Iacobus

Iacobus is a regular user of Wikipedia, and a casual contributor since September 2005.

Random thoughts on Wikipedia

Read these thoughts and you might understand a little more about Wikipedia and how to use it.

Use published sources

Wikipedia contributors should rely on published sources. Way too many articles are either straight dumps of Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 text, or they rely on other web sources of unkown quality. Try reading a book, or chasing up published information over the internet. Discovery Channel or someone's pet theory web site just don't cut it.

Primary and secondary sources

Don't reference primary historical sources in Wikipedia articles unless you are quoting. Primary sources need interpretation. Lots of qualified historians have published those interpretations. If you rely on primary sources, you are either naively taking at face value things that historians have found a need to interpret, or you are doing that interpretation, which is not what Wikipedia is for. More than likely, people quote primary sources but are actually relying on secondary sources for their interpretations. Cite the secondary sources.

Images in Wikipedia

Copyright paranoia means that the quality of images on Wikipedia is generally poor. It is embarassing to read articles of living persons and have only fan snapshots at public events to illustrate them. I hate copyright paranoia!

As a related grumble, why do so many Wikipedia articles on historical persons have anachronistic images of those persons or events from centuries (even millenia) later. If you can't find an image of a tenth century French king, then don't insert an image from a nineteenth century history book!

Write for the general reader of English

There are many Wikipedia articles that are not very clear unless you have training, or have read widely, in the relevant field. This is a problem with Wikipedia: those with knowledge (and probably enthusiasm) in a particular field will probably write an article, but they may not be able to explain it to someone with no particular knowledge in that field. I have found that this applies to articles on technology, science, and even history! The opening paragraphs of such articles must be written to be intelligible to any informed "layman." Technical issues can be reserved for later in the article, or even left out altogether. Some historical articles insist on using names unfamiliar to the English reader, instead using names and terms appropriate for another language (see, for expample, the great naming debate on the Kings of Scotland). Users of Wikipedia should only be expected to be fluent in the English language, and names and terms should be those commonly used in English. See also Wikipedia:Make technical articles accessible

Surviving and thriving on Wikipedia

I've been reading a lot in the media about the slowdown in Wikipedia's growth, and some associated comments from occassional editors who feel excluded because their work gets reverted or deleted. I have no doubt that there is some exlusivity growing in the Wikipedia community. I am, at best, a casual contributor - only as time allows. Yet I have not felt the cold winds of edit reversion as some have.

My hints for a happy experience:

Cite sources. People who feel their edits are discarded often fail to cite. Yes, the citation train gets a little wearying, and some can get a bit precious about it. But, on the other hand, if you feel you have the latest and greatest idea, then Wikipedia is not the place to write it.
Find your little patch. If you edit anything and everything, you will probably get reverted. What I do is find a few things that I am interested in, and beaver away at those. There are heaps of topics which need better articles, or articles created. Get to know your patch, and thrive in it.
Avoid controversy. If you edit an article on a controversial subject, you are just begging for a hiding. Medieval Fraxinet attracts little attention. The State of Israel does. So guess which one I edit? Some subjects do attract fanatics and propoganists just waiting to delete any reference they don't like. That is why an article on Transdniestria, which is essentially a creation of the Russian army and survives on the revenues from smuggling, is so bland-positive - anything too bad is represented as POV, or otherwise deleted. You can read incredible comments wars in pages such as that on the Bagratid dynasty, from people who are obviously biased and grinding a nationalist axe.
Be bold. Yes, this was once Wikipedia's dominant motto, before the pedants moved in. But bugger the pedants. If someone reverts your edit, check that your edit is reasonable, fits into the guidelines, and is sourced, then revert the revert. If you really want to add a section to Transdniestria about its nefarious activities (I wish someone would!), then get some good sources, write in a detached, factual style, on go for it!
Get a life. Don't get too worked up because someone doesn't like your edits. Don't live your life fuming over how those Wikipedia elites excluded you. Fly below the radar, like me and thousands others. Be civil and don't get sucked into long debates on discussion pages. Breath and walk away if an edit just won't "stick". Reality is bigger than Wikipedia.

Creations

Articles I have created.

2008

2007

Expansions

Articles I have expanded or to which I have made significant contributions.

Other contributions

A selection of other contributions.

2007

Dictator :rewrote Classical era, reference to Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Timbuktu: reference to scientific value of manuscripts
Bridgnorth: reference to Time Team excavations of castle
Italian War of 1521-1526: details of Duke of Suffolk’s French campaign

2006

Dromon: etymology, Tolkien reference, Middle English and Old French derivatives.
Spear of destiny: removed false quote from Einhard & misdirected quote from Eusebius

2005

Harold Godwinson: reference to failed exhumation at Bosham
Bosham: reference to failed exhumation of Harold Godwinson

Librarything

I've just discovered Librarything. Nice toy! See my User Page

Around My World on Wikipedia

Locations I have visited in my travels, and memorable things I found there.

