User:JaimeWalton/sandbox

Evaluation: Antonio de Montesinos

Evaluating content: Antonio de Montesinos

Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

- Everything in the article was relevant to the article topic. Nothing distracted me.

Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Identify content gaps.

- Nothing noticeable was out of date or missing except for Antonio de Montesinos' early life. However, this may be due to lack of information or resources on the topic.

What else could be improved?

- Possibly more detailed and cited information in each sub-section would be necessary to improve the content of the article.

Review the lead section. Does it follow Wikipedia’s guidelines to provide basic information and summarizes the entire article?

- The lead section does an adequate job in following Wikipedia's guidelines to provide basic information. It does, however, include information in the lead that is not revisited in later sub-sections.

Evaluating tone:

Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

- The article is quite neutral and does not have any glaring biases towards a particular position. It has an informative tone and attempts to get straight to the point about the facts.

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

- Maybe including input or extra information from the other Spaniards side (whether they were abusive to the indigenous people or not) would be beneficial to widen the representation of the article. Not justifying their actions, but it could further neutralize the article.

Evaluating sources:

Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

- The links work and the source does support the claims in the article.

Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted? For example, does the writer use signal phrases to clearly identify the source of the information?

- For the most part, it looks like the references are reliable. Most of the information comes from books on European colonization in the Indies during the sixteenth century. The sources look neutral and unbiased. One citation is a "Review," so I would be wary of that. The writer does not use signal phrases to clearly identify the source of the information, it is just cited all at the end.

Checking the talk page:

Now take a look at how others are talking about this article on the talk page.

What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

- The only conversation on the talk page is on modifying external links. There are essentially no "behind the scenes" conversations on important topics relating to the article.

How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?

- The article is rated as a C-Class article. It is apart of the WikiProject Biography, WikiProject Catholicism, WikiProject Spain, and WikiProject Caribbean/Dominican Republic.

How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

- The article did acknowledge the inhumane mistreatment of indigenous people during the time of Columbus and Spanish colonization in the Caribbean.

Practice using Citations

A dog has uniquely been attuned to human behavior.

Immature male or female dogs are called pups or puppies.

Dogs were most likely the first domesticated animal.

References (Practice using Citations)

Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog

Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2251326/

Evaluation of The Handmaid's Tale

Review the handout and decide if the article follows the basic format described therein. What sections/topics does the article cover that are mentioned in the handout? What is missing and could be added to the article?

The The Handmaid's Tale

Evaluation: Fun Home vs. The Handmaid's Tale Wikipedia Article

What are some differences between the articles?

To begin, the The Handmaid's Tale article does not abide by Wikipedia's guidelines for what constitutes a good article. The entire article is unorganized, unnecessarily/inappropriately sectioned, overly worded, and does not follow an appropriate structure. Additionally, it has an overwhelming and overbearing hierarchical system. Lastly, it is unreasonably lengthy and gets into some unnecessary detail. The article is incredibly unsourced and many sources remain unclear, as it has insufficient inline citations. The article doesn't truly follow summary style. Lastly, the information is simply not concise, nor to the point (things that makes some Wikipedia articles featured).

The Fun Home article is well-written, comprehensive, well-researched, neutral, and quite stable. The lead is concise, it has appropriate structure (without an overwhelming system of hierarchical section headings), has consistent citations, uses media appropriately, and is of appropriate length. The citations and reference list are extremely thorough and extensive.

Do you see areas where you can add to the Fun Home article despite its high rating?

I may include more media or information on the artwork, as it plays a big role in the graphic novel. There could be more in-depth information on the characteristics, underlying themes, implications, and language of the comic's style. Additionally, I would include updated information on the challenges and attempting banning of Fun Home.

Three-Point Evaluation on The Handmaid's Tale

General Observation:

The Handmaid's Tale Wikipedia article is not written in a completely neutral tone.

Concrete Point of evaluation:

Under Characters, Offred:

"The revelation of Offred's real name does not add to the series in any way, other than humanising her in the presence of the other Handmaids."

This portrays the editor's personal bias on the revelation of Offred's real name. Others may perceive the revelation in another way. The editor shows his or her subjective opinion that "the revelation of Offred's real name does not add to the series in any way, other than humanising her in the presence of the other Handmaids."

