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X Japan

• X Japan (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

We are currently disputing the genre list on the X Japan Misplaced Pages site. The following genres are listed: heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal, glam metal. The common consensus is to change the genres that X Japan is known for, including Metal (the term “metal” encompasses all of the metal genres listed above), Rock, Visual Rock, Visual Kei. These genre additions have been consistently denied by a user (xfansd), for reason stating that X Japan is considered a metal band in a variety of sources, writing “A genre of a band is determined by what sources label that band's music in general.” The author of the page cites the following source when listing the genres: X Japan: Best Review http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=7936. The article lists numerous genres beyond just “metal.” For instance, the headline itself reads, “Reliving the Height of Japan’s Superlative Visual Rock Band.” Later in the article, you will find “…most revered Japanese rock band” and “fleeting genre known to fans as “Visual Kei” (aka “Visual Rock”). Thus, we are asking to acknowledge ALL genres listed in this article if this is what the author will base the genre selection on. In order for the contributions to be accurate, the following genres have to be included: “Visual Rock” “Rock” “Visual Kei”. We are using this article as the main source indicating X Japan’s “genre,” so all genres listed in the article need to be included.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Ladyslime (talk · contribs)
• Xfansd (talk · contribs)
• Mikaxxxxxxxxx (talk · contribs)
• Leslieulm (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Not yet.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=X Japan}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

Yes, the issue has been raised, and each user has logically made their argument on the talk page. The page has gone through many freezes, no longer allowing contributions.

• How do you think we can help?

We need an administrator to monitor this situation and prevent just one person (xfansd) from dictating the terms of the page. Please take note of the general consensus among the users.

Leslieulm (talk) 04:48, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

X Japan discussion

If this is only one user ignoring consensus, this is no longer a content issue but a conduct issue.Curb Chain (talk) 07:16, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

Clerk's Comment/Template:Cue Curb Chain, I think there was a reason why ItsZippy directed this to the dispute resolution noticeboard. Can I have some statements from the involved parties? And perhaps we can work from there and determine whether or not this is conduct or content? Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 21:40, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

Was there any reason to defer the issue here?Curb Chain (talk) 21:59, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

He doesn't say it explicitly. But, I think ItsZippy knows what he's doing. Besides, you can't just listen to one party and decide that they are right about only one editor not listening to consensus. Curb Chain, feel free to close this thread or give 24-hours notice with this template: {{subst:DRN status|<reason for closure>}}, if any of the other parties don't respond. Kind regards :) Whenaxis (contribs) 22:40, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

I am in no way saying which party is right or wrong, just pointing out that if one user didn't hear it, s/he is disrupting the Project.Curb Chain (talk) 00:06, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

Fair enough. Let's just wait and see what happens with this thread. Give it three days or so, provide 24-hour notice and then close. Whenaxis (contribs) 00:38, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

If there is no response, this thread will be closed 24 hours after this time: April 15, 2012 at 14:47 (UTC) because abandoned Whenaxis (contribs) 14:47, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

I believe the users were recently notified. Can we please extend the deadline for them to respond? Also, if this request is abandoned, can it be raised again? Because if not, xfansd can simply ignore this thread and "win." If you notice on the X Japan talk page, xfansd has removed numerous edits from a variety of users. This is not just one person against another, but one person deciding how to edit this page. Thank you. Leslieulm (talk) 20:40, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Is there any apparent reason why xfansd has removed these edits? And yes, if a thread is closed prematurely, a new thread can be filed. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 20:51, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Thank you for this information. xfansd removes additions to the genre portion (he is adamant about referring to the band as a "metal" band). This is fine; however, as I argued above, X Japan is known for many different genres outside of metal, and those genres should be included. Please see my post on the talk page. Thank you. Leslieulm (talk) 21:35, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Please don't think User:xfansd is just going to win. What arguments have you brought forth for justification of your version? What arguments do you have that justifies your position/version? Also, is there discussion on the talk page? Please use the talk page first and if you cannot come to a consensus there you can file a new dispute here.Curb Chain (talk) 22:46, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

I see a lot of discussion on the talk page and a lot of sources. But which are considered reliable sources under Misplaced Pages's policy? In addition, a note to Ladyslime, please don't use CAPS LOCK to express your opinion, see WP:CAPSLOCK. It is considered disruptive and will not provide any more weight to your argument. How about a compromise, such as "X Japan (エックス ジャパン?) is a Japanese rock and heavy metal band formed in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi." Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 22:54, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

I was just now notified of this. This is not a case of me ignoring consensus, it is a case of what reliable sources call the band. All the other users involved are new editors who didn't know Misplaced Pages uses reliable sources. The subject of the article Tweeted that they don't want to be called metal on Misplaced Pages, and subsequently there was a wave of vandalism where I had to have an admin protect the page. Ladyslime and Mika created accounts simply to make the article reflect what the subject wants, which of course Misplaced Pages does not cater too. I then had to explain reliable sources to them on the talkpage. The discussion was actually dead, as Mika said they will look for sources to support their claim (which I assume they didn't find). 4 days later Leslieulm restarted the same discussion and ItsZippy suggested to move it here, 2 days after that it was brought here without me knowing. It seemed to me the dispute was already over before being brought here, and now the whole thing is blown out of proportion. Xfansd (talk) 00:52, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

The author cites one source as to why it is listed as metal. However, the article also lists "rock", "visual kei rock, "glamour rock", etc. The author selectively chose which to include. We have tried to incorporate more of the genres (I can support with a list of reviews, descriptions, etc. that also list other genres outside of metal), but these changes have been refused by xfansd. We have brought up this on the talk page (please refer to this), and numerous people have been blocked and denied changes, all from one person. I am in no way asking to remove metal (they can be considered a metal band), I just think I have proven the justification in adding more genres. We were directed to bring the dispute here from an administrator since no resolution was reached from just the talk page. Also, I apologize if any if my formatting was against Misplaced Pages standards. No more caps from my end. Leslieulm (talk) 00:58, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Can we have a reliable source to support that X Japan is rock? Regardless, according to List of rock genres, "metal" is considered a "rock" genre, so would saying "X Japan is a rock band" work because metal is a sub-genre of rock so it's all inclusive when you say "rock". Sincerely, Whenaxis (contribs) 01:04, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

On the talk page I used that same reasoning and we agreed the introduction can say "X Japan is a rock band". Some other editor changed it back. Xfansd (talk) 01:17, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

I also want to make it clear that while Leslieulm claims in the 'Dispute overview' that I cited this source (assuming she means me when she says "author", which I don't understand), I never did. That source has been used since 2007, which is way before I started editing Misplaced Pages. Xfansd (talk) 01:26, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

In that case, it should be reverted back because there was no reason provided by the editor to remove the source and change the text. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 18:40, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

I did not mean xfansd as the author, i meant the original author who published the genre portion on the right hand of the page. xfansd had done a great job with monitoring this page, and did change the body to "rock." Someone else did change it back. What we would like is to have more genres added to the right hand portion of the page, where it breaks down genre, members, etc. If metal is a subgenre of rock, why can't rock also be included? And when it comes to reliable sources, the source used to list the metal genres 1.) is outdated and 2.) lists other genres. The author (I repeat, NOT xfansd) is being selective on which genres to include. I am citing the same source as the author in my argument, and if he was able to use this, I assume it is in fact a "reliable" source. Leslieulm (talk) 19:56, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

I think it's safe to conclude that all mentions of genre should be "rock" because that's what everyone agreed upon according to xfansd: "On the talk page I used that same reasoning and we agreed the introduction can say "X Japan is a rock band". Some other editor changed it back." Whoever that editor is, was working against consensus and reliable sources. Leslieulm, I didn't say xfansd or anyone was the author of the reliable source, all I said was whoever the editor that changed the page, X Japan, from "rock" → "metal" was wrong to work against consensus and reliable sources. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 20:40, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Again, we are talking about different sections on the wikipedia page. xfansd did change the body to rock band. Sometimes it changes back and forth, but for the most part, it does say rock. We are asking for additions in the genre listing under the background information on the right side. Those changes have been denied repeatedly. I am asking to add to that, not remove or change.

64.183.116.78 (talk) 20:50, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Yes, that's what I meant by "all mentions of genre should be 'rock'". So rock should be added to the genre list. Please log in. Thanks, Whenaxis (contribs) 20:52, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Great. Logged in. So should I be the one to make the changes? Or should an administrator, to guarantee that they won't be changed back? Thank you. Leslieulm (talk) 21:48, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

It doesn't matter if it's done by you or an admin. An admin can just as easily be reverted as you would =) So, the best course of action is to see what the others think. If no one objects within the next 24 hours, I think it's safe to make the necessary changes to include "rock" and/or change to "rock". Best regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 21:53, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

I am against adding rock to the infobox. When I said we agreed, I specifically used "in the introduction" because that is exactly where we agreed upon, not in the infobox (Mika, who is suspiciously not partaking in the discussion here but still knew to change it, changed the intro back already). Some band articles open with "is a rock band" and then have only the more specific genres (heavy metal, etc.) in the infobox. Black Sabbath is a perfect example as nobody can argue they are anything but a metal band, yet it opens with "are an English rock band". And to be honest I agreed to that simply as a compromise to stop the edit war, most articles on metal bands open with "are a metal band". And you are getting ahead anyway, because we still don't have any reliable sources claiming that they play rock music. Xfansd (talk) 00:39, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Metal music is a sub-genre of rock music. Saying rock is all-encompassing and includes metal. For that reason, maintaining that X Japan is a rock band in the lede of the article is sufficient. Further explanation in the infobox saying that it's rock is unnecessary because it should explain the sub-genres, which it already does. Let's break down:

Y X Japan (エックス ジャパン?) is a Japanese rock band formed in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi.

