn might find time to start the corresponding List of London manhole cover abbreviations (T-H-L)

[Ming]

Whale Rock Light (T-H-L)

Just scroll down until you see it.

[thekohser]

Whale Rock Light (T-H-L)

Just scroll down until you see it.

That's beautiful. For posterity before Yvandottir (or whatever) gets to it...

[Zoloft]

Now you know someone took great pride in that.

[AndyTheGrump]

Now you know someone took great pride in that.

They also appear to have taken great pride in copy-pasting material wholesale into the Plum Beach Light (T-H-L) article, though I see this is now being rectified. And if I was a betting man, I'd take a small punt on their addition to The Dunes Club (T-H-L) likewise not being their own work. Jdashe (T-C-L) seems to have been quite busy during their one-day Wikipedia career.

[thekohser]

Jdashe (T-C-L) seems to have been quite busy during their one-day Wikipedia career.

A user of VisualEditor, no less.

[Ming]

Jdashe (T-C-L) seems to have been quite busy during their one-day Wikipedia career.

A user of VisualEditor, no less.

Ming was quite surprised to discover that VisualEditor is the default on the French Wikipedia.

[Poetlister]

Ming was quite surprised to discover that VisualEditor is the default on the French Wikipedia.

Yes, but all the savvy editors (including me) manage to avoid it.

[Poetlister]

Pretty Fly for a Rabbi (T-H-L) is in Category:Jewish comedy and humor (T-H-L). However, it is by "Weird Al" Yankovic (T-H-L), who is not Jewish. It is also in Category:Songs written by Dexter Holland (T-H-L), although it is a parody of a Dexter Holland song and he seems to have had no hand in the alterations that Weird Al made.

[Poetlister]

Franz Xaver von Zach (T-H-L): "After the death of the duke in 1804, Zach accompanied the duke's widow on her travels in the south of Europe, and the two settled in Genoa in 1815 where he directed an observatory." He was responsiblr for founding it and having it built. From October 2012 to February this year, this sentence was far worse; it read "... settled in Genoa in 1815 where he directed the Capodimonte Observatory." In fact, that observatory is in Naples. Evidently, nobody checked the article on that observatory! But Wikipedia does improve sometimes.

[Johnny Au]

Fleet Reserve Association (T-H-L)

It looks like a copy-paste from the organization's About page.

[AndyTheGrump]

Donald Trump pseudonyms (T-H-L)

Beyond being a crap article subject, it would appear on the face of it to be a WP:BLP violation, since the title states 'pseudonyms' in the plural, while the article body makes clear that Trump has admitted only to being 'John Barron', while denying that he is 'John Miller'. One can of course form an opinion as to whether Trump's denial has any credibility, but it really isn't the job of an encyclopedia to decide on the readers' behalf. If the article deserved keeping (it doesn't), the appropriate course of action would be to give it a neutral title, and let the readers decide for themselves.

[Johnny Au]

Ticket resale (T-H-L)

Much of the article is poorly written.

This paragraph in the "Ticket brokering" section takes the cake:

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of online ticket brokering as a lucrative business. U.S. corporate ticket reselling firm Ticketmaster developed a strong online presence and made several acquisitions to compete in the secondary markets. Securities analyst Joe Bonner, who tracks Ticketmaster's parent company New York-based IAC/InterActiveCorp, told USA Today: "You have to look at the secondary market as something that is a real threat to Ticketmaster. They missed the boat. StubHub has been around a few years now already. They weren't as proactive as they probably should have been."[7] Ticketmaster launched fan to fan secondary ticket reselling site TicketExchange in November 2005. Ticketmaster acquired former rivals GetMeIn and TicketsNow,[8] while eBay bought StubHub.[9] In 2008, the Boston Red Sox chose Ace Ticket over StubHub to sell their tickets.[10] There are also independantly owned online ticket resellers such as viagogo and SeatMarket.

[AndyTheGrump]

Ticket resale (T-H-L)

Much of the article is poorly written...

