Talk:Taipei American School/Controvery Section Archive

Controversy discussion in Taipei American School

TAS has also been criticized for an abnormally high rate of serious juvenile crimes, including murder, theft, vandalism, gang violence and rape.

Criticized by who? Cite a source that clearly supports this point of view (POV); otherwise this is clearly a perception rather than reality.

- It has been the subject of Taiwanese media for a long time. I will not cite names but remember the amphetamines and the graveyard drinking, beating to death of fellow student, stealing laptops from the science department and throwing objects to destroy bleachers, stealing motorcycles, skaters getting into fights with prefectory chiefs and the park after spraypainting the park. These incidents have not been archived online as are a lot of other local Taiwanese news reports.

-- It is ridiculous to believe that these kind of things don't happen in other schools located in Taiwan. It is only because of the exclusive nature of TAS that attracts this kind of media paparazzi. --BenjaminTsai 08:28, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

-- I will not object to the fact that scandalous events have occurred in TAS, some perhaps I'm not aware of. All schools have a mixed body of students, but that doesn't mean the minority should speak for the majority. I agree that things happen, yet I do not believe that there is an abnormally high rate of serious juvenile crimes. Please keep in mind that these uncited phrases (such as abnormally high rate of seirious jevenile crimes) is precisely what makes tabloid headlines because no one has to (or did) vouch for such controversial comment. Plus, these unsupported facts can truly damange a school's repuation, which I find completely unfair. To prove that the crime rate is "abnormally high" means that one has to gather the crime rate at one school and compare it to the average crime rate of high schools. Until some one can provide such hard evidence, this comment can be nothing more than a "personal opinion."

Many Taiwanese citizens believe that TAS has a deleterious effect on Taiwanese society and that TAS should be shut down.

Taipei American School serves only the Taipei community so how it could have a deleterious effect of the entire Taiwanese society is beyond comprehension.

- Obviously, if it is in Taiwan, it will generate a ripple effect that will quickly affect all of Taiwan. Removing TAS from Taiwanese territory will slow such bad influences.

- What are some positive and negative effects of TAS? We must all acknowledge that the presence of anything has its positive and negative influences. Without any further discussions, I would just like to put in my little opinions of the positive effects of having a TAS (or 日僑學校) etc. Having such schools serves as an attraction for overseas Chinese businness men or foreigners to work in Taiwan because TAS can provide an american-style enviornment for the students. TAS also gives foreigners an opportunity to improve their traditional Chinese ability, which distinguishes from the simplified Chinese teachings that is now becoming world trend. People who attend TAS are usually wealthy (considering the tuition), and it brings a great deal of money into the prospectful Tien Mu area (take Warners and Mitsukoshi for example). It also gives Taiwanese people a chance to interact with foreigners, which is something the government is stressing quite strongly these days.

• There, your statement makes it sound that you have an extreme grudge of TAS. Allentchang 15:51, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

This is unlikely, however, because the TAS administration is believed to have numerous connections with local gangs, who help lobby for TAS's continued presence.

You are speculating. Does "local gangs" include the Taipei City government? Ma Ying-jeou has made several visits to TAS. You are also one step short of advocating a POV by suggesting that TAS should really be shut down.

- No, it is clear that Mark Ulfers attended the well publicized funeral of a Four Seas Gang leader a couple of years back. I am not speculating.

- It is obvious that Taiwanese gangster culture is quite unusual. Take Mr. 顏清標's son's marriage for example, people of all sorts (連戰、宋楚瑜、陳水扁(sent flowers and $) etc.) attended this ceremony and presented large sums of red envelope. Does that mean all of these people knew this mob head dearly? I doubt. Does being at presence means TAS superintendents are well acquiainted with these mobs and need these people to "help lobby for TAS's contunued presence"? I would say that this conclusion is a big jump. Moreover, I don't even know if this news is a fact.

