View source for User:Blarcrean

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{{User UniversityoftheWesternCape}}
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This user has tried in a small way to broaden or improve information available online through ''Wikipedia''. 

No [[Source criticism|source]] of information should be accepted uncritically.

==A professional obligation==

In a relevant critique of ''Wikipedian'' history-making Professor [[Roy Rosenzweig]] took this enterprise to task not because it disregards the facts (in its coverage of US history it is found to be “surprisingly accurate in reporting names, dates, and events”), but because it elevates facts “above everything else and spends too much time and energy (in the manner of many collectors) on organizing those facts into categories and lists.” <ref>[http://chnm.gmu.edu/essays-on-history-new-media/essays/?essayid=42 ''Can history be open source? Wikipedia and the future of the past'']</ref>

This is of course partly the nature of encyclopedias – they ‘give you the topline’ and are ‘the ''Reader's Digest'' of deep knowledge,’ writes Rosenzweig, who headed History and New Media at George Mason University. “Fifty years ago the family encyclopedia provided this ‘rough and ready primer on some name or idea’; now that role is being played by the Internet and increasingly by ''Wikipedia''.” 

It is in relation to this that Rosenzweig wonders whether professional historians ought to join popular history makers on this project. “My own tentative answer,” he writes, “is yes.” “If ''Wikipedia'' is becoming the family encyclopedia for the twenty-first century, historians probably have a professional obligation to make it as good as possible. … [if every historian] devoted just one day to improving the entries in her or his areas of expertise, it would not only significantly raise the quality of ''Wikipedia'', it would also enhance popular historical literacy.” 

He argues further that “If historians believe that what is available free on the Web is low quality, then we have a responsibility to make better information sources available online. … Shouldn't professional historians join in the massive democratization of access to knowledge reflected by ''Wikipedia'' and the Web in general?”

At the same time, he adds – and because students do and will use ''Wikipedia'' articles as sources – one has constantly to promote awareness of “the limitations of all information sources, including ''Wikipedia'',” and emphasize “the skills of critical analysis of primary and secondary sources.”

Being interested in a geographic region that is relatively under- and/or poorly represented in ''Wikipedia'' and indeed in any generally available secondary sources, this user - who is not an historian, but works in a related discipline - is motivated to make contributions from time to time in order to help improve this situation. There is a laudable emphasis being given to local history in the new school curricula which makes this project even more urgent, since this good intention is not being backed-up quickly enough with reliable textbooks or other resources. For those students with Internet access, ''Wikipedia'' may be one of the few sources of information available at all. Rosenzweig has issued a challenge that surely ought to be taken up. 