This is original research, interpretation, and discernment, and therefore, is bias. Under Wikipedia's criterion for what constitutes a cohesive and good article (or for what constitutes a Featured article), it does not meet the criteria for a neutral tone.

Actionable item:

Delete the portion. The line is not sourced and the line is obviously bias. It is abstract, slightly confusing, and unclear and almost irrelevant information.

Draft One of Contributions to Wikipedia Article on My Princess Boy

Bolded is information that I kept from the original article. The rest has been added, however, I did remove information. I will be italicizing My Princess Boy in my second go-around. Finally, I will be citing and revising it properly and more closely in the next Draft (this includes adding external links, references, sources, etc,.).

My Princess Boy

My Princess Boy Lead:

My Princess Boy is a 2009 children’s picture book written by Cheryl Kilodavis and illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone. The story centers on a boy who likes “pretty things” and prefers to wear tiaras and “girly dresses." The story informs readers about supporting children regardless of their expression. Despite the attention he receives regarding his appearance, the Princess Boy always has the love and support of his family throughout the entire story.

While being controversial and frequently challenged, scholars advocate the book for its ability to introduce the idea of transgender simply in homes, classrooms, counseling offices, and public libraries.

Plot:

My Princess Boy begins with the narrator (and mother) introducing the Princess Boy and his many interests. The narrator describes the Princess Boy's family relationships and friendships. Next, the narrator expresses the conflict that arises with the Princess Boy's non-conforming gender identity and expression. In particular, the narrator recounts individuals laughing and staring at the Princess Boy when he wears or buys girly things. Throughout the entire story, the Princess Boy’s family is steadfast in their reassurance, support, and love for the Princess Boy.

Background:

The story was inspired by Kilodavis’ son, Dyson. Kilodavis, being a mother of a transgender child, wanted to advocate for the acceptance of gender differences. When her son Dyson was about two, he began creating his own personal style consisting of jewelry and dresses. Around this time was when Dyson said to her, “I am a princess boy, Mommy!”

Kilodavis also admitted to a delayed acceptance towards her role as being a mother of a transgender child. Kilodavis initially imposed “boy” things onto her son while pushing him away from “girly” things. Finally, Kilodavis’ older son, Dkobe, brought about a turning point: When Dkobe was six he asked his mother, “Why can’t you just let him be happy, Mom?” At this point, Kilodavis recognized that her older son's words would affect her and her family for good. Additionally, Kilodavis' inability to find empowering or positive books for her son Dyson also played an influential role in pushing Kilodavis towards creating My Princess Boy.

Kilodavis also mentioned that her upbringing played an extremely critical role in teaching her how to live spiritually, be self-aware, and sense what feels morally right from wrong. Kilodavis admitted that growing up, her socioeconomic and racial status made it harder for her to fit in as well. She too did not fit into the gender dichotomy of female stereotypes. Often times, she was exploited when participating in male-dominated activities, due to her gender and race. She was further frustrated at the interplay between race and gender in society, and how she never saw examples of strong and powerful women in literature.

Finally, Kilodavis stated that Free to Be… You and Me by Marlo Thomas impacted her implicitly, as an author and mother, particularly with the book's themes of respect and acceptance. Furthermore, Kilodavis stated that "Free to Be... You are Me" helped set a foundation for her own book to be successfully received by adults who also felt different.

Lastly, Kilodavis affirmed that she wrote the story as a tool to help people start a discussion on the acceptance of diversity.

Analysis (Genre/Style):

According to The Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books, although Kilodavis, inspired by her son, admirably addresses gender identity in young children, she "doesn’t prevail over taboo due to her text’s oversimplification and didacticism." Additionally, The Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books contends that the "pink-heavy illustrations showing featureless characters are off-putting."

Alison Donnelly from The School Library Journal, on the other hand, maintains that Kilodavis, through her own experiences and the experiences of her son Dyson, is able to introduce themes such as identity, acceptance, individuality, and bullying. Donnelly claims that the book ultimately focuses around the themes of societal acceptance, unconditional love, and a unified family. Lastly, as asserted by Donnelly, My Princess Boy is also a call for tolerance, diversity, and the termination of judgment and bullying.