Allentchang 02:49, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I have found no source to these allegations. I replaced the POV paragraph with facts from news reports. SchmuckyTheCat 02:12, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I found the section rediculous even after the improvement made by SchmuckyTheCat. Schools are not outside of the society and therefore social cases occurs in side of schools. The robbery has nothing to do with the school according to the story. Do readers need to know these information? Do we treat other schools with this tabloid style editing? I do not think so. I think the whole controversy section should be removed.--Mababa 02:44, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• yeah, I wasn't real happy with it either. that's why my additions basically said nothing about it actually being involved with the school. chalk it up as a lame attempt to assuage a POV editor. the rape though, is pretty serious and is well reported. SchmuckyTheCat 03:24, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• The information being reverted needs to be sourced. "Well reported in the media" should mean well documented, and let me include the source. No one is reverting the rape section, because there is an actual source behind it. You may very well be right, but think of it like a research paper, anything not sourced is hearsay. Wikibofh 00:26, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The sources are not online. How come all other information provided in the article do not need a source?

• Some of them are sourced. For instance, the rape section was source with the article showing that event. Furthermore, what is stated isn't inflammatory and controversial like what you are adding. Source do not have to be online, but they do have to be verifable. If newspapers are reporting this, give the paper, date and location, otherewise it is merely hearsay. I would also recommend creating an account. Doing it annonymously lends even less credence. Wikibofh 21:45, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

TAS is an excellent school that provides first class education to all who seek it. There are good and bad things that happen in every school and this one isn't an exception.

• On the contrary, TAS is an exception in the positive sense that actual violence connected with or actually within the school is almost completely unheard of. Inlcuding information regarding delinquent juvenile acts in an encyclopedic article on a school would be about as relevant as including information on the specific contents of the snack bar.

Junk in this article

What is the "sewage accumalation pond" ?? And why are the alumni described as socialites, germs, and playboys? I have no idea aobut this school at all and come to revert a vandal, someone who cares, and knows, shuold give it a good look over. SchmuckyTheCat 03:29, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• I am an alumnus of the school. There is no sewage accumalation pond. There is a pond there for ecological studies which I helped work on when I was a high school student there. I won't deny that there are those socialites there in the high school, but many of the alumni are also scientists, engineers, and doctors (partially because of parental pressure). Many of them go to the UC system or to the Ivy League Schools. There are usually ten students each year who end up at UC Berkeley. To focus mainly on a fraction of the alumni who are socialites, germs, and playboys can be extermeley misleading in terms of the entire alumni population. I cannot remove the list of alumni unless I can find clear evidence that they are not from the school, but to mislead people that the school only produces socialites, germs, and playboys is dangerously close to treading on POV. All schools have good apples and bad apples, but I feel it is totally inappropriate if I spent time researching alleged crimes that occur in every school and university listed on the Wikipedia and have them reported on the Wikipedia. Having a controversy section on possible crimes committed by students here creates the precedent that there can be a controversy section on all other schools and universities listed on the Wikipedia. Allentchang 20:43, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• The above itself is POV. When you say many attend prestigious schools, why don't you mention the ones that go to bad schools too? About 50% go to good schools and the other 50% go to bad schools.

That is a propagandistic view of presenting information about a school. If, for example, you look up the Wikipedia entry on Columbine High School, they mention the "Columbine High School massacre." Nothing mandates a controversy section. However, being an encycopedia it is nothing but being dutiful to include all sorts of information, regardless of the editors' feelings towards them.

If you have any idea of what Blank's Pond is, you know what I mean by sewage accumulation pond. All it is is a muddy puddle about 5 feet wide and 10 feet long. Maybe it was once used for ecological studies, but not in 10 years. Many parts of the original article drastically misrepresent what TAS is. There is no olympic sized swimming pool, the library is not close to rivaling that of a small liberal arts college. I just come to spread the truth.

Allentchang, the point is that there are a rather large number of crimes at TAS versus the rest of the Taiwanese schools and it has often been the subject of Taiwanese media. I don't see how you can deny that. Yes, a lot of students go to the UC system, but that doesn't really say a lot, considering how poor the American education system is compared to the Taiwanese one.