China

Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong province (2001) – Shamian Island, Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Temple of Bright Filial Piety
Macau (Macao) SAR (2001) – Ruins of St. Paul's, Fortaleza do Monte

England

Avebury, Wiltshire (1992) - prehistoric henge and stone circle site.
Battle, East Sussex (1992) - site of the Battle of Hastings, ruins of Battle Abbey
Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire (2001) - Cotswolds village.
Brighton, East Sussex (1992)
Broadstairs, Kent (1992)
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (1992) - The Backs, Holy Trinity Church where ministered Charles Simeon, Kings College Chapel, Fitzwilliam Museum, various college buildings of the University
Canterbury, Kent (1992) - Canterbury Cathedral, ruins of St Augustine's Abbey
Chichester, West Sussex (1992) - Chichester Cathedral
Chilham, Kent (1992)
Coniston, Cumbria (1996) - in the Lakes District
Deal, Kent (1992), a Cinque Port - Deal Castle
Fishbourne Roman Palace, West Sussex (1992)
Hastings, East Sussex (1992), a Cinque Port - Hastings Castle from the outside. Hastings is the location of the truly excellent Foyle's War television series.
London (1992, 1996, 2001) - All Souls, Langham Place, old British Library manuscript room at Bloomsbury, British Museum, Haymarket Theatre (for a revival of The Odd Couple with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman), Leadenhall Market, Leicester Square, London Wall, Lord Mayor's Show, The Monument, National Gallery, Picadilly Circus, St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate, St Paul's Cathedral, Tate Gallery, Temple Church, Trafalgar Square, regular travel on the Tube, Victoria and Albert Museum - and viewed the outside of many other attractions.
Oxford, Oxfordshire (1992, 1996, 2001) - Ashmolean Museum, Blackwell's bookshop, Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church college, the Covered Market, The Eagle and Child pub, punting on The Isis, various college buildings of the University of Oxford
The New Forest, Hampshire - accessed from Lyndhurst
Rochester, Kent (1992) - Rochester Cathedral
Salisbury, Wiltshire (1992) - Salisbury Cathedral
Sandwich, Kent, a Cinque Port (1992)
Skiddaw, Cumbria (1996) - ascended the fourth highest "mountain" in England.
Stonehenge, Wiltshire (1992)
Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire (2001) - Cotswolds village. In 1646 a number of royalist soldiers were confined in St Edwards church.
Uffington, Oxfordshire (1992, 1996) - White Horse, Uffington Castle.
Wilmington, East Sussex (1992) - the Long Man
Windsor, Berkshire (1992) - only because it is a sleepover in driving distance to Heathrow Airport.
Winchester, Hampshire (1992) - Winchester Cathedral, Winchester Castle (containing a medieval facsimile of King Arthur's round table)
York (1996) - York Minster, The Shambles

France

Albi, Midi-Pyrénées (2001) - Albi Cathedral, museums devoted to native sons Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse.
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Midi-Pyrénées (2001)
Gaillac, Midi-Pyrénées (2001)
Lac du Bourget, Savoie - I stayed at Hautcombe Abbey on its shore.
Najac, Midi-Pyrénées (2001)
Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées (2001) - Musée des Augustins

Germany

Augsburg, Bavaria (2001) - what, no separate page for Augsburg cathedral!
Berlin (2001) - Berliner Dom, Brandenburg Gate, Gendarmenmarkt, Lustgarten, Unter den Linden, Potsdamer Platz, Gemäldegalerie, Siegessäule, Kurfürstendamm, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Museum, [Neues Museum]], Pergamon Museum
Dresden (2001)
Cologne (1996)
Leipzig (2001)
Mainz (1996)
Munich, Bavaria (1996, 2001)
[[Neushwanstein] & Hohenshwangau, Bavaria (2001)
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (1996)
Stuttgart (1996)
Wieskirche (2001)
Würzburg (1996)

Italy

Florence, Tuscany (2001)
Milan (2001)
Naples (2001)
Paestum (2001)
Pompeii (2001)
Ravenna (2001)
Rome (2001)
Venice (2001)

Netherlands

Alkmaar (1996)
Amsterdam (1996)
Delft (1996)
Den Helder, Noord Holland (1996)
De Rijp (1996)
Heerhugowaard (1996)
Zaandam (1996)
Zaandijk (1996)

Scotland

Edinburgh (1996)
Loch Ness (1996)
Skye (1996)
Traquair House (1996)

United States of America

Chicago, Illinois (1992, 1996)
Joliet, Illinois (1992)
Marquette (1992)
Menoninee (1992)
San Francisco, California (2001)

Wales

Caernafon (1996)
Conwy (1996)