Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 March 31

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March 31

Derek Hilt

How to I build a Wikipage on Derek HIlt? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.88.105.54 (talk) 00:59, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

First you would need an account. Anonymous users can't create pages. Creating one is free though and you don't have to supply any personal information. Then you can create the article by clicking on this link: Derek Hilt and then just start writing. Although, to be included a person should be notable enough for an article. See WP:N and WP:RS for info on notability and supplying reliable sources for the info that you submit. Dismas|^(talk) 03:06, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Rochester Institute of Technology

But i have this doubt, according to what i have heard RIT has a good reputation when it comes to Computer Science, but i checked these ratings on the internet, in which RIT is not been rated in the top 100 colleges for computer science! here is the link - http://members.rediff.com/duewest/ranks.htm 4 - could you please tell me how authenticated this source is and please let me know of any better source - except for USNews - that rates colleges according to the concerned majors! I would also like to know about Illinois Institute of Technology who is this place and the academic reputation. I want to know the respect that each of these universities get in the real world! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.227.173 (talk) 03:51, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

The link you provide gives absolutely no source, so I would disregard it as reliable information. Additionally, the index page also gives instructions for Fall 1999 students, so it's quite out of date even if it were from a trusted source. As I've noted before with questions like this, my personal stance is that accreditation is the only relevant objective reference, with ABET being the relevant accreditor in this instance. Beyond that, personal experience (both yours at the school, and future employers' with the school's graduates) will vary. — Lomn 14:24, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

The US is per capita richer than many rich countries such as UK/Aus

As a tourist I can't see any manifestation of this income gap. But quality of life is probably affected somehow? Lotsofissues 06:50, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

People in the USA with reasonable jobs (computer programmer, web designer, etc.) seem typically to have bigger houses and more possessions than someone in a similar job could afford in the UK. On the other hand people like convenience store workers seem to be worse off, Some of my (American) wife's friends have had to have teeth pulled because they cannot afford fillings, go without treatment for arthritis, etc. The ultra rich seem to have obscene amounts of money in both, but how do you compare Bill Gates against the Queen? -- Q Chris (talk) 08:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Be aware that the idea that Americans are better off because they "have more possessions" is usually the wrong way to look at things. A lot of non-Americans think Americans are well off because they have a lot of stuff, but that could merely mean that Americans (in general) either (a) buy more than they can afford or (b) have many possessions but little actual wealth. Study after study have provided strong evidence that Americans neglect long-term vessels of wealth for 'stuff'.

As to the OP, as a tourist, where did you go? Did you go to New York City? If so, did you drive around Brooklyn or Harlem (or Long Island), or just Manhattan? The point of that question is to figure out whether you actually went to places that would show income disparity. This also ties into my previous paragraph, since even if you went through some poor areas, there could be a facade of wealth being propped up by poor financial decisions. The fact that someone has a flat-screen TV does not necessarily say anything about how well off that person is.--droptone (talk) 12:01, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I don't think this is the only factor, especially where housing is concerned. Some friends of my wife (a web designer and a pollution inspector) have a house that is equivalent to that of the CEO of the company I work for, and that seems to be about normal. A house that goes for $200,000 in Houston would go for £1,000,000 in many parts of the UK. (see [1] and [2] - and this is what you'd get for $200,000 [3], in far from the most expensive location in the country). -- Q Chris (talk) 13:19, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Just out of interest £1,000,000 ($1,987,000) would get you this two bedroom flat in one of the most expensive areas of the UK, though I am sure that "most expensive" areas in the USA are ridiculous also. -- Q Chris (talk) 15:35, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

The US has uncommonly uneven wealth and income distribution for an industrialized nation, which makes per capita comparisons tricky. More billionaires, but also more skid row bums and more incredibly impoverished ghettos.