• If you claim that there are a rather larger number of crimes at TAS versus the rest of the Taiwanese schools, give me statistics and not abstract claims. The Taiwanese media has always been notorious with polls and statistics. Which part of the American education system is poorer than the Taiwanese one? The Taiwanese educational system has its own pains. A school that offers plenty of AP and IB courses is probably an above average school to say the very least. The reason I said that the TAS library rivals that of a small liberal arts college is because recruiters from those small liberal arts colleges told me so. I was also told by the staff at TAS about the size of the indoor swimming pool. It sounds to me that you probably had a rough time at TAS . . .

stop accusing the taiwanese media without posting statistics about them being "notorious with polls and statistics"

ALL parts of american education system are poorer than Taiwanese. For example, an AP physics course is equivalent to what is taught in junior high school. Similarily a college level discrete math course in the US offers no more than what is taught in Taiwanese junior high schools. English classes in Taiwanese high schools are roughly equivalent to those at TAS high school. There is NOTHING that TAS people know more than locals.

• Please read User_talk:68.121.211.14 in response to your statement that "ALL parts of american education system are poorer than Taiwanese"

Allentchang 15:51, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I know this was written some months ago, but it's just so nauseating to read that I can't help but respond. First, unless you're proposing that your average kid in a public ROC school is being taught Calculus by the time he's in middle school student, it's impossible for them to be learning about AP Physics C level material. AP Physics B? Maybe. As for middle school students learning college level discrete math, either you're using as your basis of comparison some inner-city US community college, or you just don't have an understanding of what even an introductory "college level discrete math" course is. Here's a hint, discrete math involves more than knowing how to calculate simple permutations. As for English classes being equivalent to TAS, ha ha. That's a good one. If your average kid from ROC is as superhuman as you seem to be implying (have native speaker level command of English, taking college level math and science classes in middle school, etc.), we would be seeing a lot more students from Taiwan at the leading universities in the US. --BenjaminTsai 06:49, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

so why do you trust a bunch of lying TAS stuff and you don't trust me? do you really think that pool is olympic size? wtf. And that shitty library, without subscriptions to research journals can rival the library of any college? you must be really phucked in the head.

True, Columbine High School deserves an entry about the shootings because that news has shocked the entire world and is an extremeley heinous and rare crime. But should we list the major crimes (theft, burgarly, rape) on every page about an educational institution? If I wanted to, I could have written about controversial stuff that happened at Ming Chuan University and Soochow University, two institutions that my parents teach, but I know that it is inappropriate to do so. Crime has significanly increased at both instuttions over the years, but they don't get saturated media coverage since they are not international schools. I could also write about major crimes that occur at UC Berkeley, which I am at. And then about the "Puja Germs" thing. I did a google and yahoo search on this terminology with quotes. There was no search result on google. There was one search result on yahoo, but it was a page done by someone related to TAS. That doesn't sound very memoriable to be mentioned on the alumni list compared to Takeshi Kaneshiro. (Type "Takeshi Kaneshiro school" and you do get references to TAS. Allentchang 02:56, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Heh, look, not EVERYTHING is on google. you are a dumbass.

I agree

• "All parts of the American educational system are poorer than Taiwanese". This statement is so absolutely ridiculious and completely narrow minded that it is not derserving of a serious answer. If your experience at TAS was difficult, create your own website and rant about it, but don't waste the time of those attempting to create a genuinely informative article about their school.

To the person who created the controversy section

I have invited the unknown user who created the controversy section and who reposted the controversy section again and again to give his/her opinions on this talk page. I am extremely disappointed that this unknown user has yet to use this talk page and at possible vandalism on the page (such as "sewage accumulation pond"). Allentchang 20:49, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Sorry I did not know about the talk page. What I wanted was to portray a true picture of the Taipei American School. The original page was reading like an advertisement.

I'm not sure that you are trying to portray a true picture in good faith. "Puja Mahtani who is known for the playground game Puja Germs"? This seems like a prank.

