Crap articles

[Mancunium]

Positive change
The Concordian. 9 April 2014 link

[...] Search for Concordia-Moorhead on Google and you will see a sidebar that says our acceptance rate is 95 percent. That is both inaccurate and unimpressive. Prospective students with 4.0 GPAs know what their options are, and want to be surrounded by equally motivated and academic peers. A 95 percent acceptance rate does not exactly imply that they will find that at Concordia (even if they will). Look at our Wikipedia page and you will see an outdated endowment figure and that Mark Krejci is still our dean. Call Google and get the sidebar corrected, edit the Wikipedia page and add information to it that can help us, and find other third-party sources of information that we can keep from casting a bad image of this school. [...]

Or get the entire student body (2,784 undergraduates) to stage a massive Wikipedia edit-a-thon to turn Concordia College into the world's most prestigious academy.

Concordia_College_(Moorhead,_Minnesota) (T-H-L)

[Johnny Au]

Positive change
The Concordian. 9 April 2014 link

[...] Search for Concordia-Moorhead on Google and you will see a sidebar that says our acceptance rate is 95 percent. That is both inaccurate and unimpressive. Prospective students with 4.0 GPAs know what their options are, and want to be surrounded by equally motivated and academic peers. A 95 percent acceptance rate does not exactly imply that they will find that at Concordia (even if they will). Look at our Wikipedia page and you will see an outdated endowment figure and that Mark Krejci is still our dean. Call Google and get the sidebar corrected, edit the Wikipedia page and add information to it that can help us, and find other third-party sources of information that we can keep from casting a bad image of this school. [...]

Or get the entire student body (2,784 undergraduates) to stage a massive Wikipedia edit-a-thon to turn Concordia College into the world's most prestigious academy.

Concordia_College_(Moorhead,_Minnesota) (T-H-L)

What happened to Wikipedia:BOOSTERISM (T-H-L)?

[thekohser]

Call Google and...

Good luck with that, Concordia!

[Hex]

What happened to Wikipedia:BOOSTERISM (T-H-L)?

That reminds me that I'm long overdue to re-read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

[TungstenCarbide]

That reminds me that I'm long overdue to re-read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

The word "Babbitt" entered the English language as a "person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards".

WTF

'Babbitt' entered the language as a word in 1850, unless Wikipedia knows more than the OED.

[Newyorkbrad]

That reminds me that I'm long overdue to re-read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

The word "Babbitt" entered the English language as a "person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards".

WTF

'Babbitt' entered the language as a word in 1850, unless Wikipedia knows more than the OED.

Two different words with different origins.

[TungstenCarbide]

That reminds me that I'm long overdue to re-read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

The word "Babbitt" entered the English language as a "person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards".

WTF

'Babbitt' entered the language as a word in 1850, unless Wikipedia knows more than the OED.

Two different words with different origins.

Same word, two different meanings, highly unlikely Sinclare was unaware, likely he was applying an allusion, origin probably related. Babbitt was more common back then.

<edit>

sigh ... to any knowledgeable person reading this book when published, their mind would be primed with the image of a bearing metal, easily melted and re-molded, after which it bears the load without galling.

[EricBarbour]

ACRIMSAT (T-H-L)

When someone first created it in March 2007, it was short but adequate. Then, one of the scientists on the ACRIM project, Dikstr (T-C-L), showed up and turned it into hash (with some help).

Best part: the article fails to mention that ACRIMSAT ran out of fuel years ago, and is now useless space junk -- threatening to crash into other spacecraft.

[Poetlister]

ACRIMSAT (T-H-L)

When someone first created it in March 2007, it was short but adequate. Then, one of the scientists on the ACRIM project, Dikstr (T-C-L), showed up and turned it into hash (with some help).

Best part: the article fails to mention that ACRIMSAT ran out of fuel years ago, and is now useless space junk -- threatening to crash into other spacecraft.

This might indicate that Wikipedians might occasionally have a point when they say that it is a bad thing for experts to write about their specialist subjects.

