ENG 140: Writing about Wikipedia

1. ENG 140:Writing about Wikipedia Professor Fleming

2. Course Goal: improve your writing What do we mean by “writing”?

3. Points to Remember • “Correct” (proper grammar, syntax, spelling, etc.) is a necessary but not sufficient attribute of good writing. • All writing has a purpose, but not all writing has the same purpose. A written document’s job is determined by its reader. • Merely “displaying” your knowledge is rarely the goal of a college paper • Because good writing means entering into a conversation, to be a better writer, you have to read more. • Good news! All reading you do for your other classes doubles as homework for this class.

4. Course Goals: by the end of the semester you will be able to . . . • Present an argument so that it appeals to your reader, and recognize the different goals of written assignments (not all papers are the same) • Write claims that can be supported with evidence; that explore concepts readers care about; and that can be viewed from multiple perspectives • Revise your own writing • Locate and evaluate appropriate evidence • Recognize Wikipedia’s strengths and weaknesses, and discuss how the Internet is changing our expectations of readers and writers

6. Why Wikipedia?

7. Why Wikipedia? Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation

8. Which of these papers would you most want to read? • Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. • Wikipedia is a good website. • Wikipedia is better than any other research resource. • Though it claims to be open to everyone, in practice Wikipedia is edited by a small number of core users who set up barriers to keep others out.

9. These claims set up papers that would earn these grades: Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. C Wikipedia is a good website. D Wikipedia is better than any other research resource. C+ Though it claims to be open to everyone, in practice Wikipedia is edited by a small number of core users who set up barriers to keep others out. A

10. Good claims are: • Subject to Evidence (debatable) • A claim should, at least in principle, have the potential to be disconfirmed, or proved wrong. • Contestable • A good claim could be stated as its opposite and still make sense. A reasonable, intelligent person could hold a different opinion. • Conceptually Rich • A claim should introduce and build on concepts that the reader cares about

11. Evaluating Claims Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. • Contestable? • Conceptually rich? • Subject to evidence?

12. Evaluating Claims Wikipedia is a good website. • Contestable? • Conceptually rich? • Subject to evidence?

13. Evaluating Claims Wikipedia is better than any other research resource. • Contestable? • Conceptually rich? • Subject to evidence?

14. Evaluating Claims Though it claims to be open to everyone, in practice Wikipedia is edited by a small number of core users who set up barriers to keep others out. • Contestable? • Conceptually rich? • Subject to evidence?

15. Homework for Thursday • Read the schedule and course policies on our course website: http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/writingaboutwiki/ • Complete the handout: • Create a Wikipedia account • Make a change to Wikipedia • Assigned reading (see syllabus)