On 3/21/06, Ryan Delaney ryan.delaney@gmail.com wrote:
Looking at this article, I think the main problem is that it is /not/ about the organization, but about the organization's arguments. The whole "Safe Speed's Claims" and "Opposition and Criticism" examples could be summarized in a few sentences.
Having now looked at the article, it actually has quite a few problems. It has various points of view sprayed all over it. Some examples: -- (Intro para): Safe Speed does not campaign against speed limits, only against their enforcement by automated means, because their view is that sticking to a speed limit does not guarantee safe driving, and that all motoring laws should be enforced appropriately and proportionately. ... The group has links with libertarian groups. One prominent supporter (presented as giving academic support to Safe Speed's claims) is Dr. Alan Buckingham, a specialist in family life and relationships at Bath Spa University College and a contributor to The Centre for Independent Studies. ... Although Smith has always used the word "we" when discussing Safe Speed on the website, it is very much his idea and his organisation. ... The Safe Speed website makes the claim that if any fact can be proven to be incorrect, it will be removed. One page was removed following criticism by Jocksch, whose work was cited, but subsequently reinserted with similar content..
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Perhaps there is not much that is interesting and encyclopaedic that can be said about this group. At the moment, this article really doesn't paint Wikipedia is a good light. It gives far too much detail to the claims (claims by *any* single group should never be given that much detail, regardless of validity), and falls into the classic "claims / criticism" trap. There are also very few sources even for the claims (which ought to be easily sourcable from the website). There is also general bloat, featuring remarks about the history of motoring regulation, which clearly don't belong in this article.
My last question is: Who the hell is Paul Smith? The article begins "Safe Speed is a UK web-based road safety organisation run by Paul Smith." and only has this to say about him: "Smith ran the project as a hobby from his home in Scotland for some time but in 2003, following a period of illness in which his self-employed computer engineering business ran down, he took it up full time at some significant personal cost. Although Smith has always used the word "we" when discussing Safe Speed on the website, it is very much his idea and his organisation. Smith is also a member of the motorists' pressure group Association of British Drivers (ABD)."
Are we to be led to believe that this whole article is about some angry British motorist running a website from home?
Steve