Fun at Wikipedia

[kyaa the catlord]

I recently editted the wikipedia article Lost Cities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_city) to include the city of New Orleans. Since then, it has been editted back and forth a number of times. I've not reverted it, but damn, it is fun to watch the fight. :P

[Tungtvann]

Yeah, but with Wikipedia, no matter how small the change, they always get it back in less than 5 minutes. I give them credit for that though. But unless you got like 100 people all going out changing things, you'd never make a difference.

[Roxie]

holy shit!

Missing White Woman Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_white_woman_syndrome)

ahahahahahahahahaha :D

[ElectronicPhreak]

I go to the same school that Natalee Holloway went to. The reason that she got all the coverage is because her mother got the attention of the media.

[PiccoloNamek]

While we're talking about Wikipedia, you should all go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spira

And see the article I wrote. Well, I wrote most of it anyway. Around 95-98 percent.

[Spydr]

With the way Wikipedia is set up interesting things like this are bound to happen. It's such an awesome site, even though it isn't always an accurate source of information.

[Citizen]

I like editing out people's dumbass theories about things on Wikipedia.

[kyaa the catlord]

Heh. I need more friends, not enough people to keep putting New Orleans back on the list. I might actually have to do it myself. :P

[Arvynia]

hey I didn't know you wrote that. I read that a while back. I was surprised to find it in wikepedia. Along with other FF and game related stuffies.

[Jay]

I just edited the lost cities page. :D

[Kass]

You know, for the city to be genuinely lost, it has to never be rebuilt. Look at the others in the lists. Odds are that at the very least, the French Quarter (the original city that is actually ABOVE sea level) will be rebuilt, hence, New Orleans is not lost.

[Jay]

Kass!

Welcome back. I thought you were dead or something.

(And we know New Orleans isn't lost. I can't speak for Kyaa, but I edited it to get on the nerves of other people. :D)

[PiccoloNamek]

(And we know New Orleans isn't lost. I can't speak for Kyaa, but I edited it to get on the nerves of other people. :D )

That's stupid. As someone who edits and contributes to Wikipedia articles on a regular basis, that really rubs me the wrong way.

[kyaa the catlord]

Well, based on the fact that the three main players in the "New Orleans isn't lost" cabal are apparently in cahoots with each other and have a history of being annoying prats (Centauri, Gene Poole and the latest editor), I'd say the pro-NO is lost party has reason to continue revising the wiki at will.

Mind you, I've not reverted or editted NO back, but I've been accused of doing so and sock-puppetry.

[kyaa the catlord]

You know, for the city to be genuinely lost, it has to never be rebuilt. Look at the others in the lists. Odds are that at the very least, the French Quarter (the original city that is actually ABOVE sea level) will be rebuilt, hence, New Orleans is not lost.

It may not be lost, but it should be. The city is going to require way too much expenditure to make it reasonable for the US to 'rebuild' it. It should go the way of Love Canal. It is much too toxic for human habitation, despite any romantic notions people may have...

[Kass]

What should be and what is are two completely different things. One is wishful thinking. The other is reality. Encyclopedias, online or not, are about reality.

At the very least, the French Quarter will be reclaimed and it should be. It is a landmark in history and is actually above sea level. Odds are good that despite the sheer stupidity of it, the low lying areas are going to be as well.

[kyaa the catlord]

The problem is, pre-multiple edits of the definition by Centauri and his buddies, New Orleans fit the definition of "Lost Cities" as it stood. I called him on this and his response was to cause an edit war and begin name-calling.

I'm terribly amused by it. :D

[Jay]

That's stupid. As someone who edits and contributes to Wikipedia articles on a regular basis, that really rubs me the wrong way.

I'm sorry, but that strikes me as amusing.

I just have that kinda mindset, I guess.

[ruaidhri]

I can understand rebuilding from a hurricane. I can even understand rebuilding from a temporary flood. But, I also understand that much of what covers New Orleans is a toxic liquid. Even if they level all the houses, won’t the ground itself be toxic?

I certainly don’t have the knowledge to suggest what America, Louisiana or the people of New Orleans could or should do to rebuild the city. What I do know is that I sure wouldn’t want to live or even visit those areas that were under that gumbo of death.

Kass is correct, the city isn’t lost until it’s abandoned. However, even if there is a desire to rebuild, I doubt it will happen quickly. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we abandon large areas of the city because of the dangers of the toxic soil and because of the extreme cost of ensuring that flood waters could never return again.

Anyway, I have another question. How is America going to pay for all this recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans? Think about that. Money doesn’t grow on trees even for big powerful governments like the United States of America. We are in a war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have cut taxes in our own country. People are out of work and the number of poor American is growing rapidly as the poor and lower middle class gets poorer and poorer. Where’s the money going to come from for all this recovery and rebuilding? Will our government take money from other programs? If so, which programs? Will our government just borrow more money and print more dollars? Will George Bush and the Republicans increase (gasp) taxes? Will inflation and perhaps its ugly cousin stagflation rear their frightful heads once again?

I certainly don’t have any answers. Do you?

[Kass]

^Ask Congress, especially the Louisiana legislators (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090702462.html). It would appear they are quite adept at finding pork in an empty refrigerator.

I find it asinine that the rest of the country should pay to rebuild a city in an area where this will happen again. The French Quarter is one thing. It is the least damaged area and actually could be up and running fairly quickly, all things considered. The rest of the city will suffer the same fate again and again. It's as bad as the people who rebuild their house every five years because they live in the Potomac flood plain in WV. What are they thinking?

Move the city to someplace above sea level and I'll graciously accept my taxpayer dollars going to rebuilding efforts. Leave it where it is and you can pay for it your own self.

And yes, the ground and water will be toxic. I heard on the news last night that the water could be toxic for many years to come and that New Orleans would require more water treatment plants than it had prior to Katrina to provide potable water to the city if it rebuilds to what it was two weeks ago. I suspect those are early estimates and subject to more revision than the congressional budget, but it probably is a realistic starting point.

[ruaidhri]

Kass, I agree! I also don’t want my tax dollars and the future of my country to be dependent upon rebuilding New Orleans as it existed prior to Katrina. Yes, I believe that the French Quarter can and should be saved and restored but the vast areas under sea level should be, quite simply, abandoned.

Now, that might sound cruel but it’s simply not right that all of America should suffer again because of the decision of some of its citizens to live in an area that can’t be protected from flooding. Yes, build again, but not below sea level. If New Orleans is to be rebuilt, we should construct a new city on high ground away from the current city with the flooded areas of the existing city abandoned, leveled and considered a hazardous toxic site.

[kyaa the catlord]

You'd think they'd give up editting NOLA away. :P

[D-pad]

I can't get over this..........Where are we gonna have Mardi Gras?

[kyaa the catlord]

New Nude Orleans, of course.