I tried to make some NPOV changes: "a library that rivals X" is probably inherently POV, let's just call it an extensive library.

The first paragraph of "controversy" was very POV and possibly libelous; the second paragraph on the other hand does seem to represent an actual very recent news story.

-- Curps 22:11, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• How do we know the credibility of news sources. Also just because it's not reported or hard to find doesn't mean it's not true.

• Just post the source, any source, like you would for your teacher. It can be books, newspapers, magazines, etc, any reputable source that is independently viable. SchmuckyTheCat 23:25, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Taipei Times articles about TAS

The following links are news articles about TAS from Taipei Times: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Another article has a list of noted alumni: Nita Ing (殷琪), president of the Taiwan High-speed Railway Co (台灣高鐵), Taiwan actress and director Sylvia Chang (張艾嘉), movie star Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武) and Linda Arrigo, democracy activist and former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh's (施明德) ex-wife. [6]

Allentchang 19:10, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)

That article also notes the beating of the borough chief and claims of extraterritoriality by TAS students. 68.121.211.14

Recent reverting by anons

The anons who keep reverting to their version don't seem to be making any good faith effort to back up what they wish to add to this article. Actually, it's very likely that these "anons" are in fact a single person, using both a University of California IP and a Pacbell IP, who has broken the Wikipedia:Three revert rule on more than one occasion.

Allegations that the administration of this school have "numerous connections with local gangs" are not backed up with any evidence, and failing that, border on being libelous. The claim that many people in Taiwan believe that "TAS should be shut down", unless backed up by some kind of published opinion poll, is a pure POV statement. A final touch of silliness is including some silly trivia about "Puja" and his germs, which strongly suggests that this anon is some schoolchild with an axe to grind against his old school, and this Puja was some classmate of his. Zero Google hits, needless to say. I mean, come on.

Even the controversy involving the teenagers is very peripherally related to the school, since it did not take place there and the school seems to have no obvious involvement at all, and it is a very common practice in lawsuits to name as many defendants as possible, particularly those perceived to have "deep pockets". At any given time, many schools, corporations and other institutions in the United States (or with an American connection, as is the case here) have any number of lawsuits pending against them, most of which are not notable or encyclopedic. The clear POV of this anon suggests that his primary motivation in including it is merely to portray TAS as unfavorably as possible, rather than any wish to improve Wikipedia or add useful encyclopedic information.

When Wikipedia:Neutral point of view is pointed out, he simply mockingly adds "NPOV" in the edit summaries of his reverts. At this point, it's hard to assume good faith... this is simply vandalism. The burden of proof would seem to be on the anon to show why his reverts shouldn't be re-reverted as simple vandalism.

-- Curps 03:51, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

yeah right i posted links I could find on this talk page, yet they were ignored, blatant claims of extraterritoriality by TAS students were also ignored. ps, not all those edits were mine. It is not vandalism, it is freedom of knowledge. i do not more judgmental statements than other authors do. I simply state that most people believe .... and that these things happened. i don't say its good or bad, why do you think i am not NPOV. sure if you want to nitpick you can see some words that maybe be of negative tone, but i do not believe i am more judgemental than other authors. this ban should be removed and my posts should be reinstated in the name of a neutral, uncensored encyclopedia. 68.121.211.14 06:44, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• I only see two links posted from you, and regrettably, I can't read the sources, so that will fall to someone else. Does anyone have a way to contact TAS or current TAS students to have "feet on the street" check some of the "allegations" and perhaps provide us with photos? It would help the article regardless. Wikibofh 14:15, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

btw there needs to be some serious fact checking on some claims such as.. does blank;s pond actually even exist anymore, or did people realize it was a mud puddle full of shit and fill it up a long time ago. Is TAS really non-profit>? NO! The college acceptance rate for the graduating class has always been above ninety percent.what does this mean? people from TAS get accepted 90% of the time? NO!

