User talk:Booksmart7781

Introduction

I am a undergraduate history student and a frequent user of Wikipedia. For me, English Wikipedia is an invaluable resource when I need to find basic information about a particular person, subject, or issue. Plus, the mission of Wikipedia reflects a basic belief that I have about information: All access to public and historical information should be unlimited and free.

Having said that, there are a few problems that I have encountered while using Wikipedia. Most of these problems are inevitable given that Wikipedia is an accessible online encyclopedia that any person with Internet access can edit. The most common ones I've experienced are inaccurate, biased, and misleading information within articles, badly edited articles, and offensive and inappropriate content.

Needed Edits and Changes

There are a few articles, in particular biographical articles, on English Wikipedia that need serious rewriting and/or editing. For example, the articles on former US Senator Jesse Helms and late Doors frontman Jim Morrison need extensive work. These pages were obviously written by fans of the two men, and the essays reflect that. There are precious few facts available, but plenty of antedotes and often irrelevant information, like how many awards and honors Senator Helms has won over the years.

When I find the time, I will personally rewrite Morrison's article myself, and I think I have the basic facts to create a fairly decent and critical article. The biggest challenge with a person like Jim Morrison is the mythology that often shrouds their public image. Nearly thirty-five years after his death, Morrison's life remains as clouded in rumor and conjecture as it was during his too-brief lifetime.

Also, I would like to create pages for several historical figures that have traditionally been neglected, like Anna Julia Cooper. These are people that are either so obscure that most people know nothing of them, or they remain footnotes in another's person's story. Still, these people, like Cooper, have made invauable contributions to human knowledge and history, and more people should know about them. This is an area in which I want to contribute.