Week 2 Questions

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I think content gaps are areas in information which are missing and require a more thorough approach. They can be identified by analyzing the overall structure of the article and seeing if there are portions that do not align or seem staggered in nature.

A content gap might arise chiefly due to poor research or just lack of information. However things such as poor editing and lack of structure can also apply. This can be remedied simply by conducting thorough research and even talking with fellow editors on the subject.

It does not matter as long as the information you present is objective and provides and suitable view of the subject.

Unbiased means to not express personal opinions such dislike or favoritism when editing information. Its different from bias in that it has no predetermined judgement being placed on another party. Bias is just personal opinion not objective fact.

Week 4 Questions

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  • Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
    • Blog post and press releases are considered unreliable sources of information because they are usually presented by unqualified individuals with a certain goal set in mind. These goals tend to lead to bias when presenting the information in any format. Blog post tend to put forth news or information based on personal knowledge and doesn't indicate whether it is reliable or not. Press releases announce news and present it in a way that provokes a reaction within the audience. This doesn't necessarily mean it's entirely accurate.
  • What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
    • The company's website one purpose is to make any visitors to have the best impression of the company that they can present. While you might find some information regarding the company it might not be reliable because they might omit any information that would give the company a bad image. The prevent any bias found in information it is important to prioritize any unaffiliated research sources.
  • What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
    • A copyright violation is when a material is used whether its an image, video, or statement without the owners permission even if they have been credited. An example is using a picture and crediting the source but the photographer did not give their express permission. Plagiarism is when somebody else's words are used without properly crediting them through a reference or citation.
  • What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
    • A good technique is to take notes of the source you are taking information from and to place that information into your own words without referencing the source material. Another good tip is to use a variety of source material in order to ensure there is more information to work with. And always double-check your writing in order and compare it to the source material in order to ensure it is different.

Topic Questions

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The article I'm going to be editing is about the Marquis de Condorcet, he is my character. I might make some edits to his wife's page, Sophie de Condorcet, depending on whether I find any relevant information to her and if I can add it to her article. Condorcet's article has a moderate amount of information since he was a rather prominent member of French society during the Revolution, but he was of no real importance so there isn't as much information. I hope to add information regarding his affects on progressive movements, namely women's rights and abolition. I have already found a sort of biography of his within an academic book that talks about some of the major effects he has had on these subjects during his era. However, his page appears to be inactive with the latest post being on November 7, 2010.

Week 5 Questions

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Additions

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I plan to be expanding upon the other works section in order to include other works by Condorcet and to provide a more in depth explanation on some of the subject matters contained within the works.

I will work on fleshing out all the other sections on the page aside from the one about the French Revolution. I will prioritize the Enlightenment section which I believe is labelled 'The Idea of Progress' and will detail the impact Condorcet has made on intellectual thinking.

Bibliography

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-Lukes, Steven and Urbinati, Nadia (2012). Condorcet: Political Writings (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)

-Williams, David (2004). Condorcet and Modernity

-Rothschild, Emma (2001). Economic sentiments : Adam Smith, Condorcet, and the Enlightenment

Week 6

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Questions

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  • What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
    • Wikipedia's definition of neutrality is aimed towards offering an unbiased and comprehensive encyclopedic article. Wikipedia is fairly good at establishing what it claims as neutrality by offering suggestions, guides, and even non-malicious warnings towards maintaining neutrality. They encourage editors to express multiple viewpoints while being objective when editing articles. This aids readers in developing their own independent viewpoints on a topic. I'm glad that Wikipedia goes to such lengths to maintain its neutrality while acting as an encyclopedia.
  • What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
    • You'd be hard pressed to find someone that uses the internet on a day to day basis who does not know what Wikipedia is. That is the lasting effect it has made on information gathering will not be forgotten anytime soon. The shear plethora of knowledge that Wikipedia provides at a simple search, usually being the first result, is astounding. However, while Wikipedia is revolutionary in its information giving it does contain certain flaws. Wikipedia has made its editing service public so that means that anyone can add information onto a page on Wikipedia. This can lead to some misinformation and unreliable material. But Wikipedia has made it possible for editors to review each others edits which is able to filter out most of the untrustworthy information most of the time. Also there are usually many great sources linked with each article that can be used to vet information. All in all, Wikipedia is a great source of information but it shouldn't be taken for granted because it is not 100 percent reliable.
  • On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
    • This excludes biased materials such as blog posts, news media, unknown sources, and usually any other sources that aren't scholarly or factual in material or are biased. The reliable sources tend to be research articles, materials and documents published by those in the respective field, and statistical information. There are no real major problems created by these its just that there will be further research required to ensure that the information is reliable. These errors occur mainly due to the belief that 'if its on the internet then it has to be true' which leads to useless and harmful information.
  • If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?
    • If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago it would probably be a more private service since it would have originated in physical texts and not on an internet platform. The amount of information related to event dating to the 1900's would probably be more in depth due to the fairly good recording capabilities that Wikipedia provides. It would probably be treated like any old encyclopedia. In 100 years from now, it is hard to place due to the fast advancement of technology and the development of history. From a purely technological standpoint I wouldn't be surprise is some form of augmented reality or 3d imaging technology is developed. This would give Wikipedia access to rendering 3d models and it would almost turn Wikipedia into a virtual museum in a sense. No one knows what will happen in the future and to what heights we will reach.