Rosenzweig refers to places where censorship of textbooks and other historical resources is common: in such situations “the fact that ''Wikipedia's'' freedom means both ‘free beer’ and ‘free speech’ has profound implications because it allows the circulation of alternative historical voices and narratives.” Where this user resides this is not as much of an issue as it is in other places<ref>But see [http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?oid=238372&sn=Detail&pid=71616 ANC ramming through Secrecy Bill], [http://www.timeslive.co.za/Politics/article1095452.ece/Cosatu-nails-info-bill Cosatu nails info bill], [http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/editorials/article1097428.ece/ANCs-information-bill-is-an-insult-to-our-constitution ANC's information bill is an insult to our Constitution], [http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/reject-info-bill-says-asmal-1.1084281 Reject Info Bill - Asmal], [http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Info-bill-Stop-rewind-experts-say-20110617 Info Bill - Stop, rewind, experts say], [http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-takes-u-turn-on-info-bill-1.1088604 ANC takes U-turn on Info Bill - but still no protection for journalists, whistleblowers], [http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE7810LD20110902?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews Contested S.African info bill nears finalisation by Wendell Roelf], [http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Info-bill-court-challenge-expected-20110902 Constitutional Court challenge expected],[http://themediaonline.co.za/2011/06/the-prevention-of-scholarship-bill/ Prof Jane Duncan on “The prevention of scholarship bill”]</ref> – or is it?<ref>[http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/black-day-for-press-freedom-1.1183464 '''Black day for press freedom''']</ref><ref>Vinayak Bhardwaj, advocacy co-ordinator at the ''Mail and Guardian'' Centre for Investigative Journalism (amaBhungane) remarks chillingly in relation to the Nkandla disclosures: "The painstaking attempts by journalists, activist organisations and chapter nine institutions to unearth the details of the Nkandla story have revealed the power of South Africa's laws in counteracting the state's secrecy reflex. Hanging over these attempts, however, is the ever-present threat of the 'secrecy Bill' currently awaiting the president's [Zuma's] signature before becoming law. Among its many pernicious provisions, the Bill would allow the state to determine the rules for access to classified information for chapter nine institutions, including the public protector. What was previously withheld by foot-dragging would then be impenetrably fortified by draconian legislation." ''Mail and Guardian'' March 20 to 27 2014 page 7.</ref><ref>[http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2015/09/21/copyright-bill-latest-in-litany-of-laws-of-increasing-oppression Copyright Bill-latest in a litany of laws of increasing oppression]</ref><ref>[http://www.rdm.co.za/politics/2015/11/30/why-we-are-approaching-the-high-court-over-saa-gag-order Approach to High Court over SAA gag order] This 30 Nov 2015 ''Rand Daily Mail'' article cites a succinct statement from a 2011 Constitutional Court judgment by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo: "The constitutional guarantee of the right of access to information held by the state gives effect to accountability, responsiveness and openness as founding values of our constitutional democracy. It is impossible to hold accountable a government that operates in secrecy. In a democratic society such as our own, the effective exercise of the right to vote also depends on the right of access to information. For without access to information, the ability of citizens to make responsible political decisions and participate meaningfully in public life is undermined."</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-07-new-intelligence-bill-is-a-unique-mix-of-malice-and-stupidity/ New intelligence Bill is a unique mix of malice and stupidity]</ref> The principle is surely important. On the matter of alternative perspectives, [[Milan Kundera|Milan Kundera’s]] oft-quoted remark is relevant, that we live amid a “din of easy, quick answers that come faster than the question and block it off.”  He was writing about the spirit of the novel – which, as he says, is the spirit of complexity, where “Things are not as simple as you think.” He might as well have been writing about historical research or scientific endeavour, which is propelled onwards, not by ready-made ideas and stereotypes, but by doubt and questioning. Research is constantly yielding new insights, new twists to the tale, still further refracted by current contexts and points of view. To over-simplify diminishes the necessary texture. Indeed, as [[Merleau-Ponty]] said, “ambiguity is the essence of human existence and everything we live and think always has several meanings.”<ref>Cited in Michael Cope, 2005, ''Intricacy'', p 260</ref> The trick for Wikipedians is to find ways to convey something of the complexity and depth, providing pointers for deeper quests. 

Our concerns should go beyond mere collecting and organizing of facts into categories and lists! 

Many of this user’s own contributions are fragments and work in progress, personal and professional, and hopefully other Wikipedians will be joining both in improving the quality and in adding to the textures.

Blarcrean lives in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

==Articles created==

{{Div col|cols=4|small=yes}}
===Places===
'''Rivers''' 
* [[Riet River]]

'''Towns, settlements, regions'''
* [[Aggeneys]]
* [[Beaconsfield, Kimberley|Beaconsfield]]
* [[Botshabelo, Mpumalanga]]
* [[Bushmanland, Northern Cape]]
* [[Dithakong]]
* [[Du Toit's Pan]]
* [[Dwyka]]
* [[Jamestown, Eastern Cape]]
* [[Malay Camp, Kimberley]]
* [[Modderpoort]]
* [[Pniel, Northern Cape]]
* [[Richmond, Northern Cape]]

===Heritage Sites===

* [[History of the Northern Cape]]

'''Archaeological sites'''
* [[Canteen Kopje]]
* [[Driekops Eiland]]
* [[Kathu Archaeological Sites]]
* [[Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre]]
* [[Wonderwerk Cave]]

'''Buildings'''
* [[Barkly West Museum]]
* [[Sol Plaatje Museum]]
* [[Old School of Mines, Kimberley]]
* [[St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley]]
* [[St Mary's, Barkly West]]
* [[Duggan-Cronin Gallery|The Lodge, Kimberley (Duggan-Cronin Gallery)]]

'''Landscapes'''
* [[Nooitgedacht Glacial Pavements]]

'''Passes'''
* [[Messelpad Pass]]

===People===
'''People of Kimberley'''
* [[Benjamin Bennett (writer)]]
* [[Harold Arthur Morris]]
* [[A.H.M. Scholtz]]

* [[People of the Karoo]]