[TungstenCarbide]

ACRIMSAT (T-H-L)

When someone first created it in March 2007, it was short but adequate. Then, one of the scientists on the ACRIM project, Dikstr (T-C-L), showed up and turned it into hash (with some help).

Best part: the article fails to mention that ACRIMSAT ran out of fuel years ago, and is now useless space junk -- threatening to crash into other spacecraft.

Generally speaking, mobile satellites avoid the retired immobile satellites. It simply doesn't work the other way around, believe it or not.

What begs reality is the Europeans choosing to launch into that situation, did nobody fucking bother to check first?

[Hex]

Mud Lake (Highlands County, Florida) (T-H-L). I'm just going to quote the whole thing:

Text of Wikipedia article "Mud Lake (Highlands County, Florida)", by Wikipedia user Wpollard. Text licensed CC-BY-SA 3.0.

This particular Mud Lake is located in Highlands County, Florida. "Mud Lake" is a very common name for lakes in the United States and Canada. Possibly 1,000 lakes are named Mud Lake in these two countries. Even in Florida at least twenty-three lakes are named "Mud Lake." The Highlands Ridge website refers to the area of the lake as Paulie's Lake. The main body of this Mud Lake is oval in shape. This part of the lake measures 1,500 ft (457 m) by 1,000 ft (305 m). The tail is 750 ft (229 m) by 100 ft (30 m). Mud Lake's surface area is 32.5-acre (132,000 m2). This lake more resembles a swamp than it does a lake.

Highlands Ridge is retirement housing developments and two golf courses. The northern part of Highlands Ridge has housing just beyond the south side of Mud Lake. The northern Highlands Ridge golf course almost totally surrounds the lake. There is no public road access to this lake, as Highlands Ridge is a gated community. HookandBullet.Com provides a bit of fishing information. It says the lake contains sturgeon, gar and bluegill.

That's it. Amazing.

All part of the hard work of Wpollard (T-C-L) in 2011... along with the rest of Category:Lakes of Highlands County, Florida (T-H-L).

[thekohser]

Mud Lake (Highlands County, Florida) (T-H-L)...

That's it. Amazing.

Have you ever been to Mud Lake? That may be all that needs to be said about it.

[enwikibadscience]

Mud Lake (Highlands County, Florida) (T-H-L). I'm just going to quote the whole thing:

Text of Wikipedia article "Mud Lake (Highlands County, Florida)", by Wikipedia user Wpollard. Text licensed CC-BY-SA 3.0.

This particular Mud Lake is located in Highlands County, Florida. "Mud Lake" is a very common name for lakes in the United States and Canada. Possibly 1,000 lakes are named Mud Lake in these two countries. Even in Florida at least twenty-three lakes are named "Mud Lake." The Highlands Ridge website refers to the area of the lake as Paulie's Lake. The main body of this Mud Lake is oval in shape. This part of the lake measures 1,500 ft (457 m) by 1,000 ft (305 m). The tail is 750 ft (229 m) by 100 ft (30 m). Mud Lake's surface area is 32.5-acre (132,000 m2). This lake more resembles a swamp than it does a lake.

Highlands Ridge is retirement housing developments and two golf courses. The northern part of Highlands Ridge has housing just beyond the south side of Mud Lake. The northern Highlands Ridge golf course almost totally surrounds the lake. There is no public road access to this lake, as Highlands Ridge is a gated community. HookandBullet.Com provides a bit of fishing information. It says the lake contains sturgeon, gar and bluegill.

That's it. Amazing.

All part of the hard work of Wpollard (T-C-L) in 2011... along with the rest of Category:Lakes of Highlands County, Florida (T-H-L).

HookandBullet columnist?

"HookandBullet.Com provides a bit of fishing information. It says the lake contains sturgeon, gar and bluegill."

That's awesome.

[EricBarbour]

I have a perfect example of Wikipedia dropping the ball, badly.