Seriously, the censorship needs to go away. we've seen that TAS has sports facilities and a hot meal line. we also want to see what the taiwanese people feel about TAS because that is an important part of what TAS is. we need to publish the incidents that are so important to TAS. juz cuz you think it givves TAS a bad name doesn't mean that it shouldn't be published. if its true, then fuck, let there be light. this censorship shit is really really gay. 68.121.211.14 06:53, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• One of the best ways to make sure that your views get ignored as the rants of a loon is to make sure that you use the words "fuck" "gay" and "censorship" in the same sentence. You only missed the superfecta by the smallest of margins by not including either "Nazi" or "Hitler". If you want to include some of your "facts" then do the something like the following (Notice how it provides a neutral point of view, facts for a reputable source that can be verified):

• • Blank's pond doesn't exist anymore. Here is a photo and Bob Roberts, head of ecology states in email (and provide the email address) that it was shutdown in 2002.

Wikibofh 14:15, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I thought it was already verified that Blank's pond is gone. I can remember it being there up to seven years ago, but not after that. I don't remember seeing it when I visited 8 months ago. Cliffe 02:12, 11 August 2005 (UTC)

haha you are a dumb shit. what's so wrong about "nazi" or "hitler". some dumb american shit that makes nazi or hitler some how incomparable to any other shit? you know what, many people in the world think your dumb american imperialism, assault on iraq, are comparable to the atrocities performed by the nazis. yet "american" or "republican" is not a diss.

let me say it right here out loud: TAS is almost as bad as Nazis! 68.121.211.14 17:32, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• Thanks for invoking both the letter and the spirit of Godwin's Law. I think that pretty much eliminates the need to continue to try reason. Wikibofh 03:26, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

heh you mentioned nazi's first YOU LOST 68.121.211.14 14:07, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

This anon is obviously a little wacky, but not all of their changes were illegitimate. Their added information under Noted faculty and Noted alumni appears to be okay. I move that these be restored, and that this person stop modifying the Facilities section to say unpleasant things. Even with support to back it up, nobody really cares what the track and field facilities used to be. Deco 00:10, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• • The problem is that we can't seem to get one without the other...and trying to talk about it and be reasonable isn't getting us anywhere. I think we're looking at a few rounds of protect/unprotect followed by a ban before we can really try to fix the article. I'd love to be wrong though. Wikibofh 04:11, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• • • that is because your are censoring correct information 68.121.211.14 18:07, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• • Deco, Could you be more explicit about what added information under Noted faculty and Noted alumni appear to be okay? The anon added nothing about the Noted faculty. The anon should build more credibility by stop being anon and register with Wikipedia. I wish Wikipedia had a feature that would forbid anon revisions as a security feature. Allentchang 22:19, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The Chinatown article has a section called "Social Problems" I don't see why the TAS article cannot have a section called "Controversy" 68.121.211.14 05:19, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Shockingly, for my part, I agree with you that a controversy section might be warranted. However, you've gone back to making some of the same edits you made before that have been reverted and everyone but yourself agrees are at best POV. You need to let those go. Also you wrote

:In 1999, a group of TAS students vandalized a local park and then brutally attacked the borough chief 
in that area using skateboards. Then, they shockingly claimed extraterritoriality and seeked help from 
the American Institute in Taiwan

The only mention in the article you cite is as follows:

Two years ago, 20 TAS students were involved in a fistfight with the borough chief of Tienmu, where 
the school is located, when the students were warned not to vandalize walls inside a Tienmu park. In 
a bid to show the power of their connections, the students threatened to seek assistance from the 
American Institute in Taiwan.

