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Revision as of 08:17, 19 February 2008

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Please do not remove this notice until the issue is resolved.

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9/11 conspiracy theories was nominated as a good article, but it did not meet the good article criteria at the time (No date specified. To provide a date use: {{FailedGA|insert date in any format here}}). There are suggestions below for improving the article. If you can improve it, please do; it may then be renominated.

9/11 conspiracy theories received a peer review by Misplaced Pages editors, which is now archived. It may contain ideas you can use to improve this article.

This article was nominated for deletion on 11 August 2006. The result of the discussion was Speedily kept (nomination withdrawn).

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Theories

What the the criteria for a theory to be added to this article . There seemed to be alot of WP:OR ,WP:NPOV and WP:Nonsense here?Gnevin (talk) 18:17, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

Can't someone reply to this , as far as i know this entire article could be deleted as per the above policy's Gnevin (talk) 20:12, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

This article comes up as the second listing on Google's search for "9/11", don't even think about deleting it. Bofors7715 (talk) 00:07, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

It is indeed true that the alternate opinions and theories of 9/11 range from scientific to paranormal, but this discrepancy does not negate the existence of those theories. An idea need not be backed up by fact nor provable to have an explanation on wikipedia. The Flying Spaghetti Monster has its own wikipedia page, and is without doubt pure fabrication. There are many who believe in a 9/11 conspiracy, and this page is here to explain that belief. We respectfully do not post conspiracy theory entries on the "official story" page, nor do we ask that it be deleted. The same favor in return would be appreciated. Wizzlepig (talk) 23:06, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

External Links etc

I cleaned out the external links section (pro and con). Misplaced Pages is not a link farm and many of the links fail WP:EL. The section was far too large for the subject and included videos of uncertain copyright status, links mainly intended to promote a website, sites that are only indirectly related to the article's subject etc. In general, there was too much link farming going on. As you add links please make sure they follow WP:EL and that the section doesn't grow into another advocacy section. RxS (talk) 02:56, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

This is an explanation I can live with.--Joseph.nobles (talk) 04:33, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Peer reviewed paper contradicting NIST

Just a heads up. I should have said "debunked" NIST but I'm not a physicist so don't want to make a judgement. This paper has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication by a mainstream technical journal. They expect it to be published in around 3 months. Wayne (talk) 12:36, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Excellent paper - it actually confirms NIST ( ie that the fire never got hotter than 600(ie 560) - ps about what my kitchen stove can reach, aint melted or sagged yet,thanks NIST, maybe my wife will use the oven again)Glad to see someone find a peer-reviewed paper that confirms what anyone who has ever used a kerosene lamp already knew - PHDs aren't all a waste of space it appears( of course I suspect even NIST knew that kerosene can't melt/weaken/.. steel).Of course the part of the paper saying that something was a lot hotter than kerosene, well the research appears exhaustive - maybe NIST or Popular Mechanics can explain to us how microscopic analysis can be fooled into showing high/very high temperatures. 159.105.80.141 (talk) 14:34, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Iraq Conspiracy Theory

CHENEY and others have suggested that Iraq had some part to play. I also believe that many americans believe this. It could be placed under 'Official Conspiracy Theory'. 03:34, 1 February 2008 (UTC)~

This was discussed in the article but moved to a subarticle. While the the splitting of the articles has been more more organized then I anticipated this is the unfortunate effect I feared. Be that as it may he following is from the subarticle Responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks

Immediately after the attacks, rumors began that Iraq could have played a role. The state-run Iraqi media praised the attacks but denied that Iraq was responsible.

On June 29, 2005 Robin Hayes, a Republican Congressman from North Carolina and vice chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism at that time, stated "evidence is clear" that "Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11". Senator John McCain reacting to the Congressman's statement said "I haven't seen compelling evidence of that" The 9/11 Commission Report stated that there is "no credible evidence" that Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq collaborated with the al Qaeda terrorist network on any attacks on the United States. In September 2006, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence concluded that "there is no evidence that Saddam Hussein had prewar ties to Al Qaeda and one of the terror organization’s most notorious members, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi" and that there was no evidence of any Iraqi support of al-Qaeda or foreknowledge of the September 11th attacks.

Despite this, a number of 9/11 opinion polls have shown that a significant minority of the American public believe that Saddam was "personally involved". NewsMax.com reported that people within and outside the U.S. government believed that then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein conspired in the 9/11 attacks and the Oklahoma City Bombing. The theory extended from the one advanced by investigative journalist Jayna Davis in her book The Third Terrorist linking Hussein to the Oklahoma City Bombing. It was discussed in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal.

Notes: Polls taken in 2007 have shown that around 30 to 41% of Americans believe Saddam was "personally involved" in the attacks. As for your original question it should not be in the "official theory" section because the 9/11 commission report disavows that theory and as used to be in the article President Bush eventually disavowed it (While he and Cheney strongly hinted at it they never explicitly said that. They said and still say that Iraq was involved with Al Queada}. Edkollin (talk) 19:22, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Requested move

Please see section RFC below.

The result of the proposal was It was requested that this article be renamed. The result was no consensus for move 199.125.109.98 (talk) 05:34, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

This is vandalism. It is entirely inappropriate for an anonymous IP to pronounce the end of a discussion. In any case the issue is currently awaiting attention from the mediation cabal and is therefore not finished. When it does finally come to archiving the discussion, please remember, whoever does it, not to miss most of it out like this person did. ireneshusband (talk) 09:09, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

I concur. It is entirely inappropriate for an anonyomous IP to pronounce the end of a discussion, even if that end is obvious. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 09:13, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

It feels good to be able to agree with you on something at least :) I should take this opportunity to say that I appreciate the way you have been willing to compromise on the renaming issue. ireneshusband (talk) 10:35, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Don't be silly. It is obvious that this RM has been open way too long and is going no-where. Close it and leave the RFC open. You don't need both, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to close it. Fess up - the actual situation is that you have never closed an RFC before and you can't understand why an IP user is closing it? Well I closed it because it was obvious that it needed to be closed, upon the request of user:Andrewa, below. 199.125.109.98 (talk) 13:51, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

For starters. Good faith editing is never ever vandalism. Ok, now that we have that bad faith assumption identified and cleared up. While I'd generally agree that IP's shouldn't close requests like this, have you looked at this particular IP? Active since the middle of last year with no apparent connection with this topic. And while you're thinking about that, think about this...in most cases, an IP is less anonymous than a username is. There are exceptions of course, using your real name, personal info on your userpage etc....but this was not as inappropriate as all that. I'd encourage the IP to get a username to avoid issues like this but many people don't want that...that doesn't mean they are automatically excluded from taking part in these debates. RxS (talk) 15:55, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Caveat to the following discussion: If you wish to concur or oppose this move, please do NOT discuss your political views as a basis for the move. A discussion of whether the source of the attacks were in accordance with the mainstream view or not does nothing to further the understanding of what the name of this page should be, and there are more appropriate places to argue viewpoints. Thanks.--S. McIntire Allen (talk) 07:37, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

To short circuit this, I propose a speedy close, per WP:SNOW. The recent discussion which shows virtually no support has been archived or deleted, and it's been discussed and rejected at least 6 times. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 07:03, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

The editor who requested this move added his rationale to an inactive discussion, which I've archived. I agree that we should speedily close this request because the same move was requested and rejected under two months ago. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 07:17, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

All the discussion I have seen does not address the word use issue. Everyone is getting emotional about the facts, instead of addressing the meaning of the word conspiracy. To repeat: a conspiracy may be defined as: "any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result. All these theories are conspiracies, unless you think the acts were random events. I have not seen one person respond to this linguistic issue. Just forget about the politics for a moment. Thanks.--S. McIntire Allen (talk) 08:10, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Linguistic issues are inappropriate. We report what WP:RS say, not what is grammatically correct. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 08:14, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

"Linguistic issues are inappropriate"? This entire site is one big linguistic issue. Respectfully, I don't see your point. Do you think we should ignore the definition of the words we use on WP? All the conventions of WP are for determining the linguistic style to be used, and if we ignore the most basic definition of a word, then we are not accurately reporting what people say.--S. McIntire Allen (talk) 07:37, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Linguistic issues are inappropriate. Our articles describe the world as it is described by reliable sources, not as it would be described by the grammar police. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 14:19, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

This proposal is about the title of the article, not the content. Titles of articles are covered by different guidelines, as described below. ireneshusband (talk) 05:22, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

I support the move proposed. Gindo (talk) 13:39, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Here are two similar cases worth noting, as "precedent".

http://en.wikipedia.org/Alternative_theories_of_the_bombing_of_Pan_Am_Flight_103

http://en.wikipedia.org/Alternative_theories_regarding_the_CIA_leak_scandal Gindo (talk) 14:59, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes. If there is a reason why these precedents are not relevant, we should hear about it. ireneshusband (talk) 05:15, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

OK, does someone want to dig up the previous move proposals and rejections from the archives. I still say that the previous rejection is too recent to be revisited without, at least, providing a new reason. "Linguistic" reasons, indeed. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 14:14, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Here is the most recent rejection: Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 16#Change the name of the article. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 17:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

When Reliable Sources are calling Richard Nixon as tricky Dick, should we rename our article? We make our own judgements, being an encyclopedia, not a newspaper. I say "Alternative theories" supplies far better information than "Conspiracy". The redirect will always be there. I can understand the fear of giving undue credulity to the theories, but on the other hand, they can't all be true, so the fact that they are plural is indication enough that they are unreliable. support move. — Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (talk) 22:28, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

On the other hand, wikipedia is built by consensus, in (con-spiracy) theory, at least, so if the opponents of the previous move maintain their position, I am happy to conlude a draw and therefor no action taken. Alas. — Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (talk) 22:33, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

If you:

• support the move because you believe in a non-mainstream conspiracy theory, please do NOT use that as a reason why you support the move. You are only hurting your own case.
• oppose the move, please explain to me why the mainstream view is not a conspiracy. Thanks.--S. McIntire Allen (talk) 07:37, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

This, not being properly linked, (in spite of my trying to get it right with the original requester not even making an attempt), is not an appropriate RM section. But my reason for keeping the article name as it is is that that is what WP:RS such as the New York Times actually call it. They never used "tricky Dick" outside of editorial sections, so the comparison doesn't apply. The fact that the theories are unsupported by fact is irrelevant. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 14:19, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

My understanding was that this is now properly linked. If not, please let me know. Regarding your assertion of the NYT use of the term, if you indicated which article the NYT used the word we could accurately assess the reference. The name of the Pan Am and the CIA leak WP articles cited above clearly indicate that a neutral title is a standard practice on WP. I think we all believe WP ought to try to use the most accurate phrasing possible, and that means to rely on standard definition of terms. One of the definitions of conspiracy is ". . . any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result" and this would clearly include the mainstream explanation. Pointedly, no one has responded to indicate why the mainstream explanation is not a conspiracy.--S. McIntire Allen (talk) 02:33, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

There's hundreds...thousands of uses of the term in the media...NYT BBC CNN

You don't have to look very far to see how wide spread the term is (and how it's used). As far as how the accepted version is referred to, that might be best brought up on the September 11, 2001 attacks page, I'm not sure what that has to do with this requested move. This is a recurring request that has been roundly rejected in the past and will almost certainly be rejected in the future. RxS (talk) 05:56, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

"Conspiracy theory is a pejorative term. I remember a year ago that User:Morton_devonshire swore blind that it wasn't, but his user page was (it's been toned down a lot since then) covered in photos of people in tinfoil hats, accompanied by lots of derogatory comments. Unfortunately there were many other editors at the same time who took a similar approach. Fortunately it seems to me that the people editing this page now are generally conscientious and genuinely interested in maintaining and improving the quality of wikipedia. Nevertheless I think that this prejudice remains and is clouding people's thinking. Indeed it has been argued that the stereotype of the conspiracy theorist has been carefully nurtured by people who have things to hide. Here's something from a reputable source:

"'Conspiracy theorist' is a term that has been used as a thought stopper. If you say you don't believe in conspiracy theorists then that's ridiculous." David Ray Griffin, eminent theologian and philosopher.

As a philosopher, Griffin has had to take great care when it comes to the relation between language and reason. In fact IMO, even among philosophers, Griffin has been particularly scrupulous in this regard, judging by his book "Unsnarling the World Knot". Therefore anything he has to say about the abuse of language should be taken extremely seriously. "Conspiracy theory" therefore should only be used if there really is no workable alternative. "Alternative theories" might not be perfect, but it is quite workable. ireneshusband (talk) 20:08, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Griffin? Serious? I've seen no evidence of that. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 21:24, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm not with you. No evidence of what? ireneshusband (talk) 23:34, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean that you have seen no evidence that he has demonstrated a deep understanding of how language works and how it can be used and abused in his philosophical writings? Well you probably haven't if you haven't read any of his books. ireneshusband (talk) 23:52, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Griffin is hardly neutral on the subject...being a proponent of 9/11 conspiracy theories. He hardly qualifies as a reliable, third-party published source with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. In any case, this isn't a question for a philosopher, even a retired one. RxS (talk) 21:45, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

What you are saying is that anybody who writes a book about something is not a legitimate source. In any case, Griffin's fact-checking is exemplary. He is a highly respected academic after all. Since when has being a philosopher not been a good qualification to deal with semantics and semiotics? Philosophers have to be very precise about the meaning of the words they use. In fact much or twentieth century philosophy has been entirely focused on language. In fact Griffin has been one of the more diligent in this regard, taking care to explain his precise meaning at every step of an argument.

If we are to use the same argument you are using, then why are Thomas Eager's views on the psychology of conspiracy theorists quoted in this article, bearing in mind that he is just a materials scientist and has no qualification in psychology? ireneshusband (talk) 23:34, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Coming to think of it, if David Ray Griffin is not a reliable source because he supports one side in the argument, then all the mainstream news organisations and goodness how many other sources must also be disqualified because they unanimously endorse the mainstream account of 9/11. So which is it? Do we ditch all the reliable sources and have to make our own decisions? Or do we accept David Ray Griffin as a source as reliable as any other? ireneshusband (talk) 04:12, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, the BBC, NYT and CNN don't "support" any side of the argument. Griffin does, and that's the difference. The BBC reports, Griffin advocates and promotes. See the difference? RxS (talk) 04:33, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

As I said, the BBC, NYT etc. all endorse the mainstream view of 9/11. Their reportage says that the story of the hijackers etc. is true, which obviously means that the all the other stories are false. Please explain how endorsing one view and rejecting another does not constitute "support" for one side of an argument against the other. ireneshusband (talk) 07:57, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

I have looked into the matter of Griffin's "reliability" at Misplaced Pages:Reliable sources and its accompanying essay, Misplaced Pages:Independent sources. It comes as no surprise at all to find that once again your argument is self-serving and bogus. The stipulation about sources being "independent" is to make sure that editors don't, for instance, quote the sleeve notes in an article about a music recording. The only "interest" that Griffin has in the matter is that he presumably stands to make money from his books and his appearances as a speaker. If this were to disqualify him, then no academic whatsoever would count as a "reliable source" which would of course be absolutely absurd. It is a great discourtesy to other editors to throw the names of guidelines around if you haven't actually made even a passing effort to understand them properly. ireneshusband (talk) 22:31, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict says

Choose a descriptive name for an article that does not carry POV implications. For instance, what do we call the controversy over Qur'an handling at Guantanamo Bay? The article is located at Qur'an desecration controversy of 2005. Note that the title makes no statement about who is the (more) guilty party: it does not "give away" that conclusion; in fact the article itself draws no conclusion. Similarly, the article on the September 11, 2001 attacks does not assign responsibility for the attacks in the article name. See Misplaced Pages:Words to avoid for further advice on potentially controversial terminology.

This is pretty clear. The only question is whether the use of the term "conspiracy theorist" is pejorative and judgemental.

According to the main conspiracy theory article

In an early essay by Daniel Pipes "adapted from a study prepared for the CIA", Pipes attempts to pin down what beliefs distinguish 'the conspiracy mentality' from 'more conventional patterns of thought': appearances deceive; conspiracies drive history; nothing is haphazard; the enemy always gains; power, fame, money, and sex account for all. (Daniel Pipes, in Orbis, Winter 1992: "Dealing with Middle Eastern Conspiracy Theories")

In other words a CIA analyst says that all "conspiracy theorists" have a rather simplistic mindset.

The main conspiracy theory article also says

The term "conspiracy theory" is used by mainstream scholars and in popular culture to identify a type of folklore similar to an urban legend, especially an explanatory narrative which is constructed with particular methodological flaws.

This view isn't properly attributed there, but it looks like it comes from George Johnson. By calling this article "9/11 conspiracy theories", you are saying that the views it covers are methodologically flawed, are you not? This is clearly in contravention of the guideline I have quoted above. Any flaws in the methodology should be dealt with in the body of the article proper.

