Introduction to contentious topics

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Introduction to contentious topics

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You have recently edited a page related to pseudoscience and fringe science, a topic designated as contentious. This standard message is designed as an introduction to contentious topics and does not imply that there are any issues with your editing.

A special set of rules applies to certain topic areas, which are referred to as contentious topics. These are specially-designated topics that tend to attract more persistent disruptive editing than the rest of the project and have been designated as contentious topics by the Arbitration Committee. When editing a contentious topic, Wikipedia’s norms and policies are more strictly enforced, and Wikipedia administrators have special powers in order to reduce disruption to the project.

Within contentious topics, editors should edit carefully and constructively, refrain from disrupting the encyclopedia, and:

  • adhere to the purposes of Wikipedia;
  • comply with all applicable policies and guidelines;
  • follow editorial and behavioural best practice;
  • comply with any page restrictions in force within the area of conflict; and
  • refrain from gaming the system.

Editors are advised to err on the side of caution if unsure whether making a particular edit is consistent with these expectations. If you have any questions about contentious topics procedures you may ask them at the arbitration clerks' noticeboard or you may learn more about this contentious topic here. You may also choose to note which contentious topics you know about by using the {{Ctopics/aware}} template. tgeorgescu (talk) 03:39, 4 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

Yes. We are biased.

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Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, once wrote:[1][2][3][4]

Wikipedia's policies ... are exactly spot-on and correct. If you can get your work published in respectable scientific journals – that is to say, if you can produce evidence through replicable scientific experiments, then Wikipedia will cover it appropriately.

What we won't do is pretend that the work of lunatic charlatans is the equivalent of "true scientific discourse". It isn't.

So yes, we are biased.

And we are not going to change. tgeorgescu (talk) 20:37, 7 August 2023 (UTC)Reply

References

  1. ^ Farley, Tim (25 March 2014). "Wikipedia founder responds to pro-alt-med petition; skeptics cheer". Skeptical Software Tools. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  2. ^ Hay Newman, Lily (27 March 2014). "Jimmy Wales Gets Real, and Sassy, About Wikipedia's Holistic Healing Coverage". Slate. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  3. ^ Gorski, David (24 March 2014). "An excellent response to complaints about medical topics on Wikipedia". ScienceBlogs. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  4. ^ Novella, Steven (25 March 2014). "Standards of Evidence – Wikipedia Edition". NeuroLogica Blog. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  5. ^ Talk:Astrology/Archive 13#Bias against astrology
  6. ^ Talk:Alchemy/Archive 2#naturalistic bias in article
  7. ^ Talk:Numerology/Archive 1#There's more work to be done
  8. ^ Talk:Homeopathy/Archive 60#Wikipedia Bias
  9. ^ Talk:Acupuncture/Archive 13#Strong Bias towards Skeptic Researchers
  10. ^ Talk:Energy (esotericism)/Archive 1#Bias
  11. ^ Talk:Conspiracy theory/Archive 12#Sequence of sections and bias
  12. ^ Talk:Vaccine hesitancy/Archive 5#Clearly a bias attack article
  13. ^ Talk:Magnet therapy/Archive 1#Contradiction and bias
  14. ^ Talk:Crop circle/Archive 9#Bower and Chorley Bias Destroyed by Mathematician
  15. ^ Talk:Laundry ball/Archives/2017
  16. ^ Talk:Facilitated communication/Archive 1#Comments to the version by DavidWBrooks
  17. ^ Talk:Ayurveda/Archive 15#Suggestion to Shed Biases
  18. ^ Talk:Torsion field (pseudoscience)/Archive 1#stop f**** supressing science with your bias bull****
  19. ^ Talk:Young Earth creationism/Archive 3#Biased Article (part 2)
  20. ^ Talk:Holocaust denial/Archive 12#Blatant bias on this page
  21. ^ Talk:Flat Earth/Archive 7#Disinformation, the EARTH IS FLAT and this can be SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN. This article is not about Flat Earth, it promotes a round earth.
  22. ^ Talk:Scientific racism/Archive 1#THIS is propaganda
  23. ^ Talk:Climate change conspiracy theory/Archive 3#Problems with the article
  24. ^ Talk:Santa Claus/Archive 11#About Santa Claus
  25. ^ Talk:Flood geology/Archive 4#Obvious bias
  26. ^ Talk:Quackery/Archive 1#POV #2
  27. ^ Talk:Ancient astronauts/Archive 4#Pseudoscience