List of hospitals in Nevada (T-H-L)

The few articles that are in this list are all crap stubs. Rawson-Neal Hospital (T-H-L) was especially WTF.

You'll find more of this in List of hospitals in the United States (T-H-L). Some are okay, some are useless, many are missing articles. Heilman and his bunnies don't seem to care.

[Kelly Martin]

I have a perfect example of Wikipedia dropping the ball, badly.

List of hospitals in Nevada (T-H-L)

The few articles that are in this list are all crap stubs. Rawson-Neal Hospital (T-H-L) was especially WTF.

You'll find more of this in List of hospitals in the United States (T-H-L). Some are okay, some are useless, many are missing articles. Heilman and his bunnies don't seem to care.

Wikipedians, as a whole, are largely ignorant of businesses other than those that explicitly market to twenty-somethings, and so health care institutions (not being a market segment that routinely markets to twenty-somethings) generally don't get much coverage at Wikipedia. But every so often someone will get a list of the largest businesses in some region (often a state) and go down it, creating short articles for any missing entries. Which then get ignored, because editing the article about a regional hospital or an insurance company is boring and no fun.

If a hospital has an even halfway decent Wikipedia article, it'll generally be because it's either a children's hospital or a teaching hospital; the former get attention from their patients who also edit Wikipedia, and the latter from their students who also edit Wikipedia. The hospital that just sent us a "statement" for $130,000+ actually has two articles on Wikipedia, one for its current name and new location, and one for its former name and old location. The new article (Lurie Children's Hospital (T-H-L)) reads like a regurgitated press release. But check out the last sentence of the lead of the old one (Children's Memorial Hospital (T-H-L)).

[Johnny Au]

I work for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (T-H-L) as a Research Assistant.

I edited that article a long time ago, but it was not to promote the hospital as per WP:COI (T-H-L).

[thekohser]

I work for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (T-H-L) as a Research Assistant.

I edited that article a long time ago, but it was not to promote the hospital as per WP:COI (T-H-L).

I don't know...

Since 2006, the hospital is located on 150 Kilgour Road, between [[Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre]] and the community of [[Leaside]].

Why don't you give the disabled kids' parents driving directions and mention that Holland Bloorview offers 20-minute free parking for drop offs?

Sounds pretty promotional to me!



(I'm just messing with you.)

But, that being said, do you support the right of paid editors to edit Wikipedia in a non-promotional manner, without harassment?

[Peryglus]

Depends whether they have declared their being-paid-ness.

[thekohser]

Depends whether they have declared their being-paid-ness.

So, exactly what I proposed to do in July 2006, but for which I was banned by Jimmy Wales in October 2006? Got it.

[Poetlister]

Depends whether they have declared their being-paid-ness.

So, exactly what I proposed to do in July 2006, but for which I was banned by Jimmy Wales in October 2006? Got it.

Wikipedia policy, always improving.

[Freddy]

Category:Lists of Turkish people by occupation has some bad ones:
List of Turkish photographers (T-H-L) isn't a list at all, but rather a poorly written "history" of Turkish photography.
List of Turkish short story writers (T-H-L) is a joke.
The category also includes List of Turkish philosophers (T-H-L) and List of Turkish philosophers and scientists (T-H-L)

[enwikibadscience]

Category:Lists of Turkish people by occupation has some bad ones:
List of Turkish photographers (T-H-L) isn't a list at all, but rather a poorly written "history" of Turkish photography.
List of Turkish short story writers (T-H-L) is a joke.
The category also includes List of Turkish philosophers (T-H-L) and List of Turkish philosophers and scientists (T-H-L)

Philosophers and scientists begin with Ahmed, an historian and diplomat, and Ahmet, a sociologist, legist and historian...

On the other hand, photographers...

I always feel badly when we have such major crap on en.Wikipedia about non-English topics, but I am learning to accept it better knowing the level of main page science crap en.Wikipedia promotes.

( )

[Hex]

Technological dualism (T-H-L)

My immediate thought was that this was written by a college student or someone whose first language isn't English. I was right on both counts.