Let's look at a few uses of the term in the media:

"This man is a frothing conspiracy theorist." Washington Post

"It's unfortunate that a conspiracy theorist so disconnected from reality..." CNN

"Bill Joy knocked as 'conspiracy theorist' by tech zealot" The Register

"Now my contact - who is not a conspiracy theorist or fantasist" BBC

"He is also a conspiracy theorist - alleging dirty tricks by everyone from..." BBC

That's only some of what I got from a few minutes google search on "conspiracy theorist". I could come up with thousands more if I had time. They are all pejorative uses that imply that anyone who advocates a "conspiracy theory" is psychologically defective. It would be hard to find even one favourable use of the term that wasn't a conscious attempt to change its meaning the way that the meanings of "black" and "queer" have been changed.

Therefore, unless someone can provide evidence that the term "conspiracy theory" is also in wide mainstream use as a term that endorses the views it purports to describe, the current title clearly violates the guideline that the title should not prejudge the content. Therefore it should be changed. ireneshusband (talk) 00:43, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Look at what you just quoted; desecration is a word with bad connotations, just like conspiracy is. The most common term for these theories amount reliable sources is conspiracy theories. It doesn't common on the validity of the theories, nor does it comment on what they are about, or who holds them. The experts you've quoted above only state that most conspiracy theories have methodological flaws; some may not. This article takes no opinion on that in the title. Calling them anything else violates undue weight. --Haemo (talk) 00:50, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

"Qur'an desecration controversy" does not imply that the Qur'an was desecrated. However "conspiracy theories" does imply that what is in the article are nothing but conspiracy theories, with all the negative connotations that carries. Perhaps the article should be called "Allegations that alternative accounts of 9/11 are nothing but conspiracy theories". How does that sound? It's obviously what you mean.

The guidelines about "undue weight clearly refer to the content of the article, not the title.

Articles that compare views should not give minority views as much or as detailed a description as more popular views, and may not include tiny-minority views at all. For example, the article on the Earth does not mention modern support for the Flat Earth concept, a view of a distinct minority.

The guidlines for titles clearly state that the title should not prejudge the content. "Alternative theories" carries no judgement.

I know it sounds very impressive and authoritative to throw the names of wikipedia guidlines and policies around right, left and centre, but please do try and read them more carefully before you do so next time. ireneshusband (talk) 04:28, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Conspiracy theory is how main steam reliable sources refer to this subject. There's no way around that and there's no reason for the change. Your arguments just don't hang together, for example you searched for conspiracy theorist when the topic at hand is conspiracy theory. As you saw above I showed how widely used the term is. You wanted to use Griffin as a source and I pointed out that the BBC reports, Griffin advocates and promotes which disqualifies him as a reliable source (for this purpose). This subject really is a waste of all our time here, there's no consensus for the move at this point. I think it's time for you to move on to another subject...RxS (talk) 06:11, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

You and your predecessors have wheeled out that "Conspiracy theory is how reliable sources refer to the subject" truism whenever there has been a specific point presented to you that you cannot answer and that undermines the very argument upon which that truism is built. For instance why have you failed to answer Gindo's point about precedents for using "alternative theories" in other article titles? You have failed to explain how a news organisation or any other body that says that one version of events is true and that the other isn't is not taking sides. You have failed to explain how the "reliable sources" argument takes precedence over the part of the guidelines for naming articles that stipulates that the titles of articles should not prejudge their contents.

If I asked you who believes in "conspiracy theories" you would say a "conspiracy theorist" would you not? If conspiracy theories are what conspiracy theorists believe, and if conspiracy theorists are psychologically defective, then conspiracy theories are likely to reflect the defects of their proponents. In other words it means that a conspiracy theory is, almost by definition, a belief that is almost certainly wrong. Please don't be so ridiculously pedantic.

As for whether Griffin is a reliable source: Firstly, it isn't actually relevant anyway because the guideline I have cited above, that article titles should not prejudge the contents (Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict), is the one that applies here. WP:RS clearly talks about article contents, but doesn't mention titles. Therefore it can only help us to the extent that Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict makes use of it. If you disagree with this interpretation, then please provide chapter and verse. Secondly, you have not answered the question of why, if Griffin is to be disqualified from commenting because he has an opinion, other people and organisations that have an opinion are not disqualified? Is the criterion that only those who correctly articulate the mainstream account of 9/11 are reliable sources?

The subject is not a waste of time. The reason it comes up over and over again is because every time it comes up it gets derailed by slippery truisms that make no sense. Is this debate really more of a waste of time than quibbling over "conspiracy theory" versus "conspiracy theorist"? Is someone rubbishing books they have obviously never looked at a good use of our time? You claim to speak for everyone here. However half the people here are for changing the title. They may or may not be a consensus for changing the title, but I think you at least owe it to us to respond to our arguments honestly and directly. ireneshusband (talk) 09:07, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Essentially, the reason I initially made this move request was because I would discourage conspiracy theory from being used in the title of virtually any listing for any event that involves more than one person cooperating to bring about an outcome. Again, see the definition of the word conspiracy I referenced above. Regarding references:

1. Please don't quote CNN as an authority. If we adhere to the CNN mentality, we might as well pack it in now. A news network that has yet to do a story on BSE? How can that be an authority? Thank you for the references for BBC and NYT. However, I think that depends on which theory they are talking about. For instance, a slightly non-mainstream theory would not be an alternative theory to them, and we are looking for a comprehensive term to cover all the alternative theories, from the kooky ones to the only marginally alternative theories.
2. Also, one could argue that in time the BBC and NYT will come to call the theories something else as they have done in the past with theories initially not recognized by the mainstream. Our goal should be to take a less time-specific view of events. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mcintireallen (talk • contribs) 09:55, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

ANSWER ME, ANSWER ME, ANSWER ME: All this discussion and still not a single person can explain to me why the mainstream view is NOT a conspiracy. If it is, then naming this page conspiracy is clearly not accurate. This was my move request (he writes, jumping up and down like a three year old throwing a temper tantrum), and all I want is a simple answer to this question.--Mak Allen (talk) 09:14, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes! Why won't any of you answer this point? If you fail to do so then we shall have to infer that you have no credible answer. ireneshusband (talk) 09:34, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Here's your "reliable sources". It's eminent people saying that "conspiracy theories" are methodologically flawed fantasies. It's from an article called 9/11 conspiracy theories:

Critics of these alternative theories say they are a form of conspiracism common throughout history after a traumatic event in which conspiracy theories emerge as a mythic form of explanation (Barkun, 2003). A related criticism addresses the form of research on which the theories are based. Thomas W. Eagar, an engineering professor at MIT, suggested they "use the 'reverse scientific method'. They determine what happened, throw out all the data that doesn't fit their conclusion, and then hail their findings as the only possible conclusion." Eagar's criticisms also exemplify a common stance that the theories are best ignored. "I've told people that if the argument gets too mainstream, I'll engage in the debate." This, he continues, happened when Steve Jones took up the issue. The basic assumption is that conspiracy theories emerge a set of previously held or quickly assembled beliefs about how society works, which are then legitimized by further "research". Taking such beliefs seriously, even if only to criticize them, it is argued, merely grants them further legitimacy.

Michael Shermer, writing in Scientific American, said: "The mistaken belief that a handful of unexplained anomalies can undermine a well-established theory lies at the heart of all conspiratorial thinking. All the evidence for a 9/11 conspiracy falls under the rubric of this fallacy. Such notions are easily refuted by noting that scientific theories are not built on single facts alone but on a convergence of evidence assembled from multiple lines of inquiry."

If you have any evidence that these opinions do not broadly represent the mainstream view of "conspiracy theories", then please provide it.ireneshusband (talk) 09:34, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

These arguments have all been made before, although not necessarily with identical references, and found inadequate to support a move. 9/11 conspiracy theories is what this article is about, and is what they are called in mainstream works; 9/11 alternative theories is occasionally used, but for something completely different. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 19:49, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

The fact that some other group of people made a decision at some point in the past has absolutely no bearing on this. The issue must be decided purely on its merits. You just trot out the same truism time and time again, even though I have clearly demonstrated that it does not apply in this context. You pointedly fail to answer not only that point, but also important points raised by other editors, namely that the term "conspiracy theory" does not clearly and objectively distinguish between mainstream and non-mainstream accounts of 9/11, and that there are indeed precedents for renaming articles concerning "conspiracy theories" in just the way that is being proposed now. Rather than repeatedly trying to remind us how tiresome we all are to you, please do us the courtesy of actually answering direct questions directly. ireneshusband (talk) 22:37, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

You guys make a persuasive case. I originally opposed changing the title as I saw "conspiracy theories" as something with no negative connotations as they usually (if not always) turn out to be at least partially true as the passing of time allows more information to come out. However if the term is considered synonymous with a false belief by those who support the mainstream conspiracy theory then I have to support a name change. This is especially evident as those opposing a change have yet to make a cogent arguement for not changing.

"A small group of editors can reach a consensual decision, but when the article gains wider attention, others may then disagree. The original group should not block further change on grounds that they already have made a decision. No one person, and no (limited) group of people, can unilaterally declare that community consensus has changed, or that it is fixed and determined."

To satify those editors who don't want the subject treated nuetrally why not rename it "911 Alternative Conspiracy Theories"? Wayne (talk) 02:33, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

That is not too bad of an idea, but it would only be appropriate if we labeled the other theory "911 Mainstream Conspiracy Theory".--Mak Allen (talk) 08:28, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

• 9/11 Alternative Theories" would be MUCH better. The term "conspiracy theorist" has been synonomous with "nutcase theorist," or "conspiracy crank" since the 1960's. "Conspiracy theory" might technically be considered neutral from a linguistic standpoint, however use of the term cannot escape its pejorative "urban legend" connotations, now well-established after FORTY PLUS YEARS!! If anyone else thinks it would be a good idea to eliminate "conspiracy theory" entirely, I'll formally propose it. Apostle12 (talk) 02:44, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

I quite agree. The oppose camp have failed to produce a single valid argument for keeping things the way they are, despite repeated challenges to do so. The relevant naming guidelines, as I have explained in some detail above and below, clearly state that the title should be as simply and unambiguously descriptive as possible for lay readers, and that it should not prejudge the contents. "9/11 alternative theories" fits the bill better than any alternative that I am aware of. Anything with "conspiracy theory" in it does not. To compromise on this would be to compromise the integrity of wikipedia as an encyclopaedia. ireneshusband (talk) 22:12, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

There's no consensus for the move, not by weight of argument or by numbers. We've been over this many times, if a minority of editors are not happy with that I don't know what to say. The problem is that on a regular basis, an editor will come along and make this demand and expect everyone to have an extended debate about it. No new information has come to light, no new arguments have been made. Wearing people down by making the same arguments over and over and over isn't an acceptable way to advance your position...if you can't accept this start an RFC or something in the dispute resolution process. RxS (talk) 02:56, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

If it keeps coming up, then there must be some support for changing the title. The above discussion does seem to favor a change, though the commenting editors have not signaled their vote as support or oppose, to make a clear stand. I would propose at this time that we formally open a vote, requesting involved editors to take a clear stand.Apostle12 (talk) 03:00, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

We don't really "vote" on this sort of thing, voting doesn't trump policy. I'd suggest an RFC or something else on the dispute resolution path. RxS (talk) 03:23, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, the last time I was involved in one of these, we ended up with five editors who said Support, one who said Conditional Support, one who said Weak Support, and one who said Reluctant Support. Went ahead and moved the article to the new name, and everyone seems to be happy. Apostle12 (talk) 03:59, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

"Voting doesn't trump policy" – We've already demonstrated very clearly that the current name violates policy and that the policy which you say justifies the status quo clearly does not apply. You have completely failed to counter several of the arguments we have provided. Vague references to higher authority do not constitute a valid argument, especially when those appeals have already been demonstrated several times to be bogus. As for requesting an RFC (whatever that stands for), it may turn out to be necessary, but it doesn't change the fact that the honourable course of action for those who oppose the change would be either to counter the arguments with which they disagree by deploying well-reasoned and relevant arguments of their own, or to accept that they do not have a valid case and accept the change. ireneshusband (talk) 07:11, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

You accuse those who support the move of providing no new arguments (whether or not that is true I cannot say), yet you only provide one single argument in defense of the status quo—"It's what 'reliable sources' call it"—which is the same argument that has been trotted out again and again at least since I first tried to bring up this issue, which was over a year ago. It has clearly been demonstrated to be bogus this time as it has been before. If it wasn't bogus, you would have been able to provide a counter-argument in its defense. You have failed to do so despite being emphatically urged to do so time and again. ireneshusband (talk) 07:42, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

The 'oppose' people repeatedly claim they have explained themselves over and over, but they have not. The issue here as raised by the requester of the move, is to explain why the mainstream theory is not a conspiracy theory. Not a single 'oppose' author has even attempted to address that issue. Both camps are getting emotionally involved in your belief of the cause of the attacks. I am respectfully requesting you try to completely ignore the fact that we are discussing 9/11. Just think about the issue of explaining why a mainstream conspiracy should not be labeled a conspiracy, but an alternative conspiracy is labeled a conspiracy. Linguistically it is flawed. FORGET ABOUT THE POLITICS FOR A SECOND!!!--Mak Allen (talk) 08:28, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

To be fair, I don't see that anybody has tried to bring up "what really happened" as an argument. What the rest of us who want change have been doing has been to use the opportunity to bring up other arguments that equally refute the case of those who are dedicated to keeping the name as it is. One of the long-term problems on this page has been that when this question has come up before, the opposers have managed to avoid the issue by changing the definition of "conspiracy theory" to suit the needs of the moment. That is why any attempt to win this argument needs to be multifaceted. Your argument is a perfectly sound one and the failure of the opposing camp to address it properly speaks volumes. ireneshusband (talk) 09:42, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

"It's what reliable sources call it"

As has been made abundantly clear already, the argument that "it's what reliable sources call it" does not apply here. Nevertheless, let's take a look at its implications if it did:

If the article is called "9/11 conspiracy theories" because that's what "reliable sources" call it, then it follows that only those theories that "reliable sources" label conspiracy theories are admissible in this article. What would they include? That the White House deliberately failed to act? Yes. That the Israelis were involved somehow? Yes. That it was done with space weapons? Yes. That it was done by a cabal of shape-shifting reptoids who have ruled the entire earth for thousands of years? Yes. That Al Qaeda did it in collaboration with Saddam Hussein? No.

This is a strange omission, is it not? We cannot attribute it to forgetfulness. The theory that Saddam Hussein was involved has much in common with some of the other theories: It is not endorsed by "reliable sources". It is believed by a significant number of people. It is a theory based on belief in an overarching conspiracy, namely the "Axis of Evil", which not only encompasses Al Qaeda and Saddam's Iraq, but also Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela somehow linked together under the umbrella of "international terrorism".

If this theory does not belong in this article, where does it belong? In the main 9/11 article? But the only reason for the existence of 9/11 conspiracy theories has been to keep fringe theories out of the main 9/11 article. Should it have an article of its own? As well as giving the theory "undue weight", it would mean that this particular piece of the picture would be somewhat orphaned. In other words the structure of the encyclopedia would have been distorted due to a perverse effort to make the content of the article conform to the title. Clearly the only sane option is for the title to match the contents, including elements that have yet to be written, but which naturally belong with the rest of the article, as the Osama-Saddam theory does.

By this standard, "It's what reliable sources call them" is false, because "them" does not describe everything that naturally belongs in the article. Therefore, even by the single (bogus) criterion that the opposers have proclaimed in support of their position, the current title is inadequate and must be changed. ireneshusband (talk) 09:12, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

In fact, what the Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions says is:

This page in a nutshell: Generally, article naming should prefer what the greatest number of English speakers would most easily recognize, with a reasonable minimum of ambiguity, while at the same time making linking to those articles easy and second nature.

This definitely does not say that the name should be what the majority of "reliable sources" call it. So right away we see, yet again, that the sole argument of the opposing camp is completely spurious. It actually says that the name should ideally be the one that is most recognisable, whether or not it is the label most often used, and that it should be the one that is most recognisable to English speakers, not just to mainstream news outlets and academics. (The word "generally" is used because it is reasonable to make exceptions in order, for instance, to minimise bias, to avoid unnecessary controversy or to avoid causing unnecessary offence.)

The rationale for this guideline is as follows:

The names of Misplaced Pages articles should be optimized for readers over editors, and for a general audience over specialists.

In other words this guideline is intended to combat jargon and convoluted or weird verbiage. "Alternative theories" is none of these. It may be used less than "conspiracy theory" in the context of 9/11, but it is perfectly comprehensible and memorable. It is also in very common use. I found around 47,000 instances of the term on Google. Here are some typical examples:

• An alternative theory of gravity
• Human evolution: an alternative theory
• In from the cold: alternative theory
• Regret theory: an alternative theory of rational choice
• an alternative theory of climate change
• When does the propounder of an alternative theory become a denier...

As you can no doubt see, despite the fact that nearly all these examples are to do with science, the words "alternative theory" are perfectly comprehensible in each case, even to someone who doesn't have a clue what the rest of it means.

"Conspiracy theory" by contrast, is quite problematic. For a start, there are supposed to be two competing meanings in operation: the first is simply belief in a conspiracy; the second is the more limited and pejorative sense of a theory that is methodologically flawed, propounded by people who are psychologically flawed. If this is the case, one can hardly say that "conspiracy theory" is unambiguous. The former definition would include the mainstream account of 9/11 as Mak Allen has said. The latter would not (at least it wouldn't from the point of view of people who think that the mainstream account is not flawed).

