Irish history articles on Wikipedia

[evercloserunion]

Wikipedia can be a very useful resource, when utilized correctly. To be honest I don't really see the point of the posts here criticizing Wikipedia; it's hardly productive. I posted here saying that the Wiki articles were of poor quality and we should making them better. The general response I gathered was "no, we shouldn't make them better because they are of poor quality". This doesn't make sense.

Like it or not, many many people use Wikipedia as a means of self-education. Thus we have a choice; we can neglect the Wiki articles on Irish history, which in turn may mislead those who are willing to learn about our country's history, or we can make simple edits and updates, and the result being accurate and informative articles about those events in history most important to Ireland.

I wouldn't trust wikipedia when it comes to Irish history. I remember checking to see who was writing some of the articles, only to discover that some 14 year old from Somerset was!

So why not edit them yourself? If you just sit by and do nothing about it, you're almost as bad as as the 14 year old!

What specific complaints do you have about these articles?

Cumann na nGaedheal article is just far too short, doesn't go into any depth whatsoever about their economic, social or foreign policies. Nor does it adequately cover CnaG's main achievement while in government, the consolidation of democracy in the Free State. As for the 1913 lockout, my complaints are outlined in the discussion page for that article over on Wikipedia.

[ON THE ONE ROAD]

If you think wikipedia is good for anything more intellectual than finding out trivia about Family Guy or Star Wars, you're really not in any position to be trying to write accurate history narative.

Because it is open edit, what is\ says has to be checked and verified. In my experience it has less errors than just about any encyclopaedia and is lightyears ahead of the god-awful Encarta!

exactly. it's a natural quality control system, it's starts of basic but over time gets added to and refined, it's amazing in it's simplisity.

[Insider2007]

Wikipedia can be a very useful resource, when utilized correctly. To be honest I don't really see the point of the posts here criticizing Wikipedia; it's hardly productive. I posted here saying that the Wiki articles were of poor quality and we should making them better. The general response I gathered was "no, we shouldn't make them better because they are of poor quality". This doesn't make sense.

Like it or not, many many people use Wikipedia as a means of self-education. Thus we have a choice; we can neglect the Wiki articles on Irish history, which in turn may mislead those who are willing to learn about our country's history, or we can make simple edits and updates, and the result being accurate and informative articles about those events in history most important to Ireland.

I wouldn't trust wikipedia when it comes to Irish history. I remember checking to see who was writing some of the articles, only to discover that some 14 year old from Somerset was!

So why not edit them yourself? If you just sit by and do nothing about it, you're almost as bad as as the 14 year old!

[quote:2a70uysc]What specific complaints do you have about these articles?

Cumann na nGaedheal article is just far too short, doesn't go into any depth whatsoever about their economic, social or foreign policies. Nor does it adequately cover CnaG's main achievement while in government, the consolidation of democracy in the Free State. As for the 1913 lockout, my complaints are outlined in the discussion page for that article over on Wikipedia.[/quote:2a70uysc]

I made an attempt to rewrite the embarrassingly hagiographic Eoghan Harris article there last night. Harris is known to have an interest in Wikipedia . I wonder was it he who kept adding in the "Eoghan Harris is one of the world's great intellectuals" type bull************************ into the article.

[Vintagekits]

The key to wiki is simple. Its new (ish) its not complete, it needs work - many articles are good other not so good - the bad articles just need work - so instead of slagging it off just fix it.

I have written many articles and it just takes time to get them right. I would invite you all to pick just ONE single article and improve that. Its as simple as that.