'''Activists and Political figures''' 
* [[Frances Baard]]
* [[John Block (South African politician)|John Block]]
* [[Grizelda Cjiekella]]
* [[Manne Dipico]]
* [[Khoisan X]]
* [[Sylvia Lucas]]
* [[Phakamile Mabija]]
* [[Johannes Nicholas Malan]]
* [[Ridwan Laher Nytagodien]]
* [[Z.F. Mgcawu]]
* [[Dipuo Peters]]

'''Anthropologists'''
* [[Rane Willerslev]]

'''Artists'''
* [[Jill Adams (artist)]]
* [[Philip Bawcombe]]
* [[Charles Lees (painter)]]
* [[Jack Penn]]
* [[Leo Theron]]
* [[Walter Westbrook (artist)]]

'''Art Collectors'''
* [[William Benbow Humphreys]]
* [[George Mervyn Lawson]]

'''Clergy'''
* [[Simon Mark Aiken]]
* [[Arthur Attwell]]
* [[Brian Victor Beck]]
* [[David Beetge (bishop)|David Beetge]]
* [[Neville Borton]]
* [[George Hugh Bourne]]
* [[Alan Butler (priest)]]
* [[Edward Cannan]]
* [[Hugh Scott Chignell]]
* [[William Crisp]]
* [[Richard Cutts (bishop)]]
* [[John T. Darragh]]
* [[H.A. Douglas-Hamilton]]
* [[William Gaul]]
* [[W.P. Hanbury]]
* [[James Nathaniel Johnson]]
* [[George Mervyn Lawson]]
* [[Reginald Leeuw|Mphashane Reginald Leeuw]]
* [[Brian Marajh]]
* [[Justus Marcus]]
* [[Charles Shannon Mallory]]
* [[Charles Bulmer Maude]]
* [[Charles Oswald Miles]]
* [[Richard Miles (Tswana catechist)]]
* [[George Mitchell (priest)|George Mitchell]]
* [[Theophilus Naledi]]
* [[James Tait Plowden-Wardlaw]]
* [[George A. Pullen]]
* [[John Witherston Rickards]]
* [[Thomas Claude Robson]]
* [[John Ruston]]
* [[John Salt (bishop)]]
* [[Francis William Smith]]
* [[Robin Roy Snyman]]
* [[Edward Twells]]
* [[Arthur Sutton Valpy]]
* [[Ranulph Vincent]]
* [[Charles Walker (liturgist)]]
* [[Allan Webb]]

'''Composers & Musicians'''
* [[Veniamin Basner]]
* [[Edwin Edwards (organist)]]
* [[Edwin George Monk]]
* [[Gideon Nxumalo]]
* [[Luís Tinoco]]
* [[John Troutbeck]]
* [[Richard Woodward (organist)]]

'''Educationists'''
* [[Robert Corbet Singleton]]

'''Explorers'''
* [[George Thompson (traveller)|George Thompson]]

'''"First" People'''
* [[Aenki Kassie]]
* [[Kousop]]
* [[Una Rooi]]

'''Historians'''
* [[Brian Roberts (historian)]]

'''Medical profession'''
* [[Donald Ross (surgeon)|Donald Ross]]
* [[Henrietta Stockdale]]

'''Museologists'''
* [[Rudolph Bigalke]]
* [[Rudolph Carl Bigalke]]
* [[Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin]]
* [[Richard Liversidge]]
* [[John Hyacinth Power]]
* [[Elizabeth Anne Voigt]]
* [[Maria Wilman]]

'''Writers'''
* [[Benjamin Bennett (writer)]]
* [[Phil du Plessis]]
* [[Peter Krummeck]]
* [[A.H.M. Scholtz]]

===Institutions===
'''Academic'''
* [[Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute]]
* [[Sol Plaatje University]]

'''Archaeological'''
* [[South African Archaeological Society]]
 
'''Churches & Religious'''
* [[Anglican Diocese of Botswana]]
* [[Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo]]
* [[Kuruman Moffat Mission]]
* [[St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley]]
* [[St Mary's, Barkly West]]

'''Colonial'''
* [[Children's Friend Society]]
* [[Compound (migrant labour)]]

'''Museums'''
* [[Barkly West Museum]]
* [[Duggan-Cronin Gallery]]
* [[Sol Plaatje Museum]]
* [[South African Museums Association]]
* [[William Humphreys Art Gallery]]