"first fight" != "brutally attacked"

"threatend to seek assistance" != "seeked (sought) help"

I'm not going to revert your Puja Germs, sewage pond, and garbage dump edits to avoid starting a revert war, but as noted by Curps and others, they need to go. I'm also curious why you got rid of non-profit, as that should not be contentious. I would also suggest changing the line 'More recently the student demographic has shifted to Taiwanese students who hold American passports.' It's obvious that most of the students hold US passports but I don't see how to tell they are taiwanese. I suspect your right, but it would be nice to see it documented. Also, the number appears to be about 60% of the population of the school holds an American passport. [7] It's overwhelmingly the largest block, but suprisingly not the overwhelming majority it may seem. Wikibofh 14:10, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Well anyone who was in Taiwan at the time and could look at news can confirm that the students brutally attacked the borough chief with skateboards. It wasn't just a fist fight. And, many TAS students did seek help from the AIT when they are in trouble with law. Thats why they usually get extradited instead of being put in jail. These guys did the same thing. 68.121.211.14 18:22, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

---

The controversy section simply does not belong. It is not about an event that took place on school grounds or involved any school administrators or teachers; the school's only involvement seems to be being named in a lawsuit. It is a common tactic in lawsuits to name as many defendants as possible, at least initially. Nearly every single university in the United States has or has had some similar type of lawsuit filed against it... should we add a "controversy" section to University of California too?

The controversy section belongs. A large percentage of a student's childhood is spent at school at their behavior is heavily influenced by the school. It is not a coincidence that TAS students have a higher rate of juvenile crime, sex between minors, than local students. This is mostly due to the American style upbringing, as many Taiwanese will agree. 68.121.211.14 18:22, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Just do a Google search on "university"+"date rape"+lawsuit and you find all kinds of examples: for instance [8] mentions such a lawsuit against Brandeis University. Are you going to add a "controversy" section to that university's article? Even in cases where such an incident actually took place in a college dorm or on campus grounds, or even involved a university professor and a university student, we wouldn't normally include such a controversy section unless it was a case that really reached national prominence. The TAS "controversy" did not even take place on school grounds and did not involve any school staff and does not warrant mention.

Maybe you don't realize it, but lots of times in Taiwan, when you turn on the TV, the news keeps talking about how TAS students are bad. the "Controversy" section is in place so that this fact is known. I am not advocating the position of either the school or the news but we should at least know that this topic is so prevalent in Taiwanese news reports. 68.121.211.14 18:22, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The broader issue is that this anon simply doesn't recognize consensus, doesn't care about it, and simply keeps reverting to his version, "Puja Germs" and all. This is disruption. An encyclopedia that anyone can edit has to work by consensus, there's no other way to make it work, and anyone who singlehandedly tries to push a particular version against the opposition of multiple other users is rebuffed. -- Curps 15:56, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I am not single handely doing it. There are lots of people who support me. I believe most Taiwanese, if they know about wikipedia, will support me too. 68.121.211.14 18:22, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• What you say about controversy makes sense, although personally I don't have a strong preference. I also don't know what more we can do to try to build consensus with the anon. I have given it up as a lost cause. Wikibofh 16:10, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It is hard to build a consensus when I explain stuff and you still revert my posts. Stop censoring stuff. You guys haven't even answered about the Social_problems_in_Chinatown article. They list a lot more stuff than me without having sources. 68.121.211.14 18:22, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

YOu guys really have some double standard. Why is it ok for you americans to write about social problems in chinatown while it is not ok for taiwanese to write about controversy(which is less negative than "social problems") in a american society in Taiwan that is causing similar problems. 68.121.211.14 18:27, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You have ignored every comment directed to you, simply reverting back to your version. You can't seriously claim that "Puja Germs" is notable... there are no google hits, yet you keep reverting this too, along with everything else. I have given some reasons for considering the controversy not relevant, which you haven't replied to. Why do you refuse to answer? Please do not revert until you answer. Why is "Puja Germs" notable? Please provide references. Why would we put this "controversy" here, when no such controversies are listed for all the universities and schools that have lawsuits against them (I gave examples), even in cases where the alleged incidents actually took place on school property or involved school staff, which this case does not. Again, please don't revert until you actually answer some of the points that people have been replying to you with... otherwise, what would be the point of replying to you? -- Curps 19:57, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You haven't answered why social problems in china town is relevant.68.121.211.14 02:53, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

If you are claiming that TAS is controversial in Taiwan society, you should be able to cite evidence for this. So far you haven't done so. Please show some articles in mainstream Taiwan media (in English or Chinese) that discuss the "Taipei American School controversy". You claim "many Taiwanese citizens believe that TAS has a deleterious effect on Taiwanese society and that TAS should be shut down". Cite some evidence for this. You claim "the TAS administration is believed to have numerous connections with local gangs". Cite some evidence for this. There must be some online newspaper articles or editorials that have discussed the existence of such beliefs or such alleged connections, even if only to deny or refute them.