If you think that's bad, take a look at the linked Tout (T-H-L). Note the apparently random 'see also' link to Handicapping (T-H-L). I say 'apparently', because it turns out that Handicapping (T-H-L) is about two different subjects. Which makes it another crap article. One that in turn has a 'see also' link to the even worse Political handicapping (T-H-L).

[Johnny Au]

Ticket resale (T-H-L)

Much of the article is poorly written...

If you think that's bad, take a look at the linked Tout (T-H-L). Note the apparently random 'see also' link to Handicapping (T-H-L). I say 'apparently', because it turns out that Handicapping (T-H-L) is about two different subjects. Which makes it another crap article. One that in turn has a 'see also' link to the even worse Political handicapping (T-H-L).

Those are indeed terrible.

[AndyTheGrump]

Kenny Powers (stuntman) (T-H-L)

Not only does it contradict itself, it has a section heading that says so...

[Demonology]

Unicorn food (T-H-L)
"Unicorn Food can be any type of food that is dyed rainbow colors with natural ingredients, though the style is most often seen in drinks or confectioneries. The color scheme of the food is reminiscent of the legendary unicorn."

[Poetlister]

Kenny Powers (stuntman) (T-H-L)

Not only does it contradict itself, it has a section heading that says so...

That just means that the sources are inconsistent. If the article had said "one source says A but another says B", that would have been OK. Could the heading be construed as original research?

[AndyTheGrump]

Kenny Powers (stuntman) (T-H-L)

Not only does it contradict itself, it has a section heading that says so...

That just means that the sources are inconsistent. If the article had said "one source says A but another says B", that would have been OK. Could the heading be construed as original research?

You seem to be assuming that the contradictions are sourced. Given that they arose from a single series of edits which cited 'his DD 214' and nothing else, I think that may be open to question. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?ti ... =602896683

[Rogol Domedonfors]

Unicorn food (T-H-L)
"Unicorn Food can be any type of food that is dyed rainbow colors with natural ingredients, though the style is most often seen in drinks or confectioneries. The color scheme of the food is reminiscent of the legendary unicorn."

So let me see ... according to the BBC (reference [2]), Starbucks are marketing a rainbow-coloured drink under this name between 19–23 April. This article was created on the 19 April, and illustrated with a picture of a Starbucks rainbow-coloured drink. Sheer coincidence, no doubt.

[Ming]

Kenny Powers (stuntman) (T-H-L)

Not only does it contradict itself, it has a section heading that says so...

That just means that the sources are inconsistent. If the article had said "one source says A but another says B", that would have been OK. Could the heading be construed as original research?

You seem to be assuming that the contradictions are sourced. Given that they arose from a single series of edits which cited 'his DD 214' and nothing else, I think that may be open to question. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?ti ... =602896683

Most of this crap seems to be sourced to local paper articles that are little more than Powers talking to some random sports page writer. This is where the notion of notability breaks down: nobody would remember him at all were he not stuck in the car instead of Carter for the St. Lawrence jump, but by chance there's enough old local papers on-line to give the illusion of coverage. A deletion attempt would fail, though.

[Poetlister]

Unicorn food (T-H-L)
"Unicorn Food can be any type of food that is dyed rainbow colors with natural ingredients, though the style is most often seen in drinks or confectioneries. The color scheme of the food is reminiscent of the legendary unicorn."

Actually, unicorns are traditionally white. Rainbow-coloured ones are quite recent.

[Rogol Domedonfors]

Actually, unicorns are traditionally white. Rainbow-coloured ones are quite recent.

I gather it's marketing again. A product called "My Rather Small Horse" or similar. It'll never catch on.

[Johnny Au]

Actually, unicorns are traditionally white. Rainbow-coloured ones are quite recent.

I gather it's marketing again. A product called "My Rather Small Horse" or similar. It'll never catch on.

My Rather Small Horse: Amity is Mystical made by Hassenfeld Bros.

[Poetlister]

Reform Judaism (T-H-L) opens with the claim "Reform Judaism (also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism)". This may be true in the USA, but in Britain the Reform Synagogues and the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues are entirely separate and have different beliefs.

