Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 22:26, 5 January 2010

Welcome

Welcome. Interesting that you have just appeared today, Kala and immediately began commenting on the TM article only. Where have you come from? Happy New Year. --BwB (talk) 16:07, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Hello, Kala Bethere, and welcome to Misplaced Pages! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Our intro page provides helpful information for new users - please check it out! If you need help, visit Misplaced Pages:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on this page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Happy editing! TimidGuy (talk) 16:14, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Simple request: Note that the Misplaced Pages Guideline for Talk pages suggests not using upper case and bold in your comments. TimidGuy (talk) 16:17, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Good suggestions, Timid. Thanks. --BwB (talk) 16:30, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Your recent edits

Hello. In case you didn't know, when you add content to talk pages and Misplaced Pages pages that have open discussion, you should sign your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~ ) at the end of your comment. You may also click on the signature button located above the edit window. This will automatically insert a signature with your username or IP address and the time you posted the comment. This information is useful because other editors will be able to tell who said what, and when. Thank you. --SineBot (talk) 22:28, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Recent comments on John Hagelin page

Kala, I assume you are new editor and as such may not be aware that one of Misplaced Pages's fundamental and founding principles is collaboration. Labelling editors as apologists, and journals as pseudoscience in fact any labeling at all can only create a less than positive environment, and is opinion. We all have our opinions here but we have to try and leave opinions that do not deal directly with the article off the talk page, not always easy to do , but the best for all editors involved. Just a thought or two.(olive (talk) 16:09, 2 January 2010 (UTC))

To add: The John Hagelin article is a WP:BLP. BLP articles must stringently adhere to the use of very reliable sourced content, and even consensus cannot override WP:Policy.(olive (talk) 16:09, 2 January 2010 (UTC))

I second Olive's first comment here. We are happy to welcome well informed editors to collaborate on the articles, but please try to keep your comments on the content of the article, not on the editors. Thanks. --BwB (talk) 16:57, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Unfortunately I fear what you two are missing is the utter disgust and contempt I have for, alleged, "omission by silence" editors who block the posting of a Stenger comment, by deliberately choosing to parse language in such a way to falsely render it editable or removable. I would be deeply concerned if this trend extends beyond this page. It is possible that our MUM.edu editors would not know about John Hagelin's two decade long history of championing for (indeed he was the Maharishi's front man) "quantum consciousness". It's just not very believeable. So therefore, if the various MUM.edu editors are deliberately causing entries to be wrongly edited or removed, this is far from neutral posting, and sharply against the spirit of the Misplaced Pages.

Of course the reason behind such a change would be to boost MUM.edu's own rebuttal, against Stenger, and assuring their finer placement. What makes it even more disturbing would be if such behavior could be seen beyond this particular (John Hagelin) entry. This could be perceived as Vandalism, but I certainly hope that is actually not the case.

That MUM.edu editors would be not be aware of Hagelin's championing of quantum-consciousness ideas, and choose to remain silent to Will Beback could possibly be becasue they live far from campus or some other unusual reason that we're unaware of. --Kala Bethere (talk) 23:58, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Not removing sourced text

Kala, it is not correct Wiki editing to removed sourced material from the TM article without discussion and consensus. You may not agree with the text in the article, but you just cannot remove well referenced material based solely on opinion. Please discuss it with other editors and get agreement before deletion. --BwB (talk) 15:37, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Hi BigWeeBoy. Please check the discussion pages for these very topics before posting here. If you'd like to respond to the discussion items, please do, I'm anxious to hear your comments. Cheers.--Kala Bethere (talk) 16:10, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Respect towards living people

Regardless of our personal feelings towards the subjects we write about it's best to avoid disrespectful comments about them, even on talk pages. Making derogatory (or laudatory) comments tends to polarize the discussion and usually doesn't help improve the article. While it may seem like a subtle distinction, there is really a world of difference between saying something like "Smith, who has been called a crackpot, says..." and "That crackpot Smith says..." Separately, thanks for bringing your insights to the topic. Misplaced Pages articles are required to include all significant points of view, and it's hard for any one editor to know what all of those may be on a big topic like the TM movement.   Will Beback  talk  20:20, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Are you referring to the comments of someone else that I might have quoted? I believe (but it's hard to be sure, since you did not quote me) you may be referring to a quote from physicist Peter Woit in his book Not Even Wrong? I cannot apologize for him but I did also find his wording rather strong, but understandable coming from a physicist. It's also important to understand that while some may be offended by the word "pseudoscience" when applied to something close to them, as a scientist speaking from a scientists point of view, there's no other rational and scientific way to for me to describe someone who claims the Vedas, the Bible or whatever old religious text is actually a quantum mechanical code for the sequential unfolding of all of creation. So you have to understand that side, esp. if you're not a scientist yourself.

Would I have used those words to describe Hagelin?

No, I wouldn't of, because I was once a huge fan (I mean how many quantum physicist sex symbols are there?). Until relatively recently that is.

I never would have imagined I would have seen the things I saw when I went back through the discussion pages. I was quite literally aghast.

What people will do, it's amazing.--Kala Bethere (talk) 22:14, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

If you are a new user

Kala, I wanted to mention that if you are a new user, Misplaced Pages has a WP:3RR limit after which a 4th revert the user can be blocked. I don't believe you are at 3RR yet, but wanted to give you advance notice. Oddly you seem like an experienced editor. Have you edited Misplaced Pages in the past under another user name.(olive (talk) 22:26, 5 January 2010 (UTC))