N Genres: Rock, heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal, glam metal

Unless, someone produces a reliable source that says X Japan is a rock band and only plays rock, then it should not be changed. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 00:52, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

How about we use the same "reliable" source that the author uses to get the "speed metal, "power metal", etc.? Where he also describes the band as "Visual Rock Band" and "Glam Rock" and simply "Rock"? How is this not considered a reliable source if it is the source that lists all the metal? I am using the same source as where the "metal" descriptions come from. Here is the link again: http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=7936.

Leslieulm (talk) 18:28, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Who is this 'author' you are referring to? An editor (we're known as editors on here) who edited the page? Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 21:10, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

I am just referring to the person who initially listed the genres on the right side and cited source 1 as to why he lists them. I don't know who it is, and I don't think it matters, but if we are using his source, we shouldn't be selective in pulling the genres from the article. Leslieulm (talk) 21:55, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Hi there, I hope you don't mind if I jump in. We've not had a great deal of reliable sources provided by anyone in this dispute, and I think that might be causing problems. We seem to be agreed that the article should reflect the reliable sources that we have, so it might be worth collecting on this page the relevant sources. Secondly, I think we need to decide whether, when dealing with a source which describes the band both as rock and metal, we should use rock or metal. The source that has been mentioned on this page uses both rock and metal - when this happens, do we use metal because it is a subgenre of rock, or rock because it includes metal? ItsZippy 21:29, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for jumping in. I would be happy to provide some links of reviews and other sources about rock band. I think it is fine to include metal, but to just say that the band is metal is extremely limiting. The band is also considered "hard rock," another subgenre of rock but definitely distinct from metal. Please note Slash's page http://en.wikipedia.org/Slash_(musician) - a band that is considered both metal and hard rock. Here is a Hollywood Reporter article that lists X Japan as Hard Rock, as well as Power Metal: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/x-japan-ready-tackle-north-91449. Here is another article from the Chicago Sun Times referring to them as both as well: http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/2010/08/lollapalooza_x_japan_makes_us.html. Leslieulm (talk) 21:55, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Hi ItsZippy, thanks for the note. Leslieulm, please look over this not very long section on reliable sources: Misplaced Pages:RS#Some_types_of_sources. And then afterwards, please look at this section on non-reliable sources: Misplaced Pages:RS#Self-published_and_questionable_sources. It seems that all three of the sources produced fall under non-reliable sources. Suntimes as a blog. Hollywoodreporter and asiaarts.ucla.edu are unreputable or are not well known. There are of course, limiations to these non-reliable sources, because when used appropriately, they can be a reliable source. I think if the source from asiaarts.ucla.edu lists the sub-genres states, "visual rock" and "glam rock" - those genres should be used instead of the broad genre of "rock". Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 22:05, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Good to know. And I agree completely -- this is what I am arguing for in my original post. Thanks for your input, much appreciated. Leslieulm (talk) 22:25, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Another genre listed in that article is "Visual Kei" and if you look at the Visual Kei page on wikipedia, it lists X Japan as a pioneer of this genre. This should also be included: http://en.wikipedia.org/Visual_kei. Also, the article from UCLA does not cite symphonic metal or power metal. Can we see the source for that? Leslieulm (talk) 01:49, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I was always under the impression that the asiaarts.ucla.edu source was only being used to cite the glam metal claim. As in WP:V it says "it is only necessary to provide inline citations for quotations and for any information that has been challenged or that is likely to be challenged". And like I said on the talk page, since I've been working on the article, nobody has ever disputed the genres before now. So Leslieulm, are you against having symphonic metal and power metal listed? What I am saying is, if you have no problem with it then we don't have to put a source there. If you are disputing those two, here are some for power 1, 2, and about the only one I found for symphonic metal 1. Also want to point out to Whenaxis that "visual rock" isn't a genre, it has no article, and why put glam rock when glam metal is already used. And while the very badly written and sourced visual kei article claims "some sources refer to it as a music genre" (personally I cringe at this), if you check every visual kei band's article it is never put in the infobox. X Japan's introduction already makes it clear that they pioneered the movement. Xfansd (talk) 17:14, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I just think it is very limiting to just say that X Japan is a metal band, and only list various types of metal. They have such a diverse range of music, and can be considered hard rock, visual rock (which redirects you to glam rock, not glam metal, so glam rock would definitely be preferable), and others. The following article in the Huffington Post says: "The band went on to pioneer an entire genre in Japan called "visual rock..." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110308/as-music-x-japan/). Also, please note all of the sources listed on the X Japan site - they include loudwire, blabbermouth, jrockrevolution, etc. If we are using these as sources, I can list many that describe x japan as both rock (various types) and metal. Like I stated, I do not want to remove metal. I simply stated that the cited article did not list symphonic metal because all genres being put forth are being questioned. Looking at Sirius Radio, he debuted on The Boneyard, the stations Hard Rock channel. Also, going back to every visual kei band's articles, none of them put it in their info box. However, it is a genre, and X Japan (as the pioneer of it) should have it included in their info box. Leslieulm (talk) 20:52, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

(Section break)

I see that there is an issue where the words, "rock" and "metal", are being used interchangably throughout the article. I think that one mention of "rock" in the lede is sufficient enough for the reader to know that the sub-genres that are listed as metals are considered rock (as it is already). So, xfansd is right by saying that duplicate genres are not necessary. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 20:39, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I agree to some extent, however, many people just go to the info section for a quick overview of the band. To look there, it lists x Japan as purely metal. And there are other sub genres of rock that should be included (glam/visual rock, hard rock, etc.) Also, Visual Kei is a genre and should be included under the genre tab. Again, that section is an overview where people may look initially, so I do think the other sub-genres should be mentioned there. Leslieulm (talk) 20:52, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Many people also read the lede. Why "glam rock" when there's already "glam metal"? Why "visual rock" when it just redirects to "glam rock"? Perhaps, just visual kei can be included - to avoid any duplication. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 20:56, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Glam rock because it is redirected from Visual rock, which makes it more appropriate than glam metal (if we are saying they are the same anyway.) And adding visual kei would be ideal. Thank you. Leslieulm (talk) 21:00, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

No. That's not what I'm saying. Glam metal is a more specific sub-genre than "glam rock", but they are basically the same thing. For that reason, it should be left glam metal because it's a specific sub-genre of rock. Further since "visual rock" and "glam rock" are clearly the same thing, the same thing applies. So, I only think "visual kei" should be added to the list, with a source of course! Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 21:14, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Gotcha. Why is glam metal considered more specific than glam rock? Is it because of the ambiguity of rock? Just trying to clarify. And it would be great if Visual Kei could be added. Is Billboard a big enough source? http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/global/japanese-artists-band-together-to-help-slash-1005074962.story. If not, I will do some more research, but even the official visual kei website (and wikipedia) discuss X Japan as the pioneer of the genre. Thanks!Leslieulm (talk) 21:42, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Metal is a sub-genre of rock. Thus, glam metal is a sub-genre of glam rock, therefore, making it a more specific sub-genre in my opinion. I think Billboard is good source unless it's written in a press release or biography format. Just to be safe, I'd look for a second source. Regards, Whenaxis (contribs) 21:51, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

If there is no response, this thread will be closed 24 hours after this time: April 25, 2012 at 23:38 (UTC) because stale or resolved Whenaxis talk (contribs) 23:38, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Please dont close this thread i just saw today that this dispute was going on ill find article to prove x japan´s genres ! Ladyslime (talk) 21:30, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

For now i found this http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/18/arts/the-pop-life-end-of-a-life-end-of-an-era.html saying X Japan "pioneering its own genre, a Japanese equivalent of glam rock known as visual kei. " and talk a little more about their style...and well New York Times is a reliable source right? Ill search for more anyway Ladyslime (talk) 23:46, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Please do not close the thread. I have just seen this thread now. I was not aware that there was a deadline to submit references. I will look for references so that you could add the word "rock" to X Japan's music genre. Thank you. Mikaxxxxxxxxx (talk) 00:34, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I am now aware that we all agreed on adding "visual kei," and it's settled. Although it may be too late (again, I did not see this thread until a few hours ago today; thus, I wish a grace period be granted) I still wonder why we cannot add "rock" as well. As we see in discussions above, if, in fact, metal is sub-genre of "rock," doesn't X Japan's music fall under the big genre of "rock" with all those sub-genres described within, such as glam metal? If that is the case, is it wrong to add rock? If the Misplaced Pages's purpose is to give information to general public as to who/what the subject is, general public will probably recognize the wider genre called "rock" more in addition to those sub-genres being exclusively described in terms of metal? Btw I do completely agree to the fact that "visual kei" was, in fact, added. Thank you. Mikaxxxxxxxxx (talk) 02:02, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

1929 Palestine riots

• 1929 Palestine riots (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

There is a problem at 1929 Palestine riots - bringing it here (after first going to Misplaced Pages:ANI#Tagging_problems_during_heated_editing_at_1929_Palestine_riots) as it involves a number of experienced editors, the consensus building atmosphere has broken down on the talk page, and it doesn't fit in to other obvious notice board categories.

In the last two years, only 70 edits in total were made to the page until the last week when 11 users have made 115 edits so far. There is a very heavy talk discussion, and many open disputes. However two experienced editors involved in the discussion have removed two instances of tags from the article which were intended to give readers an indication of the ongoing dispute:

• , relating to the whole article, despite a clear explanation and 15 open parallel talk discussions here
• , here relating to a specific unresolved dispute, despite clear discussion here

The addition of these tags was done with the guidance in WP:TAGGING in mind, but the two editors mentioned appear to disagree that these tags were constructive. Grateful for views as to whether these tags are appropriate or not in this situation.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Oncenawhile (talk · contribs)
• Jayjg (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute?

Yes

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

Yes, detailed talk discussion back and forth with a number of very experienced editors

• How do you think we can help?

Grateful for views as to whether these tags are appropriate or not in this situation.