There are a whole lot of other problems with the term as well. Here is an example: An allegation against Vladimir Putin (such as that Alexander Litvinenko was murdered on his order) would not be labelled a conspiracy theory, whereas a similar allegation made against Dick Cheney would be. Since (to my knowledge) there has never been a definition of "conspiracy theory" that accounts for this discrepancy, we have to say that the term is extremely poorly defined indeed. How on earth can anyone really say that they know what it means? Not only does "conspiracy theory" fail to be clear and unambiguous. It fails with great big shiny brass knobs on. "Conspiracy theory" is completely inappropriate as the title of this article because no one knows what it means.

In reality, in contrast to what I said a couple of paragraphs ago, the term carries negative connotations that are inescapable. I have already demonstrated from this that the term prejudges the content of the article and therefore falls foul of Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict.

However there is another implication of this that deserves attention: The term "conspiracy theorist" is a term of abuse, as in the patronising "A bit of a conspiracy theorist, are we?" There is no good reason for an article to have a title that is offensive when there is a perfectly reasonable alternative available. One of the reasons for the guidelines discouraging use of the term "Mormonism" is that it can cause offense (Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions (Latter Day Saints)). I don't see how the use of the term "conspiracy theory" is fundamentally different. Therefore, in addition to all the above reasons, the title of the article should be changed because it is offensive. ireneshusband (talk) 11:00, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

• Still oppose, but more weakly.
  • WP:COMMONNAME does have an exception if the name is pejorative and not used by the people themselves. In this case, believers in the thermate theories call the directed energy weapon theories "conspiracy theories", so the term is in common use even among those who would be "named". Also, " term can only be considered offensive if a verifiable, authoritative source can be quoted as citing it as such."
  • Nonethess, 9/11 alternative theories is just wrong. An encyclopedic article under that name would be completely different. I'm beginning to think 9/11 alternative theories should be changed to a disambig page, with one of the links being this article.
  • 9/11 non-mainstream theories may be a better name. However, 9/11 conspiracy theories does need to redirect to this article, under whatever name it appears.
• This still disregards the multiple arguments previously given in favor of keeping this name, including the "principle of least surprise". — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 22:41, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
• — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 22:41, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

This just doesn't hold water.

First of all, on what basis do you assume that the fact that some people who believe in the thermite explanation choose to label another group of people "conspiracy theorists" implies that most people who believe in the thermite explanation would do so? You will not find any evidence to support this.

Secondly, why do some people who believe in the thermite explanation label those who believe in the space weapons hypothesis "conspiracy theorists"? It is because they believe that the space weapons theory is whacky, convoluted and just plain wrong, if not a rather whacky. The only reason they use this label is used at all in this way is because it is derogatory. This really should be pretty obvious, so I hope we don't have to go through the routine of finding "reliable sources" to say that this is so.

Thirdly, the fact that you have identified two different groups of people demonstrates that your use of the word "they", as if you were speaking of a homogenous group, is unjustifiable. This should be quite obvious to anyone who has paid any attention to the content of this article. The fact that the term "conspiracy theory" easily lends itself to this kind of confusion in itself renders it unsuitable to be the title of this article. It is also quite obvious that the particular thermite theory adherents you refer to have a very different idea of what ualifies as a conspiracy theory to your own. Again, this proves that the term is not in the least unambiguous and therefore has no place as the title of this article. The term "alternative theories" on the other hand, carries no such baggage.

"9/11 non-mainstream theories" wouldn't be too bad, but if we are to consider the principle of least surprise that you have mentioned, "alternative theories" can be grasped in an instant. And it's shorter. To my mind, the word "alternative" does tend to imply something that is less popular. For instance I would find it less surprising if someone said that Linux or MacOS is an alternative to Windows than if someone said that Windows was an alternative to Linux. If you really feel strongly about this then we'll both obviously have to look into this in more detail.

You refer to "the multiple arguments" previously given. If there are arguments we haven't heard yet then you must state them clearly. After all, we have been challenging you to do this.

Could you point us to the section of policy or guidelines that refer to the "principle of least surprise"? In any case, this cannot be a hard and fast rule, as we can see from the Mormons/Latter Day Saints example; other factors are also important and may (as in this case) take precedence, such as the need to avoid prejudging the content or to cause unnecessary offense. The need to describe clearly and unambiguously the content of the article must also take precedence; as I have already demonstrated, this is something that "conspiracy theories" fails to do. That said, I have already demonstrated that "alternative theory" is a commonplace phrase that communicates its meaning instantly and causes very little suprise. Can you provide any good reason to think otherwise?

In conspiracy theory it says that the term acquired its derogatory sense in the 1960's. This fact was sourced from "20th Century Words" (1999) John Ayto, Oxford University Press, page 15. So yes, there it is from a "verifiable, authoritative source": "Conspiracy theory" is derogatory. Therefore it is not fit to be the title of this article.

You say that "alternative theories" is just plain "wrong". That is neither here not there unless you can demonstrate the validity of your case to the rest of us. You say that an encyclopaedic article under that name would be completely different. In what way is that a bad thing? As I have demonstrated above, "9/11 alternative theories" is an encyclopaedic category that would complement the main 9/11 article much more successfully than "9/11 conspiracy theories" does. ireneshusband (talk) 23:38, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

9/11 alternative theories should be a completely different article. As it's not in common use, we should use it only in the general sense, including both this article, and theories offering only minor interpretation differences from the mainstream theory, such as questioning whether the official story as to whether the air force tests interfered with the ability of the air force to intercept the hijacked planes is correct. So, I strongly oppose your proposed move to 9/11 alternative theories, and weakly oppose a move to 9/11 non-mainstream theories. "What reliable sources call it" isn't adequate, according to policy; but if no reliable sources call it by our name, it's still WP:OR (The google test is not adequate, although it does show that no reliable sources use "9/11 alternative theories" with that precise spelling.) — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 02:14, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Oppose. I dont see anything wrong or pejorative about "conspiracy theories". Do you have a theory about 9/11? Does it involve people conspiring to deceive? Then it is a conspiracy theory. It is not that "conspiracy theory" itself is pejorative, it is that so many theories about conspiracies are worthy of pejoratification (sic). For every "Lee Harvey Oswald was framed", there's twenty "Elvis is alive and is being kept at Area 51 by the Feds". I'd also say that the reams and reams of text makes me think of WP:SOAPBOXing, which weakens your case. Just say that you think it should be moved, and be done with it. Dont go on and on and on for 60kB, because people wont even bother reading it. Callmederek (talk) 15:32, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  Although you don't see anything pejorative with the term "conspiracy theory" it seems that people writing the article conspiracy theory did, as the article says "The term is also used pejoratively to dismiss claims that are alleged by critics to be misconceived, paranoid, unfounded, outlandish, irrational, or otherwise unworthy of serious consideration" and there was consensus about this.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 15:46, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Callmederek's comment here is nothing more than personal opinion and entirely without merit. The only reason for my "reams and reams" of text has been that those opposed to the change have pointedly refused to respond to many of the arguments used to support it, but have instead supplied little more than personal opinion "supported" by gross misreadings of wikipedia policy. Because to a casual reader these might still seem like proper arguments, I have had to go to great lengths to refute them. Academics often write at great length. It's called being thorough. ireneshusband (talk) 23:49, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Comment: It seems to me that most people would recognize the term "conspiracy theory" more readily than "alternative theory". In academic circles, the latter term may be more common, but academics aren't the target audience of Misplaced Pages. --clpo13_(talk) 10:24, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

In what way would the phrase "alternative theory" be difficult for a lay person to comprehend? ireneshusband (talk) 02:14, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. "It seems to me that most people would recognize the term 'conspiracy theory' more readily than 'alternative theory'." There's nothing in my statement about comprehension. --clpo13_(talk) 02:21, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

• comment The mainstream view is about a conspiracy. An article called conspiracy theories has the implicit suggestion that it presents an alternative: "conspiracy", to a non-conspiracy. It is much more clear to label the article: alternative theories, or better: alternative accounts, or something like that. The current title suggests that it would comprise all known theories on WHY Al Qaida and other terrorist might have done this. It's confusing, and I support the move.  — Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 20:31, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose from evidence below.

• • "9/11 alternative theories" -wikipedia = 273 GHits
  • "9/11 conspiracy theories" -wikipedia = 91,900 GHits

Misplaced Pages should be the last to change because it is a tertiary source. When secondary sources use "alternative" more than "conspiracy" it will be ok to change page's title but not before. Mcmullen writes (talk) 20:31, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Basically you are simply repeating the "reliable sources" argument, which has been shown time and again to be entirely bogus. True, how widely used a term is in general discourse is certainly a major consideration according to Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions. However it is not the be all and end all. Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict specifies that an article's title should not prejudge the content. Every time I bring this point up I am met with total silence. Why is no one willing to challenge my interpretation of Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict if it is wrong? ireneshusband (talk) 02:14, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose. Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict only suggests ignoring the general Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions where a title is POV. I agree with the majority here, "conspiracy theory" is not POV. The argument that its POV is itself a subjective argument, and seems not to have consensus. Llamasharmafarmerdrama (talk) 18:55, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

What is subjective? 1) The term is derogatory (not a subjective claim, check conspiracy theory for istance) and 2) we should choose the most neutral term available (not a subjective claim, it's a policy: WP:NPOV). So what do you think is subjective?--Pokipsy76 (talk) 19:26, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Recent move requests

I've had a quick look at the archives of this talk page, and in the last six archives there are three sections of interest:

• Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 15#Requested move
• Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 14#Page move
• Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 13#Vote on name change as proposed by 24.35.85.32

There may be others, I'll have a more thorough check when I have time. Andrewa (talk) 18:35, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Here's one more:

• Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 1#The Move
  • See also Talk:9/11 conspiracy theories/Archive 1#Title vote (conspiracy theories vs controversy) which immediately follows The Move discussion.

There don't seem to be any other sections in the archives headed Requested move, but there may be other move requests if the discussion section was given some other heading, or relevant discussions I've missed... this was a quick scan only, and I only automated that one search. Andrewa (talk) 18:56, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Duplicate discussion 1

The open RFC below reads This is a dispute about whether the name of the 9/11 conspiracy theories article should be changed to 9/11 alternative theories because the mainstream theory is also a theory of conspirators. That appears to me to duplicate this requested move, which is listed at WP:RM as 9/11 conspiracy theories → 9/11 alternative theories. Surely it is pointless to have both discussions in progress at once? Andrewa (talk) 23:47, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Please reopen this RM if a new consensus is obtained as a result of the RFC (rename the above section to Old Requested move and create a new Requested move section). 199.125.109.98 (talk) 05:34, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Thomas Eager's credibility

The criticism section cites Thomas Eager's views on conspiracy theorists. However Eager has himself been accused of participating in the cover-up for 9/11 by Jim Hoffman. In other words there is a question mark over his credibility and his motives. To be more specific, Hoffman claims in an annotated transcript of an interview with him in a Nova documentary that Eager deliberately mangled not only the facts but the science, making the kind of errors one would expect from a schoolchild. The case he puts is a strong one that anyone with a reasonable grounding in science will be able to validate without need of an external source. How can this be reflected fairly in the article? ireneshusband (talk) 22:57, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

In other words, a 9/11 conspiracy theorist accused an expert of being part of a cover-up, and attached his work. Do you have any criticism presented in a reliable source? Because his say-so is not enough. --Haemo (talk) 06:41, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Have you ever seen the demolition of buildings? They blow them up, and they implode. Well, I once asked demolition experts, "How do you get it to implode and not fall outward?" They said, "Oh, it's really how you time and place the explosives." I always accepted that answer, until the World Trade Center, when I thought about it myself. And that's not the correct answer. The correct answer is, there's no other way for them to go but down. They're too big. With anything that massive -- each of the World Trade Center towers weighed half a million tons -- there's nothing that can exert a big enough force to push it sideways.

If this materials scientist knew so little about structural engineering that he didn't even know how a building would collapse, yet he saw fit to provide an "expert's" perspective on the collapse of the Twin Towers, you would think he would have the decency not to criticise Steven Jones for being "a physicist, not a scientist", which he does in the article cited here.

In a building that is mostly air, as the World Trade Center was, there would have been buckling columns and it would have come straight down before it ever tipped over. (ibid)

He is clearly implying that some buildings are not "mostly air", which is plainly absurd. Anyone can understand that. From this he makes a scientific inference about the building collapse. Yet in the quote in the article, he is criticising others for misrepresenting science. This is not the only example by any means. It is clearly inappropriate to have an "expert" with such low standards as Thomas Eager cited in this context. (And before anyone says "reliable sources" or "original research", because I can see it coming, you don't need "reliable sources" to justify removing a section of an article; you are allowed to use common sense in editorial decisions.) ireneshusband (talk) 07:14, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm, so let's see — you're asking us to disregard an expert's opinion because you believe they display poor judgment in their explanation, and because a 9/11 conspiracy theorist says he's part of a cover-up. The Utah News thought he was credible enough to cite as an expert — apparently you don't. That's super — but your opinion of his credibility does not override that of reliable sources. The fact that he's wrong might be "common sense" to you, but that's not a compelling argument. --Haemo (talk) 01:21, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Theories of Jewish involvement

The claim was not that all Jews skipped work in the WTC that day, the claim was that all Israeli Jews skipped work in the WTC that day. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.147.241.183 (talk) 00:53, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

So, is this true, or not? If so this would indicate Israeli foreknowledge, which is the not the same thing as proving Israeli (or Jewish) involvement in a conspiracy, so please don't accuse me of encouraging anti-Semitism. Comments? Apostle12 (talk) 02:41, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

As far as this article is concerned, the main relevant issues are how widely held this belief is (i.e. its cultural significance) and to what extent "reliable sources" endorse this view. One thing I can say in this regard: a good few 9/11 researchers think that theories such as this are pure disinformation designed to trick 9/11 sceptics into tarring themselves with the anti-semitism brush. ireneshusband (talk) 07:24, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Good points. But what are the facts? Did it come down that way? Were any Israeli Jews among the casualties? Apostle12 (talk) 07:30, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

According to The Jerusalem Post, five Israelis were killed; one in each of the planes and three in the north tower. It's already in the section under discussion. And before anybody says "You-know-who owns the Jerusalem Post," their names are confirmed by all the sources. They're all Hebrew or European names, too, so it's reasonable to assume they were Jews. <eleland/talkedits> 08:26, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

While I appreciate that it is important to get this question ironed out, this talk page is intended for communication directly related to editing the article and not for general discussions about 9/11. ireneshusband (talk) 11:08, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

RFC

Template:RFCpol This is a dispute about whether the name of the 9/11 conspiracy theories article should be changed to
9/11 alternative theories because the mainstream theory is also a theory of conspirators.

• The term "conspiracy theory" connotes much more than "explanation of events involving criminal collusion," it refers to theories of vast overarching conspiracies which control and manipulate broad sectors of society, suppress evidence, and silence critics. As you already know. Go away. <eleland/talkedits> 09:56, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

  But the article does not only include theories about "vast overarching conspiracies which control and manipulate broad sectors of society", it also include theries about minor coverups or foreknowledge.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 14:21, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• It is not true that the only argument presented in favor of keeping the article title is "that's what it's called by reliable sources". That's an adequate reason, it the absense of a new (i.e., not previously rejected) reason for moving it, but it's the only reason presented this month. I've been involved in previous discussions, but I can't figure out where in the archives they've been placed. It's the proposer of a significant edit who needs to research the relevant history, not those who recognize a consensus for stability. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 16:58, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

No. The current case for changing the name stands on its own merits. If your argument against it is "There are lots good arguments against this, but I can't remember what they are," then that is your problem. In any case, I proposed this change a little over a year ago and one thing I can definitely say about the "debate" is that the quality of conduct and argument provided by the opposing camp was not any better than it is now. Then, as now, they refused to address my core argument that the guideline that titles should not prejudge contents should be the deciding factor. Instead they bombarded me from all sides me with non-sequiturs, arbitrary personal opinions and gross misrepresenations of wikipedia policy. The only difference between then and now is that this time we have at least been spared the sight of the person who proposed the change being threatened with banning. It was bullying and nothing less, and because I was an inexperienced editor, I didn't know how to deal with it the way I know how to deal with it now. So you really suggest that we should just roll over and accept a decision made through that kind of process? Is it reasonable to expect someone to wade through pages of such garbage on the off-chance that they might find an opposing argument actually that has some merit? ireneshusband (talk) 00:44, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

• Strongly support: "Conspiracy Theories" is derogatory and desultory - merely an attempt to suggest that any alternative belief, even something so small as a dispute over timeline, implies belief in some broad conspiracy. Bulbous (talk) 02:23, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Ugh This RfC is ridiculous. The community has, repeatedly, resoundingly rejected this proposal. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 03:04, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

This comment is an oppose, by the way. Apparently I hadn't made that clear. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 17:20, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

It was one of your side who suggested the RfC. It is indeed ridiculous. As I said before, the only honourable thing to do would be either to address the key elements of the pro-change case directly or to concede that you have no case and let the change go ahead. ireneshusband (talk) 00:54, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

First, I don't like the implication that my opinion is dishonorable. Second, my issue with this RFC is that a small group of editors continue to waste everyone's time by asking for this page move over and over again with small intervals in between. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 19:33, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

All I am saying is that you should either address the arguments for this proposal directly, for instance by demonstrating that it is an incorrect reading of Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict to hold that titles of articles should not prejudge their contents, or you should concede the case and let the move go ahead. I did not use the past tense ("the honourable thing to do would have been...") although I freely admit that some of what has been going on in this discussion has left me feeling distinctly uncharitable.

