My new problem with Wikipedia (blocking and Bad Admin)

[hamsamich]

I don't know if this is the right place for this post, but here goes.  I am blocked on wikipedia right now, because of "use of original research".  I actually did do this to some degree, but all that needed to be done was a rewording of my edit.  Instead it was deleted, the incorrect information stayed up there, and I was blocked after a so-called "edit war" ensued, which brings me to my next point.

When you are blocked, you can't use many of the tools wikipedia has in place to get satisfaction if you feel you have been blocked unfairly.  This was very frustrating to me, because my entry was a helpful one.  It was concerning the length of the Alatna River in Alaska from the popular put in point (Circle Lake) to the popular take out point, Allakaket.  The Wiki entry up now says it is 85 miles, but I know it to be closer to 150 miles (via phone/email with 2 Rangers, my GPS, and most importantly, the large Gates of Arctic map you buy at the Ranger station in Bettles).   65 more miles of unplanned paddling on a totally remote river above the arctic circle is and was enough to cause headaches at the least, and at worst could cause more serious problems I wont go into.

Anyway, trying to talk to the administrators is like talking to a teacher when you are in the 4th grade; they disregard all of your inputs and only focus on what they think is important.  Very frustrating and I don't know what else it could be but a power play.  There is no give and take, just you will do what we say or else.  I don't even know if the second administrator was actually a different person; I would hate to think everyone of the admin guys were all that bad on Wiki.  There has to be one good one, right?

All the administrator would have to do is check the NPS website under Alatna River to see that the information on Wiki is wrong and has been takin out of context.  The problem has been compounded because other websites are using the Wiki entry and the NPS site, which seems to verify the Wiki entry until you take a hard look at it and ask the webmaster/ranger for clarification.

Anyway, anyone have any suggestions on how to get the right info up there?  Anyone know anybody reasonable on Wiki who can look at the big picture?  NPS is in the process of changing their website, but they are waiting until they get more exact info to do it (further investigation) and also how to reword the length to make sense yet easy to layout.

I would just like to get the right info into people's heads on this one concerning the river length, we brought extra food on our trip and almost ran out.

Thanks - Jim

[Tom Morris]

Welcome. You could write for the Citizendium instead!

[Howard C. Berkowitz]

Welcome. You could write for the Citizendium instead!

What a great idea!

[hamsamich]

Well hello.  I don't exactly understand what citizendium is exactly.  I've been snooping but not totally clear.  I did get some satistaction on wiki by the way, but not that good, and it took 6 administrators to do it.  Yes I was upset, but with good reason I thought.  Anyway, what's up with Citizendium?

[Larry Sanger]

"I don't exactly understand what citizendium is exactly." -- well, try http://www.citizendium.org/  It's explained there! 

Probably you read that, and you found you didn't understand it.  If you could explain what you found confusing, that would help us to reword our explanations so they are most helpful.  More explanations that you might find useful are here:

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/CZ:About
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/CZ:Why_Citizendium%3F
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/CZ:CZ4WP

[Chunbum Park]

this is what Citizendium's about:

1) you're all alone in this quiet grand forest, without distraction
2) everyone you happen to meet are glad to see you & they're compassionate & respectful & helpful
3) your tools, etc. are more useful & better organized & there are great features that are exclusive to this site
4) you will act more maturely yourself, your work at Citizendium will matter more to you because you receive credit, etc.

[Larry Sanger]

this is what Citizendium's about:

1) you're all alone in this quiet grand forest, without distraction
2) everyone you happen to meet are glad to see you & they're compassionate & respectful & helpful
3) your tools, etc. are more useful & better organized & there are great features that are exclusive to this site
4) you will act more maturely yourself, your work at Citizendium will matter more to you because you receive credit, etc.

That's a great way to put it, Chunbum.

Of course, we'd like it to be more like a brilliant, bustling city, but Rome wasn't built in a day...