Oncenawhile (talk) 03:47, 23 April 2012 (UTC)

1929 Palestine riots discussion

I am a regular mediator / clerk here at DRN. I've not searched the article history closely enough to be absolutely sure that I'm right about this, but it appears to me on quick examination that this dispute results from maintenance tags being added to the article and then being fairly promptly reverted. If this is correct, then except in a very few cases which are controlled by policy (for example, removal of CSD nomination tags by the creator of an article), tags are just like everything else at Misplaced Pages. If someone wants to place them, and someone else objects, then consensus must be achieved to place them. If consensus cannot be achieved, then a no-consensus condition results and, per this section of the consensus policy, that thing cannot be done. In this case, I see no consensus for the addition of the tags and, as a result, they should not be placed on the article. If the editor wishing the tags to be placed upon the article wishes to press the issue, then they should file a request for comments to see if support can be obtained from other editors for the placing of the tags. Until there is consensus, then the tags should not be placed on the article. This noticeboard is not a proper venue to try to obtain that support, but the listing editor has requested advice on whether the use of the tags is "appropriate", to which I would say that the only way they would be inappropriate is if the problems raised by the tags not only do not exist but do not exist to such a certainty that it would be disputatious editing to suggest otherwise, which would not appear to be the case here since action at ANI was rejected. However, even we presume (or assume in good faith) that they are appropriate, that does not mean that they must be there or that there is a right to insist that they be there since there is no policy or guideline mandating that they be there if they are appropriate: it is a matter to be decided by discussion and consensus. I would end by adding this opinion: maintenance tags such as these neither add nor detract much value to the encyclopedia and engaging in a dispute over them is generally a waste of everyone's time. Your time would be much better spent dealing with whatever issues the tags are intended to highlight than dealing with the tags themselves. Regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 15:00, 23 April 2012 (UTC)

Hi Transporterman, thanks for your response. I would like to respond to your thoughtful analysis to explain why I disagree with it, and that I believe this has highlighted a structural problem.

Having considered your post carefully, the key problem is the phrase "tags are just like everything else at Misplaced Pages". I understand what you mean, and with your experience I am sure you are right.

But this cannot be right in the spirit of what tags are intended to achieve. If tags are to have any value in highlighting disputes, they need to have a lower threshold. Specifically, consensus should be needed only to REMOVE tags, NOT to place them.

You may think that is sacreligious - how could we ever consider such a carve out appropriate?

This case is a perfect example. In one indident, tags were being used because a group of 4 editors had blocked consensus for a change. The change was supported by 3 editors. So a meaningful proportion of editors thought that key facts in the article were dubious. Tags were used to highlight this, but because the tags require the same level of consensus, they did not last long. If a lower threshold mechnism like the above was in place, the 3 editors would be able to use the tags to highlight their continuing disagreement, and thereby incentivise the 4 editors to find a better compromise. But instead we are now deadlocked and have a really substandard pov article which the reader is left blissfully unaware of. It seems self-defeating to me.

Oncenawhile (talk) 00:21, 24 April 2012 (UTC)

Regarding this edit which occurred on 17 April 2012, the reason was explained to you; three reliable sources were provided to substantiate the information. Despite this you tagged the information as 'dubious' and did not respond to editors' request to explain this baffling decision. The reason you gave for the other edit was this, you did not identify any NPOV concerns which editors could seek to rectify; rather, you uncollaboratively criticised "over zealous editors" with "techniques" that are "ridiculous".
Best Wishes Ankh.Morpork 12:07, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

I'm copying this from AE, where I put it on the mistaken impression that the tagging was under discussion there: Regarding the nature of tags, I think that when there is an actual ongoing substantial dispute over content, then a tag noting the fact of the dispute is in order and removal of it by a protagonist while the dispute is still in full swing should be seen as edit-warring. I don't think a tag marking a dispute needs consensus from those engaged in the dispute, though a consensus from less-involved editors would of course be enough to add or remove it. (I'm intending these as general remarks, not to give an opinion on a particular tagging war that I have not studied very closely.) Zero 12:46, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

@Zero: I do not believe that there is a policy or, indeed, even general community consensus creating a 0RR requirement for tags. I'll grant you that such would seem to make sense from the nature of the existence of the tag, but I think that we also have to take into account — and by saying this I'm not suggesting that they were or were not used in this way in this particular case — the fact that they can also be used to push a POV or as a badge of shame to cast doubt about an assertion when no doubt is justified (see, e.g., the current mediation going on at the Mediation Cabal about the "under discussion" tag in the lede of the verifiability policy). Due to that possibility, tags are just like most everything else here at WP, subject to being added or disputed on the basis of consensus. Best regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 14:27, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Occupy Wall Street

• Occupy Wall Street (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

A question has arisen in regards to how to use references to support a claim. Here is the disputed prose:

"Income inequality, defined as a wealthy upper class with economic stagnation or impoverishment for the rest of the population, has increased greatly since the 1960s."

The reference is and the text being used to cite the claims is:

In an article in the second issue of the Occupy Wall Street Journal entitled “What Liberty Square Means: The Progress of Revolutions,” Rebecca Manski joins the debate from Zuccotti Park, renamed Liberty Square. Manski argues:

Liberty Square is the twenty-first century Liberty Tree. If you want to understand what is happening there, imagine: Under the Liberty Tree that stood in Boston Common, early in the first American Revolution, any and all could come to air their grievances and hammer out solutions collectively, and it was there the promise of American democracy first took root. We are reclaiming a democratic practice in Liberty Square.

Since 2008, national unemployment rates have remained above 9% with much higher rates for African Americans and youth—16% and 24.6% respectively. An estimated 10.4 million mortgages could default this year. Income inequality, with concentrated wealth at the top and flat incomes or impoverishment for the vast majority of the country’s population, has increased precipitously since the 1960s. The well known facts are worth reciting again: the top one percent of the country owns 34.6% of the wealth in total net worth; the next 19% owns 50.5%; the bottom 80% owns 15%.

The source used is an editorial opinion piece from the Personal Investment section of Forbes. It is disputed that this can be used as fact and is believed it should be attributed as opinion and not used to claim a straight fact. The references for this opinion being used are linked and show different articles from other publications and I think the belief is they are all based on a CBO report (the primary source) to claim the statement.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Becritical (talk · contribs)
• Equazcion (talk · contribs)
• The Artist AKA Mr Anonymous (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Yes.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=Occupy Wall Street}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

Lengthy discussion on talk page until an editor expressed frustration and need for Dispute resolution notice board.

• How do you think we can help?

Please advise the best way to handle the claim to be supported by the source per Misplaced Pages standards. Goal is for criteria that would pass GA review or at improving the article for a better assement.

Amadscientist (talk) 06:41, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Occupy Wall Street discussion

Opening responses

I can't fully respond to this tonight, but just a few points: the source used is one of several highly reliable sources which can be used to support the claims (or claims with very similar content, each source has different ways of parsing the data such as different start dates). We have this, for example, from the LA Times:

"The year just past was one in which the stagnation of income and wealth for the great majority of Americans continued — indeed, bit so deep that it helped fuel the Occupy movement taking as its constituency the "99%," ... From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, the median American household saw its income double. Since then: a screeching halt, or barely a 5 percent rise in incomes for the less-affluent 90 percent of Americans. But between 1979 and 2007, the top 1 percent saw their incomes soar by 281 percent...A straightforward description of the trend was issued in October by the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office, which determined that for the highest-income 1% of the population, average after-tax household income almost quadrupled from 1979 to 2007, while income for the 60% of Americans in the middle of the scale grew by just over one-third. (Both figures are adjusted for inflation; in 2007, that middle group comprised households with earnings between about $15,000 and $70,000.) As a consequence of this trend, the CBO says, the share of after-tax household income collected by the top 20% of income earners grew to 53% in 2007 from 43% in 1979. Everyone else fell...One message of the Occupy movement is that the trend to deliver wealth to those at the top of the economic pyramid undervalues the contributions made by everyone else. This is not merely an important cause of our economic malaise, but a moral and political failing too." by Michael Hiltzik.

Similar to the last quote but more encyclopedic and using a reference suggested from the above editor. Income inequality need not be referenced for defintion as long as it is undisputable phrasing. --Amadscientist (talk) 20:31, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

The sentence need not use the word "defined," and I offered to remove it. And no one disputes that the sentence is factual (yes, you heard that right, everyone knows/admits it's fully true). These are undisputed facts. Nothing, however, satisfies the critics at the OWS talk page. In an attempt to keep the info out of the article they have edit warred and even made up various additions to policy, such as that we as editors should research the history of authors and decide for ourselves whether they are qualified, regardless of where they are published. B——C_ritical 07:56, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

• As BeCritical points out, with a Forbes source along with the primary source from whence it came (not to mention numerous other statistical refs, though those are claimed to be invalid by our opponents because they don't explicitly say OWS makes use of them), there's no chance of a reasonable challenge coming along. This is a factual statement and not an opinion. Even if the Forbes column could be said to be an "opinion piece," this particular statement is not an opinion, but a fact, and would have been fact checked by the editorial staff. The information is not being challenged and is not in dispute. It is just being held to some unreasonable standard of WP:V's "likely to be challenged" clause, and I see it as downright lawyering. If it could be said that a challenge may come along at some point (as with any data, one can never say it's impossible), this information is not at all likely to be challenged. Equazcion 17:29, 25 Apr 2012 (UTC)
• PS. If you have the patience to take a look through Talk:Occupy Wall Street, you can see for yourself some of the ridiculous straw-grasping arguments that have been attempted in order to keep this info out. Equazcion 17:58, 25 Apr 2012 (UTC)

There are facts in the staement mixed with opinion and POV terms. It is not really factual.--Amadscientist (talk) 20:55, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

There is a question here that I've been wanting more opinions about: it would improve the article to be able to go to the CBO report directly for a few statistics. Numerous secondary sources reference the CBO report and relate its data to the complaints of OWS. Do people think it's acceptable to go directly to the report? B——C_ritical 19:02, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

• The CBO report (PDF), summary at CBO site, summary by economist.com. Equazcion 20:23, 25 Apr 2012 (UTC)

• WP:NOT#STATS--Amadscientist (talk) 20:50, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Further discussion

• The crux of it is "claims with very similar content, each source has different ways of parsing the data ". The source may be a reliable one, however it is an editorial. The dispute is that the reference uses undisputed fact (that OWS has an issue with income inequality), mixed with opinion on on the data using POV terms (Actually the prose missuses "wealth", a simplified meaning for "money" with "wealthy", an opinion of great riches). I believe the source to be an opinion piece and not straight journalism and that the information itself is being phrased as fact. "mpoverishment for the rest of the population" is POV and even the word "wealthy" can be seen as opinion. If we are using just the reference supplied, then the claim should be attributed to the author in the reference as it is written. The very claim (or similar) "Income inequality is an issue with OWS" is the undisputable information, and as such does not require referencing. Can we say it is the top issue? I don't know. We would certainly need to reference that in my opinion. Does the CBO report use the above terms? I don't believe so. The claim needs clean up and a reference that is not an editorial peice used to reference a fact, with a claim in an encyclopedic tone that can be supported by the reference. Using the above reference from a portion not included above I can write a very similar claim as fact:

"Income inequality (unequal distribution of income) in the US has increased over the last three decades."