You say that it is "a small group of editors" who are wasting everyone's time, but it's not the same editors every time, is it? The current situation is absurd and in violation of wikipedia guidelines. New editors come, they see this and they try to do something about it. I tried it over a year ago and I found the experience so harrowing that I didn't log into wikipedia again for nearly a year. That doesn't say much for the quality of discussion then, does it? That time I had assumed that other editors would indeed act in good faith and I got creamed. So perhaps you will forgive me if I no longer have any patience for obfuscations, red herrings, gross misrepresentations of wikipedia policy and so on.

If there is no case for change, then you would be able to refute all the core arguments in favour of change, but clearly you cannot. If anyone is wasting anyone's time it is those who willfully misrepresent wikipedia policy in order to push their own agenda, while ignoring real wikipedia policies and guidelines, such as that names of articles should not prejudge the contents (Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict). ireneshusband (talk) 04:05, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

The premise of your argument is flawed. You have assumed that the title has prejudged the contents, but it has not. The term "conspiracy theory" is not used pejoratively in the article, and it is what the reliable sources call these theories. Furthermore, the sources do not use the term "conspiracy theory" as a pejorative term to refute the arguments made by conspiracy theorists. Reliable sources use things such as facts and logic, which are two qualities that are often missing from the arguments of those wishing to push conspiracy language into the article. Also, I suggest you read WP:AGF. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 04:36, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

ICB, how does WP avoid propagandistic use of terms with negative connotations? Are we supposed to ignore them, or rely on their use by reliable sources? What I mean is this: The term "conspiracy theory" has negative connotations. You think that the content of the article is not prejudged by this fact, or else you think that the term does not have negative connotations. However, there is no evidence to back up either of those positions. In any case, if no one can make an argument that "alternative theory" has fewer connotations than "conspiracy theory," then wouldn't it be prudent to use the term with fewer connotations? I think ireneshusband's assumption is correct. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dscotese (talk • contribs) 23:54, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

• Oppose I will say that calling the theories conspiracy theories is legitimate. It is an example of calling a spade a spade, no more, no less. Unless reliable sources can be found that label such theories by clearly more respectable names, keeping the label is appropriate.Ngchen (talk) 03:47, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Excuse me, but can you point out any possible logic that says that any alternate theory must imply conspiracy? I must be missing something, because there seems to be a huge lapse in critical thinking here. Bulbous (talk) 04:21, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

What? If we apply the logic the conspiracy alternative theorists use, then any theory which involves more than one person acting in secret is a "conspiracy theory." You can't object to the current name on that rationale, and then push your preferred name on a totally contradictory rationale. Critical thinking requires you also — especially — examine your own preferred ideas, as well as everybody else's. The 9/11 "alternative" theories are classic conspiracism, positing an incredibly powerful group taking profound world-changing action and yet somehow escaping the notice of all but a dedicated group of Internet kooks. When you start unraveling these "theories" you're inevitably led to the point where the theorist tells you that everyone is in on it; the government, the mainstream media, etc. It's classic conspiracism. <eleland/talkedits> 05:45, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Excuse me. You still have an overwhelming logic problem. Who says that any alternative theory of 9/11, even something so small as a rejection of a timeline issue, involves "more than one person working in secret". This is your own WP:OR. Can no one see this? Bulbous (talk) 06:34, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Because even a disagreement over a timelines requires (1) someone to lie about the timeline, (2) experts to overlook or ignore the lie, (3) journalists and experts to ignore those who bring it up. That's a conspiracy. --Haemo (talk) 06:36, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

So, in your world, every difference of opinion must necessarily involve a "lie"? That is absolutely and entirely ridiculous! You are logically equating difference of opinion with malfeasance, when it may simply be error or negligence. Mistakes or disagreements do not imply "lies" as you so non-neutrally suggest. This may simply reflect scholastic or personal difference of opinion, incompetence, or negligence. Bulbous (talk) 06:49, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

It's not a "difference of opinion" when it's a statement of what happened to when and the facts are known. Even if you skip (1) there is still (2) and (3) which are a conspiracy. --Haemo (talk) 06:52, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

(2) "Ovelook or ignore" and (3) "ignore". Those are the aspects of your argument which break down. There is no necesary implication of malfeasance. 2) and 3) may simply be MISTAKEN. Mistakes on the part of sources in no way implies complicity. Do you not understand that? Bulbous (talk) 07:02, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Regardless of whether or not the event in question is a mistake or a lie, the theory still posits a conspiracy of experts and journalists who conceal and suppress the resolution of the mistake, or lie. Complicit or implicit conspiracy is still conspiracy. --Haemo (talk) 07:06, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

The reason that a theory might not be part of the "official" record may simply be difference of expert opinion. There is still no way that every alternative theory of the events of 9/11 equates to conspiracy. It's ludicrous, and you haven't given any rational explanation to justify it. Bulbous (talk) 15:53, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

eleland's comment above is nothing but sophistry. He says that we cannot object to the title if "conspiracy theory" is a value-neutral term. The whole reason Mak Allen proposed the change was because such a definition would not exclude the mainstream story, yet this story is excluded from the scope of the article. Then he says that the theories described in the article should be labelled "conspiracy theories" because they are kooky and methodoligically flawed. May I refer you to Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict, which says that article titles should not prejudge the content? I cannot believe that he is not intelligent enough to understand this. ireneshusband (talk) 02:22, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

(outdent)
Legitimate differences of opinion and interpretation are already covered in the main articles per WP:NPOV. For example, the question of whether Moussaoui was the "20th hijacker," whether the United 93 passengers fought their way to the cockpit door before the hijackers "pulled it down", whether simple and economical improvements to the WTC towers could have prevented or long delayed their collapse, even whether NORAD and FAA covered their asses by deliberately lying about the timeline of events, are all areas of reasonable, reliable source, disagreement. This "alternative theories" push is an attempt to legitimize and promote theories which go far beyond the facts, and indeed invent new facts freely. The only possible way which "alternative" explanations could differ so widely from the explanations given by governments and media, and yet still be correct, would be if the government and media were deliberately, consciously lying. That's what I mean by "conspiracism." To believe this stuff, you have to throw away enormous volumes of documentation, which you can only do by positing that the documenters are "in on it." <eleland/talkedits> 16:12, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• It is not derogatory, or misleading; all of the arguments which insist the label is inherently insulting are based on misreadings or personal opinion; not reliable sources. It is the overwhelming term used for these theories in reliable sources — both academic and journalistic. The fact that certain people, who hold certain beliefs which the mainstream media calls "conspiracy theories" do not want to be associated with people who hold truly outrageous beliefs is little more than a political ploy. --Haemo (talk) 06:36, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  We are not forced to use POV pushing terminology (check the article conspiracy theory to see if it is derogatory) - even when mainstream media do - if more neutral terminology is available. According to WP:NPOV we are also not *allowed* to use such POV pushing terminology (see the quotes in my comment below).--Pokipsy76 (talk) 13:50, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  It is not POV; it can be used pejoratively, but it is not inherently pejorative — the same term is true of "terrorist" or virtually any term which can be used as a negative. --Haemo (talk) 22:58, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

According to "20th Century Words", John Ayto, Oxford University Press, p. 15, it has been pejorative since the 1960s.

Wrong....inherently pejorative. Try introducing a friend who harbors a non-mainstream theory about something as a "conspiracy theorist" and see what happens! The terms "conspiracy theory" and "conspiracy theorist" are far from neutral.Apostle12 (talk) 18:11, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

What is it with this "It's what reliable sources call it"? It could not have been made clearer in this debate that this argument has absolutely no legs whatsoever. It is nothing more than a self-serving confabulation. No one has challenged the reasoning behind this rebuttal. Yet the opposers keep coming back with this old canard again and again and again. Even when someone puts out an RfC and editors come from other parts of wikipedia, where you would expect the culture to be at least a little different, many of them trot out exactly the same line without any sign that they have bothered to read the debate they purport to be commenting on. What is even stranger is that a year ago on this page, when there was a different lot of core editors in place, you would still here the same mantra over and over again. Well there's a conspiracy theory for you! Misplaced Pages being taken over by pod people. Don't we deserve better than this? ireneshusband (talk) 01:51, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

• Oppose - per Ice Cold Beer. Been argued many times over. The Evil Spartan (talk) 08:44, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  The Ice Cold Beer comment do not provide any reason for opposing *to the proposal*: it just provide a reason for opposing *to the RFC*, so your "Oppose" seem to be inappropriate or unjustified.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 14:13, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Support: citing Conspiracy theory:

  The term is also used pejoratively to dismiss claims that are alleged by critics to be misconceived, paranoid, unfounded, outlandish, irrational, or otherwise unworthy of serious consideration.

And citing WP:NPOV:

Therefore, encyclopedic article titles are expected to exhibit the highest degree of neutrality.

And finally a simple observation: a term that is "also used pejoratively" has *obviously* a lower degree of neutrality than a term that is *not* used pejoratively. Try to reject this argument if you can.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 09:56, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

PS: I prefer 9/11 non-mainstream theories rather than 9/11 alternative theories.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 14:30, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Except that the "other" term is not used by reliable sources and serves only to try and disassociate the theories mentioned from the criticism they have attracted in the media. That's called undue weight and changes the common name because some people don't like the associations the term uses. It's no different than "psuedoscience" — a term which the ArbCom already endorsed. --Haemo (talk) 22:58, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

As already made clear above, as per Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions, "reliable sources" has absolutely no bearing on this. It is simply not a criterion as far as naming of articles go. Yet again, you completely fail to respond to the argument that Misplaced Pages:Naming conflicts strongly recommends that the title should not prejudge the content, with the clear implication that this overrides strict adherence to the basic principle of Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions. I have also pointed out that the "undue weight" rule specifically concerns article contents and not titles. Please at least try to pretend that you have been paying attention to what other people have to say. ireneshusband (talk) 00:24, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

It does not prejudge the content. The term has both a pejorative and non-pejorative use, and the use here is the neutral one used by reliable sources. It is the common name, and it is not used in the pejorative sense in the title. --Haemo (talk) 01:52, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Reliable sources reliable sources reliable sources you are getting sleepy reliable sources...

The reliable sources argument is bogus and you well know it. There is absolutely nothing in Misplaced Pages:naming conventions to justify it. Given how emphatically and repeatedl it has been demolished, to resurrect even once more would be utterly shameful. ireneshusband (talk) 02:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

If the term "conspiracy theory" has both pejorative and non-pejorative uses then it is an ambiguous term and falls foul of the guidelines at Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions. You say that the term is not used in the pejorative sense, but it is not the author who determines the interpretation of the text, but the reader (The Pleasure of the Text). Not only is your assertion nothing more than a personal opinion, but it is clearly nonsensical considering eleland's view on the subject. ireneshusband (talk) 02:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

• Strongly Support:The theories are all conspiracies, so calling this page a conspiracy theory page is not accurate.--Mak Allen (talk) 11:22, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Support: I just read the last three RFC's and the reasons used for opposing a change are enough for me to support it. Some common reasons given were "alternative theories implies they might be provable", "the theories are absurd and they deserve the title of conspiracy theories", "Conspiracy theories are.. intellectual toxic waste...so title is appropriate", "Theories that ignore the evidence do not warrant the "alternative" label", "calling them alternative theories would be giving them credibility" and "Reliable sources trump NPOV". Then we have the failed RFC to change the article name to "911 Conspiracy Hoaxes" where some editors supported it which is completely at odds with the reasons the same editors give not to change to "alternative theories". It is abundantly apparent that much opposition for alternative is based solely on the POV reasoning that anything to prevent giving the slightest credibility to conspiracy theories is prefered. Wayne (talk) 12:05, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Strongly Support:

- Both the official account and other views explaining the events of 9/11 are conspiracy theories, therefore it is inaccurate - The term "conspiracy theory" is pejorative, and therefore not NPOV - The proposed title is clearly more appropriate given the diverse nature of content in the 9/11 Conspiracy Theories article My rationale for supporting this move has been largely expanded on earlier in this thread, so I won't repeat the arguments. If anyone wants further justification from me, pls inquire. Gindo! 21:34, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

• Oppose: "Conspiracy theories" is the term most often used in reliable sources. Newspapers and other reliable sources are surely aware of the negative connotations attached to the term, which is probably why they use it in the first place. // Chris 21:44, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  Newspapers don't have the Neutral Point of View Policy but we do.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 22:00, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

  • Adopting a non-standard term for political reasons is in no sense of the word "neutral". --Haemo (talk) 22:58, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

    • Hasn't the "alternative theories" crowd spent a lot of time on various 9/11 pages arguing that we can only use the word "terrorism" when our sources use it? That seems like a little of a double standard to require the exact wording only when it helps your cause. // Chris 23:15, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure what this is referring to exactly, but it sounds like it is to do with the content of articles. This discussion is about the title, which should be non-judgemental according to Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict. ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Forcing use of a "standard" term for political reasons is not neutral either. Misplaced Pages:Naming conflicts says that titles should not prejudge the content. Anything else is political. It is, to use one o the pieces of wikipedia jargon that many of the opposersseem so fond of, "POV pushing." ireneshusband (talk) 01:59, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions says absolutely nothing about "reliable sources" being a criterion for naming articles. This has been made absolutely clear in the debate. No one has shown how this reading of Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions might be in error. You lot will need to change your hymnal. ireneshusband (talk) 01:33, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Arbitrary section break

Oppose, there's been no new arguments made since all the other attempts at this. The vast majority of sources use the term conspiracy theory, and that is all the reason we'd need to keep it here. The arguments for the move here mostly involve bad analogies (the term alternative in other unrelated contexts or arguing the term conspiracy theorist). The bottom line here is that Misplaced Pages is not in the business of popularizing or introducing terms...and this move would be doing just that. The vast majority of sources (reliable or not) use the term conspiracy theory. only a tiny minority call it alternative theory.

One more important point about this, there's a lot of talk about the term being pejorative. Given the extremely wide usage of the term, to accept that argument you'd have to also accept that the BBC, New York Times, Reuters (among thousands more all over the world) all consciously and purposely use a term they know is pejorative in their news sections. Plainly that's not something any reliable news organization would ever do. RxS (talk) 23:06, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

On the contrary, I think they use it because it is a pejorative term. Haemo made a great point above about how this is a little like use of the term pseudoscience. // Chris 23:13, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

This issue of the use of the word "pseudoscience" has been brought up a couple of times. Considering how grossly so many editors have been willing misrepresent Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions in order to push their agenda, I would be extremely surprised if the arbcom decision in question has any pertinence to this discussion whatsoever. If you think it does, then please supply us with a link so that we can refute your arguments more quickly. ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Is Rx Strangelove's suggestion that news organisations would never use a pejorative term merely a personal opinion, or does he have any evidence to back this up? In any case, you don't need to be conscious that you are using a pejorative term to do so. ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Not my suggestion, but basic editorial policy of any real news organization, for example. Are you suggesting that news providers do consciously and purposely use pejorative terminology? If so, then the burden is you to show it since you're the one wanting to make a change. If it's an unconscious usage, you'll have to show that while at the same time providing evidence that your judgment on these matters (in this context) is better than the combined editorial boards of NYT, BBC etc etc. Otherwise we'll continue to use the same terminology as reliable sources and news organizations internationally do. RxS (talk) 03:51, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose per RxS. ~ S0CO 23:16, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

strongly support I was wondering when the troops would turn up. One of the main reasons that this proposal has failed in the past has been that whoever was naive enough to propose it has simply had to deal with huge numbers of editors coming from every quarter with nonsensical arguments. It has been weight of numbers, rather than reason, that has won the day. I haven't yet read all the "new" arguments that have suddenly come to light, but the gist of them seems to be "Conspiracy theory is not derogatory or a negaitve judgement because I personally think so." It is absolutely beyond doubt that the current title has no merit according to policy and evidence, and no amount of personal opinion will change that. ireneshusband (talk) 00:07, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Broad pronouncement that your interpretation is "beyond doubt" are not compelling arguments, and to summarize the above opinions as "because I think so" is misleading and false. --Haemo (talk) 00:10, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Agree, your assertion that something is beyond doubt is only that..your assertion. And could you explain the troops comment please? RxS (talk) 00:13, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

In the past this debate has been decided by force of numbers, not by reason.

