Talk:Power distribution unit

Agree with template to merge MDU article into this one; disagree with the "globalize" template

1. I agree, merge "Mains distribution unit" into this article. This PDU article is far more detailed than that MDU one, and that one properly references this. By any standard this is the "main article."

2. I disagree with the template "globalize" claiming that this article is North American oriented. That comment is subjective. It may with equal validity be claimed that the MDU article is European oriented and should be globalized by merging into this main article. 1capybara (talk) 11:52, 30 October 2013 (UTC)1capybara — Preceding unsigned comment added by 1capybara (talk • contribs)

• Merge: I agree with @Lmatt: (who added the merge tags), @1capybara: and @Robert.Harker: (see below) that the stubs should be merged. I will consider this a consensus and start merging. – voidxor ^{(talk | contrib)} 00:08, 9 March 2014 (UTC)

Redirect Mains distribution unit to Power Distribution Unit

All of the information in the Mains distribution unit page is covered in greater depth in this page. The Mains distribution unit is a stub page.

How do I go about getting the page changed to a redirect? Robert.Harker (talk) 22:40, 11 November 2013 (UTC)

Why does valid content keep being reverted

The user Voidxor is reverting what I consider to be valid content on the Power Distribution Unit article. If I can understand the reasons then I can rectify the perceived problem but to just keep reverting valid edits is just plain wrong. — Preceding unsigned comment added by IsItJustFantasy (talk • contribs) 22:50, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

My guess is two fold. First it is deep dive into a detail of larger PDUs. Second it feels a bit "market-y" Like this company in the link touts this as a special feature.

Reminder, you did not sign your talk comment with the 4 tildes

Just my 2 cents Robert.Harker (talk) 23:03, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

The first time I reverted, I explained my reasoning in my edit summary. While you did cite your sources, you also simply copied and pasted copyrighted text from AllStarPower.co.uk. Please be advised that copyright violation is a serious offense on Wikipedia, and risks getting the Wikimedia Foundation in legal trouble. I did not waste my time repeating myself when reverting your edit the second time around, because you obviously didn't read my first edit summary.

I removed your external link to All Star Power because it appeared to be spam, and we cannot allow all companies who make a given product to advertise or link to their websites on Wikipedia or the encyclopedia would become nothing more than a 1990s Yahoo!-like web directory.

Also, I suspect that you work for All Star Power. If this is the case, please read WP:COI very carefully for pertinent information about editing Wikipedia with a conflict of interest. If you are an expert in power distribution units, then any objective knowledge that you can contribute to the article (provided that it's properly cited and not more plagiarism) would be highly appreciated. However, Wikipedia is an neutral encyclopedia at heart and not a forum for businesses to advertise. – voidxor ^{(talk | contrib)} 00:51, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Update: I see that your source no longer contains the text you plagiarized as of today. I assume that it was you, IsItJustFantasy, who removed it. Well played. However, a quick Google search reveals that the All Star Power website did contain the paragraph you stole at the time it was added to Wikipedia (yesterday). Since I very much doubt a business would remove content from its website on a weekend, this is a smoking gun in my mind that you work for All Star Power and are editing with conflict of interest. Please note my earlier statement that editing for such reasons is highly ill-advised. – voidxor ^{(talk | contrib)} 01:02, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Thank you Robert.

Voidxor, perhaps we have started on the wrong foot. While I understand the need to protect data that belongs to someone else perhaps you could help me understand how text can be attributed to a source, if when you check the source, the text isn't present? Much as happens with the cabinet PDU section which is attributed to APC.

The description of PDU's given at http://www.allstarpower.co.uk/power-distribution-unit-pdu.html is very informative and in my opinion enhances the current article

As for me, I do have an affiliation with Allstar Power and am not trying to hide that but I don't think that changes my earlier point.IsItJustFantasy (talk) 12:33, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

@IsItJustFantasy: Sorry if I failed to adequately explain my position earlier; Wikipedia has policies in place to guide editors through issues like copyright violation (see WP:COPYVIO) and conflicts of interest (see WP:COI). I would be glad to help you contribute to Wikipedia as my time allows, but note that it is inadvisable for you to mention, link, or reference Allstar Power given your affiliation. Did they ask you to edit Wikipedia? If so, please see WP:PAID as well.

I believe I've confused you as to the point of references. References are not meant to attribute text, as copying text constitutes plagiarism (off topic, a rare example of when copying text is okay is when quoting somebody, in which case you'd put it in quote marks). Rather, references are meant to attribute facts. You, the Wikipedia editor, are expected to paraphrase the facts you find elsewhere (again, preferably not at an entity with which you are associated!) and reference your source(s) of said facts. Does that clear up any confusion between us? – voidxor ^{(talk | contrib)} 05:55, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

Thank you Voidxor - that does clear things up. Although I have an affiliation with Allstar Power, I certainly haven't been asked by them to edit Wikipedia.

I have now read WP:COI and can see the reasons editing is "ill advised" when there is a conflict of interest but it is not banned. I believe (but accept that it might subconsciously be due to my links) that the description given by Allstar Power goes further to explaining a PDU than the Wikipedia article does at this time. The current article only expands on a basic PDU description in the case of cabinet PDU and it could be further enhanced by incorporating Rack mounting and the use cases. And that has been my intention although I accept I went about this the wrong way.

Could we have contributors with no affiliation make a judgment as to whether the current article would be enhanced by including further usage cases? IsItJustFantasy (talk) 19:05, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

I'm sure this article could use a lot of things. Would you mind if I take a whack at writing a paragraph about mounting configurations? Keep in mind you are welcome to add content as well as long as you reference sources other than Allstar Power. The conflict of interest really only comes into play when you are writing about, citing, or linking to Allstar Power. Simply being in the industry (which it sounds like you are) does not constitute a conflict of interest. – voidxor ^{(talk | contrib)} 06:37, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

I don't mind you adding to the article. But to clear something up, I am not in the PDU industry, rather related to the business holder and knew very little about PDU's until reading the Allstar Power article and I believe credit should be given where credit is due. - IsItJustFantasy (talk) 07:40, 6 March 2014 (UTC)