I already responded to this on the talk page, I'll paste my answer here.

The sentence under discussion is,

"Income inequality in the United States, with a wealthy upper class accruing large profits and economic stagnation or impoverishment for the rest of the population, has increased greatly since the 1960s."

Analysis to see if there is any POV, as opposed to presentation of fact done in a way much like the sources:

with a wealthy upper class accruing large profits

This is fact: backed up by the best of RS, the CBO report and secondary sources.

economic stagnation

This is also backed up by highly reliable sources, incomes have declined for most of the population on average, with slight gains for the middle class and less income for the poor.

That's where this comes in:

or impoverishment

Impoverishment is also backed up by fact, as per the Guardian source, about 1/7th of the population— live below the poverty line.

So either economic stagnation or impoverishment. This is simple fact.

Thus, you may be saying that reciting all these indisputable facts together in the same sentence is POV. But since they are facts, since the sources themselves put them all together, and since that is what OWS is upset about, I see nothing POV about it.

In actuality, the sources would paint a starker picture than the sentence discussed above: I left out that the country's economy has been growing, but that income only went to the top. That also needs to be put in. I don't see the POV in the statement. What I do see is some stark and obvious statistics which when you simply state them together in a neutral way sound POV because they lead the reader to an obvious conclusion. But giving the reader the facts is not what Misplaced Pages means by POV.

Terms:

The terms upper class and economic stagnation are not themselves disputed, they are technical terms and make for better linking. B——C_ritical 20:56, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

We cannot use an opinion peice to attempt a POV definition of the term "Income Inequality". "wealth" has been changed to "wealthy" which is not defined. The reference is being used in a manner that is disputed as being actual fact. Wikilinks do not justify "Upper class", another undefined term and "economic stagnation" again undefined. Be neutral with wording for facts. Use brevity and don't use puffery.--Amadscientist (talk) 21:11, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

We as editors get to use our own words, and in this case the definition of "upper class" and "wealthy" meet the data derived from the sources and "economic stagnation" is the same word used in the LA Times source, and means the same thing as "flat incomes." My sentence is a straight rendition of fact, without any POV or puffery, based on highly reliable sources. And just how far are you willing to reach to discredit? An editor can't change the words "wealth at the top" to "wealthy?" Seriously. B——C_ritical 21:50, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Clerk's Comment/Template:Cue I thought the dispute was already resolved. Or, was that just the half of it? Whenaxis talk (contribs) 23:45, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

No, it's an editor problem, not a problem with any particular text. I recently rewrote the section to meet their demands. But all they do is attack it some more based on made-up policy. You can expect us back here regularly till an admin wises up, but given the low level, that may never happen. B——C_ritical 23:51, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

I suggest the administrators' noticeboard for incidents, in that case. We don't work with conduct issues since we can't give out blocks or warnings, only content disputes. Regards, Whenaxis talk (contribs) 23:54, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

As I said, it is too low-level for an admin to "get it." Ideally, a neutral admin such as yourself would take the page under his wing and constantly monitor, and take care of conduct issues (like violations of BRD) as they came up and also act as a mediator/third opinion to prevent made-up policy and the like. B——C_ritical 00:13, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I remember an Admin already telling you an editor cannot violate WP:BRD. It's not policy.--Amadscientist (talk) 18:00, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Whenaxis actually isn't an admin, but I agree it would be nice if admins were paying to attention to what goes on there. I'd welcome general additional eyes there either way though. Equazcion 00:32, 26 Apr 2012 (UTC)

Oh, my bad :P Well actually more of a mediator/3O is needed. B——C_ritical 01:07, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I wish I were an admin ;) But, I can get an admin to look at this, if you'd like, it's not too low-key if I explain it to them. Whenaxis talk (contribs) 01:43, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Okay cool, maybe they should talk to User:Dreadstar, an admin who has been trying to deal with User:The Artist AKA Mr Anonymous. B——C_ritical 02:45, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I'm sorry, but that was simply incorrect. It is not an editor conduct issue. An editor was warned (not me) for edit warring over this issue and discuss it. He made a thread and Dreadstar made a comment about contiuing to discuss. We did untill Becritical stated his frustrations and wish to seek this at Dr or the RS notice boards. It is unfair to categorize this dispute brought here as a conduct issue as I have no such issue I am not edit warring over this. But I am beginning to take GREAT issue with the grouping of editors. If one looks at the other editors talk pages one might see an organizational attempt by two editors. And it aint me. You are right, This should now be taken to Admin Notice board. Also...If Becritcal is correct and he has changed the prose to suit the concerns of other editors where is that statement from him in the discussion? Made up policy? I have just about had enough of these accusations. The Occupy Wall Street talkpage and article are indeed looked at by several administrators. I personaly have been advised by two seperate Admin that they keep an eye on my edits and talkpage discussions because of concern that I would edit war becuase I have in the past. If I am making up policy, I can assure you Dreadstar, Drmies or a handful of other admin would let me know and they may still wish to advise me in areas I may have been mistaken or incorrect, and I welocme it. Always have and always will. IF this is to be an accusation of me let it be clearly spelled out. If this is an accusation of AKA, he has already been warned and this is part of the process of choice by the edior Becritial. He wanted to take it here so I started the discussion.--Amadscientist (talk) 17:45, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Part of the user conduct issue is that corrections to the understanding of policy are not absorbed. One example is as I said above, you will not absorb a correction to your claim that Misplaced Pages editors are responsible for judging whether particular authors, as opposed to publications, are qualified: "And of course we research the authors of the references! If we don't know who is making the claim and we're just using any old person who writes an article, then we're not looking into the reference enough to know if it can be used. We need to know if this is a journalist or a academic or if they are posting opinion or stating fact, if they are staing fact and they themselves are not actualy the journalist but a guest writer and has no journalistic background that amounts to an opinion piece or blog, whether he's an English professor or ecomiics expert." B——C_ritical 18:10, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

That's not a conduct issue and we don't discuss those here but at the ANI. Writing an encyclopedia means research dude. The subject, the authors, the context etc...and what's that link supposed to prove?--Amadscientist (talk) 18:15, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

On Misplaced Pages, writing an encyclopedia also means not doing particular types of research. I would like someone besides myself, Equazcion and Littleolive oil to explain this to you. B——C_ritical 18:22, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Uhm...what does that have to do with researching a subject and being able to justify the use of an author? But it DOES say "To demonstrate that you are not adding OR, you must be able to cite reliable, published sources that are directly related to the topic of the article, and directly support the material being presented." Anyone owant to take a shot at expalining that to the editor.--Amadscientist (talk) 18:32, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Nothing gets through, despite multiple editors trying to explain. That's why I say it's a user conduct issue, but one which we need help on, we can't just take it to AN/I. See the problem? B——C_ritical 18:43, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Look, I am an editor that has grown and learned immensely in the 5 years I have been editing. Trust me...things get through. But you are not correct in stating anyone has attempted to correct me on this issue or the policies within. We have been discussing the issue and you seem to be ignoring much and interpreting things in very novel ways. This is done throughout the encyclopedia, but the main point is what is accepted for improvement of the article for a better rating towards Good Article status. I have reviewed and contributed to good articles. I am using these policies and guidelines as set by criteria for assesment of articles. What are you using? I use examples of Good Articles to judge and feature articles when I can to strive towards the interpretations of policy as set by precedence.--Amadscientist (talk) 19:08, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Actually, I do believe you when you say you haven't noticed people trying to correct you on this. I don't think it's malice in any way. B——C_ritical 19:16, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

• Drive by comment: After reading the contested text and the source (I scanned the rest but ...!) I think the sourcing is not good enough for presenting the statement as factual. It is, at its heart, a reporters view of the situation. I suggest changing the source, or adding something more academic such as this one (which is linked to in the cited article), or, better still, something from a peer reviewed journal. --regentspark (comment) 20:07, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

This is the very thing I have been saying. It's all above in the discussion. I have no idea what the editor is claiming. They have been refusing to budge until we got to DR. The staistical information is as with any statistical information. It's a case by case thing and that is part of the discussion. How and when to use the statistics. But the claim in the original prose was weak and did need stronger sourcing.--Amadscientist (talk) 21:56, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

• • That would be a good solution, except opponent editors also reject sources for these statements that don't explicitly say OWS makes use of the statistics mentioned. Otherwise this would've been solved a long time ago. Equazcion 20:11, 26 Apr 2012 (UTC)
    • Then I don't see the problem. The connection is well sourced and the the statements are well sourced. Are they arguing that the occupy movement must itself make the connection? --regentspark (comment) 20:23, 26 April 2012 (UTC)
      • Yes, that's my understanding (for example: ). No sources that don't explicitly say this are being accepted to back up this statement, nor other statements like it. Equazcion 20:34, 26 Apr 2012 (UTC)

