Davis Square on Wikipedia!

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

I stumbled across the Davis Sq. page on Wikipedia recently, and and found it to be insulting and a shambles. I did what I could to tidy it up and give a proper shout-out to the neighborhood, but my knowledge of the square is limited and out of date. (I lived near Davis Sq. for years until I moved to Australia a year ago.) 

If you have five minutes, take a look at the page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Square) and add your bit to the collective knowledge of the world!  It's like the ultimate opportunity to represent.  Any info on the history and public art of the square would be especially helpful.  Thanks!

Comments

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

I recall hearing that wikipedia editors routinely delete the reference to the Davis_Square LJ.

[cos]

You're out of date. One person was routinely deleting that link, it was discussed on the Talk page, and since that discussion, I don't recall it being deleted again.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I should have thought to look at the wiki-Talk page; I looked at Davis_meta here on LJ but couldn't find any references.

[ron_newman]

My adventure with Davis Square and Wikipedia, two years ago

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

It's pretty badly put together, it's true. I just s/cobblestone/brick-paved/, because hey, know thy pavers.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough in the talk page, it says Davis is not walking distance from Harvard. Yet I've made that walk several times. Gah. People will find anything to fight about on the Internet.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

I think we've made that walk several times :)

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

We should do it again soon! I am sooo recovered from my crippling injuries of last week. (which was, being a damn fool who walked 6 miles)

[ron_newman]

"Walking distance" is a pretty subjective thing. The walk takes me 30 minutes which is fine for me, but for most folks I'd consider "walking distance" to be 20 minutes (1 mile) max.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

It is over 1.5 from Brattle St to my house, I grant. I just think it's funny how people will pick the funniest battles.

Wah! Someone is being WRONG. On the Internet!

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

it would be most objective to just put the distances from the other squares and let people estimate their own walking abilities and speeds to determine whether it's within walking distance or not.

[ron_newman]

I agree.

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

Done. "Walking distances" debate hopefully settled once and for all, in an objective fashion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Square#Location

"While conceptions of what is "walking distance" vary according to interest and ability, Davis Square is 0.65 miles from Porter Square, 0.84 miles from Tufts University, 1.1 miles from Alewife, 1.68 miles from Harvard Square, and 1.8 miles from Union Square, all of which some residents consider walkable."

map available on http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111171307868917844562.000459b63df09df611d06&ll=42.392657,-71.119652&spn=0.05984,0.154495&z=13

I now leave the Wikipedia page in the hands of others. Back to my new life on the other side of the world.

[reverend-jim.livejournal.com]

Bah, I borked the link in my reply. The point was, get to work (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron,_CT).

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

Hey, man, no need to get all stalker-y on me. My hometown and its Wikipedia page are none of your business. You have no idea how much work I already do in the world, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't think you had some right to tell me to do more. The whole reason I brought the Davis Square Wikipedia thread to the attention of this Livejournal community in the first place is that I don't have the time or local knowledge to do it myself. That applies to my hometown's page as well: I haven't lived there in ten years, I now live on the other side of the world, and I'm up to my ears in trying to do some real good in the real world. Speaking of, back to my real work.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

1.8 to Union? Really? Huh. I guess that makes sense, just seems odd Harvard is closer.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

That's actually discussed in that post Ron linked to just above... I clicked the link before I continued reading the comments here, and thought ukelele's comment (http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/747200.html?thread=5919680#t5919680) summed up the issue.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Meaning I should have? Sorry.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

Oh no, not at all. I was just pointing it out because I thought it was interesting when I went over there, and then scrolled down and the same discussion was beginning again. And I thought his/her point was an important one, that "walking distance" depends on what kind of walk you're measuring.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

That was rather a good thread.

define "walking distance" plz

[jovianconsensus.livejournal.com]

People have walked across the United States before so clearly Davis Square is within walking distance of Caltech.

Re: define "walking distance" plz

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Thank you for proving my exact point, bravo, golf clap.

Re: define "walking distance" plz

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

You want anything, I'm swinging by there tomorrow.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I walk there several times a week now. And back, sometimes.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Vas?! You can make it in half an hour!

[ron_newman]

Tagged "lj community housekeeping" just because I can't think of a better tag at the moment, and the previous wikipedia discussion is tagged that way, and I don't want this post to get lost.

[ron_newman]

Somerville doesn't have a 'City Council' .

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

on this and other suggestions: Wikipedia, that wonderful invention, lets you correct errors yourself! So, go get 'em, cowboy. Correct the proper name of the Somerville ruling body on the Wikipedia page yourself. We'll all be grateful. Thanks!

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

It amuses me to no end that you came here, guns blazing, and now are all about other people doing the grunt work.

Dude, we all knew Davis Square was on wikipedia. If this was a call to arms, well, okay. We'll get right on it, sir.

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

(sigh) no guns were meant to blaze. since when was a call for *anything* (in this case, assistance and ownership of a page) a call to arms? this doesn't have to be a battle.

I didn't know this community had already had already talked about the Wikipedia article (though clearly not "all" knew it was there and needed help given the response to my post), "other people doing the grunt work" as in more qualified and knowledgeable people putting their helpful comments to good use by improving the Wikipedia page rather than uselessly commenting here.

Really, I was just trying to help. My apologies for trying.

Given the flaming I've received here and in messages from this community for my innocuous post, I won't ever be posting here or visiting any more. y'all should take a close look at your values. it doesn't have to be like this.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

It's not your post, it's your attitude.

Wikipedia, that wonderful invention, lets you correct errors yourself! So, go get 'em, cowboy. Correct the proper name of the Somerville ruling body on the Wikipedia page yourself.

That right there is not exactly the attitude of someone who just wants to be helpful. Snark and ye shall receive snark in return.

Your apologies for trying are accepted, now we await an apology for your passive aggressiveness.

[photoprince.livejournal.com]

you see, here's the thing. i wasn't snarking. that was meant to be sincere, yet everyone here seems to assume that all posts are to be read sarcastically. i really do think that wikipedia is a wonderful invention. cowboy is a term of endearment, used in reference for that guy's enthusiasm, which i like. i was trying to encourage him, not put him down.

i shouldn't have to apologize for trying to help, and i certainly shouldn't have to apologize for trying to be encouraging.

this is really the last straw. i'll be deleting my LJ, because this level of snide negativity (not just in this community but all throughout LJ) is awful and i hate it. you'll probably continue incorrectly thinking i'm an unkind person and say, "good riddance," but i've only ever been trying to be helpful. the only reason i'm bothering to write this now is that i hope it might get through to you and others reading it that you just can't talk to people this way, and you can't assume the worst of others. would you be like this in real life? i certainly hope not. i hope you are more respectful to those around you.

this is all a good reminder of why i chose to move away from the toxic davis square community, and go to a place where kindness is valued over caustic wit. i guess it hasn't changed. it's a shame.

[ron_newman]

You don't need to delete your LJ account! Please come back.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

you'll probably continue incorrectly thinking i'm an unkind person and say

I'll think you're a whiny person who can't be expected to have a bit of adult responsibility.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Given the flaming I've received here and in messages from this community for my innocuous post, I won't ever be posting here or visiting any more.

Hello, and welcome to the Internet! Not everybody will like you here.

Oh, wait, you flounced. Never mind. Goodbye, from the Internet!