Another thing tricky: the real income of the U.S. workforce has been slowly dropping for most of the last 30+ years (except a slight uptick in the last 4-5 years of the 20th century). Still, a dropping income doesn't typically take away a house you already own. Also, different levels of women's participation in the workforce (and different levels of gov't childcare subsidies) means that it is hard to make apples-to-apples comparisons across countries. Similarly, different amounts of leisure; different quality of education. Even the fact that far more Americans own cars than almost anywhere is not necessarily a matter of higher standard of living: if you live in most European cities, you can get around fine with public transportation and the occasional taxi. Few American cities are set up for that. - Jmabel | Talk 17:32, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Yes yes, but Q Chris has a very valid point. I have travelled a bit around the US (Newark, Las Vegas, San Fran, San Diego, Minneapolis, St. Paul) and have seen the vast trailer parks around the major cities. But I would say that when travelling around, the standard of housing is generally much better and more spacious than here in the UK on a cost by cost comparison. I guess a lot of that has to do with our much better and relatively more expensive and skilful durability of construct, generally double walls of brick or breeze-block (cinder) and a brick outer as against a US Lath and Plaster construct - and our homes have to be smaller to make heating them affordable. But don't forget to consider US food prices as against the UK where I reckon we pay at least double US prices. And what about petrol/Gas?? I am paying £1.06 per LITRE this week in Scotland - and unless I am much mistaken, a GALLON costs just over a USD (about £0.55). If I had US fuel and utilities and house prices on my UK salary/pension, I reckon I could live at a much higher standard than I do here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.145.241.235 (talk) 20:17, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Actually gasoline is running about $3.50 USD per gallon now. Corvus cornix_talk 20:30, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Even so, that still means the price in Britain is more than double the American price. 1 US gallon = 3.785 litres. Therefore 1 [US] gallon purchased in Britain would cost around £4 (ie just under $8). 80.254.147.52 (talk) 14:12, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

A rule of thumb seems to be that a litre of gas in Europe costs about the same as a gallon of gas in the US. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 06:21, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

I would argue that Americans have been living beyond their real means for at least 25 years and that the per capita incomes are distorted by 1) the concentration of income at the top of the scale. Median household income is probably closer to the OECD norm, particularly since the recent downward adjustment of the US dollar. The US dollar and interest rates have been subsidized for many years now by the process of dollar hegemony. Many people were able to buy houses that they couldn't afford and have fallen behind on their payments. Many people have bought other stuff that they couldn't afford and are facing insolvency. Interest rates are still exceedingly low, but the dollar has begun to adjust due to the suppression of interest rates and the troubles of the US economy and financial sector. As the dollar declines and interest rates are finally forced upwards, I think that you will see a substantial decline in the median standard of living. Average (mean) numbers may still be comparable to those of other OECD countries, but this will be due mainly to the enormous, almost unimaginable incomes of the very rich. Marco polo (talk) 20:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

The differences in "standard of living" among the rich countries are not nearly as apparent as the differences between rich and poor countries, but they are there. For example, the U.S. used to have per-capita GDP something like 30% higher than in Canada. That's probably changed in the past couple of years. But anyway, a quick glance of the two countries won't reveal any obvious differences. Both Americans and Canadians generally own homes, drive cars, wear nice clothes and eat at nice restaurants on occasion. But Canadians on average drive somewhat less expensive cars than Americans. The best-selling car in Canada has long been the subcompact Honda Civic, while in the U.S., it's the mid-size Toyota Camry. The average Canadian home is a few hundred feet smaller than the average American home. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:55, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Blue star in windows

