WikiAnswers vs Wikianswers, Seth tries to figure out the confusion Options

[Random832]

Whilst reminding myself of this storm-in-a-teacup broo ha ha, I popped a note into the wiki talk page about the photo, and got a response pretty immediately from Cary.

Aeron chairs, huh.

[dogbiscuit]

Whilst reminding myself of this storm-in-a-teacup broo ha ha, I popped a note into the wiki talk page about the photo, and got a response pretty immediately from Cary.

Aeron chairs, huh.

That picture is great as a mirror for Wikipedia - I wonder if they will ever get to Featured Office status?

[Bottled_Spider]

Apparently there's an old law still in force in the British Isles that legally entitles a resident of the Isle of Man to kill a Scottish person on sight. Bad history, y'see. Could be an urban myth - I don't know - but it would be interesting to find out what happens in the event of shit happening. I myself have been there several times and have survived, so things are probably OK. I'd see if it's been asked in WikiAnswers, or whatever, but I can't be arsed.

You're safe on the Isle of Man; its "within the city walls of York" where Scotsmen need to worry

I'd never heard of that one. I've always wondered why York folks look at me funny. I used to think it was my habit of muttering to myself and asking perfect strangers highly inappropriate questions. I was right, then.

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down.
3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store.
4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas.
5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter.
6. A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet.
7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen.
8. It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing.
9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour.
10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.

Phew! I often carry around strange things, but never a bow and arrow. I'm safe.

Whilst reminding myself of this storm-in-a-teacup broo ha ha, I popped a note into the wiki talk page about the photo, and got a response pretty immediately from Cary.

Aeron chairs, huh.

That picture is great as a mirror for Wikipedia - I wonder if they will ever get to Featured Office status?

I'm scared. You see that creature beneath the table? The thing shaped like a cat, but probably isn't? I've got the fear. Bad.

[Eva Destruction]

#9 I can't see the issue with – some of them are outdated, but that one's just as relevant today as it's ever been. Try walking into your local Parliament/Assembly/Congress/State Capitol/any other major public building kitted out in a bullet-proof vest and see how long it takes before security hauls you off to "ask you a few questions".

[tarantino]

Whilst reminding myself of this storm-in-a-teacup broo ha ha, I popped a note into the wiki talk page about the photo, and got a response pretty immediately from Cary.

Aeron chairs, huh.

That picture is great as a mirror for Wikipedia - I wonder if they will ever get to Featured Office status?

Here's a promotional video that includes scenes inside and outside WMF headquarters.

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:P...00-15fps-en.ogg

[LaraLove]

Here's a promotional video that includes scenes inside and outside WMF headquarters.

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:P...00-15fps-en.ogg

Is there an image anywhere available in which Sue has made some sort of attempt to make herself look professional?

[Jon Awbrey]

Is there an image anywhere available in which Sue has made some sort of attempt to make herself look professional?

I remember seeing some kind of airbrushed, blow-dryed, solarized publicity head-shot on her old CBC page that was kinda nice.

Or was that Rachel Marsden ???

I forget …

Ja Ja

[Sarcasticidealist]

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:

Source? I ask because the internet epidemic of so-called "loony laws" is sort of a pet peeve of mine. Virtually all of them are hoaxes, and it's telling that virtually none of them are accompanied by citations of the relevant statute (most of them are expressly stated or implied to be statutory). Besides that, many of them are prefaced with a place (e.g. "In Peace River, Alberta...") that doesn't have a government with jurisdiction to enact the alleged law - would the City of York really have the authority to legalize the murder of Scotsmen even if it wanted to? Snopes puts it well in the first couple of paragraphs here.

(The newer version of Balderdash, the board game, includes a category in which players are given the beginning of an alleged such law, and then invited to guess the end of it. For example, I was once given something along the lines of "In Florida, it is illegal to use an elephant...". I finished with "...commit bank fraud", which I felt should have gotten me some points, since, in probable contrast to the so-called "correct answer", it actually is illegal to commit bank fraud in Florida, with or without an elephant.)

So yeah, I'm not saying that your particular list is nonsense, but that's my immediate assumption with these things until I see evidence otherwise.

This post has been edited by Sarcasticidealist: Fri 13th February 2009, 3:40pm

[Eva Destruction]

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:

Source? I ask because the internet epidemic of so-called "loony laws" is sort of a pet peeve of mine. Virtually all of them are hoaxes, and it's telling that virtually none of them are accompanied by citations of the relevant statute (most of them are expressly stated or implied to be statutory). Besides that, many of them are prefaced with a place (e.g. "In Peace River, Alberta...") that doesn't have a government with jurisdiction to enact the alleged law - would the City of York really have the authority to legalize the murder of Scotsmen even if it wanted to? Snopes puts it well in the first couple of paragraphs here.