I am not the one making "broad pronouncements". Unlike you, I have tried very hard to give chapter and verse when I have refered to wikipedia policy, and I have tried very hard to make my evidence and my reasoning clear, as have other editors advocating change. You make no effort at all to address the substance of many of our arguments. If there was anything wrong with the spec I am sure you would have told us. So come on then! Why doesn't Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions apply in this case? Why are the precedents set by renaming other articles with "conspiracy theory" in their titles irrelevant? How can a term, the meaning of which is not universally agreed, be an unambiguous descriptor? ireneshusband (talk) 01:23, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Your arguments have been rebuffed; you just refuse to acknowledge it, and instead repeat them as if repetition ensured their veracity. --Haemo (talk) 01:45, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Show me where, for instance, my interpretation of Misplaced Pages:Naming conflicts has been rebuffed. As for repetition: reliable sources reliable sources reliable sources you are getting sleepy reliable sources... ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

• Support, unequivocal support "9/11 alternative theories" is the only neutral title that has been proposed so far. The terms "conspiracy theories" and "conspiracy theorists" have been pejorative for four decades now, as any linquist will confirm. Don't even know why we are debating it. Apostle12 (talk) 00:37, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

On the contrary, it's not a matter of whether it is pejorative or not, but a matter of how it is most frequently referred to in the mainstream. How we personally feel is irrelevant. ~ S0CO 01:16, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Please make at least a little effort to read the comments that have gone before before you post. It's only common courtesy. ireneshusband (talk) 01:23, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

I had. I suppose I should apologize for holding a differing opinion? ~ S0CO 18:58, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Just to reiterate, in case it anyone missed it in the comment soup, the term is pejorative according to "20th Century Words" (1999) John Ayto, Oxford University Press, page 15. ireneshusband (talk) 01:28, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

You repeatedly cite the article conspiracy theory, which states "The term "conspiracy theory" may be a neutral descriptor for any conspiracy claim" and instead focus on the "its current derogatory sense" phrase. Naturally, this article does not use it in the derogatory sense, as you have repeatedly claimed. "Conspiracy theory" has both pejorative and neutral uses; our use here is neutral. --Haemo (talk) 01:48, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Only sufficient context could make "conspiracy theory" neutral; otherwise, it has distinct pejorative meaning. The context that might ensure neutrality is impossible to provide in a succinct title. Apostle12 (talk) 18:11, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose "conspiracy theories" is by far the most common name for these theories, best known and used by news sources and reliable sources. --Aude (talk) 00:38, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

This argument has already been discredited several times over. Why aren't you willing to address the specific arguments of those supporting the change? You are a very experienced editor. I find it strange that you should be so casual about this. ireneshusband (talk) 01:28, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

It has not been discredited; you have merely repeatedly claimed it has been. --Haemo (talk) 01:49, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

He is chanting the "reliable sources" mantra all over again. Please quote the section of Wikpidia:Naming conventions that says what reliable sources say is a criterion for naming articles. You can't because it doesn't. ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose - "Conspiracy theories" is the most common name, by far. Rx StrangeLove said it best, and I feel it can't be quoted enough: "Misplaced Pages is not in the business of popularizing or introducing terms...and this move would be doing just that. The vast majority of sources (reliable or not) use the term conspiracy theory. Only a tiny minority call it alternative theory." Per naming conventions, there's really no argument. Yes, the "mainstream" view of 9/11 could be considered a conspiracy to some degree, maybe (it's really somewhat debatable), but that's beside the point. Again, Misplaced Pages does not make up names: This is an important social phenomenon, and we can't simply decide to change its most common name. Okiefromokla 02:30, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Using different wording in the title is not the same thing as "introducing a term"; that's nonsense. "Conspiracy theory" is a term that has acquired a distinct pejorative meaning over the past several decades, and this meaning exceeds the combined meaning of the two words. By contrast, "alternative theory" is a simple combination of two words, each of which have clear meaning; "alternative theory" is not a "term" in its own right. To use these two words in the title is not to "introduce a term."Apostle12 (talk) 02:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Even if I agreed with you, that still doesn't warrant changing the title from the most common name because some feel it's "derogatory". Which, in it of itself, is a moot argument. As pointed out by Peter Grey below and others previously, these theories are not substantiated by reliable sources, which makes them unworthy of such an accommodating title. If they were truly accepted alternate theories, as the word "alternate" suggests, then we should give them equal credence in the main 9/11 article, but we cannot because that article focuses on the facts available and conclusions drawn by experts. Of course, this entire discussion is really moot, as our naming conventions generally dictate that the most common name be the title of the article. Okiefromokla 05:19, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Really? A recent controversy involved an article discussing "The Franklin Coverup," as it is universally known. One group wanted the title to actually be "The Franklin Coverup." An opposing group wanted the title to be "The Franklin Hoax," because they didn't believe there was any "coverup." A second group suggested "The Franklin Incident," which is completely neutral. We achieved consensus by calling it "Franklin child abuse allegations," with redirects from "The Franklin Coverup," so people could actually find it.Apostle12 (talk) 08:31, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose 'Alternative theory' overtly violates NPOV because it implies equality with conventional theories; 'conspiracy theory' satisfies NPOV because it implies-correctly-onjectures with lesser standards of evidence, logic or agreement with reality. The implication is neutral, not pejorative, because it is accurate. Peter Grey (talk) 05:13, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

By stating that "alternative theory....implies equality..," then stating that "conspiracy theory" does not imply equality and is therefore correct, you concede our argument that the existing title does not meet NPOV guidelines. NPOV means that the title should allow the evidence to stand on its own, to be accepted or judged by the reader, not identified ahead of time as "conjectur(ing) with lesser standards of evidence, logic or agreement with reality." Your assertion that the existing title is "neutral" because what it implies is "correct" is doublespeak of the worst kind.Apostle12 (talk) 08:31, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

At least this is giving me a good laugh. Getting rid of the "common name" and "gives credence to" arguements leaves virtually no arguement against changing the name. Neither of those are credible reasons so what do we do when supporting editors give valid reasons for a change while opposing editors have nothing apart from the "I don't like it" arguement. Surely numbers alone can't be a valid RFC in this particular case. Wayne (talk) 09:08, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

These are explanations of historical events, not political or philisophical viewpoints. With the evidence currently available, some explanations are objectively weaker than others. Neutrality does not mean putting fact and folklore on an equal footing. Furthermore, while an encyclopedia should include valid uncertainties and criticisms, it is not a collection of isolated facts that require the reader to fabricate their own conclusions. Peter Grey (talk) 11:42, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

"Folklore?" "Isolated facts?" "Political viewpoints?" "Philosophical viewpoints?" Where do any of these appear in the article as written? Your bias is enormous, sir!Apostle12 (talk) 17:56, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Basically Peter Grey is saying that the title should reflect the fact that conspiracy theories are methodologically flawed. Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict says that article titles should not prejudge their content. It would be nice if more of the editors who responded to this RfC had actually bothered to read what other people had said before they started typing. ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose - from WP:Naming Conventions The names of Misplaced Pages articles should be optimized for readers over editors, and for a general audience over specialists. Readers coming to wikipedia will be looking for the term that is commonly used.--PTR (talk) 14:30, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

And they will easily find it with a redirect. In any case, most readers will come to this article from the main 9/11 page through a direct link. Apostle12 (talk) 17:56, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

So you're saying that the naming convention should be changed from what the reader will most probably be searching for to something else and you're assuming they will be coming from the 9/11 page instead of searching for this specific page? In that case, you're wanting to not just change the name of the page but to change all instances of "conspiracy theory" to "alternate theory" which is not just a naming convention discussion. --PTR (talk) 18:12, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict says that the title of an article should not prejudge the content. Why are you completely unwilling to address this? ireneshusband (talk) 03:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Neither should the title misrepresent the content. Peter Grey (talk) 03:45, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

It is not prejudging the content but using the most commonly used term so it is optimized for the readers to find the article they are looking for. We can't know they will be coming here from another article. --PTR (talk) 14:56, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

• no move Per WP:COMMONNAME. The common name for the topic is "conspiracy theories." Secondly, they are not alternate theories; they are not accepted as facts by the mainstream media or scholarship. Rather, they are they are conspiracy theories, and are not generally accepted as factual, legitimite theories as to the actual events of the tragety. Alternative theories would imply more certianty toward the allegation than is warrented. Yahel Guhan 05:54, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

• Strong support in favor of renaming. The title is objectively pejorative, as evinced by the fact that many editors who oppose the change have pointed out it accurately describes folklore and urban legend; however, these are not the subject of the article. Moreover it abuses the term 'theory,' by prescribing the colloquial meaning of that word while some of the contents address theories in the scientific sense. The term 'Conspiracy theories' excludes scientific theories, but accurately describes the plot that is the subject of the 9/11 attacks article. However, the term 'Alternative theories' potentially embraces both folkore and science, but like the article excludes the mainstream theory. Hence '9/11 alternative theories' is a more accurate title. Oneismany (talk) 14:40, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
  • • alternate name suggestion '9/11 hypotheses' may be a more neutral title if folklore is meant to be excluded or perhaps '9/11 theories' if the Al-Qaeda link is included. The Al-Qaeda link may be given undue weight in the 9/11 attacks article because the sources for it are not reliable. Oneismany (talk) 10:23, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• strongly support for all the reasons stated above. Pretty soon the titled will have to be '9/11 Conspiracy Theories: Proven.' bov (talk) 17:25, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• weakly support because the name of the article is not very important. "Conspiracy Theory" does have mostly negative connotations, so using it anywhere in WP where it is not either a direct quote from a cited source or a discussion of the term itself (like "nigger") violates WP:NPOV. Likewise, the theory that 19 members of Al Quaeda perpetrated it is also a conspiracy theory, but it will never be called that because it is the official story.Dscotese (talk) 23:41, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Duplicate discussion 2

The open Requested move above is listed at WP:RM as 9/11 conspiracy theories → 9/11 alternative theories. This appears to duplicate this RFC. Surely it is pointless having both discussions in progress at once? Andrewa (talk) 23:47, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Nah. What would be pointless would be to copy your arguments from one to the other. Each discussion has it's own tributaries and subtopics, and all of it is interesting.Dscotese (talk) 23:40, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Summarizing

I'll try to summarize some of the relevant arguments and counterarguments about the name issue.

1) "Conspiracy theory" is a derogatory term

We have "conspiracy theory" and "20th Century Words", John Ayto, Oxford University Press, p. 15 supporting this claim.

Objections:

• it can both be used as derogatory or neutral descriptor and we are using it as a neutral descriptor
  • Reply: It is not possible to specify that the term is being used as a neutral descriptor in the space of a succinct title, and therefore the title will just appear with a derogatory connotation to many people.
    • The term is only given a derogatory connotation when it is used in a particular sense. The citation you link specifically states that. The title of the article does not use it in that sense, hence it is not derogatory. The fact that numerous reliable sources use the term neutrally — indeed, it is the most common term — should bear testament to this.
      • But a lot of people here supporting the name "conspiracy theory" is saying that "alternative theories" would make the content appear more plausible than it should: they are implicitly suggesting that when people read "conspiracy theory" they perceive that the content is likely to be flawed, hence the derogatory connotation seems to exist here.
• The term is unflattering, but that is unavoidably required by accuracy and NPOV, since these "theories" are objectively weaker than mainstream accounts.
  • Reply:This just confirm what is written in (1). The problem of being a legitimate term *even being derogatory* is discussed in (2). Please don't mix up arguments, this paragraph was intended to unfold the discussion in its main points, let's try to not repeat the identical messy discussion as above... let's try ro reorganize this section into his structure (I'll delete and move comments inside this section for this aim, I suppose I can do this because this is "my" section :) )
• "Conspiracy theory" is not inherently derogatory; it is derogatory if it is used to belittle a reasonable hypothesis, not when it is used to characterise a conspiracy theory.
  • Reply: who is deciding if the hypothesis is reasonable? Certainly we have not the authority to do that. Moreover if it implies unreasonableness then it is bviously dergatory.

2) Misplaced Pages policy says that "encyclopedic article titles are expected to exhibit the highest degree of neutrality" and (by 1) "conspiracy theory" does not exibit the highest degree of neutrality moreover Misplaced Pages:Naming conflicts says that article titles should not prejudge their content.

Objections

• There is not another title that is both appropriate for the content and exibiting a "higher degree of neutrality" than "conspiracy theory" because less derogatory titles would make the subject appear more plausible but it is not plausible according to the experts and wikipedia should exibit the POV of such experts
  • Reply:
    1. it's not clear which experts and which specific theories we are referring to: in many cases here there are no expert that could have the authority to say what is plausible. The only topic where the expert are really relevant is the controlled demolition hypothesis but as you can see the title here is neutral.
    2. In some cases here there are actually experts that say that some of the claims are plausible (see for example the insider trading issue)

Am I forgetting something? How do you reply to the arguments?--Pokipsy76 (talk) 08:55, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Let's try to keep the discussion (somewhat) centralized. The page move is already being discussed in two different places, and we don't need to add a third discussion about the same topic. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 09:04, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

These discussions are enormous, are a total mess and it is almost impossible to focus the arguments and the counterarguments. Is it such a bad thing to try to summarize and keep things clear?--Pokipsy76 (talk) 09:46, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

• Since (1) is flawed, this argument is without merit. 'Conspiracy theory' is already the most objective, neutral, and accurate term. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Conspiracy theory is derogatory (John Ayto, in "20th Century Words", John Ayto, Oxford University Press, p. 15). You will either need to provide a reliable source to say that John Ayto's scholarship is faulty, or you will please stop repeating this baseless nonsense about the term being "neutral". ireneshusband (talk) 01:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Irrelevant. First off, neutrality is defined in the NPOV way, and NPOV, these ARE conspiracy theories by definition. Second, Misplaced Pages is not politically correct; if something is upsetting to people, tough cookies. Third, we use the most common name for something. 9/11 conspiracy theories is the most common name for it BY FAR. Titanium Dragon (talk) 04:16, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• WP:NPOV states that we must choose the most neutral title we can, not the most pupular. Derogatory terms are obviously less neutral then non-derogatory ones.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 09:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Point (1) is not flawed being continuously confirmed by everybody that comes into the discussion and explicitly say that they couldn't accept more neutral decsriptions because they want the content to be characterized as unreasonable.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 09:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

3) Conspiracy theory is ambiguous. The endless debate over whether it simply means a belief in the existence of a conspiracy, or whether it means a theory with particular flaws, demonstrates this. The idea that we can choose from those meanings and predetermine how the reader will interpret the title is absurd. Alternative theories is unambiguous. It is also instantly comprehensible to a lay person.

• This demonstrates the high suitability of the term, since both senses apply. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions says that titles should be unambiguous. This is also a matter of common sense. ireneshusband (talk) 01:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• The title is unambigious. 9/11 conspiracy theories without a doubt refers to the contents of this article, and ONLY to the contents of this article. Titanium Dragon (talk) 04:17, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• Not really: according to the title one could expect to find also the "official theory" (conspiracy by AlQaeda) and the "Saddam organized it" theory too (as they are both relevant and enciclopedic theories about conspiracies).--Pokipsy76 (talk) 10:04, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

4) 9/11 conspiracy theories is a flawed encyclopaedic category. At least one non-mainstream account of 9/11–that Saddam Hussein was involved–is not generally called a conspiracy theory in mainstream usage, even though it has many of the qualities often ascribed to "conspiracy theories". It certainly does not belong in the main 9/11 article. "Alternative theories" would embrace it without any problem.

• The attempt to frame Saddam Hussein as an accomplice could legitimately be re-categorized, though it also relies on deeply flawed methodology, and the actual conspiracy behind the hoax is, naturally, a conspiracy. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• If you have objective evidence that the term "conspiracy theory" is more than rarely used to describe this theory, then you are welcome to bring it forward. ireneshusband (talk) 01:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• The link between Saddam and 9/11 is not a "theory." It is a damned lie. The only reason anybody believes it is because the Bush government and the media made it up. It does not belong in an article reporting investigations of collusion or conspiracy in the 9/11 attacks. If was ever anything on God's green Earth that could be objectively be called a lie, this is it. It does not belong in an article on 9/11 theories but it may deserve a mention in an article on 9/11 lies. Oneismany (talk) 08:15, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

5) What "reliable sources" call "them" has absolutely nothing to do with it as per Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions. This argument has been repeated relentlessly, but it has absolutely no merit. ireneshusband (talk) 06:09, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

• Correct, and equally true is that their proponents' distaste for the label is irrelevant. This argument supports taking no action. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• This argument supports no such thing. ireneshusband (talk) 01:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

It's as valid as anything that reliable sources (especially the media) refer to these as "conspiracy theories". It's just another idicator that the most used and widely-known term is indeed "conspiracy theories." And a very important indicator. This particular argument should be removed from this list. It's a counter argument to a coutner argument, not a different and new argument all together. Okiefromokla 05:01, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

6) There are precedents for such a move, namely the articles that have been renamed Alternative theories of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and Alternative theories regarding the CIA leak scandal. ireneshusband (talk) 00:05, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• This argument does not demonstrate any unsuitability in the current title, is consistent with taking no action. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• However it would have helped your case if you had been able to find anything wrong with such precedents. You have all remained resolutely silent about this. ireneshusband (talk) 01:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

There are precedents for not renaming as well. For instance: The previous 5 or 6 times consensus has been reached to not rename this article (see "This has been dealt with previously" below). This argument should be removed; it's misleading. There have been many, many presedents for both renaming similar articles or not renaming them. This shouldn't even be considered. Okiefromokla 05:10, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

• I sense here an effort to obfuscate the matter to such an extent that everyone just says "Fuck it!", then logs off in frustration. True?Apostle12 (talk) 11:07, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

  Assume good faith, much? --Haemo (talk) 20:40, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

There's an absolutely massive amount of assuming bad faith and incivility here (troops showing up, pod people, feeling sleepy, need to change your hymnal). I think we're getting to the end of this. RxS (talk) 04:15, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. I think it's fairly obvious we aren't reaching a consensus for this... Okiefromokla 04:46, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Of course you all acted in good faith because all Misplaced Pages editors unquestionably act in good faith. However if you and many of the others who have contributed to this debate learned to engage directly with the arguments others have presented and desisted from repeating the same old discredited truism again and again and again, then others would not feel the need to be so abrupt in order to get the discussion back on track. There is a limit to how often I am prepared to repeat "This argument is completely bogus as per Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions." Endless repetitions of the same bogus argument do indeed make the debate almost impossible to follow. It does look like obfuscation. Everything I have said has been for the single purpose of cutting through the crap. The fact that we have been able to get to the point of summarising our arguments concisely, rather than have them completely disappear in the noise, shows that this has paid off. I suggest you consider your own role in this before you criticise anyone else. ireneshusband (talk) 06:09, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

You know it's easy to say that ("Of course you all acted in good faith..."), but actions speak louder then words and your actions here have been full of bad faith assumptions, incivility and borderline personal attacks. I'd invite anyone reading this to look at ireneshusband's edit summarys on this page, his comments sprinkled throughout the page ((troops showing up, pod people, feeling sleepy, need to change your hymnal and more), his accusation that some editors on this page are bullies and overall argumentative tone. You've only polarized this debate and guaranteed that nothing will come of this...your assertion that the bullies acting on this page are opposed to the name change is unsupported by any facts, and I would argue that the opposite is true. There's been a lot of stomping of feet and pounding of fists in favor of the move.