Week 8

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Draft

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Arrest and death

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On 25 March 1794 Condorcet, convinced he was no longer safe, left his hideout and attempted to flee Paris. He went to seek refuge at the house of Jean-Baptiste Suard, friends of his whom he resided with in 1772.[1] But they refused him on the basis that one off their current residents would betray his presence. Two days later he was arrested in Clamart and imprisoned in Bourg-la-Reine (or, as it was known during the Revolution, Bourg-l'Égalité, "Equality Borough" rather than "Queen's Borough").

Other Works

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I plan to change the almost list like nature that this section has

Condorcet had a range of other publications regarding a variety of subjects. These included academic studies, political expression, and philosophy.

In 1786, Condorcet worked on ideas for the differential and integral calculus, giving a new treatment of infinitesimals – a work which was never printed. In 1789, he published Vie de Voltaire (1789), which agreed with Voltaire in his opposition to the Church. In 1798, Thomas Malthus wrote An Essay on the Principle of Population partly in response to Condorcet's views on the "perfectibility of society" as outlined in the Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind. In 1781, Condorcet wrote a pamphlet, Reflections on Negro Slavery, in which he denounced slavery.

In 1791, Condorcet along with Sophie de Grouchy, Thomas Paine, Etienne Dumont, Jacques-Pierre Brissot, and Achilles Duchastellet published a brief journal titled Le Républicain. Its main goal being the promotion of republicanism and the rejection of establishing a constitutional monarchy. The theme being that any sort of monarchy is a threat to freedom no matter who is leading, which emphasized that liberty is freedom from domination.[2]

In 1795, Condorcet had a book published called "Esquisse d’un tableau historique des progrès de l’esprit humain". It dealt with theoretical thought on perfecting the human mind and analyzing intellectual history based around social arithmetic.

The Idea of Progress

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However, Condorcet stressed that for this to be a possibility man must unify regardless of race, religion, culture or gender. To this end, he became a member of the French Société des Amis des Noirs (Society of the Friends of the Blacks). He wrote a set of rules for the Society of the Friends of the Blacks which detailed the reasoning and goals behind the organization along with describing the injustice of slavery and put in a statement calling for the abolition of the slave trade as the first step to true abolitions.[3]

Condorcet was also a strong proponent of women's civil rights. He claims that women are equal to men in nearly every field so why should they be debarred from their fundamental civil rights. The few differences that do exist are due to the fact that women are limited by their lack of rights. Condorcet even mentions several women who are more capable then average men such as Queen Elizabeth and Maria-Theresa.[3][4]

Week 10

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Linked To

Etienne Dumont

Jacques-Pierre Brissot

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard

Queen Elizabeth

Maria-Theresa

Linked From

Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard

Jacques-Pierre Brissot

Etienne Dumont

  1. ^ Salmon, J.H.M (1977). "Turgot and Condorcet. Progress, Reform and Revolution". History Today. 27: 288 – via Florida International University.
  2. ^ Berges, Sandrine (2015). "Sophie de Grouchy on the Cost of Domination in the Letters on Sympathy and Two Anonymous Articles in Le Républicain". Monist. 98: 102–112 – via Florida International University.
  3. ^ a b Steven Lukes, Nadia Urbinati (2012). Condorcet: Political Writings. United States of America: Cambridge University Press. pp. 148–155. ISBN 9781107021013.
  4. ^ Steven Lukes, Nadia Urbinati (2012). Condorcet: Political Writings. United States of America: Cambridge University Press. pp. 156–162. ISBN 9781107021013.