I agree that we should be able to use primary sources which our secondary sources point to. But this is the question I asked above. You seem to be saying we can use the primary sources such as the CBO report, if your secondary sources say that the statistics in the primary sources are related to the complaints of OWS. If this is the consensus, it is easy to source everything. But opponents object to doing this. Remember there are multiple secondary sources for the statement, like the LA Times one above. We are not just discussing this one source. B——C_ritical 20:36, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

The comment at doesn't seem right to me. If reliable sources comment on the linkage between OWS and income equality, and provide stats to back up those statements, and provide sources to back up the stats, then we're in the clear. It would be a problem if either (a) we added the statistics to show income inequality, or (b) we made the link between income inequality and OWS but neither seems to be the issue here. That the statistics were not made as part of the protest and therefore cannot be included is an invalid argument. We present material from secondary sources and not what the primary source says (unless it is repeated/recognized/elaborated on by a secondary source). --regentspark (comment) 20:45, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I didn't say "That the statistics were not made as part of the protest and therefore cannot be included". I said "They were not made as part of the protest. They exist seperate from the protests and the detail needs to be in direct context to reliable secondary sources". Part of this argument is being made by an editor in this DR that statistical information needs to be used to show "income inequality". He asks right here on this page. User:RegentsPark could you discuss the use of the original source which is an editorial and sourcing POV claims from the source and not just the information? Do we use opinion to state fact?--Amadscientist (talk) 21:51, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

While they do exist separate from the protests, and I note that the paper cited in the Forbes article predates the occupy movement, they are being linked with OWS by the secondary source. Are you saying that the editorial itself is an opinion piece and therefore material from it should not be presented as fact? I'm not sure if that's a valid objection either (if that's what you're saying) because the Forbes piece does verifiably cite the statistics. I could explain further but I'm, as yet, unclear as to what your specific objection is. --regentspark (comment) 22:04, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Not exactly. I note in the discussion that there is an undisputable fact that need not be referenced...that OWS has a concern with income inequality. The Forbes piece is being interpreted by a non economics professional using what I see as POV verbage that was repeated in the claim in the article. If we wish to use the the verbage we must attribute it as opionion and possibly quote the author, although I believe Becritical has made the comment that we can use our own words, so it may be possible to just use the prose without a direct quote but still attributing to the opinion if the contentious terms remain. As I said, Forbes as a source is reliable but we still have to distinguish the "Personal finance" section from straight news and be open to the fact that the source page does state the author as an English professor who was a lawyer but has no known economic background, not a expert on the subject. An "editorial" is an opinion peice. I actually believe she was discussing a publication from OWS originally and an argument another author was making. I suggested a rewrite above that closely resembles the statement I disputed with more neutral wording and using a reference becritical supplied.--Amadscientist (talk) 23:19, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I don't believe it's POV verbiage, as explained in detail above (look for the bold). It's a straight rendition of facts. Further, we have many sources which put these particular facts all together as an explanation of what OWS is upset about. It's therefore a statement of fact, not merely something attributed to one opinion piece. B——C_ritical 23:30, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I know. I responded and disagreed. Look for the post below yours.--Amadscientist (talk) 23:36, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Specificly the way you combined the term wealthy with upperclass. It's actually redundant. And the term was wealth in the source as in money not wealthy as in "the rich". Upperclass alone as defined in America is a much more broad interpretation, but while it does mean the 1 % it also means anyone above the oother class. Since the majority of the US is at a certain level many are in the upper class above the poor who would see middle class as an upperclass. Contentious in that it is a very broad term. The term isn't even in the source. It refers to "concentrated wealth at the top". Your version has point of view not expressed in the source. --Amadscientist (talk) 23:48, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

With "impoverishment" the author gave you an encyclopedic choice with "Flat income", but you took her POV term to use.--Amadscientist (talk) 23:55, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

"Economic stagnation" is not in the source. You are extrapolating and using a POV term. If you look you will see the term has different defintions. It need not be used at all. It's over stating the information. Just say "Flat growth" that is from the source and is not a copyright issue to use. But this is all still the interpretation of primary source information in an editorial and per policy needs to be attributed and a quote would be best...or just use a better source and write something more neutral as I suggested.--Amadscientist (talk) 00:06, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Okay, how many sources would you need to state something as fact? "Stagnation" is in the other source. Whatever the merits of your arguments above, can you tell me what problems you find with this source for example? B——C_ritical 00:25, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The text is fairly clear and is well sourced. Economic stagnation is another term for flat incomes so that's not a problem and is the term that best describes the statistics. Plus we have the source above provided by bcritical. I'm not sure of impoverishment though. It doesn't have the same meaning as stagnation and is not necessarily supported by the income statistics. --regentspark (comment) 00:37, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Well to be fair, the text is "Income inequality in the United States, with a wealthy upper class accruing large profits and economic stagnation or impoverishment for the rest of the population, has increased greatly since the 1960s." It's backed up by the Guardian source, which says about 1/7th of the population live below the poverty line which I assume is the same as impoverishment. So that's two sources for that term right there, with the Guardian providing it as a technical definition Guardian source is here. B——C_ritical 01:04, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I disagree that Economic stagnation is another term for flat incomes. Flat incomes relate to individual financial income and economic stagnation is measured in terms of the GDP growth. It's minucia....but then we are talking microeconomics. I dispute the use of another term when there is an acceptable one from the source but , this all hinges on this being attributed as opinion as well.--Amadscientist (talk) 01:50, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

"Flat incomes" would be a perfectly good way of putting it. And just to repost for RegentsPark, here is another source for the stats, why I say we're talking about hard cold fact here. B——C_ritical 02:03, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

"Income inequality in the United States, with wealth accruing at the top and flat incomes for the rest of the population, has increased sharply in the last thirty years according to Deborah Mutnick, senior editor of Forbes Magazine."

Would work for me. But, if there is a better source (RS that is not an opinion piece) to use without an attribution we would need different prose (probably). But a fact only needs one RS to be claimed, but just because there are other sources that make similar claims doesn't mean you use the opinion without attribution and then cite the sources that seem to agree, you cite the primary source being referenced then cite the source that is of the higher quality RS from a straight news story or peer reviewed journal that makes the claim.--Amadscientist (talk) 02:42, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

So do you consider the LA Times source sufficient for a fact claim without attribution? B——C_ritical 04:32, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

In a way.... As I stated above the article can be used to state certain facts as it mentions them, but they are not precisely the same but similar. So here is a quote similar to the Forbes one: "The year just past was one in which the stagnation of income and wealth for the great majority of Americans continued— indeed, bit so deep that it helped fuel the Occupy movement taking as its constituency the "99%," those left behind by the continued gravitation of economic bounty toward the top 1% of U.S. taxpayers." And another: "...(where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement) Those four goals have been undermined since the 1970s by the unequal distribution of the wealth created largely by the American worker's boundless gains in productivity." Hey look...that's part of GDP...can you say "economic stagnation? If you like that phrase here is an RS that uses it. And one more: "There isn't any question that income inequality has increased over the last three decades". Now since what we are proposing so far is completely dropping the opinion piece for the LA Times piece, we need to slightly re-write the prose. How about this:

"Income inequality has increased over the last three decades with economic stagnation and unequal distribution of the wealth undermining the goals of working people."

Would that work? If so It's even formatted to go.--Amadscientist (talk) 05:45, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Thank you, that's precisely what I've (we've?) been trying to get across. Equazcion 20:53, 26 Apr 2012 (UTC)

Is this the consensus then? It certainly makes giving factual statements much easier. I myself have a strict interpretation of policy, so accepted that we could not use the primary sources like the CBO report, even though our secondary sources make it clear that they explain what OWS is concerned about. If we can use those sources, then we have easy sourcing for factual claims. Anyone else? B——C_ritical 21:16, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

In looking at this I see two issue and only one real dispute. The issue with using statistical information is a seperate one and if I have not made myself clear in all the prose and the link I left to the policy etc., then I will state outright, that it is a case by case matter and dependent on context and what statistics and how and where they are used. It is a complicated issue and not cut and dry for a single consensus to any and all use. As for the prose and reference dispute, the admin above did indeed suggest better sourcing.--Amadscientist (talk) 23:23, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

New version

"Income inequality has increased over the last three decades with economic stagnation and unequal distribution of the wealth undermining the goals of working people."

Give me a while I want to integrate the full section and sources here. Looking good (: B——C_ritical 13:33, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

At the minimum, I suggest changing 'working people' to 'most Americans'. --regentspark (comment) 13:38, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Agreed. I think the prose is original enough to use that.--Amadscientist (talk) 19:57, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

What do you think of this version?

During the 1990s, economists began to release studies which showed the increasing income inequality in the United States. Although these were cited by liberals and Democrats, this information did not fully penetrate the public sphere till it was used as one of the ideas behind the OWS movement. OWS protests were particularly concerned with wealth and income inequality, in addition to greed and the corrupting power of banks and multinational corporations. Inequality in wealth and income has increased over the last three decades with economic stagnation and unequal distribution of the wealth undermining the goals of most Americans."

A 2010 poll found that an overwhelming majority of Americans across the political spectrum, including the wealthiest, want more equitable distribution of wealth. According to news editor Simon Rogers writing for The Guardian Data Blog, Americans, including 90% of Republicans, believe that the top 20% of Americans should own as much as 40% of the wealth of the nation, and that the poorest 120 million Americans should own about 10% of the wealth of the nation. However, in reality the top 20% of people in the Unites States own 85% of the wealth, the 120 million poorest own .3% (about 1/333rd or one third of one percent), and the richest 1% own about 33%. According to 2007 statistics, financial inequality (total net worth minus the value of one's home) is greater than inequality in total wealth, with the top 1% of the population owning 42.7%, the next 19% of Americans owning 50.3%, and the bottom 80% owning 7%.