How many uncited events are on the Social problems in chinatown page68.121.211.14 02:53, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Every school has students who engage in rowdy behavior, public drunkenness, date rape, getting into fights, getting arrested for drugs (and sometimes schools get sued as a result). Every school has spoiled rich kids who get in trouble and look for family connections to bail them out. Sometimes these incidents get a newspaper article or two but are soon forgotten by most. These things happen at many, many schools, but that doesn't make the school itself controversial, or call its existence into question. Otherwise, we could have a similar "controversy" section for every single high school or university in Wikipedia, but we don't. A controversy has to become notable (like Larry Summers' comments at Harvard]]) for it to warrant a section about it in Wikipedia.

You are talking about every school in America, not Taiwan 68.121.211.14 02:53, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

If you're really claiming that the very existence of TAS has become a national controversy in Taiwan, you should have no trouble citing some online media articles talking about this (even articles that defend TAS against controversial accusations would serve as proof that the controversy actually exists).

And if you do cite evidence, please don't misrepresent what the cited source actually says (turning a "fistfight" into a "brutal beating").

Again, if you claim that there is a controversy about whether TAS administration has gang connections, or a controversy about the very existence of TAS in Taiwan, cite some online news media articles that mention the existence of such a controversy, in English or Chinese. -- Curps 20:29, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• FWIW I just did a quick perusal of High schools in the United States and not a single one of the 10 I chose at random from California had a controversy section. Wikibofh 23:59, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

This because high schools in the united states are not considered a foreign entity. Why does China down have negative article? 68.121.211.14 02:53, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

If you have a problem with the Social problems in Chinatown page, go edit that page, or go discuss on that page's talk page. Stop disrupting this one. -- Curps 04:00, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

No i believe it is legitimate content, and legitimate content such as that and the additions I have contributed to the Taipei American School page should not be censored. Try convincing them that it is not legitimate content. If you can do so, I will give up my quest for a fair encyclopedic article. 128.32.48.193 16:52, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Who is "them"? You haven't answered any of the questions above or provided references. -- Curps 17:24, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

them is the community that wrote the article. i think you are missing the point. the point is that the vast majorityh of articles on wikipedia are based on unreferenced information. this is the rule rather than the exception. it is unfair to make the case just for the TAS article. If a rule isn't enforced consistently, its more difficult to argue that the rule should be enforced. furthermore, I didnt break any rule. My posts were with compolete NPOV my reverts were undoing vandalism done by you guys. 136.152.133.64 00:43, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Ordinary uncontroversial article content doesn't need references. But when you make very broad and surprising claims that other people challenge ("the administration has gang connections", "many Taiwanese think the school should be shut down") you really have to provide references, otherwise it looks like you are making up POV statements just because you don't like TAS. Please provide some online newspaper stories in English or Chinese, or some kind of reasonable reference source. -- Curps 01:50, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

When there is a revert war erupting in Wikipedia, we all have to go to the discussion page to find a consensus. This is a type of check and balance feature where absolute free speech is tempered by community standards. The consensus here is that you are making very dangerous, possibly libelous claims without sufficient backup. You are also constantly making yourself anonymous and yet you somehow claim that you speak for the Taiwanese people which is a dangerous generalization itself. As for citing sources, whenever you edit a page, you get the following notices:

• Your changes will be visible immediately.
• For testing, please use the sandbox.
• You're encouraged to create, expand, and improve upon articles; however, bad edits to articles are watched for and will be quickly removed.
• Please cite your sources so others can check your work.