[EricBarbour]

Did we cover Steve Kennedy (T-H-L) yet? If not.....

Stephen "Steve" Kennedy (born 22 July 1965) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a full back. Not to be confused with Steve Kennedy the 28 year old dental student at Roseman University of Health Sciences (2014).

Been there since 9 April. "Vandalism is fixed instantly" MY ASS.

[Hex]

Verbosity (T-H-L).

[Poetlister]

Did we cover Steve Kennedy (T-H-L) yet? If not.....

Stephen "Steve" Kennedy (born 22 July 1965) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a full back. Not to be confused with Steve Kennedy the 28 year old dental student at Roseman University of Health Sciences (2014).

Been there since 9 April. "Vandalism is fixed instantly" MY ASS.

No doubt someone will be along shortly to turn it into a disambiguation page.

[Johnny Au]

Countermovement (T-H-L)

It looks exactly like a high school essay.

[enwikibadscience]

Countermovement (T-H-L)

It looks exactly like a high school essay.

You mean it's of higher quality than a lot of en.Wikipedia articles?

[enwikibadscience]

Countermovement (T-H-L)

It looks exactly like a high school essay.

You mean it's of higher quality than a lot of en.Wikipedia articles?

This is one of my favorite article introductory sentences,

"By definition, a countermovement in sociology means a social movement opposed to another social movement."

What does it mean outside of sociology?



It's like the "this phylum is a member of this phylum" opening for biology articles, another favorite.

[Johnny Au]

I bet that the Countermovement article is written by someone between high school junior and college freshman who has to write up a Wikipedia article as part of an assignment.

[Peryglus]

I bet that the Countermovement article is written by someone between high school junior and college freshman who has to write up a Wikipedia article as part of an assignment.

It was Chuyshlomohillel (T-C-L) who added most of the content, in 2010.

[enwikibadscience]

I bet that the Countermovement article is written by someone between high school junior and college freshman who has to write up a Wikipedia article as part of an assignment.

I feel Sandy Georgia's irritation on school assignment articles. It creates a lot of work for dedicated editors (if there really are any who aren't just sock puppets of other badly behaved and banned or vanished users) and contributes crap (as if there is something else).

[Johnny Au]

I bet that the Countermovement article is written by someone between high school junior and college freshman who has to write up a Wikipedia article as part of an assignment.

It was Chuyshlomohillel (T-C-L) who added most of the content, in 2010.

I took a look at that user's contributions and he/she only made edits to that article, making me suspect that it is a school assignment and nothing else.

I feel Sandy Georgia's irritation on school assignment articles. It creates a lot of work for dedicated editors (if there really are any who aren't just sock puppets of other badly behaved and banned or vanished users) and contributes crap (as if there is something else).

I get very irritated at "school assignment articles" who only write articles on Wikipedia for grades rather than to be a Wikipedian.

Even C-class and most Start-class Wikipedia articles don't have conclusion sections, let alone those that are B-class and higher.

[Johnny Au]

If you take a look at the talk page of Countermovement (T-H-L), it says that the article is also American-biased, as if non-American countermovements don't exist.

[thekohser]

I get very irritated at "school assignment articles" who only write articles on Wikipedia for grades rather than to be a Wikipedian.

You should quit Wikipedia in protest. Or, perhaps suicide-bomb a professor's classroom that is participating in the Wiki Education program.

[Johnny Au]

I get very irritated at "school assignment articles" who only write articles on Wikipedia for grades rather than to be a Wikipedian.

You should quit Wikipedia in protest. Or, perhaps suicide-bomb a professor's classroom that is participating in the Wiki Education program.

The Wiki Education program is not well implemented. Professors need to understand how to write Wikipedia articles properly and study the featured and good articles, rather than structure them as essays.

[thekohser]

The Wiki Education program is not well implemented. Professors need to understand how to write Wikipedia articles properly and study the featured and good articles, rather than structure them as essays.