However, after the Great Recession which started in 2007, the share of total wealth owned by the top 1% of the population grew from 34.6% to 37.1%, and that owned by the top 20% of Americans grew from 85% to 87.7%. The Great Recession also caused a drop of 36.1% in median household wealth but a drop of only 11.1% for the top 1%, further widening the gap between the 1% and the 99%. Taxes paid by the wealthy are less than taxes paid by those making $100,000 to $200,000 per year: incomes of $100,000 to $200,000 are taxed at an effective rate of 25%, but the wealthy, whose income comes mostly from investments, pay less than 20%. Since 1979, federal taxation has become less progressive, shifting away from progressive income taxes and toward payroll taxes. In the United States, about 15% of households are "food insecure," meaning that they have difficulty buying enough food. About 50 million Americans have no health insurance and at least 42 million —about 1/7th of the population— live below the poverty line. Executive pay in the largest US companies has quadrupled since the 1970s, but the average non-supervisory employee is paid 10% less.

B——C_ritical 03:11, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Technical comment. It is not the case that the wealthy pay less taxes than those who make $100,000 to $200,000. Rather, they pay (in general) at a lower rate. --regentspark (comment) 13:03, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

References

1. "Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class". Los Angeles Times. December 31, 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
2. ael Hiltzik (December 31, 2011). "Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
3. ael Hiltzik (December 31, 2011). "Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
4. ^ Income Inequality The New York Times March 22, 2012
5. ^ ael Hiltzik (December 31, 2011). "Presidential campaign needs to get real on salvaging middle class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
6. ^ Occupy Wall Street And The Rhetoric of Equality Forbes November 1, 2011 by Deborah L. Jacobs
7. ^ Occupy protestors say it is 99% v 1%. Are they right? The Guardian Data Blog, by Simon Rogers, Wednesday 16 November
8. Occupy Wall Street: More popular than you think By Brian Montopoli October 13, 2011 "the vast majority seem to share the protesters' sense that the economic deck is stacked"
9. United in Our Delusion By David Cay Johnston October 11, 2010, as cited by The Guardian Data Blog
10. "Financial wealth" is defined by economists as "total net worth minus the value of one's home," including investments and other liquid assets.
11. Recent Trends in Household Wealth in the United States: Rising Debt and the Middle-Class Squeeze—an Update to 2007 by Edward N. Wolff, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, March 2010
12. Wealth, Income, and Power by G. William Domhoff of the UC-Santa Barbara Sociology Department
13. Cozy relationships and ‘peer benchmarking’ send CEOs’ pay soaring The Washington Post with Bloomberg, special report on Breakaway Wealth, By Peter Whoriskey, October 3, 2011
14. Ratcheting up pay with peer comparison The Washington Post with Bloomberg, October 3, 2011.
15. Who are the 1 percent?, CNN, October 29, 2011
16. "Tax Data Show Richest 1 Percent Took a Hit in 2008, But Income Remained Highly Concentrated at the Top." Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Accessed October 2011.

Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran

• Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

I updated a paragraph in the article that contained an assertion with a rather unreliable reference that the invasion of Iran was a surprise, and added a reference to the London Gazette publication of General Wavell's Despatch which stated that the Iranian government was warned by a diplomatic note and that there were obvious troop build-ups while acknowledging that the actual attack was a tactical surprise. I also left the original statement about it being a surprise with the reference though I did say that "some have claimed" this. See Diff. User Janus949 has been persistently reverting to the original wording numerous times while accusing me of having a POV and that my reference is "not valid" because it is recorded by "war criminals". My original citation had incorrect syntax that caused it not to display but this has been fixed. I have repeatedly asked him to explain his reasons on the Talk page but he does not state what his objections are, unless it is that in his opinion, the London Gazette is not a reliable source.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Dabbler (talk · contribs)
• Janus945 (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Yes.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

I have repeatedly attempted to get a discussion going on the Talk page but apart from accusations that my sources are not reliable because they were "recorded by war criminals" and that I have refined my sources (presumably by fixing the syntax) I have had no response.

• How do you think we can help?

I am not sure, at least some advice on how to proceed to resolve this persistent dispute would be nice.

Dabbler (talk) 19:17, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran discussion

Clerk's Comment/Template:Cue The discussion is sproadic, at best, on the talk page and there's a slow-mo edit war on the article page. I don't think there's enough of a "dispute" to pass by the prerequisites for the dispute resolution noticeboard. There is no communication whatsoever. I suggest discussing on the talk page (more than sproadicly) and if the dispute is still not resolved, you can try a third opinion or you can re-report to this noticeboard. Regards, Whenaxis talk (contribs) 23:49, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

The situation is all the more frustrating because as you say there is no response. The other editor seems to take wikibreaks and leaves the article alone and then comes back and just repeats his accusation and edit. I don't think a third opinion would have any effect on his attitude and actions. I can't discuss with someone who doesn't discuss back and it is sporadic because his actions are sporadic. It has been a monologue on the Talk page because he just ignores the Talk page almost all the time. Dabbler (talk) 02:09, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I think that if this is opened, the other editor won't reply since their edits are sproadic. I think a third opinion will work because they can just give a decision and you can use that decision as consensus since its you and that third opinion that is now against the other editor, thus forming a consensus. Quick, fast and if the editor edits it later, you can tell them on their talk page that consensus is against them. Regards, Whenaxis talk (contribs) 18:15, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

OK, I will see if that works, I have also added some more wording which even quotes the same book that is in the original reference, which i believe is being misinterpreted.Dabbler (talk) 10:30, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Circumcision

• Circumcision (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

Results from a metanalysis are being grossly misinterpreted and generalized to the entire world population.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Rip-Saw (talk · contribs)
• Jakew (talk · contribs)
• Jayjg (talk · contribs)
• Tftobin (talk · contribs)

Civility is largely being followed. Involved users are communicating; there is merely a fundamental difference of opinion.

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Yes.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=Circumcision}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

Significant discussion has occurred on the talk page. I and some feel that content needs to be re-worded to better reflect study findings, and others are hiding behind policy and refuse to discuss the issues with the content.

• How do you think we can help?

Clarity on Misplaced Pages policy needs to be offered, as well as help on how to summarize research data while keeping context.

Rip-Saw (talk) 03:29, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Circumcision discussion

This discussion arose because Rip-Saw added the qualifier "African" to "heterosexual men" in this edit, asserting that '"Strong evidence" cannot be generalized to the entire world population.'. This appears to be his/her own interpretation rather than that of the cited source, which reads "There is strong evidence that medical male circumcision reduces the acquisition of HIV by heterosexual men by between 38% and 66% over 24 months.". (S)he has offered multiple lengthy explanations, but these seem to be his/her own analyses rather than that of the sources. Jakew (talk) 07:51, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The sources does not mention African. Is User:Rip-Saw using WP:SYN to define the sample as African because the test subjects where from African polities?Curb Chain (talk) 10:12, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The test subjects were from South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, (the 4th, 10th, and 14th most infected countries by percentage) thereby making the sample men from Africa in high HIV prevalent countries. That is not synthesis of sources, that is interpretation of the study methods, data, and conclusion. Rip-Saw (talk) 18:08, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

At this preliminary analysis, I would take out "African".Curb Chain (talk) 10:14, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Does it make sense to take a regional study, and extrapolate it to include the entire world? Research shows that the extrapolation is false, and Rip-saw posted this on the talk page. One editor keeps biting the newbies and violating WP:CIVIL, the other uses many obfuscation tactics to make the controversy go away, because the others simply get exhausted. He also has one set of editing rules for himself, and another for the newer editors. If he tweaks something, it is summarizing. If I tweak in the same manner, it's OR. See the near edit war on cervical cancer for exactly what I am talking about, starting at the beginning. Preserving neutrality is not a priority. Tftobin (talk) 12:12, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Tftobin is 100% correct. Countless research from the US Navy study on down has failed to reproduce the results from the African HIV studies outside of Africa. Unless the African studies are flawed (this is open for debate), then no other conclusion can be drawn that the conclusion only applies to African men. Erikvcl (talk) 13:49, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Where does it say in the study that the extrapolation is false? I don't think the link even mentions the word "extrapolation".Curb Chain (talk) 13:49, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Then you can include both studies and explain the findings of these studies.Curb Chain (talk) 13:51, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Hi Curb Chain - I like your suggestion of including both studies and the findings of both studies. Unfortunately, Jakew will not allow it. Many editors have tried adding reliable secondary sources to provide a counterexample and Jakew removes them. Erikvcl (talk) 13:57, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The US Navy study that Erikvcl refers to is a primary source. WP:MEDRS generally discourages the use of primary sources, preferring the use of secondary sources (such as the Cochrane review cited above) instead. In particular, it says: "Individual primary sources should not be cited or juxtaposed so as to "debunk" or contradict the conclusions of reliable secondary sources, unless the primary source itself directly makes such a claim". Also bear in mind that we have to present studies with due weight. Given that the majority of primary sources have found lower risk among circumcised men, then it would seem particularly inappropriate to cite one of the few primary sources that found otherwise. Jakew (talk) 14:50, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

This explanation seems holistic to me. WP:NPOV must be considered so an article does not give extra prominence to under represented view(points).Curb Chain (talk) 15:08, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

As I was curious, I've just checked the abstracts of the two other published meta-analyses of randomised controlled trial data on this subject (the effect of circumcision on female-to-male transmission of HIV). One concludes: "Male circumcision is an effective strategy for reducing new male HIV infections." The other: "These results provide unequivocal evidence that circumcision plays a causal role in reducing the risk of HIV infection among men." Neither say that the results apply only to Africans. Jakew (talk) 16:22, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

My apologies: the above is slightly incorrect. I completely forgot that there is one further published meta-analysis, that of Weiss et al. Again, though, their conclusion did not limit the results to African men: "In conclusion, randomized controlled trials have provided final conclusive evidence that male circumcision provides approximately 60% protection against the heterosexual acquisition of HIV in men." Jakew (talk) 17:17, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I am not arguing that we should un-link circumcision to reducing HIV infection rates, merely that quantifying that effectiveness to everyone is is wrong, especially in the lead where there is no room for explanation or context. High-risk populations are mentioned all over the place in many studies. Your first source even states: "...when administered to similar populations in a similar fashion , circumcision results in an appreciable RR reduction," in the conclusion. I am unable to retrieve the full text of the second article, and I will assume you were not either. It is dangerous to read only the abstract, as I demonstrated in your first article by using the full text to further my own arguments. The abstract rarely has context nor the room to fully describe the results, and often omits key points that should not be ignored.