When I was a kid, I remember there being houses in various neighborhoods that I walked through on my way home from school that had cardboard placards in the front windows. They would have a blue five pointed star on a yellow background. The whole thing was maybe 18" x 12". I haven't seen them in years but I have a vague recollection of the significance of them. What I recall is that they were to indicate safe-houses where if you were a kid who needed help for whatever reason, you could go to these houses and be assured safety from whatever/whoever you may need a safe haven from. I don't remember who told me this or if it is even correct, that's just what I remember vaguely knowing for whatever reason. I'd like to look the signs up and see what they were actually for but a few Google searches for things like "house star yellow blue" are just too ambiguous and I get a lot of hits for Energy-star appliances. So does anyone know what these were for? What they were called, etc.? This would have been in the mid-late 80s in the U.S. Dismas|^(talk) 09:15, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Something similar to National Safe Place, or the Safety House Program in Australia? FiggyBee (talk) 11:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I recall it being more like the second than the first. But yes, that's the general idea. Another guy about my age remembers the signs too but he doesn't know the name of the program or any of the specifics either. So, at least I'm not too far off base with my description. Dismas|^(talk) 12:27, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Of course there would be an inherent problem with such signs - anyone could put one up in their front window. The distribution of the placards themselves could be regulated, I guess, but the signs could still be faked. All in all, it sounds like a pretty dopey idea to me, which is not to say I don't believe your recollection. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:30, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

In Canada we had the same thing, Block Parents. It does seem pretty dopey...but it's true. Adam Bishop (talk) 15:23, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I've always been confused and slightly insulted by the implication that other houses in the neighborhood would not be safe places for a child to run to in an emergency. Some people might be grumpy about it, but I'm pretty sure that virtually anyone would be willing to let a small child stand in their front hall while they phone the police. It seems like to teach a child otherwise would be nothing more than paranoia, and potentially dangerous paranoia at that. APL (talk) 16:34, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

What you've described, APL, is the mindset of many Americans... Unfortunate as it is. Dismas|^(talk) 21:19, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I see it slightly differently. The houses without these signs are ones that the child doesn't know whether to trust or not. But the houses with signs can be safely trusted. In a crisis, any house will do, but if they can get to house with a star, so much the better. This is no different from the warning not to accept sweets from strangers - it's not that every apparently kindly stranger is automatically a child rapist, but it's a sensible precaution to say "no, thank you" if you don't know them. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:10, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

That's not a fair comparison at all. You're comparing a child actively seeking out an adult to an adult actively seeking out a child. In a crisis, aim for the closest house that looks like it's got people in it, don't aggravate your panic with paranoia that there are monsters potentially lurking behind every unmarked door. I mean, can you think of a single case where a child was running from a predator and wound up, by pure chance, in the home of another? I'm sure that would make the news. By way of comparison, there are lots of cases of children being killed when their school bus is involved in an accident. And lots more of children being killed when their parents' car is involved in an accident. APL (talk) 02:36, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Better than being little, frightened, on your own and paranoid. It's not as if children have to hang out with dodgy strangers every day and they can be taught the difference. I'd think it's the people that approach children first who likely more suspicious than the ones children turn to if they're worried. Part of the problem now is that there are not many people at home. People can second-guess others until it drives them crazy but most people around are regular types and don't mind helping out in an emergency. I often meet friendly people on bush walks, but what a world if we thought there was an Ivan Milat under every floppy hat. Julia Rossi (talk) 23:40, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

A Google search for "blue star" safe house finds mentions of a similar program in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Result 11 is Blue Star Program from Pleasant Hill School's Parent Teacher Organization site and result 27 is Blue Star Program from the Police Department page of Pleasant Hill's Official City Website --Bavi H (talk) 02:08, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

That must be it. The ones I remember had a yellow background but that is basically the same program I recall. Thanks! Dismas|^(talk) 02:41, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

I am the originator of the Blue Star Program. I started the program during the 1970's working with the Des Moines, Iowa Police Department. My son was kidnapped, and after I got him back 10 days later, I initiated the Blue Star Program. The Blue Star was visible in the front window of "SAFE HOMES" of families who were thoroughly checked out by the Police Department for school age children. If a child felt in danger while coming and going to school, or playing outside, the child knew that was a safe place to go. I gave speeches in school auditoriums to make the public aware of the program. The Blue Star Program exists in other parts of the state of Iowa. The Blue Star has a white background. My name is tlspiegel

