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When a Primary Source Isn't Good Enough: Wikipedia

Posted by Soulskill on from the citation-needed dept.

unixluv writes "Evidently, Wikipedia doesn't believe an author on his own motivations when trying to correct an article on his own book. A Wikipedia administrator claimed they need 'secondary sources.' I'm not sure where you would go to get a secondary source when you are the only author of a work. Thus, in a lengthy blog post for The New Yorker, Roth created his own secondary source. He wrote, 'My novel The Human Stain was described in the entry as "allegedly inspired by the life of the writer Anatole Broyard." ... This alleged allegation is in no way substantiated by fact. The Human Stain was inspired, rather, by an unhappy event in the life of my late friend Melvin Tumin, professor of sociology at Princeton for some thirty years.' The Wikipedia page has now been corrected."

4 of 333 comments (clear)

  1. Back to School by chill · · Score: 5, Funny

    This reminds me of the Rodney Dangerfield movie "Back to School".

    The English professor gives and assignment to read and write and analysis on a Kurt Vonnegut novel. Dangerfield's character hires Kurt Vonnegut himself to write the analysis.

    The professor, during fit of scorn, throws the paper at Dangerfield and yells "and you don't understand the first thing about what Vonnegut meant!"

    Vonnegut himself has a non-speaking cameo where Dangerfield tells him he's stopping payment on the check and Vonnegut flips him off.

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
    1. Re:Back to School by platypussrex · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or that wonderful scene in Annie Hall when they are in the queue at the theatre, the loudmouth ass in front of them is spouting off about his knowledge of Marshall McLuhan, and Woody Allen brings out Marshall McLuhan in person to refute the ass.

    2. Re:Back to School by VanessaE · · Score: 1, Funny

      Incorrect.

      (OH G*D someone on the Internet is wrong!)

      In the movie, Thornton picks up his report calmly from Diane's desk, looks at it, and asks why she failed him. Her exact quote, in addition to comments about him failing her and being emotionally regressed is, "Tell you something else, whoever did write this doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut." Completely calmly, if obviously irritated.

      (Followed by Thornton threatening Vonnegut by phone to cancel payment on the check he payed with)

      Vonnegut's only appearance in the movie is as himself for a few seconds before the above, when he first shows up at the dorm at Thronton's request and identifies himself politely to Jason. He never flipped anyone off.

  2. Re:Douches by macraig · · Score: 4, Funny

    So then Wikipedia really isn't run by impartial androids? Damn!