DeSimone’s illustrations in My Princess Boy include featureless characters. Kilodavis, having worked with DeSimone in the past, asked her to create “illustrations based on family photos." Although featureless, the illustrations are positive, bright, and colorful. “In the cartoon illustrations, stars pop into view and rise through pick skies as touches send balls bouncing cause flowers to emit rapid drumbeats and make the and the other weirdly faceless human figures dance. “Children may ask why the people depicted have no faces which may spark discussions about how we are all the same."

In "Pedi-Files: Reading the Foot in Contemporary Illustrated Children's Literature," Jennifer Miskec introduces the idea of boys being portrayed as feminized and "eroticized" while being en point. Miskec points out that the Princess Boy, throughout My Princess Boy, is portrayed en pointe. In one particular illustration, the Princess Boy is "on the tips of his pink shoes' toes, mirrored by his female playmate who is likewise en pointe in red shoes, directly and obviously showing his closer association with the female." The Princess Boy's father, brother, and other male figures are depicted as standing flat-footed. Additionally, the Princess Boy's femininity is further articulated through "his blank face, without eyes, nose, or mouth, en pointe and silenced like classical ballerinas before him." To Miskec, this translates as being the Princess Boy's fulfillment of his own feminine fantasy.

Lastly, Kilodavis concludes with the statement “My Princess Boy is your Princess Boy,” a sentiment suggesting that Kilodavis’ intended audience is in large part for parents as well.

Publication:

After communicating with Dyson’s daycare, Kilodavis decided to write My Princess Boy as an avenue of expressing her support for her son. After contacting her illustrator, she distributed a locally-copied, “glue-bound” book to Dyson’s teacher. After creating an online website to sell copies, an influx of book orders and support strained Kilodavis’ ability to meet demands and produce a sufficient amount of the more expensive, locally-copied books.

Initially, Kilodavis hired a local book printer to produce and sell 100 books on Amazon, however, after the copy was introduced to Seattle’s NBC affiliate and appeared on a daytime talk show, the floodgates opened. “Within 24 hours there was a waiting list for the book, and I received more than 500 e-mails of support. It was an international response that was overwhelming."

After much media attention, Kilodavis ultimately connected with Simon & Schuster’s children's division.

When Kilodavis originally decided to publish through Amazon, she was fearful that they would change her storyline. “Back when I decided to put the book on Amazon, I knew I could submit it into a publisher, but I was so afraid they would change the story. Since this is nonfiction- and my tool- I couldn’t risk having anyone change it. At Simon & Schuster, they wanted to publish it as it was."

Simon & Schuster quickly closed the deal and published the book within two months.

Reception:

Seeing how gender norms are universally manifested in society, educators often utilize My Princess Boy for introducing topics and themes relating to gender. The utilization of My Princess Boy has opened outlets to exploring diverse experiences through literature but has also conversely sparked much controversy across the United States.

In 2014, fifty-two patrons in Granbury, Texas challenged the inclusion of the book in the Hood County Library’s collection. When the library's director, Courtney Kincaid, defended the book's inclusion, objectors took their complaint to the commissioners' court (a county legislative body in some U.S. states). The court effectively upheld Kincaid's decision by declining to vote on the matter.

On October 12, 2015, the principal at Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota informed parents that the school would be supporting a student who was gender non-conforming. In an email, the principal asked for kindergarten parents to talk with their children about appropriate and respectful conduct when engaging with gender non-conforming identities. Upon learning that the non-conforming student was in kindergarten, many parents became concerned with the issue of gender identity being imposed onto their young children. Furthermore, several parents became increasingly apprehensive about the inclusion of My Princess Boy in the curriculum. The spectrum became prominently split with supporters launching petitions in favor of My Princess Boy and objectors either worried about bathroom policies, or leaving the Academy all together. There was a significant drop-off in applications and increase in declined offers of enrollment for the 2016-17 school year. The school later went on to replace My Princess Boy with poems depicting similar themes.

In November of 2019, many Loudoun County parents became outraged due to books placed in curriculums as a part of “a new Diverse Classroom Library Initiative." Several books, one being My Princess Boy, were assigned throughout the school district to introduce kids to a variety of cultures and races, yet many parents were alarmed with the influx of books centered on “sexual diversity” and “LGBT ideology."

Among the publications that have reviewed My Princess Boy are the School Library Journal and Diva. Kirkus Reviews called a mobile app version of the book "utterly without subtlety", but added that "there's little enough out there addressing the needs of transgender children that this can be comfortably overlooked."