'''Musical'''
* [[St Petersburg Union of Composers]]

'''Newspapers'''
* [[Diamond Fields Advertiser]]
* [[Volksblad]]

'''Schools'''
* [[Kimberley Junior School]]
* [[Perseverance School]]
* [[St Cyprian's Grammar School, Kimberley]]




{{div col end}}

==Contributions/edits==
Inter alia to the following entries:

{{div col}}
'''Places'''
* [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]]
* [[Northern Cape Province]]
 
'''People'''
* [[Ivan Mane Jarnović|Jarnovic]]
* [[Kameshwar C. Wali]]

'''Institutions'''
* [[McGregor Museum]]
* [[Kimberley Boys' High School]]


{{div col end}}

[http://tools.wmflabs.org/xtools/pcount/index.php?name=Blarcrean&lang=en&wiki=wikipedia Blarcrean's edit count]

==Articles to be written: Northern Cape==
{{Div col|cols=4|small=yes}}
===Rivers and related===
*[[Seekoei River, Northern Cape|Seekoei River]]
*[[Brak River, Northern Cape|Brak River]]
*[[Ongers River]]
*[[Hartebeest River, Northern Cape|Hartebeest River]]
*[[Sak River]]
*[[Kuruman River, Northern Cape|Kuruman River]]
*[[Moshaweng River, Northern Cape|Moshaweng River]]
*[[Kgokgole River, Northern Cape|Kgokgole River]]
*[[Matlhwaring River, Northern Cape|Matlhwaring River]]
*[[Buffels River, Northern Cape|Buffels River]]
*[[Groen River, Northern Cape|Groen River]]

===Towns and settlements===
*[[Andriesvale, Northern Cape|Andriesvale]]
*[[Kanoneiland, Northern Cape|Kanoneiland]]
*[[Carolusberg, Northern Cape|Carolusberg]]
*[[Hondeklip, Northern Cape|Hondeklip]]

===People===
*[[Luka Jantjie]]
*[[Louis Anthing]]
*[[Abraham Esau (loyalist)|Abraham Esau]]
*[[Klaas Pofadder]]
{{div col end}}

==Countries/places Visited==

[[Image:Flag of Russia.svg|75px|border|Russia]]
[[Image:Flag of France.svg|75px|border|France]]
[[Image:Flag of Mexico.svg|75px|border|Mexico]]
[[Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|75px|border|UK]]
[[Image:Flag of England.svg|75px|border|England]]
[[Image:Flag of Cornwall.svg|75px|border|Cornwall]]
[[Image:FlagOfWessex.svg|75px|border|Wessex]]
[[Image:Flag of Lesotho.svg|75px|border|Lesotho]]
[[Image:Flag of Botswana.svg|75px|border|Botswana]]
[[Image:Flag of Namibia.svg|75px|border|Namibia]]
[[Image:Flag of Norway.svg|75px|border|Norway]]
[[Image:Flag of Germany.svg|75px|border|Germany]]
[[Image:Flag of Finnmark.svg|75px|border|Finnmark County]]
[[Image:Flag of Austria (state).svg|75px|border|Austria]]
[[Image:Wien_3_Wappen.svg|75px|border|Vienna]]
[[Image:Flag of Croatia.svg|75px|border|Croatia]]
[[Image:Flag of Zagreb.svg|75px|border|Zagreb]]
[[Image:Flag of Slovenia.svg|75px|border|Slovenia]]
[[Image:Flag of Slovakia.svg|75px|border|Slovakia]]
[[Image:Bratislava-bratislava-flag.svg|75px|border|Bratislava]]
[[Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg|75px|border|Czech Republic]]
[[Image:Flag of Prague.svg|75px|border|Prague]]
[[Image:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg|75px|border|UAE]]
[[Image:Flag of Spain.svg|75px|border|Spain]]
[[Image:Flag of Barcelona.svg|75px|border|Barcelona]]
[[Image:Flag of Frankfurt.svg|75px|border|Frankfurt]]
[[Image:Flag of Thuringia.svg|75px|border|Thuringia]]
[[Image:Flag of Berlin.svg|75px|border|Berlin]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:WikiProject South Africa participants]]
[[Category:Wikipedians in South Africa|Blarcrean]]
[[Category:Wikipedians in the Northern Cape|Blarcrean]]
[[Category:Wikipedians with PhD degrees]]