Apparently, tlspiegel, your Blue Star Program spread a bit. I grew up in the late 19070's and into the early 80's in a small suburb of Chicago called Villa Park, Illinois. Those Blue Star placards were in several windows on my block. As a latchkey kid, I appreciated knowing there were safe places to go if there were ever an emergency. Unfortunately, I don't see those stars around any more. I'm more than a little disturbed by that. But I suppose it's the culture of fear that's to blame. In the age when just about anyone can make a fairly official looking sign with their home computer, it's at least somewhat understandable why it's not in favor any more. ~ J.Jentzen

Is Questnet legal? (the company owned by Dato Vijay Eswaran)

Thanks a gazillion! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.169.67.17 (talk) 09:25, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Probably depends on what country you're talking about. But having said that, I can't see what would make it illegal (in Australia) (I am not a lawyer). What made you think it was illegal? - Akamad (talk) 11:22, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I can't seem to find a link, but I know I heard a story about it (maybe on NPR) recently, describing it as a pyramid scheme that was bankrupting many people in certain countries. There is, as I recall, a reluctance to outlaw the scheme, because those people who have already paid their "entrance fee" would lose out before they could pull in others. A quick google search turns up this similar discussion. jeffjon (talk) 13:26, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Ah, here's the Marketplace article. jeffjon (talk) 13:28, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Ladybirds and Ohio

I was just looking at the ladybird page Coccinellidae, and was wondering if there was some genuine link between Ohio and ladybirds that I am unaware of, as the article is part of Wikiproject Ohio.Snorgle (talk) 14:13, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

It seems that the ladybird is the official state insect of Ohio; see Ohio#State symbols. To me, that is a rather dubious reason for the article to be part of that wikiproject, but there you go. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:19, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Thanks - I just googled that myself,(as I should have done before!), but I agree that it does seem a flimsy reason to make it part of Wikiproject Ohio. I guess that I'll leave it up to the Wikiproject Ohio folk to decide if they want to keep it. (I'll probably remove the reference to Colin's house, though!)Snorgle (talk) 14:22, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Apparently it became the official state insect by resolution, not by law, around 1976 [4], it's a beneficial insect after all. It's also the official insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. There's a war between cousins going on, and the state insect is losing it. See here (pdf-file). Harmonia axyridis, also imported as a beneficial insect in order to diminish insect pests (aphids, scale, mealybugs) is threatening to wipe out Coccinella septempunctata, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom (See Telegraph). Maybe Ohio is trying to protect the seven-spotted ladybug online too. 83.78.176.92 (talk) 14:48, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

knee pain and running

This question has been removed. Per the reference desk guidelines, the reference desk is not an appropriate place to request medical, legal or other professional advice, including any kind of medical diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment recommendations. For such advice, please see a qualified professional. If you don't believe this is such a request, please explain what you meant to ask, either here or on the Reference Desk's talk page. --Milkbreath (talk) 15:51, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

This question has been removed. Per the reference desk guidelines, the reference desk is not an appropriate place to request medical, legal or other professional advice, including any kind of medical diagnosis or prognosis, or treatment recommendations. For such advice, please see a qualified professional. If you don't believe this is such a request, please explain what you meant to ask, either here or on the Reference Desk's talk page. --Milkbreath (talk) 15:51, 31 March 2008 (UTC) --~~~~

Word Puzzle Name and examples

Can anyone tell me the name of the type of word puzzles that follow. Also, are there known web sources for these puzzles.

Mind
_____

Matter

Translates to "mind over matter"

AI4D Translates into "Foreign Aid"

gol Translates into "Backlog"

A48857 (talk) 16:58, 31 March 2008 (UTC)a48857

Rebus. Corvus cornix_talk 17:12, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Rebuses are typically understood to rely on pictograms, while these don't. However, previous discussions of this topic haven't yielded more useful answers. I would go with "word puzzle" or "word game" in lieu of a specific name, myself. — Lomn 17:36, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

In Games (magazine) they call them Wacky Wordies, but I think that's probably a name they made up themselves because there isn't an established term. --Anonymous, 22:17 UTC, March 31, 2008.

