Re: [Citizendium-l] Consumer information database Larry Sanger sanger-lists at citizendium.org Tue Oct 31 15:18:04 EST 2006
Larry & everyone: I can't believe I joined just in time to rush in here where angels fear to tread, but I may as well demonstrate how I got my reputation as a contrarian: I say, yes, oh yes, let's do put consumer info into this database, and here's what I suggest: 1) We flag these entries and use a template so they are effectively a sub-database that can be stripped out or suppressed at any time. 2) We make them neutral by including only facts and labeling them as what they are. For example: We list the UPC, ISBN, model numbers, and any other identifying data. Depending on what kind of product it is, we say when it came on the market and was modified or discontinued and who the manufacturer was/is. We list the manufacturer's specs, which for foods would be the nutritional info on the labels and for OTC medicines would be the active and inert ingredients. We say who you contact for info, especially instructions and replacement parts, and we include any links to webpages for that kind of info, including who the dealers are. In a section labeled that it's the manufacturer's story, we describe whatever claims the manufacturer makes for it. In a section labeled that it's what detractors have said, we summarize any pertinent derogatory info, such as product-liability suits or major recalls not described elsewhere in the product's article or in the cross-referenced article about the manufacturer. We also provide links to other consumer info (pro and con), such as Consumer Reports. If you haven't tried recently to get a part to fix an old countertop appliance, or to find out whether there's something you're allergic to in a new artificial sweetener, you may not know how helpful this kind of sub-database would be, and the manufacturers would recognize that from the beginning, because it would be a platform for them to provide consumer support (= advertising) for free. If a manufacturer objected to something in its article, we would let them write their own version and include it in the article in a section saying it's the manufacturer's statement -- what could be fairer (= more neutral) than that? In fact, if we were as bright as we think we are, we'd post a standard questionnaire for authors to send to manufacturers for them to return to the individual author with whatever the manufacturer wanted in its article -- such as corporate info and/or who their advertising firm is -- for the author to use in drafting the article. (Or you could get your deep-pockets sponsor to send out the invitations for the manufacturers to submit for authors to use in drafting the first wave of articles.) And providing this kind of practical info for consumers would quickly distinguish this project from Wikipedia, because you can't afford to rely on anything in its articles. (Duh! but isn't that precisely what does distinguish us from it?) k kay shearin K. Kay Shearin _______________________________________________ Citizendium-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.purdue.edu/mailman/listinfo/citizendium-l