(The newer version of Balderdash, the board game, includes a category in which players are given the beginning of an alleged such law, and then invited to guess the end of it. For example, I was once given something along the lines of "In Florida, it is illegal to use an elephant...". I finished with "...commit bank fraud", which I felt should have gotten me some points, since, in probable contrast to the so-called "correct answer", it actually is illegal to commit bank fraud in Florida, with or without an elephant.)

So yeah, I'm not saying that your particular list is nonsense, but that's my immediate assumption with these things until I see evidence otherwise.

"The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen" is a genuine English (not British) law inherited from the Vikings via the Normans and still in force (although they're invariably immediately donated to an appropriate research institution by the Receiver of Wreck). Wikipedia's Royal Fish article does an adequate job in summarising the background. In Scotland, it only applies to whales over 25 feet long (reliable source should you really care).

[Bottled_Spider]

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:

Source? I ask because the internet epidemic of so-called "loony laws" is sort of a pet peeve of mine.

My strategy is simply to believe everything I read. Simplifies life enormously.

"The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen" is a genuine English (not British) law......

And an eminently sensible one, if you ask me. I assume, then, that the middle bit of the whale belongs to the finder? Super. It would go well with my collection of dead seals.

[Milton Roe]

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

No, only in the House of Lords. Since Spencer Perceval

[Bottled_Spider]

I've just looked it up, and that law is in the top-ten of silly, still-extant laws:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

No, only in the House of Lords. Since Spencer Perceval

That's one for the lawyers, eh? The House of Lords being one of the Houses of Parliament, all in the same building. Guy Fawkes had the right idea about how to treat the place. The "White House incident" in 1814, by the way, was an accident. It was my great great great-ish grandad. He only intended to burn some curtains; a harmless prank, but shit happened. As for poor old Spence, he was the one who was shot and said "I am murdered". Mr. Obvious!

[EricBarbour]

That's one for the lawyers, eh? The House of Lords being one of the Houses of Parliament, all in the same building. Guy Fawkes had the right idea about how to treat the place. The "White House incident" in 1814, by the way, was an accident. It was my great great great-ish grandad. He only intended to burn some curtains; a harmless prank, but shit happened. As for poor old Spence, he was the one who was shot and said "I am murdered". Mr. Obvious!

[Milton Roe]

The "White House incident" in 1814, by the way, was an accident. It was my great great great-ish grandad. He only intended to burn some curtains; a harmless prank, but shit happened.

Lenny Bruce. "Okay. I'll admit it. We Jews did kill Christ. What can I say? It was a party. It got out of control...."

[michael]

WikiAnswers is amazingly stupid. The things some people ask blindside me. I've always had a great deal of respect for the WMF projects and have never vandalized, but dear lord, I'm tempted to troll with bad answers there.

This post has been edited by michael: Sat 14th February 2009, 9:37pm

[The Wales Hunter]

http://answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_do_you_eat

Q. How do you eat?

A. Put food in mouth. Chew. Swallow. Repeat.

http://answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_do_you_finger_a_girl

Q. How do you finger a girl?

A. With your finger. you stick 2 fingers into her pussy and move it in and out until she squirts

[Milton Roe]

http://answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_do_you_eat

Q. How do you eat?

A. Put food in mouth. Chew. Swallow. Repeat.

http://answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_do_you_finger_a_girl

Q. How do you finger a girl?

A. With your finger. you stick 2 fingers into her pussy and move it in and out until she squirts

Hey, this could turn into a compendium of all the world's knowledge. Quick, do more.

[Bottled_Spider]

Hey, this could turn into a compendium of all the world's knowledge. Quick, do more.

Tut. That would be totally off-topic. Perish the thought. Everyone seems to be too busy criticizing the awful Wiki answers thing (or is it answers Wikia?) to notice Answers.com. I input two of the entries given above, and the difference in "tone" of the answers is shocking.

"How do you eat" elicited this brilliant response. Now that's what I call an answer.

"How do you finger a girl" was disappointing, in the sense that it didn't tell me how to do it, but as you can see here it gave a lot of links to, erm, Wiki Answers (or answers Wikia, or whatever). Simple Wiki admins & checkusers will be delighted with most of those links, so, guys, don't skimp on that "bookmark this page" button.

[Eva Destruction]

[dtobias]

"How do you eat" elicited this brilliant response. Now that's what I call an answer.

There doesn't seem to have been any intelligence (natural or artificial) put into that reply... it just produces, by an automated query, the entries for "eat" in a variety of reference sources, including Wikipedia, where the entry concerns a U.K. restaurant chain of that name.