Members Only Area > General Discussion

Wikipedia

(1/2) > >>

MartinR:
Having tried to whip up enthusiasm I must offer a note of caution.  "Newbies" opening an account and assuming that they can write a complete WP article tend to come unstuck.  Two routes in are suggested: one is to gain experience editing existing articles until you are familiar with markup, layout, citing and procedures; the other is to collaborate with an experienced editor who can look after WP side whilst the new contributor researches and inputs the text.  If an article is written into mainspace too early it runs the risk of being deleted or moved into draft space which is highly dispiriting for a starter.
For interest I had a quick look at WP for HMS Royal William.  It appears there were two, one built in 1670, the other of 1833 launched at Pembroke.  The 1670 vessel has a tiny fraction of the detail you have on it, and with a broken referencing system.  Perhaps as a start you could sort it out?  If you want assistance with technical aspects let me know and I'll be happy to help (I've been on WP for over 9 years).

stuartwaters:
Martin, I agree completely, as far as I am concerned, copyright on either this forum or the old one remains the property of the contributor. It's one of the reasons why I was encouraging members to move their own stuff over from the old forum. I think the owner of the old forum got it into her head that the stuff on the old forum was her property and I think that's the reason she blocked access to it when I and others started to move our articles over.


As far as Wikipedia vs this forum is concerned, there are pros and cons to both. I might, as Martin suggests, open a Wikipedia account, post an article and see how it goes.

MartinR:
It's not either/or.  I would not want to be accused of poaching contributors from here, what I am doing is encouraging contributors to become WP editors as well.  It's an old canard that "WP is not reliable because anyone can edit", but outside of a few controversial areas it just isn't true.  Any statement on WP can be challenged and it is the responsibility of the contributor to find a reliable source to back up the statement.  WP is a tertiary source and presents a view of what experts in the various fields are presenting.  Having said that, occasionally someone's opinion does occasionally break through.  Your tale about the Victory mast may be true, but is not verifiable and would certainly be challenged and removed.  One of the benefits of having multiple editors is that there are multiple pairs of eyes keeping watch on the various articles.  As an example the article on the River Thames was being vandalised yesterday by repeated attempts to change the river name to "Gulu".  At least three editors were keeping an eye on it and reverting the vandal within minutes.

As regards copyright in the forum, I'm fairly certain that copyright remains with the contributor, so that, for example, my essay on "A Ship in the Belfy" remains mine and does not become Stuart's.  Of course if anyone reads it and cites it, or goes back to my sources, or within reason summarizes it then that's fine - it's how knowledge spreads.

KeithG:
What has led me to post about this subject was the fact that when i lived in Birchington in Thanet about 1983 i worked at a builders company which also did maintenace around Thanet as there were an awful lot of sliding sash windows going rotten at the time!


The company was W.W.Martin an old established one in Ramsgate. They had been around since 1952 and still did things the old fashioned way and my boss then was one of the sons of the original owner, since died.
The Father never did things in halves and one instance was there was an auction for 25 tons of nails and he bought the whole lot... by 1983 when i was there they were still being used as rusty nails grip better?


One day the son who was by then in charge asked me accompany him to his house in Broadstairs to help with a project. He made tea and where i was sitting we were surround by old wooden articles and one of them going up to the ceiling was made of part of Nelsons Victory mast. Apparently there was an auction where Victory was being renovated and of course my bosses Father had been there to buy things and this was one of them.


So is this true or was it just a story........i have never found out and would never know where to start?

KeithG:
Just my two pence worth....but i would of thought suggesting a contribution to this forum rather than Wikipedia more practical for us members as the latter is not that correct and can be edited?......ok, i read it also but like History itself there is a lot of input which many have added their own bit?.....just like the Facebook mentality.


On this forum as the "old" one there are an awful lot of true facts put down by members who care about there own life fortunes and experiences over the years, it is more personal than something like Wikipedia.


I said this on the "old" forum about pictures that someone accused me of copying them from the internet but copying word`s or text is exactly the same just a different formula.


If copying did not happen then nothing else would exist......which probably why Kyn shut down her forum in permanent Maintenance Mode so nobody could copy even their own material over.


Stuart...are their legal rules about what members write on forum`s when we join?....as an example are they the property of the forum once written or still the property of the member that makes them?   

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page