User talk:Mike Serfas/Archive2006

Viral origins of obesity

I saw you added material on obesity to support supposedly viral origins. I don't disagree with anything you wrote, but I'm not sure if this particular line of enquiry needs to be covered so extensively in a "general" article on obesity.

You also used inline links to link to PubMed abstracts. As the article has a "references" section with academic format references, I think it is generally better to add any references there rather than use URLs. After all, peer-reviewed research should have more weight than "just" internet links :-) JFW | T@lk 17:51, 7 November 2005 (UTC)

(This was one of my earlier Wikipedia edits. I later learned that simply writing the plain text "PMID" followed by the abstract number (e.g. "PMID 1000000") will automatically generate a usable link; enclosed in ref tags this makes a speedy reference. I eventually developed more patience for the cite template as well. I've also noticed that the information I gave on obesity viruses was deleted from the article - needs a revisit. Mike Serfas (talk) 18:06, 12 December 2007 (UTC)) Mike Serfas

Tinnitus

I'm bringing our discussion here, because it's no longer relevant to tinnitus... I've been thinking about this, and I have to say, I apologize, I think I missed your point the first time around. I think that we're, in a way, arguing around the same point. I completely agree with the desire to see a double-blind study. I also agree with your point that peer review makes it more difficult for casual contributors -- I personally would be okay with a source that's an article from, say, The New York Times, or the Department of Health, summarizing or interpreting a study that found A to be a cause of B. Since encyclopedias are considered tertiary sources anyway, it's fine to cite a secondary source, like a, as long as there is a reliable (read: peer-reviewed) primary source somewhere, such as a conclusive double-blind study. Is this what you're trying to say? Sorry, again, if I'm not understanding... Jesse · talk · contribs 05:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. I just don't want the mediation of a small point about aspartame to create barriers that prevent people from providing useful information to the article. Mike Serfas

Genetic assimilation

Hi Mike Serfas, I just added a category to this article - but only as a part of the effort at Category:Category needed. Would you please have a quick look to make sure it is the correct placement? Thanks. --Bookandcoffee 20:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

Pennsylvania State Parks

Mike, I noticed that you added some pictures to Tobyhanna State Park some time ago. I was wondering if you had more pictures of Pennsylvania state parks to add. If you do it would be great. I've been working on expanding all the PA state park articles for quite some time and any help is greatly appreciated, especially in the area of pictures. Thanks! Dincher 05:51, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

(I do have quite a few relevant images... I meant to get back to that sometime... Mike Serfas (talk))

your comments on talk:anarchism

Hey, Mike Serfas, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you said on the talk anarchism page concerning the American revolution, etc. They are my sentiments exactly and have said a bunch of stuff about American anarchy and anarchist history, types of anarchism etc. on the talk page. I've gotten no response to what I said. Also, there is a type of anarchism, anarchist-capitalism, that some editors keep saying is not real anarchism, and they won't let any edits in concerning it. There are 2 ancaps trying to insert this to no avail. If you wouldn't mind sticking around to contribute to this article it would be great. Thanks again. Whiskey Rebellion 21:46, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Hey, again. You said this on talk:anarchy "For centuries the American frontier was about as close to anarchy as things have actually come". This is a great point that I was thinking of, too. And I agree with you about those seeds of freedom being born here more than any other place. Well, I for one, sure wouldn't mind if you edited the article, itself. Please feel free -- you are more than welcome! Whiskey Rebellion 19:15, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

I'm not trying to win a political war here; I'm just disappointed by the lack of information in the article. It really leaves out quite a bit of information, both historical and ideological, that I think would be relevant and interesting. Mike Serfas

(I'm afraid I didn't return to participate in the "edit war" - those are troublesome enough even with historical and scientific topics, let alone the gradations of philosophy! Mike Serfas (talk) 18:06, 12 December 2007 (UTC))