Further down, it says "reintroducing the ancient triennial cycle for reading the Torah". Wrong! As the article Triennial cycle (T-H-L) explains fairly well, the modern practice is very different from the mediaeval one despite the similar names.

[Johnny Au]

Lumír (T-H-L)

Much of the article needs basic copyediting; it has many greengrocers' apostrophes. Unfortunately, it's a stub.

Oh, and the article needs to mention more about the bard of the same name.

[AndyTheGrump]

Lumír (T-H-L)

Much of the article needs basic copyediting; it has many greengrocers' apostrophes. Unfortunately, it's a stub.

Oh, and the article needs to mention more about the bard of the same name.

No. The article doesn't need to "mention more about the bard of the same name". Articles are about single topics.

[Poetlister]

No. The article doesn't need to "mention more about the bard of the same name". Articles are about single topics.

Maybe there should be an article about this bard, but there's a separate thread about missing articles.

[Johnny Au]

Regardless, the Lumír article (the existing one about the Czech literary magazine) needs some reworking.

[AndyTheGrump]

Regardless, the Lumír article (the existing one about the Czech literary magazine) needs some reworking.

Looking into this further, it seems that the article was originally a stub about the bard, and has transformed itself to an article about the magazine in stages.

The crap writing is mostly down to Victuallers (T-C-L), who added this new paragraph:

The magazine's follower's were known by the same name as the magazine. The writers and artists's involved started a new direction in Czech culture. Previously culture was seen as coming from German's and sources's in Gernan. German poets's like Heinrich Heine were translated poem by poem from from German to Czech. With the emergence of the Lumir group writers's like Vrchlický, Viktor Dyk and Julius Zeyer the focus turned towards Latin roots and the Anglo Saxon countries in particular. This cultural focus is said to have led other Czech intellectuals to also look in the same direction for scientific, economic and social ideas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?ti ... =573266695

Victuallers is a former Wikipedian in Residence and a former chair of WikimediaUK.

[Johnny Au]

Victuallers really needs to stop using greengrocers' apostrophes.

[thekohser]

Victuallers really needs to stop using greengrocers' apostrophes.

First step toward mastering that is to stop using Wikipedia.

[Poetlister]

Victuallers is a former Wikipedian in Residence and a former chair of WikimediaUK.

Does that mean that he can write grammatical English?

[Johnny Au]

Victuallers really needs to stop using greengrocers' apostrophes.

First step toward mastering that is to stop using Wikipedia.

Second step: avoid using Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and similar.

[tarantino]

The crap writing is mostly down to Victuallers (T-C-L)

His latest masterpiece is Annie Higdon (T-H-L).

Her father was a shipwright but she became a qualified elementary teacher.

He apparently ran out of apostrophes.

Annies final comments in the school records were later removed by the education authority as political and inflammatory.

[Poetlister]

Winnecke 4 (T-H-L) is a pair of stars in the constellation of Ursa Major. The article reports, probably correctly, that these stars are at very different distances hence cannot be physically associated. However, it references this to an arXiv paper, scarcely a reliable source.

[Rogol Domedonfors]

Winnecke 4 (T-H-L) is a pair of stars in the constellation of Ursa Major. The article reports, probably correctly, that these stars are at very different distances hence cannot be physically associated. However, it references this to an arXiv paper, scarcely a reliable source.

The Arxiv reference is to a preprint written by a professor of astronomy and an associate professor of astronomy in a recognised British university and accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. This would pass muster at least at the working level among fellow professional astronomers. This does not even begin to constitute "crap".

What is the point of this thread? If it's to bitch about imperfect-but-tolerable articles then Wikipedia is the place for that. If it's to point to grossly and egeregiously awful articles, then maybe 40-plus pages is enough evidence. Is there any plan to move on to sn analysis, or even action here?

[Poetlister]

The Arxiv reference is to a preprint written by a professor of astronomy and an associate professor of astronomy in a recognised British university and accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Precisely. Why did they not reference the peer-reviewed publication? (Incidentally, it's not a journal; I have a copy in frot of me and it describes itself as "a review of astronomy".)