• TheTechnician27@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    This is what a competent encyclopedic treatment of algebra looks like for comparison. The other algebra article fucks up from the jump, because the goal of an encyclopedic treatment of algebra is not to teach a reader the rote mechanics of solving a handful of elementary algebra problems (you can as a small example to aid comprehension, but making it nearly the entire article is failing the assignment completely).

    It’s to cover what algebra is, its various subfields, its history, its applications, its relationships to other parts of math, etc. Covering algebra encyclopedically by offering a mediocre Algebra I tutorial is like covering internal combustion engines encyclopedically by making the entire article a short guide on how to change the oil and spark plugs in your car; it’s asinine and shows an extremely narrow, trivial understanding of the subject.

    • First_Thunder@lemmy.zip
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      10 hours ago

      Well yes, what I meant is that it has some redeeming value by having the 7 th grade algebra explaination

      • TheTechnician27@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        Yeah, it’s not horrific or offensive like most of their work. It’s moreso pretty sad. It’s like the antisocial asshole of the family who ran away from their loving home 10 years ago, and going to visit them now, you see they’re still a terrible person, but scant glimpses beneath all that awfulness into their core show a sad, frightened little child who has no idea what they’re doing.