 | This article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Weasel words edit
"She is highly regarded as one of the first female singers in a rock band."
This is what we call on Wikipedia weasel words and peacocking. This is because it;
- expresses an opinion of how wonderful someone is.
- with attributing it to anyone in particular.
- or providing a source for it.
The problem with weasel words and peacocking is that they are often constructed to hide the editor's personal opinion, attempting to give the resemblance of authority when it has none. It doesn't do the reader or article any favours, being unverifiable, and instead reads as a bit evasive or even dishonest.
So you cannot make a statement that Barbara Robison is "highly regarded" as anything unless you can provide a source that says this, or a attribute that opinion to someone notable in particular. Who is doing the regarding?
In fact, what is preferable, particularly in lead paragraphs, is that you avoid opinions of any sort and instead provide facts that make the opinions superfluous. Can you name any particular awards, for instance, that demonstrate the "high regard" without it being just some vague opinion?
--Escape Orbit (Talk) 18:38, 8 February 2015 (UTC)
The fact is, that if Barbera Robinson was "highly regarded as one of the first female singers in a rock band." a better source could be found that says this than the sleeve notes to her own record. Are there any secondary or tertiary sources that say this? --Escape Orbit (Talk) 18:22, 16 February 2015 (UTC)