The introduction of the Weiss et al. article reads "An estimated 2.5 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, of whom two-thirds live in sub-Saharan Africa . In the context of the urgent need for intensified and expanded HIV prevention efforts, the conclusive results of three randomized controlled trials (RCT) showing that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV acquisition by approximately 60% are both promising and challenging. Translation of these research findings into public health policy is complex and will be context specific ." This article's conclusion of 60% is in the context of the fact that 2/3 of all new HIV cases were in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors never directly state their results apply to all countries worldwide, a recurring theme in these meta-analyses. A high-quality article will directly state their conclusions in an unambiguous way. I have never read abstracts that are this vague before. Rip-Saw (talk) 17:58, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I can't really follow your argument here. I think using the phrase "African men" rather than just "men" would be misleading, since it might be read to imply that there is some "racial" / genetic explanation for the 60% drop, which seems unlikely to say the least. The phrase "males in Africa" might be better, but even then it does not apply to "Africa" as a whole, but to the specific populations studied. If you are suggesting that the 60% reduction is somehow linked to specific lifestyles, cultural specific sexual practices or whatever, then we should surely need some evidence that these could have played a part, otherwise there's no reason to believe that African foreskins function in a different way from American foreskins. Paul B (talk) 18:23, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Africa is a continent, not a race. Rip-Saw (talk) 19:08, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

But I can see how people could fail to make the distinction. The problem is that very specific numbers are being generalized to large populations. If you can find a better way to phrase the lead without mentioning African and while also not over generalizing, please do so. Rip-Saw (talk) 19:11, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I believe I was not clear enough: I was not suggesting to use the US Navy study directly. I mentioned it as an example (of many) to show that the African study results have not been duplicated elsewhere. If they have, please link to them! Furthermore, I have linked to many many high quality secondary sources that have found great faults with the African RCTs and the meta-studies. All of these sources have been rejected. Jakew, you mention weight and that primary studies shouldn't be used to contradict primary studies. But what about the secondary sources that debunk other secondary sources? You have rejected all of these claims out of hand even though they are valid. In addition, sources must be weighted based on their validity. Multiple reliable secondary sources have shown that both the RCTs and the WHO (which is also cited) have serious ethical and conflict-of-interest issues. These claims, even though they are valid, have been rejected. In addition, Misplaced Pages policy clearly states that editors should only make non-controversial edits in the case of conflict of interest. See Misplaced Pages:Conflict_of_interest#Non-controversial_edits.Erikvcl (talk) 05:56, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

The last time you asked for evidence from outside of Africa indicating that circumcision reduced the risk of HIV, I provided some examples in this edit. I am somewhat perplexed by the fact that you're making the same request again. Did you take the trouble to read my previous response?

The sources you've cited have generally been unreliable and/or fringe publications that are unsuitable for inclusion, as I've already explained. It's difficult to give a more specific explanation in the absence of specific examples. Jakew (talk) 10:18, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

For the record, I would prefer the lead state: "Strong evidence from Africa indicates that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual, high-risk African male populations by 38-66%" or "Strong evidence indicates that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men. " My main issue is with quantifying the results to all populations, since none of the meta-analyses explicitly do, and the meta-analyses that do not include the African trials were largely inconclusive or found very small effects. Rip-Saw (talk) 18:21, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The phrase "evidence from Africa" already implies that Africans were studied. The repeat of "African" later implies that this study specifically differentiates African men from other men, which does not seem to be the case. It is comparable to saying "study of Disease X indicates that Italian men can be cured by Xanprophanol." Paul B (talk) 18:28, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

The researchers do not differentiate (in the abstract), but neither do they congregate (in the whole body text). Xorphanol is an opioid that reduces pain, and there's very little reason to suspect it would work differently on some races from my understanding of how opium work. But the question I bring up is not a question of race, but a question of culture. Condom use in the studies were at 40%. Also, the use of drugs to suppress AIDS is relatively low. These cultural factors could have very real effects on the transmission rates of HIV. Rip-Saw (talk) 18:51, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

just to clarify matters - "Xanprophanol" was a joke; a made up drug. Paul B (talk) 07:37, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Basically, it's a matter of judgement: one could say that a study of Italians provides evidence that a drug resolves a certain symptom, or one could say that the same study provides evidence that a drug resolves a certain symptom in Italian men. In such cases, we don't make the judgement ourselves. Rather, we rely upon the assessment of secondary sources, and report their conclusions. In this case, as noted above, none of the four meta-analysis papers conclude that the benefit is only to African men. They don't explicitly state that it applies to men across the globe, but they don't include a geographical qualifier either. So the appropriate thing to do is the same. Jakew (talk) 20:15, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Jakew, wikipedia states that it would prefer high quality primary research, over lower quality secondary research. I don't think you can call the US Navy study lower quality, whether it is primary research or secondary research. To include it would not violate wikipedia policy. Tftobin (talk) 21:02, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Part of the problem may be that the terminology should clarify whether the strong evidence comes from a "study" or a "manipulative experiment" re African people. AvocadosTheorem (talk) 21:12, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Would you mind quoting the part of policy you're thinking of, Tom? As for the overall quality, from WP:MEDASSESS: "The best evidence comes primarily from meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Systematic reviews of bodies of literature of overall good quality and consistency addressing the specific recommendation have less reliability when they include non-randomized studies. Narrative reviews can help establish the context of evidence quality. Roughly in descending order of quality, lower-quality evidence in medical research comes from individual RCTs; other controlled studies; quasi-experimental studies; non-experimental studies such as comparative, correlation, and case control studies; and non-evidence-based expert opinion or clinical experience." So the US Navy study, being a case-control study, is second to last in terms of quality. The meta-analyses of RCTs are considered the highest quality. Jakew (talk) 21:23, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

"In this case, as noted above, none of the four meta-analysis papers conclude that the benefit is only to African men." That is not the way science works. Based on the research, would you recommend Catholic priests or Buddhist monks get circumcised to prevent themselves from getting HIV? Rip-Saw (talk) 23:07, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

There is no medical association of any country which has endorsed Dr. Brian Morris' view that "in contrast, Morris regards circumcision as "mandated", citing reduced risk of balanitis among other benefits. Most doctors would recommend diaper (nappy) cream with zinc oxide. Yet, Dr. Morris managed to get peer reviewed, and written up, to become part of a secondary resource. All the while, embracing the most fringe of fringe views possible. Morris also said, in an ironically titled, "Infant male circumcision: An evidence-based policy statement", that "MC provides strong protection against: urinary tract infections and, in infancy, renal parenchymal disease; phimosis; paraphimosis; balanoposthitis; foreskin tearing; some heterosexually transmitted infections including HPV, HSV-2, trichomonas, HIV, and genital ulcer disease; thrush; inferior hygiene; penile cancer and possibly prostate cancer." No medical society of any country will back this up. "The ethics of infant MC and childhood vaccination are comparable.". The Swedish Paediatric society calls it "child abuse" and "assault". Yet, somehow, the Morris paper magically appears as a secondary resource. The circumcision article cites this document as "In 2012, Morris et al. reported that there is some evidence, albeit mixed, that circumcision may protect against prostate cancer; they called for more extensive research into the matter." This passes for science? The reference Morris cited, was "Case number and the financial impact of circumcision in reducing prostate cancer. British Journal of Urology International, 100, 5-6. ", co-authored by Jakew and Brian Morris. Is this making a better encyclopedia? Tftobin (talk) 01:04, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Again, Tftobin is correct. Lots of bogus studies and meta-studies get published in reputable journals. Consider the bogus vaccine-autism study that was published -- and later retracted -- in a major, reputable journal. Another good point that Tftobin makes is that of Morris. (Personal attack removed). His should never be used as a source in any Misplaced Pages article and (Personal attack removed) Erikvcl (talk) 05:56, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

For one, "African men" is not race-bound but geographically-bound. The article does say the evidence is from Africa, doesn't it?. Also, these secondary sources do make the distinction that this benefit of up for 66% HIV reduction was realized in men particularly in high-risk areas, as outlined before and in Rip-Saw's comments dated 18:08, 27 April 2012 (UTC) and 17:58, 27 April 2012 (UTC). I can't even believe we are arguing this. FactoidDroid (talk) 07:06, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Rip-Saw, the issue we're discussing is whether circumcision reduces the risk of HIV, not whether it should be recommended for that purpose. The latter question would surely involve weighing all the risks and benefits, and is a difficult question to resolve anywhere. It's certainly impossible to answer without performing original research. However, I think the point you're trying to make is that, depending on context, the absolute risk reduction can vary tremendously. I absolutely agree, but I can't quite see the relevance as the statements in the sources and our article are about relative risk reductions. Jakew (talk) 07:36, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Jakew, I can't find the place in wikipedia which states that a high quality primary resource is preferable to a poor quality secondary one. I will keep looking, when I have more time. I will say, why should circumcision fall under WP:MEDASSESS, when the vast majority are not done for medical reasons, they are done for religious reasons, and social reasons. If it was medical, why does the CDC not track it's surgical effectiveness, unintended consequences, or death rates, as they do for what they consider medical procedures? Tftobin (talk) 12:48, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Jakew, can you please address the prostate cancer article issue up above? Tftobin (talk) 12:48, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Please do keep looking, Tom. To answer your question, MEDASSESS applies because you're asking us to compare the quality of two medical studies, relating to an article about a surgical procedure. It is difficult to think of a situation in which MEDASSESS is more applicable. The prostate cancer issue is off-topic for this thread, which (per the "Dispute overview" above) is about "Results from a metanalysis are being grossly misinterpreted and generalized to the entire world population.". In any case, I've already addressed it at Talk:Circumcision, as you know. Jakew (talk) 14:31, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

The American Urological Association states: "the results of studies in African nations may not necessarily be extrapolated to men in the United States at risk for HIV infection" . The "strong evidence" lead sentence has been disputed by a great deal of authors. I suggest we move it out of the lead and attribute it to the author instead of saying it in Wikipedias voice.Gsonnenf (talk) 18:54, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

It would be rather US-centric to specifically refer to the US in the lead, but I wouldn't have a problem with citing this in the body of the article. As for removing the sentence from the lead, that has been proposed multiple times, and each time it has failed to gain consensus, since reliable sources about circumcision generally give a great deal of weight to HIV, which is held to be an important aspect. Remember that, per WP:LEAD, "The lead should be able to stand alone as a concise overview. explain why the topic is interesting or notable, and summarize the most important points". Jakew (talk) 19:14, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Health effects of high-fructose corn syrup

• Health effects of high-fructose corn syrup (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

I have been threatened with banning and told that my post violates MEDRS, WEIGHT, and NPOV rules. I disagree vehemently, and would like to see some version of my last entry included in the opening paragraph on the page.