When Richard Nixon got in trouble thanks to the Washington Post, the editors of that newspaper forced the reporters into a lot of fact checking before the accusations could be printed at all. (Watch All the President's Men for details. Allentchang 04:01, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Dude comments liek ("the administration has gang connections", "many Taiwanese think the school should be shut down") are widely known in Taiwan. There is nothing controversial about the statements. you guys should cite all the stuff you put up too, no references either. dont get me wrong, I like TAS, but i also feel the responsibility to let people know the truth 68.121.211.14 02:36, 1 May 2005 (UTC)

Ok.

• As of 2004 approximately 70% of the students hold US passports. [9]
• In the 2004-2005 school year, there were 243 faculty members. [10]
• In the 2004-2005 school year, 89.6% of the School's income derives from tuition and fees. Annual tuition rates were as follows:
  • Lower school: $9,859
  • Middle and Upper schools: $10,941.
  • There is also an annual registration fee of $735. Round-trip transportation costs $1,021. [11]
• In the 2004-2005 school year, there were 243 faculty members. [12]
• Headed by a 9 member parent-elected Board of Trustees ... [13]
• The school year comprises 2 semesters extending from August 12 to December 17 and from January 10 to June 9 [14]

and as a bonus, one I'll probably add shortly

• Almost 100% of TAS graduates continue their education at a college or university, the vast majority in the United States. [15]

Your turn now. Wikibofh 04:46, 2 May 2005 (UTC)

The nature and extent of our current national crisis, as well as its causes and cures, are the subject of intense political struggle. I offer this letter as a contribution to that struggle and debate in hopes of helping to expose injustice and puncture prejudice. The nitty-gritty of what I'm about to write is this: Taipei American School's secret agents contend that "Taipei American School's invectives can give us deeper insights into the nature of reality." First off, that's a lousy sentence. If they had written that Taipei American School thinks it can impress us by talking about "anthropocentrical this" and "historiographical that", then that quote would have had more validity. As it stands, I am convinced that there will be a strong effort on Taipei American School's part to impose bloodthirsty new restrictions on society just to satisfy some sort of contentious drive for power in the coming days. This effort will be disguised, of course. It will be cloaked in deceit, as such efforts always are. That's why I'm informing you that if one dares to criticize even a single tenet of Taipei American School's catch-phrases, one is promptly condemned as insufferable, sordid, ghastly, or whatever epithet Taipei American School deems most appropriate, usually without much explanation. I have just one word for Taipei American School: piezocrystallization. The only way I can possibly forgive Taipei American School is if it tells the truth and makes restitution. If that fact hurts, get over it; it's called reality. And for another dose of reality, consider that Taipei American School likes to cite poll results that "prove" that wicked tricksters and featherbrained riffraff should rule this country. Really? Have you ever been contacted by one of its pollsters? Chances are good that you never have been contacted and never will be. Otherwise, the polls would show that there will be public outrage if Taipei American School tries to toss sops to the egos of the mudslinging. Let me recap that for you, because it really is extraordinarily important: There is an unpleasant fact, painful to the tender-minded, that one can deduce from the laws of nature. This fact is also conclusively established by direct observation. It is a fact so obvious that rational people have always known it and no one doubted it until Taipei American School and its associates started trying to deny it. The fact to which I am referring states that Taipei American School's statements such as "Bonapartism and chauvinism are identical concepts" indicate that we're not all looking at the same set of facts. Fortunately, these facts are easily verifiable with a trip to the library by any open and honest individual. Taipei American School shouldn't subvert existing lines of power and information. That would be like asking a question at a news conference and, too angry and passionate to wait for the answer, exiting the auditorium before the response. Both of those actions demonstrate an outright hostility to law enforcement. Lastly, I can't end this letter without mentioning that Taipei American School will simply continue to cause distress to people it doesn't know, has never seen, and who have done it no harm whatsoever.