As far as your naming convention assertion, let's look at the Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions second sentence.

Generally, article naming should prefer what the greatest number of English speakers would most easily recognize, with a reasonable minimum of ambiguity, while at the same time making linking to those articles easy and second nature.

There's no question (none at all) that conspiracy theory is what the greatest number of English speakers would most easily recognize. The only thing you grasp onto is that it's pejorative. You haven't shown it is, you just claim that it is. On the other hand, I've shown that reliable sources and major (and minor) news organizations internationally all use the term and that they do not use pejorative terms in their coverage as their stated and official policy. Because of the widespread usage of the term, and the organizations that use it, we're on pretty solid ground here. Is there a tiny minority that consider it pejorative? Sure, there's also a tiny minority that claim the Earth is flat. Neither they nor you get to unilaterally pronounce assertions true and affect policy by making them.

I don't mind debating things, even when it becomes a little heated, but I think you've crossed a line here...I object to being called a bully, or a pod person, and I'm sure others do as well. I also suspect that it makes us less willing to engage in any real debate with you. But we have, and your behavior hasn't changed so as I said, I expect we're reaching the end of this. RxS (talk) 17:00, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Rx Strangelove has yet again refused to acknowledge what it says in Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict. He also claims yet again that we have not provided any proof that "conspiracy theory" is pejorative even though it could not have been made clearer that we have provided a source from an unquestionably reliable authority on the use of language that says that is. ireneshusband (talk) 20:30, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

I refuse to acknowledge that Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict demands a change here, and I continue to claim that you have not provided any proof that "conspiracy theory" is pejorative in this context. On the other hand, you refuse to answer for your behavior here, I bet if someone called you a pod person you'd actually start frothing at the mouth and stomp your feet even harder! But it's ok when it directed this way I guess huh? lol. RxS (talk) 04:58, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

As I said before. Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions can not be used as a reason for an oppose vote. It is a guideline not a rule and there are many exceptions in WP with most of these, ironically, being at the request of the similar group of editors who support the opposite here. The most obvious RFC example is where the Franklin case title was not allowed to have the word "coverup" or "scandal" in it and was eventually called by a name that gets exactly 5 hits on google with one of those being the WP article itself, one a link to the WP article, one being my own talk page and one being a critique of the WP article for censoring the topic.
The title giving credence to the theories is also not a valid reason as alternative theories or hypothesis by definition do not have a requirement of credibility so the term cannot be claimed to imply it does. Def:"is not necessarily based on facts; in other words, it is not required to be consistent with true descriptions of reality". Both of these reasons fall in the "I don't like it" or in other words "POV" category which IS against WP policy. A valid oppose vote must have other reasons or it can not in good faith be counted. Unfortunately this will require editors to answer the questions they have been avoiding but that's just too bad. Wayne (talk) 16:14, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

At no point have you made a compelling argument for why we should disregard guidelines in this spot, and pointing to another article has no relevance to the discussion whatsoever. The opposes above are not based in the argument that the name adds credibility — rather, that it disassociates the theories listed from the criticism they have attracted in the media and academia by deliberately obscuring the title by selecting a name which is uncommon and which most members of the public would not recognize. --Haemo (talk) 20:25, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

First address what it says in Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict about titles not prejudging the content of articles, then please feel free to criticise others as much as you like for ignoring guidelines and policies. ireneshusband (talk) 20:30, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

I have, repeatedly; the response to which has been a deafening "Nuh uh". --Haemo (talk) 21:37, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

John Ayto in 20th Century Words states that the phrase is derogatory. Against that we have your personal opinion, and nothing more, that it isn't. Even more laughably, we have your personal assurance that the phrase will be used in its "neutral sense", even though so many editors have made it clear that they are determined to keep the title as it is in order to prove that what it refers to is worthless garbage. So no, you haven't addressed Misplaced Pages:Naming conflict at all.

The fact that it ever came to the point of having to drag out a quote from a scholar to prove something that is so obvious—as Wayne said, you only have to look at some of the comments that have appeared on this talk page to see proof of it—is utterly lamentable. Misplaced Pages:Common sense says that if something is common sense, it is probably right. The kind of legalistic nitpicking that we have seen in this discussion, the kind that has blighted this article for as long as I can remember, is totally contrary to the spirit of Misplaced Pages. ireneshusband (talk) 00:37, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

You repeatedly state this as if it's true — but it's not. You're misrepresenting the source by selectively quoting only half. The source in question specifically says that it has both a neutral, and a pejorative sense. The title does not use it in the pejorative sense, just as the innumerable reliable sources use it. Nearly any word which has negative connotations to some individuals has a pejorative sense; that does not make every use of it pejorative, as you have repeatedly insisted. I also definitely appreciate the renewed personal attacks; both here and on the mediation case. --Haemo (talk) 01:00, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

conspiracy theory paraphrases John Ayto thus: "Originally it was a neutral term; during the political upheaval of the 1960s the term acquired its current derogatory sense." In other words the term used to be used in a neutral sense, but now it is derogatory. Your assertion that "innumerable reliable sources" use the phrase in a neutral sense is nothing more than an unsubstantiated personal opinion. In any case, as I have had to repeat umpteen times, "reliable sources" has absolutely nothing to do with the naming of articles (Misplaced Pages:Naming conventions), at least as far as frequency of usage goes (having a reliable source state that a term is derogatory is a different matter of course). Do you dispute that? The rest of what you say is nothing more than personal opinion. ireneshusband (talk) 01:31, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

It acquired the derogatory sense; that is, there is a sense of the word which is derogatory. The article does not use it in a derogatory sense. To quote the article you repeatedly selectively quote — "The term "conspiracy theory" may be a neutral descriptor for any conspiracy claim". George Johnson's Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics specifically explains that it has both a pejorative, and a non-pejorative use. You don't seem to recognize this fact, and instead have fixated on the fact that it has a pejorative use. The "innumerable reliable sources" comment is made because they use it neutrally which is why it is the most common identifier from their types of theories; i.e. the most common use of the phrase is the neutral one. This is not my "personal opinion" — this is reading the sources completely; something which you have not done here. --Haemo (talk) 03:12, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

This entire discussion is quickly becoming lame. At any rate, here's a point that I don't think has yet been brought up. While it is true that all the theories regarding 9/11 involve a conspiracy, the popular usage of the term "conspiracy theory" refers to a conspiracy that involves, in part, the United States government. The mainstream account refers to a conspiracy by terrorist groups, while the so-called "alternative theories" refer to conspiracies by the US government. I think this is an important distinction. When it comes to popular usage, the mainstream account of an event doesn't count as a conspiracy theory. --clpo13_(talk) 20:37, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

If we are to take this as our working definition, then those theories that include Israel, but exclude the U.S. government are to be excluded. If we wanted an article to concern only allegations of US government complicity or malfeasance, then the article title should explicitly state that. Otherwise it would be confusing. ireneshusband (talk) 01:31, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I probably should have phrased that to include any government. It's not a perfect definition, that's for sure. --clpo13_(talk) 06:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Once again, this comes down to recognizability, which was even brought up by Haemo and not addressed at all. --clpo13_(talk) 20:37, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

While recognisability is certainly not unimportant, the key issue is whether the term used is easy for a lay person to understand. ireneshusband (talk) 20:44, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Both seem equally understandable. I don't see how that's much of an issue. --clpo13_(talk) 21:21, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Exactly. ireneshusband (talk) 01:31, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I have filed a request for help from the mediation cabal. This won't go away. New editors will come, they will see what we've seen before them and they will then go through the same ordeal that we have been through. We need to get this sorted out properly do we not? ireneshusband (talk) 20:44, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

I've declined to participate. It's time to stop trying to circumvent consensus. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 03:16, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

For the benefit of us who may have joined this dicussion on the late side, can you link to where consensus was reached? Bulbous (talk) 03:47, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Look above. Consensus isn't only about numbers, it is also about argument quality. I have yet to see a good argument for why the page should be moved. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 04:00, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, Ice Cold Beer, I have yet to see a good argument for why the page should not be moved. The quality of the arguments against moving the article to "9/11 Alternative Theories" is resoundingly poor. Apostle12 (talk) 05:33, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

And you are absolutely entitled to your opinion. There are of course, many others that don't share it. And I'm sure you understand that you are not the sole arbitrator of what constitutes a poor argument. Nor am I. RxS (talk) 05:41, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Ahhh, I see. That's exactly the kind of BS zealotry that keep this article so-titled in the first place: "It doesn't matter how many of you agree - you're all wrong". Mediation wouldn't help bring such a mind to reason anyway. Bulbous (talk) 04:12, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Can we please try to stay civil and assume good faith here? // Chris 04:22, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

BS zealotry?? The irony that statement is present in quantities large enough to be detected from space. In any case, throughout this discussion you guys have thrown any behavioral guidelines right out the window. Apparently WP:CIVIL and WP:AGF doesn't apply to the small group of editors in favor of the change. RxS (talk) 05:05, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I assumed good faith until the above poster implied that all opinions other than his own, no matter how widely held, were of poor quality. That's zealotry at its worst. Bulbous (talk) 06:01, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

And thus the irony. RxS (talk) 06:15, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Your arguments aren't bad because I disagree with them; they are bad because they are bad. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 06:22, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

And yet, somehow, the idea that any explanation of events other than the mainstream automatically involve vast conspiracies, collusions, lies and intrigue makes sense to you? Why not even attempt to explain it, then? Bulbous (talk) 06:43, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

When did I ever say that? Ice Cold Beer (talk) 06:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

This has been dealt with previously

This argument was settled many, many times. It isn't productive. This article is correctly named. It is the most common name for it; these are by definition conspiracy theories; the article's title is completely unambigious; and perhaps most importantly Misplaced Pages is not censored. They are not "alternative theories", they are undoubtedly conspiracty theories, and the attempt to get conspiracy theory out of the name is POV-pushing. Every single one of your arguments has been answered in the past, and we don't need to go into this again. Give up. You've lost. You will never win. We do not bend to the scientologists, we do not bend to the Christians, we do not bend to the Communists, we do not bend to the afrocentrists, we do not bend to the Nazis, and we do not bend to you. Many people want their group or ideas to be presented favorably by Misplaced Pages, but that is not what Misplaced Pages is. We are about what is, what is said, what is thought, and what is done. We are not about promoting the viewpoint of any individual or group, or even any idea other than knowledge is free and accessible, and that a group of diverse editors CAN write a good encyclopedia. If you aren't interested in writing a good encyclopedia, there are other wiki projects that you can be involved in. But Misplaced Pages is about NPOV. Titanium Dragon (talk) 04:28, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Nazis? I invoke Godwin's Law - i.e. what gets said when one has no useful points to make. 06:01, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

It was being used as an example. Also, Godwin's Law says nothing about usefulness of arguments - all it says is that as threads get longer the likelihood of Nazis or Hitler being mentioned approach one. Titanium Dragon (talk) 06:17, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Sigh. The conspiracy theories article is a travesty. It has nothing to do with cabal or conspiracy (civil) or conspiracy (crime) or conspiracy (political) (these subjects are intentionally left out of the article), nor is there any article I am aware of on Misplaced Pages that takes as its subject substantiated allegations of conspiracy, of which history has many examples. The subject of conspiracy theories is the concept of conspiracism and that is no surprise as both titles redirect to the same page and they were deliberately merged. But conspiracism is a theory of conspiracy theories which again equates conspiracy theories with folklore or urban legend, which again is pejorative and derogatory toward anyone with a serious conspiracy claim. Here you reveal your bias by associating 9/11 conspiracy theories with Nazis and Scientologists and afrocentrists. Imagine if the nigger article was not about the racist slur but about black people and there was no article about black people. And if a title using the word 'nigger' was contested you responded, but these people fit the definition of niggers! Circular encyclopedia articles do not make a good encyclopedia. Oneismany (talk) 08:34, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Conspiracy theories are urban folklore; the only people who claim otherwise are the proponents thereof, who are as blind to reality as many religious fanatics and various other groups. The reason the articles are the same is not a giant conspiracy but because that is reality. That is what people call conspiracy theories. These are called conspiracy theories for the same reason that the virginia tech massacre is called such. Titanium Dragon (talk) 06:22, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Dreyfus Affair = NOT urban folklore. Likewise many others. What are you talking about? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dscotese (talk • contribs) 00:07, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

A brief history of issues regarding the term conspiracy theory as it relates to this page:

• December 2006 consensus. And, brought up by the exact same person with the exact same arguments which were refuted exactly the same.
• August 2007 attempt to move the article, failed AGAIN.
• December 2007 attempt to change the name of the article.

This shows a clear history of bringing this up over and over again by the same group of people. And over and over again it gets rejected. Knock it off. This is clearly an attempt to get your way by annoying the other editors until we go away. Titanium Dragon (talk) 04:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I'll go ahead and add one. This one was less than two months ago. Ice Cold Beer (talk) 04:37, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

You can't simply assert that it is settled as a means of dismissing concerns that keep coming up over and over again. I am NEW to this discussion, certainly not part of "the same group of people." Obviously there is something WRONG with the existing title, or the issue would not keep coming up.

I just read two of the example discussions you provided. They do not deal with the issue in the same depth as this discussion, though your dismissive attitude IS a constant. You want to have your cake and eat it too (if that is not too cliched)--by using "conspiracy theories" you want the title to establish from the outset that any alternative theory is inferior to the mainstream theory, AND you also want to claim that "conspiracy theories" is not pejorative; these two approaches are logically inconsistent. Most especially you want to ignore experts who insist "conspiracy theories" IS a pejorative term, though you provide no countervailing argument supported by equally authorative, much less superior, experts. You rely exclusively on your own opinion, then you assert you have proved your case.

Plainly you have NOT proved your case, and the matter will not be settled until the title is NPOV, consistent with Misplaced Pages standards. The title "9/11 Alternative Theories" is plainly NPOV, and it will satisfy everyone--except those who wish the title to be biased. Apostle12 (talk) 05:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

The repeated claim that "The article does not use it in a derogatory sense" is refuted by the very statements used in past RFC's to oppose changing the title. The most common reason for no change is that the title would no longer be derogatory!!! (ie:a change would give credence, the theories are absurd etc etc) Those supporting a move feel it is derogatory and those opposing, while (if you are honest) agreeing it is derogatory, claim others not involved in editing who search for the topic wont think it is, so that makes the title NOT derogatory. Does this arguement not seem absurd? Wayne (talk) 06:14, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Apostle12, the consensus has been the opposite, repeatedly, and it is supported by the Misplaced Pages naming policy. People bringing it up every two months is not constructive, especially when they bring no new arguments to the table. Alternative theories is POV-pushing because the goal is to obsfucate what they are - they are conspiracy theories by definition.

No new arguments have been brought up this time, and it has been less than -two months- since the last time it was brought up. Once every six months or a year might be okay, assuming you brought new arguments to the table, but this is at a minimum the third time in the last six months this has been brought up.

All you're doing is wasting our time. In six months, if you still feel you have a strong argument, come back and make your case. But all you're doing right now is disrupting the editing of the article. You aren't going to get a different consensus from what we got two months ago, period. You probably never will, but I'm not going to say you should never bring it up again.

