Wikipedia: Stub-article Improvement

As many of you know Wikipedia is an online encyclopaedia full of information on every imaginable topic. During this week's ALES204 lab the class had a very interesting assignment, which was to edit and improve a post on Wikipedia. Until recently I was unaware how easy it is to create an account and begin editing any section that has been flagged for improvement on Wikipedia. Although it is great Wikipedia is available worldwide via the internet and many people including myself use it frequently a concern arises on how reliable is the information being posted? When anyone worldwide can add information we would hope the information is true and the poster is trying to share valuable knowledge. Wikipedia has its own page where one can read up on the reliability of Wikipedia but to the extent of the usage of the information posted is up to the reader themselves.

The stub-article I choose to improve was on sow Gestation Crates specifically the newer design inventions of Farrowing crates. Gestation crates are where a sow is kept during her pregnancy and there are many concerns and animal welfare activists that have concerns with the small area and lack of movement the sow is contained in for long periods of time. A guest speaker from a swine production farm I had the pleasure of listening to mentioned his use free moving gestation stalls. Each sow has her own stall but they are free to leave and move whenever they please. Even with this freedom it was found the sows still tend to spend around 95% of the day in the stall.   Farrowing crates are where the sows are moved to right before giving birth and decrease and prevent the crushing of the young piglets when the sow goes to lay down. From pervious animal science classes I have taken the farrowing stalls are necessary to increase the survival rate of the young piglets. The separate stalls also allow for adjustment of feed with the changes in requirements of the sow from pregnancy to lactation to weaning. Two newer inventions of the farrowing crate are VIP design by Ikadan and the 360° Freedom designed by Midland Pig Producers. Both new designs allow for a greater space for the sow increasing movement and also allowing for the sow to demonstrate motherly instincts to her piglets. Another student edited a Wikipedia stub on EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified), which can also be found on her blogspot.

Screen shot from the entry I improved on Wikipedia from Christie Badachs own photo folder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestation_crate

When first given the Wikipedia assignment I was concerned with how difficult it would be to find a topic that interested me and how easy it be to improve the article. After a minimal amount of searching I was able to find a stub that was interesting to me and one I felt I could improve. Even with concern of the reliability issue with my searching I notice many posts others have made have done their research and are projecting the knowledge they have obtained to the best of their ability. It was also found surveillance does take place and if there is information that may be wrongfully posted it can be report and removed.

In conclusion if anyone is interested in sharing their knowledge with the world and would like to take a shot at editing a stub-article on Wikipedia you can visit the link of a list of stubs available for improvement.

My Facebook Page!!

untitled, a photo by jumpingbeamer on Flickr.

Create a Facebook Page

Today was extremely interesting in regards to how Facebook can be used more professionally rather than strictly a social media. Once a Facebook account is acquired it is possible to create a page outside of your own personal profile which can be shared on your homepage or not. A page can be created for an array of scenarios including an actor, business, lawyer, music and bands, public figure and many other professional and nonprofessional aspects. The page is great to become noticed worldwide whether it be a small business or a top star. It can give people updates, information about products, contact information, location and much more.

I created my Facebook page as a public figure which supplies information on my personal accomplishments, where I am in my schooling, my career path and more information on jobs I have completed. The page at the moment is perfect to be used for a resume in which employers could look up my page before physically asking me to come in for an interview. Though I did not add references, if I chose to I could add contact info for those references making it quick and easy for an employer. Another example of a Facebook page made by another class member who is focused on Nutrition and Wellness can be found at her blogspot or directly to her facebook page.

                                Screen shot of my Facebook Page from Christie Badachs own Private File, picture can also be viewed on Flikr as shown in
                                the previous post or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/75349354@N08/6769185327/

In the future I could use a Facebook page for my career as if I become a Certified Beginner riding instructor I could post information on my location, who I am, my accomplishments, references, contacts to people who have used my services before and my rates. If I obtained a position as an Equine Nutritionist I could create the page with the same information but it would also allow people to comment on my page and for questions to be answered. Any career path I choose would have a use for a professional Facebook page. I would recommend everyone   create a page for themselves whether you use the page for a business or for your own personal resume it is a perfect way to get your name out there. One never knows who might read the page and what opportunities may come from something as simple as a Facebook page. A couple people I know whom have created a facebook page for their businesses can be found at Stonecountry Welsh and Whitemud Equine Learning Centre.

Hey all,

First I will talk a little bit about myself!! I absolutely love animals, my family members called me Dr. Doolittle for the longest time a little embarrassing I might add but hey what family does not embarrass their children. I have owned many different animals as pets such as hamsters, gerbils, mice, hermit crabs, a Pueblan Milksnake, Bearded Dragon, cats, budgies, a Cockatiel, an assortment of little lizards and horses!! Many of my pets I owned at one time and people would say our home was a zoo. I am very outgoing and love to spend a night at the movies with my friends and family. The majority of my spare time is spent out at the barn. I have been riding horses for 8 years and currently have a 4 year old Welsh Cob gelding that I have been training from a 2 year old.

As for my schooling three years ago I started my studies at Grant MacEwan University in Bachelor of Science transfer and my goal was to complete the two year program and apply for Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary or University of Saskatchewan. Well as many of you may know the area of study you choose can and will change many times during your schooling so I decided to transfer to the University of Alberta's Animal Health Science Program. I am currently registered in my second year majoring in Performance and Companion Animals and have recently decided to complete a double major adding Food Animals to the list. Although applying to vet school is still on the list my plans are now to focus on becoming an Equine Nutritionist or a Food Animal inspector. On the side I would also like to have re-sale horses and instruct beginner riders. My ultimate goal would be to have my own boarding and training facility however a good job defiantly is a must first.

In regards to communication I use Hotmail for my personal e-mails for work and to keep up to date on promotions from my favorite websites. I also use MSN messenger occasionally to chat with old friends but the majority of the time I use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and family or to stay aware of what is happening with those nearby and further away. I have an university e-mail account which I use only when needing to contact an instructor with questions or concerns. After starting the ALES class I have joined Twitter and am finding it to be a very interesting form of social media and it is fun to follow others without having to "accept a friend request". My cell phone plays a very important role in communication whether it is a text message or a phone call my friends, family and colleagues can get in touch with me. Finally I use YouTube quite to bit to learn some extra information, watch videos on topics I enjoy, keeping up with what is happening around the world or to have a good laugh as we all know there are many funny videos posted every day!!

I am very excited to complete the ALES 204 course at the U of A as it seems to be an extremely fun way of learning about different forms of communication. For a summary about what takes place in the ALES 204 class click on the link for a short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chSFLkt3YaU&noredirect=1. I also enjoyed the following blog created by a student in 2011, it really shows how creativity and communication can do hand in hand: http://ales204wilsonl.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html.