Several page watchers are of the opinion that: General scientific consensus regarding high-fructose corn syrup is that it is likely not significantly more detrimental to health then common sugar.

I believe this is not an accurate portrayal of the current state of affairs and desire to add lines that read:

The consensus is based on a 2008 review of available scientific research by the AMA which suggested at the time: "it appears unlikely that HFCS contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose, but {we} welcome further independent research on the subject." However, since 2008 numerous additional studies including testing on rats as well as peer reviewed clinical and epidemiological studies have found: “There is experimental and clinical evidence suggesting a progressive association between HFCS consumption, obesity, and other injury processes” and “to our knowledge, this is the first study to show that HFCS is more likely to cause acute adverse effects than sucrose.”

using the following sources:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305710000614

http://www.springerlink.com/content/x916738m64212141/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22152650

It is the opinion of the moderator that I am violating the MEDRS, WEIGHT, and NPOV rules because saying that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is unlike sucrose and causes an increase in obesity is a "tiny minority opinion" uses a primary source for reference and includes another reference not from a peer reviewed medical source. I argue that the possibility that HFCS is NOT like sucrose and MAY be harmful is NOT a "tiny minority opinion", that the primary citd source is trustworthy and the topic of such a portentous nature and the research exactly what the AMA asked for but was missing at the time that the entry meets the MEDRS guidline which says "Reliable primary sources may occasionally be used with care . . ." and therefore my entry is a more accurate and current NPOV and deserves inclusion in the opening paragraph.

For the record the latest primary research I quoted is:

Effects of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose on the pharmacokinetics of fructose and acute metabolic and hemodynamic responses in healthy subjects. Le MT, Frye RF, Rivard CJ, Cheng J, McFann KK, Segal MS, Johnson RJ, Johnson JA. Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.

and the findings were:

"In conclusion, our findings suggest that there are differences in various acute metabolic and hemodynamic responses between HFCS and sucrose." and and “to our knowledge, this is the first study to show that HFCS is more likely to cause acute adverse effects than sucrose.”

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Sunvox (talk · contribs)
• Sciencewatcher (talk · contribs)
• Anthonyhcole (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Yes.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=Health effects of high-fructose corn syrup}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

• How do you think we can help?

I hope independent reviews will convince the parties involved to find wording that keeps the tenor of my entry. HFCS was believed to be the same as table sugar because of a lack of evidence, but the latest research indicates HFCS may not be the same as table sugar and may be more harmful than table sugar when used as a food sweetner.

My first entries on the page were poor and angered participants for that I apologize, but I would like honest third party evaluations of my last entry and of my logic as to why my entry does not violate Misplaced Pages policy even though I cite a primary source and a non-medical source. I, of course, will gladly accept the independent wisdom of the board.

Sunvox (talk) 17:11, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Health effects of high-fructose corn syrup discussion

Primary studies that have received little or no coverage in secondary sources should not be given extensive, if any, coverage in Misplaced Pages articles. TFD (talk) 17:59, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

So who has the burden of proof here. Do you know how much secondary coverage the primary source has? And more to the point even if it has recieved zero secondary coverage, do the rules of Misplaced Pages not allow for exceptions, and does this topic and source not meet the requirements for an expception given the accumulation of data from different sources and the portentous nature of the topic? Sunvox (talk) 18:06, 27 April 2012 (UTC) Joe

Misplaced Pages can't be the leader or itself be the accumulator of (previously un-accumulated) primary sources, but can only follow others. That is, we have to wait for other researchers to verify/validate/etc and then publish further. Unfortunately, especially due to the controversial (maybe even politicized?) nature of the topic, we have to be especially careful not to jump the gun (there's no deadline because WP is never "done" and I don't see any urgency inherent in the content). If a new study really is groundbreaking or is the "first" to find something important, others will surely follow and report further on it. DMacks (talk) 18:14, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I am a regular mediator/clerk here at DRN. The problem that you are facing is that Misplaced Pages's policies generally define when material may be added to an article. They do not generally ever say that material which may be added to an article must be added to an article. Said in a different way, Misplaced Pages policy may prohibit certain material from being added to an article but rarely, if ever, requires it to be added. The arguments which are being made against you are arguments which can prohibit your material from being added to the article, but even if they prove to be inapplicable (and on a quick glance it does not appear to me to be that they are necessarily inapplicable; they are generally correct that scientific papers are in most cases not usable as reliable sources in Misplaced Pages, but perhaps there is a reason to make an exception in this case), then that still will not allow you to add the material to the article over those editor's objections unless there is community consensus to add it. Right now it's just you arguing against those other editors so, if anything, either consensus is against adding it or, more likely, we're in a "no consensus" situation, but per the no consensus policy the material cannot be added to the article unless there is positive consensus in favor of adding it. What you must do is either change the minds of the editors who oppose you or draw in additional editors who feel the way you do. It is improper under Misplaced Pages's no canvassing rule to simply invite other editors to the discussion who are likely to opine in your favor, but it is proper to generally invite all editors who might care to join the discussion to do so. You do that by making a request for comments on the article talk page. Unless you believe that it might be possible to change the minds of the editors who have objected to the introduction of your material, then that would seem to be the most practical route for you to take. Regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 18:15, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Let me also add that with the opinions of TFD and DMacks, above, it appears to me that we may well have moved from a "no consensus" situation to a consensus against the material being added to the article. That does not mean that you cannot proceed with an RFC if you should care to try that. Regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 18:39, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

O.K. so forgive me if this is overly simplistic, but as I now see it, "consensus against" is determined by those actively participating in the page, and coming here does not bring new independent votes to the consensus building, and I can not ask anyone directly to read and vote on the issue other than to bring up a dispute, and hope for the newcomers to take my side. So for the moment the issue is finished unless some other voice joins mine.

Additionally can I infer that based on your comments (TransporterMan), you believe that my material "may be" admissible and "may" not be in violation of WP rules.

Does anyone have an example of when primary source material was permitted in an article? 108.41.128.155 (talk) 19:25, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

I'd also like to add that the heart of my dispute hinges upon individuals taking the time to read the available research and form their own opinion as to the importance of an exception. Clearly the preference is against exceptions, and it is quite easy to argue "the rules say no so no". Sunvox (talk) 19:37, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

We (WP editors) are not in a position to judge the an individual primary-research study as "important", especially one that is not obviously within mainstream/existing thinking on the subject--that's the whole point here IMO. DMacks (talk) 14:05, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Daniel Tammet

• Daniel Tammet (edit | talk | history | links | watch | logs)

Dispute overview

• Can you give us a quick explanation of what is going on? What is the issue you are bringing here?

Insertion by XNQlo of original research, poorly referenced claims, while removing correctly referenced information from this living person biographical article. Page has been dispute locked after I (twice) raised issue on living persons bio noticeboard. Article has long history of edit warring involving this IP address.

- XNQlo continually inserts a sentence (or part of) from subject's first book, lifted out of context, and which has not been referenced in any reliably published secondary source that I can find. This seems an obvious example of original research.

- XNQlo inserts the claim that subject's interview in Icelandic lasted a "few minutes" relying on the English subtitles from the documentary film ("We are now going to try to speak to Daniel Tammet in Icelandic for the next few minutes" etc.) The Icelandic interviewer actually says "næstu mínútur" (literally 'next minutes'). No reliable published secondary source cites interview duration. This seems another obvious example of original research.

- XNQlo removed the referenced statement from subject's first book that he speaks 10 languages, claiming that 'only' French, German, and Icelandic have been 'verified'. This is a third obvious example of original research. The statement, drawn from the subject's own book, is well sourced, particularly as the article only states that subject 'says' he speaks these languages.

- XNQlo removed the referenced statement that subject was among the invited speakers at 2011 TED.

Users involved

• Who is involved in the dispute?

• Oughtprice99 (talk · contribs)
• 188.28.211.03 aka XNQlo (talk · contribs)

• Have you informed all the editors mentioned above that you have posted this dispute? (If not, once you have informed them come back and replace the text "Not yet" with "Yes".)

Yes.

• N.B. To inform the other users you may place the text {{subst:DRN-notice|thread=Daniel Tammet}} --~~~~ in a new section on each user's talk page.

Resolving the dispute

• Have you tried to resolve this dispute already? If so, what steps have you taken?

I raised issue on noticeboard and discussed on talk page but XNQlo has long history of edit warring behavior on this article.

• How do you think we can help?

Are the above edits original research as defined by Wiki living persons bio article guidelines? If so, it would be helpful to have a third person editor state this on the talk page.

Oughtprice99 (talk) 09:10, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Daniel Tammet discussion

Reply in a few days. Thank you for your patience in advance.XNQlo (talk) 12:57, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

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