But the article is correctly named and this has been the consensus repeatedly, and was the consensus at the end of december. At this point, all you're doing is disrupting Misplaced Pages to try to make a point. Titanium Dragon (talk) 23:00, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

When has the argument that "9/11 conspiracy theories" is not a natural encyclopaedic category been presented before? If it has, I am certainly not aware of it and therefore cannot be accused of trying to use it to disrupt wikipedia. I would not be surprised if other key arguments were also new.

There has certainly been significant new evidence presented. Is that not significant?

The proposal for change this time came from a relatively new editor. When I brought this up at the end of 2006, I too was a very inexperienced editor. New editors will keep coming over and over again, will see the same thing we saw and will try to do something about it. It is certainly not the same group of people every time.

Consensus has absolutely no merit in terms of wikipedia policy if it violates wikipedia policy. It has no moral authority if it goes against reason. There was once a case in England in which members of a jury used a ouija board to decide on the verdict. Because of the principle that jury deliberations should be secret, the judge was powerless to say that this was wrong. It was only the fact that the seance had been held outside of the jury room that gave the appeal court the opportunity to declare a mistrial. Sticking a bunch of people together in a room does not necessarily produce sound deliberation or wise judgement, as the flawed reasoning that Apostle11 has pointed to above clearly demonstrates. ireneshusband (talk) 09:01, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Discussion moved outside of the scheme

• The term is unflattering, but that is unavoidably required by accuracy and NPOV, since these "theories" are objectively weaker than mainstream accounts. Peter Grey (talk) 00:30, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

"Objectively weaker"??? Can you back up that claim with reason, or do you only have "reliable sources" for it? Dscotese (talk) 00:13, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

• Misplaced Pages:Naming conflicts says that article titles should not prejudge their content.
• John Ayto, in "20th Century Words", John Ayto, Oxford University Press, p. 15, says that the term is derogatory.
• Why do you keep coming back again and again and again with the same discredited assertions no matter how many times it is made clear, in no uncertain terms, that they are completely false? ireneshusband (talk) 00:44, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
  • It is not a matter of "pre-judgement" by the editors. That's what the reliable sources are for. "Conspiracy theory" is not inherently derogatory; it is derogatory if it is used to belittle a reasonable hypothesis, not when it is used to characterise a conspiracy theory. You have not identified the assertions which you object to, much less responded to them. Peter Grey (talk) 02:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

It is attempting to automatically equate "reasonable hypothesis" with "conspiracy theories", even though no such correlation may be drawn. It is a weak attempt by critical-thinking impaired editors to discredit all but the mainstream theory. Bulbous (talk) 03:13, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Regardless of its status as derogatory, this is entirely irrelevant; it is the most commonly used and well-known term to describe these theories; additionally, they are, objectively, conspiracy theories, falling under the definition thereof. Thus, the title is both accurate and the most commonly used name for them, so it is the correct title for the article. We call the Holocaust such, rather than the Final Solution or the Solution to the Jewish Problem, despite Nazis finding the term to be condemning (and many of them claiming it never happened) because it is the common name for it and Misplaced Pages is not politically correct. Titanium Dragon (talk) 04:13, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

That whole argument has been skipped as well. There is absolutely no stretch of logic than can equate an alternative theory to a conspiracy theory. Perhaps I believe that Event 105A happened at 9:35 AM instead of 9:37 AM. How does that possibly mean that I believe in some kind of obfuscation, denial, cover-up or conspiracy? To suggest that I do is completely illogical. The fact that it *is* derogatory is an attempt to turn away logical challenges such as this by automatically discrediting the challenger. Bulbous (talk) 04:22, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

That would be a fair argument... assuming such was present here. But it isn't, and really, it shouldn't be because it is rather different in nature. Titanium Dragon (talk) 22:52, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Alternative theories are not automatically conspiracy theories

This should be the heart of the discussion, as there has been no defence for their equivalence. The two terms are not equal, not synonymous, and one does not automatically imply the other. It takes a special kind of megalomaniac to suggest that there can be only two viewpoints on any given debate:

• 1) The commonly held (mainstream) theory.
• 2) Other (conspiracy) theories which necessarily involve US Goverment interference.

How is this argument anything but laughable? Why do we even entertain it as far as 9/11 is concerned but not for any other subject? If we did, we'd have theories like:

• Mainstream: The Loch Ness monster does not exist.
• Conspiracy: The Loch Ness monster does exist, but has been captured and trained as a Navy Seal and used to patrol Lake Superior.

• Mainstream: Global warming is caused by pollution and other man-made influence.
• Conspiracy: Global warming is part of a natural cycle, caused by the United States to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil supplies.

• Mainstream: Pluto is not a planet.
• Conspiracy: Pluto is a planet, but there is a detention centre for Al-Qaeada there, and the US wants to draw attention away from it.

The point that needs to be driven home is that alternate theories on any subject can exist outside of a conspiracy. The simple attempt to say that this is NOT the case as far as 9/11 (and only 9/11) is concerned is only possible with bad faith. Bulbous (talk) 14:43, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Alternative theories are already covered in the main articles. For instance, there are differing theories on the cause of the towers' collapse due to impact damage and fire. Did the joints that connected the floors to the walls fail, or did the walls fail due to being pulled inwards by the weight of the floors? Those are "alternative theories." They do not necessarily involve a conspiracy. The theories of the 9/11 truth movement, and all of the "non-mainstream" theories documented in this article, are conspiracy theories; they are treated as such by all reliable sources, so Misplaced Pages will also treat them as such, and this incessant lobbying serves no purpose. <eleland/talkedits> 14:56, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

"Incessant lobbying?" "....Misplaced Pages will also treat them as such."

We are discussing a proposal, not "incessantly lobbying."

Please do not pretend to speak for Misplaced Pages. WE are Misplaced Pages.

Assuming an authoratative tone does not add strength to your argument.

Apostle12 (talk) 17:29, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

A more important point might be "are any of the theories discussed in this article called anything but "conspiracy theories" by reliable sources?" Indeed, are any of the them not a conspiracy — either to do something, suppress something, etc. The argument is not that "alternative theories do not exist" but that the theories discussed in this context are, indeed, conspiracy theories, or are discussed on other, more appropriate pages. In addition, the very framing of this question is false; not all 9/11 conspiracy theories involve the US government at all. Many theories involve simply the mainstream media conspiring to suppress valid facts which disagree with the mainstream consensus. It doesn't involve the government at all, yet is no less of a conspiracy theory. The "ridiculous" dicotomy that the original post draws is ridiculous chiefly because they have constructed it to be easy to ridicule — not because it is an actual argument being made. --Haemo (talk) 22:46, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

This discussion is going nowhere. Both sides are being forced to regergitate the same arguments to no avail. The fact is, there has been no consensus again for this rename, with a majority actually opposing it. We need to close this discussion and let consensus speak for itself. Okiefromokla 21:14, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Alternative theories is a potential article, but it's not this article. This article would have to be loony 9/11 non-mainstream theories. It's an NPOV title, but it's not the correct title for this article. — Arthur Rubin | (talk) 22:44, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

ArthurRubin - This proposal may be some common ground between the two differing opinions on the matter. Thanks for proposing. Gindo 00:53, 14 February 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gindo (talk • contribs)

Not really. 2,240 google results (as compared to well over 300,000 for "Conspiracy theories" and a third that for "alternative theories". Additionally, again, it is misleading and more vague than "conspiracy theories". Titanium Dragon (talk) 05:24, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Just take a look at "WP:NAME:Use common names of persons and things" - "conspiracy theories" is obviously more common and therefore, according to the wikipedia naming conventions, that should be the title of the article. Q.E.D. 71.204.49.76 (talk) 06:12, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

This argument has been dealt with how many times. Please at least try to respond to the specific arguments presented by your opponents, including the ones that say that this interpretation of policy is selective and mistaken.

Titanium Dragon's view flies in the face of evidence, such as the conflicting definitions of the term "conspiracy theory" in authoritative books (Aito's interpretation vs. the dry definition in popular dictionaries), that the term conspiracy theory is highly ambiguous. No one has refuted this argument beyond bare statements of personal opinion. ireneshusband (talk) 07:35, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

In reply to Haemo and eleland. Not all alternative theories are covered in the main article. Foreknowledge theories are not all conspiracy theories so by your definition they should be in September 11, 2001 attacks yet they are here. There are also the disputes over the times people did things that are not conspiracy theories although they affected the events. The section on the Presidents behaviour is not a conspiracy theory. The section on Claims relating to the hijackers is not a conspiracy theory. The section on the Bin Laden tapes is not a conspiracy theory. Just give me a minute and I'll move those sections to the attacks page for you. Wayne (talk) 06:16, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

• To use a couple of hypothetical examples of non-conspiracy alternative theories, if someone produced a pseudoscientific explanation for why aircraft impact could have brought down the Twin Towers—that the impacts set off a nuclear reaction, say—or if someone produced an explanation for the failure to intercept the airliners that alleged outlandish incompetence—all the NORAD brass were still bopping away at an all-night party and completely off their faces on crystal meth and mescaline—such explanations certainly would not belong in the main 9/11 article. Neither would they belong in "9/11 conspiracy theories". They would then require articles of their own, which would be rather odd. On the other hand they would fit perfectly under the rubric "9/11 alternative theories". Unlike "9/11 alternative theories", "9/11 conspiracy theories" just is not a natural encyclopaedic category, even before you take into account how poorly defined and contentious the term "conspiracy theory" is. ireneshusband (talk) 08:32, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

• The argument surfaces again and again that "they" should be called conspiracy theories because that is what "they" are. Considering that the term itself is so poorly and ambiguously defined, this is no more than a tautology. ireneshusband (talk) 08:32, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

• Notable uses of "alternative theories:
  • State department uses "alternative theories" as the phrase of choice for a report on 9/11.
  • CNN poll uses phrase "alternative theories" in poll. This is notable because it is customary for pollsters to try to use neutral language in their questions. Obviously this was not a scientific poll by any means. However it is still striking that this particular choice of phrase was used. ireneshusband (talk) 08:32, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

No, the State Dept did not use "Alternative theories." The linked news report used "alternative theories" in scare quotes - State used "conspiracy theories." You don't even read your own sources — pathetic. "The Top Sept. 11 Conspiracy Theories"

Down at the bottom of the CNN poll you describe is a "related article" titled "9/11 conspiracy theorists energized." Note that articles are written by journalists and approved by editors, while god knows who writes those silly web-polls.

Google has archived 694 CNN pages containing "9-11" and "conspiracy-theories" and 9 containing "9-11" and "alternative-theories." Striking indeed. <eleland/talkedits> 12:07, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Actually we were both partially mistaken. The quotes were not "scare quotes". They were there to indicate both that the phrase was being quoted and that the choice of phrase was self-conscious and deliberate. Because of the great emphasis the article placed on the choice of words, I assumed that the quotes were from the report itself, whereas they were in fact from government officials talking about the report. The url for the report was on page 2 of the article and not linkified, which is why I missed it.

The "fact sheet" itself is clearly designed to push a particular point of view very strongly. This is evident not just from its use of the phrase "conspiracy theory" but also from its repeated use of the pejorative "conspiracy theorist" when it could have simply used the passive voice. In other words, the phrase was being deliberately used for its propaganda value.

So why did the State Department officials choose to use "alternative theories" when talking about the fact sheet? It seems to me that the only possible reason is because they wanted to be appear detached and objective. Perhaps they thought that if they used the phrase "conspiracy theory" in the press conference they might sound like they were ranting; in other words they might have been trying to present themselves as sober and rational in order to distance themselves from the "conspiracy theorists" they were ridiculing in the fact sheet itself. What we can be pretty certain about is that the State Department would not have used the phrase if it thought it would give "undue weight" or undue respectability to the theories the fact sheet was addressing. What we can also be certain of is that the State Department would not have chosen to use the phrase if it thought people might have trouble understanding what it meant.

I have already explained why I believe the wording of the poll question is noteworthy, but I shall try to rephrase it: Of course little web polls like that are silly, but that's not the point. The question is: Why did whoever drew up the poll question select the word alternative over the word conspiracy, which is CNN's favoured term? It seems to me pretty obvious that the only reason that makes sense would be to give this toy poll an aura of neutrality, just like a real poll. ireneshusband (talk) 11:56, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Ireneshusband left a note on my talk page. WP:COMMONNAME says to use the most common name that people coming to Misplaced Pages would use. To put the terms "9/11 conspiracy theories" in perspective compared with "9/11 alternative theories", take a look at Google Trends for these terms: (people searching for "9/11 alternative theories" is so tiny that you can't really see it on the graph. Though look at the bar graph showing regions, cities, and languages. "9/11 alternative theories" is a tiny blip on these graphs, but you can see it compared to "9/11 conspiracy theories". Also, here's the results including "9/11 conspiracy" . This is very telling that 9/11 conspiracy theories is by far the most commonly used and known term by the broader public. What news sources use also carries weight in deciding what to name this page. There is absolutely no merit in the proposal to rename this page, and I suggest it's time to close the discussion. --Aude (talk) 13:20, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

I got the same (or similar) message. I found it insulting and vitriolic...some editors seem to think stridently and repeated stating their opinion as fact will convince anyone of anything. It reminds me of a scene from The Good Life, Tom and Jerry are arguing about something and Jerry says "what makes you think you're so smart?" Tom shoots back "Standing next to you" Jerry starts smiling and nodding....he says you know I'm right don't you? Tom's straightens up and asks why? Why do you think that? Jerry says because you always resort to abuse when you lose an argument. To call anything I've done here (or anything I've done on Misplaced Pages since early 2005) flagrant and reckless is abuse, insulting and hardly worthy of a response. If ireneshusband really believes that then he should take this to Arbcom. Otherwise, I agree with Aude that it's time to move on. RxS (talk) 16:18, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Apparently, she put similar messages on literally every editor's talkpage who has disagreed with her; it's not a productive way to carry on this discussion. --Haemo (talk)

I got one too. I also found it rather counter-productive. It was a nice little Valentine's Day present, I guess. Okiefromokla 04:40, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. Didn't know that Google page existed. Very interesting. It shows that almost no one looks for 911 conspiracy theories at all, not many more look for the 911 attacks either, these are both outnumbered by far by plain old 911 conspiracy and of course the overwhelming majority look for 911. Are you suggesting we use the most popular name and just call the page 911? Or the most commonly used term known by the broader public that has the word conspiracy in it and drop the word "theories" from the end? Or.... do we only use the most popular one that you like? Wayne (talk) 16:31, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Just used that tree thing on another page that went through renaming. Google showed the original name as a majority term by far while the title it was changed to came up "do not have enough search volume to show graphs". The name was changed because western editors didn't like what the rest of the world called it. There was no consensus for a change but it was moved anyway. I guess that negates your "must be called by the most popular search term" arguement. Wayne (talk) 16:58, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

The problem with labelling the page "9/11 conspiracy" is that it is too vague - the actual conspiracy by Al Quaeda to execute the attack, for instance, would fall under that monicker but is completely different in nature than what is on this page. Titanium Dragon (talk) 20:30, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Oh, let's use some common sense here. I don't think you could reasonably assume anybody was talking about the official 9/11 description / timeline when they say the phrase "9/11 conspiracy theories." It's common, and it's descriptive enough to encompass the notions contained on this page. Naming it "alternative theories" would be changing it to a less commonly used term, and separating each theory into its own article wouldn't be practical. 71.204.49.76 (talk) 10:58, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

This continued argument that articles should be titled according to their common names does not hold any water. Check for yourself - think of a slang term or a nickname and search on it. Most of the time, you will be redirected to a disambig page or else the article for which you are seeking with its proper scholarly title. For example Car. Conspiracy Theories should be made to redirect to Alternative Theories, which is what the article should be properly titled. Bulbous (talk) 15:31, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Who are our readers?

Somebody in the above discussion that most readers to this article come from the link in the main 9/11 attacks article. Two years ago I came directly to this article. Is there any tracking software for this type of thing as is common on many websites?. It would make it easier to serve the readers if we knew who we are writing for Edkollin (talk) 04:50, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Please note that if you were to type in "9/11 Conspiracy Theories" a direct link would take you to "9/11 Alternative Theories." The main 9/ll article would have a link called "9/11 Alternative Theories" with a summary of the "9/11 Alternative Theories" article. No one would fail to find the "9/11 Alternative Theories" article; the only difference is that the title would not bias readers to think that the various alternative theories are "urban legends" or "folklore" or "fringe ideas conceived by conspiracy cranks." The alternative theories would have to stand, or fall, on their own merits. In other words, the title would be NPOV. Thanks. Apostle12 (talk) 06:08, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

The title doesn't bias readers against the content of the article. It is informative of what the article contains. It contains conspiracy theories regarding 9/11. That is EXACLTY what is in the article. We are not politically correct. We do not obfuscate, use weasel words, or censor ourselves. They are known as 9/11 conspiracy theories, they are exactly that, and there are no theories in here which are not conspiracy theories. Thus naming it anything else would be less precise and less informative to the reader. 9/11 alternative theories redirects here anyway, but according to google it is at best a third as common, and many of the things which are listed under "alternative theories" hits state "conspiracy theories". Titanium Dragon (talk) 23:06, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Please address the points already presented about article titles needing to be neutral, about conspiracy theory being poorly and ambiguously defined, about article titles needing to be unambiguous, about an editor's mere personal assurance that a phrase is not loaded being completely worthless. Repeating the same stuff too many times without addressing points raised by other editors is likely to lead to frayed tempers and loss of trust between editors. There is a Misplaced Pages guideline about this somewhere. ireneshusband (talk) 09:45, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

These "points" have been addressed, quite thoroughly. At this stage one must assume you are not raising the issue in good faith or that you not sufficiently informed about the topic to make constructive contributions to this article. Peter Grey (talk) 11:24, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

There is the paragraph "Summarizing" above where we can read a synthesis of all this arguments and counterarguments. Looking at it it doesn't seem thare that these points have been addressed so thoroughly.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 17:28, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

I am being criticised for not assuming others' good faith by people who themselves state that I am not acting in good faith.

