User:Einsidler/Some argue

Some argue that this website needs more cowbell

Some argue is a phrase used in over 38,000 articles on Wikipedia. Some argue that it has become cliché.

Usage

Wikipedia has a strict non-point of view (NPOV) policy. To bypass this, editors can (and do) simply add the phrase "Some argue" to the start of the sentence.

Examples

POV statements

• Wikipedia is full of lies.
• Hoons should be arrested.
• Kids these days are getting too much money.
• Men are fat pigs.

NPOV statements

• Some argue that allowing anyone to edit makes Wikipedia an unreliable work (source).
• Some argue that since acquiring the privilege to operate a motor vehicle on public roadways includes consent to obey the rules of the road (source).
• Some argue that a declining minimum wage might reduce youth unemployment (source).
• Some argue that this is in part because men are “allowed” to be overweight (source).

Parody

This phrase is used in many articles on Encyclopædia Dramatica in parody of the common usage on Wikipedia. This is similar to the usage of the phrase "at least 100 years ago" or simply "at least 100" which claims that contributors unsure of their facts will use this phrase to fill in the year of an event. An exaggerated example of this is "Jesus was born in Bethlehem at least 100 years ago." which may be true, but probably isn't.

Example of parody "some argue"

• POV: The Jews secretly bred Natalie Portman as a half-breed Jewish princess to rule planet Earth under the reign of our Illuminati reptile masters from planet Vulcan, using the Jedi powers she gained from having sex with Darth Vader.
• NPOV: Some argue that the Jews secretly bred Natilie Portman as a half-breed Jewish princess to rule planet Earth under the reign of our Illuminati reptile masters from planet Vulcan, using the Jedi powers she gained from having sex with Darth Vader.

See also

• Wikipedia's guideline on these "weasel words"

External links

• Google search for "some argue" on Wikipedia