Tuesday, December 4, 2018

[citation needed]

So I like—need, really—to stay mentally sharp. Just to make sure everything is clicking.

Crosswords are a pretty routine way to do this. I tend to do one in the morning before class.

Deep-dive wiki editing is a pretty good exercise. I thought I'd be over Wikipedia by this point. I actually have wandered away from it many times. But the siren song of showing off calls me back.

Not stuff like adding a new category. That I do, but it's too easy in a way. Finding sources, now that's a trip. And creating a new article? There you have to provide a handful of sources to prove the subject's significance and make sure no one marks it for deletion as being "non-encyclopedic." It gets you thinking strategically.

2 comments:

susan said...

So do you do The Times crossword before class? Class?

When adding content and creating new articles, an encyclopedic style with a formal tone is important.

I can't say I'm surprised to learn about your wikipedia editing although it is news to me. Still, it sounds to me like the above first line of their instruction is right up your alley and I can well imagine how much fun you'd have doing it. From your brief note I also understand how satisfying it must be to add acceptable content.

Staying mentally sharp is a good idea.

Ben said...

Well, a Times crossword. Not the current one. Pick up a paperback collection and you have a few months' worth, and you can check the answers if something is really driving you crazy.

Oh yes, class. It's been an interesting experience. And a constructive one, I believe. You'll hear more soon.

Wikipedia is an interesting mental challenge too. There are frustrations. Sometimes other editors can remove your work for arbitrary reasons. But, well, nothing is perfect.