You say "these points have already been addressed". As far as I can see little has been done to address any of these points beyond bare statements of personal opinion. If I have missed anything then please point it out because it is pretty hard to see amongst all the noise.

As for repetition, every time a misleading or nonsensical statement is repeated, it is only proper that it be refuted. I would very much like to have had a discussion that was concise and to the point. However when it comes to this issue that is entirely impossible. This is not my doing. After all, I have only taken part in this debate twice, yet those discussions held in my absence were probably little different. Also, if you look at the archive for the discussion at the end of 2006, it is pretty clear that I was hardly the one doing most of the talking. Titanium Dragon should know because he was there. If you and your friends don't like repetition then why don't you set a better example before you criticise others? ireneshusband (talk) 23:16, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

To say that the content is sonspiracy theories and therefore the title must be conspiracy theories is not a valid argument. If there is a more neutral description of the content of the artcle or if there is another neutral way to present the content it must be preferred per WP:NPOV. Your exact argument could be also used in this way:

The article black people can legitimately have the title nigger: doesn't bias readers against the content of the article. It is informative of what the article contains. It contains informations about niggers. That is EXACLTY what is in the article. We are not politically correct. We do not obfuscate, use weasel words, or censor ourselves.

that shows clearly that your argument has some problems.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 14:01, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Specious. Reliable sources wouldn't be found to support your argument. It fails the "common use" test. This is on par with the Nazi argument and Godwin's Law above. --PTR (talk) 14:11, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

1. Reliable sources are not part of this argument so they are irrelevant in this context. Please don't mix up different arguments.
2. Obviously even if we find a lot of racist reliable sources we wouldn't be allowed to assume their POV in wikipedia.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 15:30, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Exactly. We would need to use mainstream reliable sources and not assume anyone's POV. The racist sources would not be of the quality of the mainstream sources which is one of the specifics in WP:Naming Conflicts. Also, as I mentioned above, the renaming would not pass the common use test. --PTR (talk) 16:30, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

1. If people writing in the mainstream sources generally dislike a particular theory for any reason (for example because it would be not nice to think too bad things about the president or the government) we are not allowed to assume that POV expressing dislike by the same choice of words.
2. I addressed the argument: "they are conspiracy theories-> we can use that name", this argument is irrelevant if WP:NPOV has to be considered.
3. Obviously we have not to assume the POV of the racist sources but the reason is not "quality": the reason is NPOV.
4. WP:NCON is a giudeline and could eventually be applied only in ways that respect WP:NPOV that is a policy.

--Pokipsy76 (talk) 17:07, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

I don't think you want to be saying what your discussion in point two implies. I think you might want to consider refactoring. --PTR (talk) 17:44, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

What??--Pokipsy76 (talk) 17:57, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

It is nice that you are continuing the conspiracy/alternative theories argument but that is not the question I asked. As a editor I would like to know what percentage of my readers came from the main 9/11 article,what percentage of my readers are Americans etc. The editors broke the articles into subarticles assumed really interested readers will drill down for the information I disaagree but we are guessing here. Edkollin (talk) 04:48, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

A lot of the conspiracy theories can be pretty briefly summarized; if people want more depth, that's what subarticles are for. In any event, the subarticles need to stay seperate, and indeed it'd be nice if there were more of them; the page is still rather too long for my liking, though it has gotten better than it used to be. Titanium Dragon (talk) 20:33, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

But that still does answer the question. It is not my or your theory of what the readers want I was just using the subarticle debate as an example. My question is there or should there be tracking software to see what is holding the non-theorectical readears interest? Edkollin (talk) 21:36, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Another perspective

A related question to What should this article be called? is Should we have an article on 9/11 conspiracy theories?. Perhaps it would be an easier one to answer. It seems to me reading the arguments above that those in favour of the rename (that is, to something other than 9/11 conspiracy theories) are really saying that the topic 9/11 conspiracy theories isn't encyclopedic, while those who want to keep the name 9/11 conspiracy theories are really saying that it is. Andrewa (talk) 12:17, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

I agree with you: informations about urban folklore about 9/11 don't deserve very much space while informations about debates and controversies on the explanations of what happened, the responsabilities, forknowledge and so on do deserve a page.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 13:17, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Andrewa, a topic and its name are two seperate things. I would advise you all to drop this, due to "no consensus", even though I personally would have welcomed a change. The content of the article still needs some improving...  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 14:14, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Agree that the topic and its name are two seperate things, but surely you're not saying that they are unrelated? Agree that the content of the article still needs some improving. Even agree that it would be better to drop this, but I see no chance of that happening. I think it's better to have a balanced and open debate than for the reasoned voices to drop out and leave the talk pages (including of course move proposals) to those (few) who wish to promote particular POVs.

In the case of this rename, the POVs involved are whether or not these conspiracy theories have any credibility. Those who think they have would prefer they weren't called conspiracy theories of course! And it can obviously be argued both ways as to which way Misplaced Pages should go, I won't repeat the arguments here. Some of them are even valid, on both sides. But most reduce to a POV. Andrewa (talk) 19:08, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

• (deindent) It's no use quoting a single relevant guideline: you have to quote all the relevant guidelines. I know two of them: WP:NAME suggests to use the most common name, so readers can find the article. WP:NEUTRAL says the wording of the title should not have a negative or positive connotation. The word "conspiracy theory" CAN be USED neutrally, but because it is much more often used as pejorative term, we cannot say it IS in itself neutral. Since a move will leave a redirect, readers will still be able to find the article using the most common name, and then they will see the neutral name that we have chosen. I believe this is the best solution to comply with both guidelines at the same time. And remember, consensus can change. It's no use saying "it" has all been said before. This is the now.
  If you are still opposing the move, please declare under oath that you find nothing pejorative about the term "conspiracy theory".  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 02:21, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

• That is not what WP:NAME means. Redirects mean nothing: for a time "Miserable Failure" redirected to George W. Bush. The primary motivation behind this move appears to be a simple attempt to give these theories a degree of credibility they have not earned, and being as (as you stated) "conspiracy theories" is the most widely-used term, it is also the one which should appear at the top of this article. ~ S0CO 02:45, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

• The disputes on this and related articles always always seem to come down to a false dichotomy fallacy. This article is about conspiracy theories, in the sense of theories lacking evidence and requiring a criminal conspiracy that remains hidden indefinitely. These are encyclopedic as folklore, but only reflect reactions, and do not provide insight into the events. Legitimate alternatives to the established narrative, if any, should not be labelled as conspiracy theories, but neither should they be in this article in the first place, since in that case they would be unrelated to the subject matter. This is the real harm of the conspiracy theory POV-pushing: valid criticisms of the conventional narrative are drowned out by nonsense, hoaxes and already-disproven conjectures. Peter Grey (talk) 03:54, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

And who is to decide which theories are "legitimate"? Basically you want the title to endorse your own opinion on the matter. Misplaced Pages policy is that article titles should not prejudge the content. Yet you keep accusing others of POV-pushing. ireneshusband (talk) 08:17, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

changing the lead

• diff

The lead should make clear what this article is about: how other theories differ from the mainstream theory. The fact that many theorists identify as part of a movement is of secondary importance, and should not be so prominent. The above attempt was reverted by Ice Cold Beer. Request comments on how to proceed, any suggestions?  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 14:09, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

• Haemo, thank you for pointing out that these items are not in the rest of the article. But are you not confusing the lead with the first section?  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 14:22, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
  • But, this is the lead...the section title even says so. I've always been unhappy with mentioning the 9/11 Truth Movement so prominently in the lead, but there's never been a consensus to remove it. I also don't think you need this clause ("Al Qaeda taking America by surprise") since you Wikilink to the main attack article, and the mainstream explanation is dealt with one sentence down. It's always going to be impossible to collect an entire account into 5 words. --Haemo (talk) 21:46, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Looks good but I'd alter one sentence. It needs to be said why there are CT's. The current wording implies CT's are just a mechanism to shift blame rather than an attempt to explain events that the official account doesn't explain. "These conspiracy theories question the validity of the mainstream account due to it's failure to adequately explain the events". Wayne (talk) 16:27, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

I would like to see you tighten up what you wrote, and I would like to see it added to the lead, as you originally proposed. As presently written the lead does not convey that--despite the presence of true "conspiracy cranks"--some very sincere, thoughtful people question the mainstream theory. To begin with, you would need to eliminate the phrase "Most conspiracy theorists...," because I doubt you can reference a poll that would support your claim that "most" is an accurate description. There are other problems as well, however I believe they can be addressed provided you are fastidious in sourcing everything. Here is a possible beginning:

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, a growing number of people have begun to question the official version of events. (source) In particular they question that the four hijacked planes could have escaped American air defense for as long as they did, explained solely by human error, (source) and they question what role was played by the multiple simulataneous war exercises conducted that day by the U.S. military. (source) Also they question the likelihood that three steel-framed buildings might have collapsed solely due to fire, especially when only two of them were struck by aircraft (source) and there is no history of any steel-framed building having previously collapsed solely due to fire. (source) Critics note that the 9/11 Commission presumed good faith on the part of government officials, and therefore failed to ask the right questions or credit testimony that ran counter to the official version of events, in particular testimony by witnesses who claim to have suffered from secondary explosions in the buildings (source). Critics also note that President Bush refused to testify under oath, as requested by the 9/11 Commission. (source) Those who question the official version of events conclude that there may have been a coverup, either of negligence or complicity, and they demand further investigation into the matter. (source) In addition some have offered alternative theories that might better explain facts that are inconsistent with the official version of events. (source)

-that individuals in the government of the United States knew of the impending attacks and refused to act on that knowledge.

-that the attacks were a false flag operation carried out by high-level officials in the U.S. government.

-that the motive was to use the attacks as a pretext to justify overseas wars, facilitate increased military spending, and restrict domestic civil liberties.

The above might also partially solve the issue of establishing appropriate context for the introduction of "conspiracy theory" as a neutral, rather than pejorative, term. Apostle12 (talk) 19:48, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

They (the people questioning) don't necessarily question all the things together. Different people may have different doubts about the mainstream account.--Pokipsy76 (talk) 19:22, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Good point. This should be clarified.Apostle12 (talk) 07:07, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

changing the "origins" section

• diff

Most conspiracy theorists do not accept that the four hijacked planes could have escaped American air defense for as long as they did, explained solely by human error, and they question the role of the multiple simulataneous war exercises that were held that day. Also they question the possibility of three steel frame buildings collapsing due to fire, when only two of them were hit by a plane, and bring forward witnesses who claim to have suffered from secondary explosions in the buildings. Criticising the 9/11 Commission for presuming good faith beforehand on the part of any government official, for therefore failing to ask the right questions, and for failing to include all relevant testimony into its report, they argue there was a coverup of either negligence or complicity, calling the behaviour of the President during that day "inexplicable" and noting that he refused to testify both under oath or alone, as requested by the 9/11 Commission.

My edit was reverted. The current article reads: "a number of websites, books, and films have challenged" ... that is true, but websites are not the origin of theories. People first have a theory, then make a website about it. Films and books were much later. The current wording would suggest that the origin of the theories lies in fiction, where the origin lies in a different interpretation of the same facts which led others to believe the other theory: the mainstream one. I am happy to provide sourcing for the paragraph I inserted, but perhaps someone has a better way of putting it, since I am no native English speaker? My purpose is to show which facts in particular got the theories in motion. A website is hardly a cause for the beginning of a movement, unless someone has a RS which says so?  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 14:09, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it has the implication you're reading here — you might solve it by just adding "a number of theories have been put forward in websites, books, and films which challenge the...". Most of the stuff in the first paragraph you added is already covered, so this might be tighter. --Haemo (talk) 21:49, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

I agree with your general direction in thinking. It is a bit like SUVs, which always appear in the news as prime instigators, and which are credited with running people over, killing someone, or using too much petrol--it is of course the drivers of SUVs, people in other words, who do these things.

I would like to see you tighten up what you wrote, and I would like to see it added to the lead, as you originally proposed. (Please see "Changing the lead" above.) As presently written the lead does not convey that--despite the presence of true "conspiracy cranks"--some very sincere, thoughtful people question the mainstream theory. To begin with, you would need to eliminate the phrase "Most conspiracy theorists...," because I doubt you can reference a poll that would support your claim that "most" is an accurate description. There are other problems as well, however I believe they can be addressed provided you are fastidious in sourcing everything. Here is a possible beginning:

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, a growing number of people have begun to question the official version of events. (source) In particular they question that the four hijacked planes could have escaped American air defense for as long as they did, explained solely by human error, (source) and they question what role was played by the multiple simulataneous war exercises conducted that day by the U.S. military. (source) Also they question the likelihood that three steel-framed buildings might have collapsed solely due to fire, especially when only two of them were struck by aircraft (source) and there is no history of any steel-framed building having previously collapsed solely due to fire. (source) Critics note that the 9/11 Commission presumed good faith on the part of government officials, and therefore failed to ask the right questions or credit testimony that ran counter to the official version of events, in particular testimony by witnesses who claim to have suffered from secondary explosions in the buildings (source). Critics also note that President Bush refused to testify under oath, as requested by the 9/11 Commission. (source) Those who question the official version of events conclude that there may have been a coverup, either of negligence or complicity, and they demand further investigation into the matter. (source) In addition some have offered alternative theories that might better explain facts that are inconsistent with the official version of events. (source)

-that individuals in the government of the United States knew of the impending attacks and refused to act on that knowledge.

-that the attacks were a false flag operation carried out by high-level officials in the U.S. government.

-that the motive was to use the attacks as a pretext to justify overseas wars, facilitate increased military spending, and restrict domestic civil liberties.

The above might also partially solve the issue of establishing appropriate context for the introduction of "conspiracy theory" as a neutral, rather than pejorative, term. Apostle12 (talk) 19:48, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

• I would support such a change. Go ahead and do it, when no one objects!  &#151; Xiutwel ♫☺♥♪ (speech has the power to bind the absolute) 02:04, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

You previously stated that you could provide sourcing. My time is tight right now. If you can provide bulletproof sourcing, I will make the changes. Apostle12 (talk) 07:05, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Let's stop talking about moving it.

This is a suggestion that I've read several times. The problem is that if we continue talking about it, we'll be wasting time, at least the time of the people who don't want it changed - at least if it goes nowhere again. I mean, we can't just let others fill in to defend the current title when we're sick of defending it ourselves. Because we don't trust them.

If the title is changed, and then a move back to the current title is proposed, and we discuss it hundreds of times AGAIN, I can imagine that the supporters of the new title would be the ones arguing that we shouldn't talk about it any more. For the same ultimate reason: they don't trust us.

Ok, I wrote that from the POV of those who support the current name. But I weakly support changing the current name, so it was a little disingenuous. But here I am admitting it, so it's ok, right? Right. I think anyone with a neutral point of view would never suggest ending a discussion.

If we keep the name, we should work on making it clear that "Conspiracy theories" are often the beginning of *accurate* accounts of history. Every conspiracy necessarily starts out with efforts to have the facts concealed. Alternative conspiracy theories have the potential to make history more accurate because sometimes they present facts that contradict widely accepted falsehoods. This is really what I would like to see, which is why my support is weak.

What bothers me is that IF there are people in powerful positions who are working diligently to prevent truth from coming out (and reported in WP), their efforts will have "labeling evidence that contradicts our story as 'conspiracy theories'" as a foundation of their efforts. It would be a shame for WP to support their efforts simply because they are able to get certain experts and media organizations to use the term. "Neutral" in NPOV is being used to mean "according to experts" and "popular" rather than "lacking connotation" which seems to me the intent behind neutrality.

I have gone to the user pages for some of the contributors and discovered that sometimes it's pretty obvious that an editor is making a concerted effort to put forth a particular NON-neutral point of view, but also doing a pretty good job of keeping with WP policy. I think that's a good thing, and for me, it justifies bringing the issues up over and over again. WP is primarily an educational tool, and it is these discussions that are most educational, at least for me. I like seeing others' NON_neutral POVs. Sometimes they win me over. How about you? Dscotese (talk) 00:41, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I agree. Listening to conflicting non-neutral points of view is how I refine my own point of view. On XM radio I make a point of dividing my time between far-right, far-left and (supposedly) neutral stations. Listening only to points of view that mirror one's own take on things is simply an exercise in narcissm. Apostle12 (talk) 08:46, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

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