Dingbats? Lemon martini (talk) 23:55, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

There's a game made by RoseArts called "Whatzit?" filled exclusively with those types of puzzles. Acceptable (talk) 00:21, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

non racist

my friend constantly calls people names such as "i just went to the shop and the perso9n who served me was a 'gook'" meaning an oriental person, or Asian people as Pakis not to mention the N word for people of African descent. In fact just about every nationality other than his own seems to have a derogatory name. However, he is a great guy, and has friends of many nationalities. he maintains that he is not racist atall, and beside from name calling i would agree. He seems unable to comprehend that I, as a white New South African living abroad, find this offensive. 1 How can I change his thinking 2 what are derogatory names are white people called by other races thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.34.51 (talk) 17:43, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Well, you could always tell him you don't like it, but it might not work, some people are hard to change. As for your other question here in the US I believe cracker, gringo, and honky (might be outdatAd) are all used. SunshineStateOfMind (talk) 19:14, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

You could try to explain that these terms while perhaps not considered negative/derogatory to him are considered so by many many people. If he is fair he will realise that it is not his own rules of 'acceptable' that are important in language (if he believed they weren't acceptable words he wouldn't use them) but what the company he is in that matters. People self-regulate their language all the time talking to parents, to business people, to friends, to strangers - all can bring different uses of our vocabulary/language. You approach it from the worst angle though - you are trying to make him change by 'guilt' because you are suggest the slurs are somehow a slur to you - they are not (in his eyes, or in real terms), they are just unreasonable terms to use in polite conversation and that should be your line of reasoning. In my opinion anyway. ny156uk (talk) 19:34, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Being non-racist doesn't just mean being friendly to people of different races. People who argue against immigration by particular ethnic groups often say "I'm not racist; some of my best friends are <the race he wants to exclude from his country>". Being non-racist means not making distinctions between different races that are irrelevant in the context. By context, let me give an example. You've just witnessed a robbery, and the police are asking you to describe the robber. Any detail that would help to identify him is appropriate to mention, including his skin colour or ethnicity (whether it be white, black or whatever). If there's no need to identify the person's race, then there's no context. If he'd been served by a white person, would he mention their skin colour? Probably not. Merely mentioning that the person was Asian, black or whatever may not do much harm, but why say it at all? Yes, we all have eyes, and we are always aware when the person sitting next us in the bus happens to be of a different skin colour, or is unusually tall or short, or has a pronounced limp, or has only one arm, or dozens of things. So why does he single out this one particular characteristic of the person to talk about, as if it's important information that you need to have, or as if it somehow defines who they are? Much as he might deny it, the person's race is some sort of an issue with him because otherwise he wouldn't mention it when there's apparently no rationale for mentioning it. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:58, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

"Honky" is still used occasionally here in Oz. It seems to have entered use as an informal identifier without the slur. Is your friend an older generation or same as you – he does need to catch on, unless he enjoys provoking you. Julia Rossi (talk) 23:23, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Really? i think id die of laughter if someone seriously called me that. БοņёŠɓɤĭĠ₳₯є 02:39, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Which just goes to show that words, in themselves, are not inherently offensive or inoffensive - it's all to do with the context and the cultural understanding of the speaker and the listener. Epithets applied to a group that has historically been dominant are less offensive than those applied to a group which has historically been oppressed, because the dominant group is more secure in their identity. Thus "honky" is silly, while "nigger" - despite having no particularly offensive etymology - is the most taboo word in the english language. FiggyBee (talk) 04:43, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Masturbation

Does a person's desire to masturbate end as you get older? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 19:43, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Sex drive commonly decreases with age. Friday (talk) 19:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Maybe in the sense that you could produce less hormone that causes it. Neal (talk) 21:21, 31 March 2008 (UTC).