Many Wikipedia articles read as essays, so why should the professors do anything different?

[Kelly Martin]

The Wiki Education program is not well implemented. Professors need to understand how to write Wikipedia articles properly and study the featured and good articles, rather than structure them as essays.

Dare I suggest that the real problem is that Wikipedia is not well implemented, and that it is Wikipedians, not professors, that need to understand how to write encyclopedia articles properly?

[enwikibadscience]

The Wiki Education program is not well implemented. Professors need to understand how to write Wikipedia articles properly and study the featured and good articles, rather than structure them as essays.

Dare I suggest that the real problem is that Wikipedia is not well implemented, and that it is Wikipedians, not professors, that need to understand how to write encyclopedia articles properly?

Please dare. Then get in the fly line--->

[tarantino]

Feeldoe (T-H-L) (NSFW)

Why does this patented adult toy deserve a product placement on wikipedia? It's been there for two years, and the only references are to the patent and the product's website.

And why did a professional photographer upload such a crappy image to illustrate it?

[thekohser]

Why does this patented adult toy deserve a product placement on wikipedia?

My guess is because Bomis, Inc. was an early seed capital investor in the company?

[Zoloft]

Punching the 'random article' button led me here:
John Petherick (T-H-L)

This fellow's story is much better told elsewhere than at Wikipedia, so I tossed a couple of sources on the talk page. Perhaps on a cold rainy day I will come back and expand it.

[Hex]

Feeldoe (T-H-L) (NSFW)

Why does this patented adult toy deserve a product placement on wikipedia? It's been there for two years, and the only references are to the patent and the product's website.

Given that the creator of the article, PennyWyse (T-C-L), added a redlink to the toy's inventor, and has been linking to the article from other sex articles, perhaps this should be in the obvious paid editors thread.

And why did a professional photographer upload such a crappy image to illustrate it?

You think that Wikijimmy(T-C-F-L) is a professional photographer??

[thekohser]

And why did a professional photographer upload such a crappy image to illustrate it?

You think that Wikijimmy(T-C-F-L) is a professional photographer??

Indeed not. The caption on the photo -- "Took it in our bedroom", on top of perhaps the most ghastly circa-1978 beach towel ever.

[Hex]

Indeed not. The caption on the photo -- "Took it in our bedroom", on top of perhaps the most ghastly circa-1978 beach towel ever.

The towel, plus the detail about it being in their bedroom, definitely falls under too much information.

[thekohser]

Indeed not. The caption on the photo -- "Took it in our bedroom", on top of perhaps the most ghastly circa-1978 beach towel ever.

The towel, plus the detail about it being in their bedroom, definitely falls under too much information.

This is why Wikipedia is one of the funniest sites on the Internet. I enjoy it at least as much as The Onion or Fark.com.

[The Adversary]

Feeldoe (T-H-L) (NSFW)

Why does this patented adult toy deserve a product placement on wikipedia? It's been there for two years, and the only references are to the patent and the product's website.

And why did a professional photographer upload such a crappy image to illustrate it?

Or as Woody Allen would put it: “The food is terrible—and such small portions!”

[tarantino]

And why did a professional photographer upload such a crappy image to illustrate it?

You think that Wikijimmy(T-C-F-L) is a professional photographer??

Indeed not. The caption on the photo -- "Took it in our bedroom", on top of perhaps the most ghastly circa-1978 beach towel ever.

I was confused because this photo of a wmf advisory board member has listed as the author a professional photographer, with Wikijimmy underneath.

[EricBarbour]

I was confused because this photo of a wmf advisory board member has listed as the author a professional photographer, with Wikijimmy underneath.

He's probably one of her little buddies from Metafilter, given how Madame West has handled her Wikipedia coverage before.....

[Hex]

I was confused because this photo of a wmf advisory board member has listed as the author a professional photographer, with Wikijimmy underneath.

It used to say "Uploaded by Wikijimmy", until this "cleanup" edit. Fail. I've simply removed it now.