Comments on a wikipedia article on a Timeline of Category theory

["Joyal, André" <joyal.andre@uqam.ca>]

Dear Ronnie and Georges,

I had a quick glimpse on the wikipedia timeline of category theory.
It can be criticised on many aspects, for example, for its inaccuracies.
But it has also a good side.
It shows for example that a lot of category theory has been developed
by mathmaticians who are not formally category theorists.

I suggest you propose an alternative timeline to the categorical community
before the destruction of this one. 
An imperfect timeline is better than none.

Best, 
André




-------- Message d'origine--------
De: Ronnie Brown [mailto:ronnie.profbrown@btinternet.com]
Date: jeu. 07/07/2011 09:14
À: categories@mta.ca; George Janelidze
Objet : categories: Comments on a wikipedia article on a Timeline of Category theory
 
We would like to draw the attention of readers of this list to the article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_category_theory_and_related_mathematics


We feel that this entry is slanted, unbalanced, and in many cases wrong.
It gives credit to work at a given time often presented in the form of
vague ambitious titles or conclusions that give no information on the
actual theorems the authors either claimed or published at the time.  It
fails to give credit to many authors for their contribution to the
development of category theory and its wider applications, and fails to
describe many developments in the area.

It also fails to give references, which is usually a requirement for
wikipedia articles, and the `discussion' makes it clear that the
author(s) of this entry have no intention of so doing, and have not done
so since the entry was made in 2009.

The anonymity of the entry is also a handicap.

One of us has tried to make a correction, but this is using a sticking
plaster on too great a problem. The entry fails to come up to the
standards of wikipedia in scholarship, accuracy and presentation, is not
really possible to correct,  and should therefore be removed.

We would be grateful for comments on this matter, and for agreement to
support this proposal to wikipedia.

Ronnie Brown

George Janelidze


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