It should be pointed out though that for most people it never completely goes away. Go to a retirement home, and you'll fine plenty of randy grand-pas popping Viagra and hooking up with the lady next door (which is both very sweet and somewhat disturbing). BTW, lets remember and give thanks to Professor Kinsey, without whom there's much we wouldn't know about human sexual behavior. --Oskar 21:34, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

How you could possibly know something like that, is a bit of a mystery to me. Neal (talk) 02:21, 1 April 2008 (UTC).

On the assumption (which, of course, may be a pious misconception) that the folks in the Vatican have some handy advice on this matter, I have perused our entry http://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbatio.

"Crebritas masturbationis decrescit in senectute", it says. Mind you, they may not be infallible.--Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 08:11, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

HiDef Super 14 Rugby

Hi, Is there any possiblity of New Zealand's Prime/Sky showing any of this seasons Super14 in high-def? They seem to be dragging their heels compared with the other TV stations in getting the higher resolution broadcasted. Boomshanka (talk) 20:34, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Doubt it. I don't think they have HD equipment, so it will only be shot in SD. --antilived^{T | C | G} 07:11, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

I have to agree, particularly given that they are AFAIK still using 540x572 and relatively low bit rates for most of their channels. Nil Einne (talk) 19:30, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

Selling Livestock

Say I had 100 beef cattle. That is oviously too big of a number to sell directly to the people who want beef. So where would I sell it? Is it at an auction or processing facility or something else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 20:46, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

If you have 100 head of cattle, you presumably would have a ranch or farm. There are auctioneers that specialize in farm auctions and will sell your cattle for you. They normally have ads printed in the local and national farm publications such as Hoard's Dairyman. They will set up a time for people to come to your farm and then they will auction off the cattle. If you just want beef from these cattle, then you would need to talk to a processor, I presume. Though 100 head is quite a bit of beef to fit in your freezer. Dismas|^(talk) 21:14, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

What is the timeframe and the market? 100 cattle sold directly to people as sides of beef is only 200 sales in a year (or 400 sales if sold as quarters) and, sold evenly, only one drive with a pickup truck with trailer to the slaughter house each week. Clearly not "too much" to sell directly. Rmhermen (talk) 15:01, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

If you are liquidating your herd, you will probably sell your farm at the same time. If not, then you generally sell calves or yearlings, retaining a few to replace cows that are too old or have died. You will generally take your yearlings to an auction, but not all on the same day. Auctions are held thrroughourt the season. The cattle are bought by or for feedlot operators, who feed them up on corn and antibiotics and then sell them to slaughterhouses. -Arch dude (talk) 00:10, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

Brittany, France--- Is there a site with everything about Brittany, France that is up to date as of 2008?

I am doing a project on Brittany, France. This project is the main grade of the year so if I get a bad grade on this at the end of the semester if i get 100's for the rest of the grades, my average will be close to a C. The project needs the country, continent,longitude, latitude, flag, map, stores/markets, architecture, transportation, where people work, myths/fables/legends, geology, food, government, money, imports/exports, population, geography, religion, history, close major cities, average family size, celebrities, culture, heriteage, "big" events that happened/wars, languages, dress, dance, theatre, music/entertainment, sports, hobbies, what kids do for fun, zoos, pets, education, weather, diversity, and some interesting facts'' of Brittany, France. Is there a site(s) that has all that information or most of it on Brittany, France? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.49.4.68 (talk) 22:21, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

The great thing about Wikipedia is that, since anyone can edit, information on topics like Brittany, France is often very up to date. The bad thing about Wikipedia is that, since anyone can edit, it's hard to know whether the information in an article is reliable. However, if you go to an article, and see that it has references, you can use those references as they are usually more reliable, and as a whole should be roughly as current as the article itself. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 22:48, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried your public reference (or school) library? You might be pleasantly surprised at how much current information is still available in hard copy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.145.240.106 (talk) 23:22, 31 March 2008 (UTC)