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| Figure 1. Image of Belgian Blue bull from Flickr. |
Wikis are sites designated for the addition, adjustment, and removal of information via the internet; an example of a wiki is Wikipedia. Wikipedia is known as 'the online encyclopedia', which is a collaboration of information from people willing to share their knowledge pertaining to a particular topic. Nicole Briggs mentioned in her blog that Wikipedia can be used by professionals, such as researchers, to distribute knowledge and research findings to the public faster. However when people use Wikipedia they have to be conscious of the information they attain from these resources. In an article, Wikipedia Founder Discourages Academic Use of His Creation, Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, says the site should not be used for “serious research”, because the site does not always contain irrefutable sources. Therefore, using Wikipedia as a source of information should be limited to just using it to attain a brief understanding of an issue or topic of interest. When using Wikipedia people should be aware that the information may not be reputable and possibly bias in certain situations. In addition, information is constantly being changed, so users should always check the facts.
The Wikipedia stub that I decided to work on was pertaining to a breed of beef cattle known as Belgian Blue. I first heard about this particular breed of cattle during a lecture by Dr. Thomas McFadden, the professor for Animal Sciences (AnSc) 311. In this lecture he discussed the physiological changes that can occur in animals when particular genes and proteins are modified. This particular breed of cattle is known for its signature double-muscled appearance, which has been attained by selective breeding. My particular interest in this topic is due to the implications this breed of cattle could have on future meat yields with pure-breeding and cross-breeding with the Belgian Blue.
My major in Animal Health is food animals, so I am particularly intrigued by livestock, especially cattle. Cattle breeds such as this could be a more efficient meat yielding breed of cattle, which could allow for an increase in meat production. However there could be a public stigmatism that these cattle are unnatural or genetically modified. Nevertheless, this is not the case, as the double-muscling characteristic is due to a natural genetic mutation. So in order for people to understand this, further research and dissemination of knowledge about this particular breed of cattle will have to occur. This would allow a greater understanding of this breed of cattle by the public. Wikipedia could be used in this situation to give the public a clearer understanding on how researchers and breeders are harnessing natural genetic mutations to create superior breeds. However people have to remember to check their facts because Wikipedia is only a starting point. Preview and review papers are a great location in which to look, after your interest in Belgian Blue cattle is captured.
If you would like to learn more about how this particular genetic mutation have come to define the Belgian Blue breed please read my Wikipedia stub.
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| Figure 2. Image of Belgian Blue Wikipedia stub from Flickr. |
References
Fig. 1. kamp-Bambino vd ijzer copy. (2007). Agriflanders, [digital image]. Retrieved March 21, 2012. From Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/agriflanders/5366421733/in/photostream/
Fig. 2. ALES204-Wiki Image. (2012). Bbohlender, Becky Bohlender, [digital image]. Retrieved March 22, 2012. From Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/75305779@N06/7007748879/in/photostream/
I read over your article on the Belgian Blue's and it's really well done! Very professional and has references to back up what you are saying. I think it's so important that information can be shared this way, what better way to learn than from other people and your peers who are well-versed in that subject area? I do agree that you need to be careful when using Wikipedia; I always like to check the references listed and see how many of them are scholarly. You also had lots of great links throughout this blog post that helped give some background to some of the things you mentioned. Thanks for the great post, keep up the awesome work!
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you fixed up the article on Belgian Blues! I'm surprised that it was unfinished to begin with as it is a prominent new area in the cattle world! I wonder if there is a future for them in the meat market as you had said. They would certainly be worth a lot do to the amount of flesh on them! But the meat is supposedly pretty tough. As for what you were saying about not using Wikipedia as a scholarly source, I completely agree. Anyone could be writing that information so its not reliable. But it is sure great for just looking things up! As well, you can find lots of sources in the reference section of the article, and start your research that way. Great work on the article!
ReplyDeleteGreat Wikipedia article on the Belgian Blues! I know very little about farms and cattle but I do find the information very interesting. One day I hope to be able to produce my own beef so any time the topic of cattle comes up I am very attentive! As I am learning more, one thing I do find difficult is filtering the information. You mentioned the public stigmatism and I totally understand this as there is a lot of misinformation out there about the cattle industry. When looking for information it is so important to see if the information is actually correct and that it is relative to the Canadian industry as other countries may have practices and regulations that differ from ours.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you picked this topic, because I think it's really important to the Animal Agriculture industry, and is misunderstood by the public. Just as you pointed out, the general public should be educated about this breed so that they don't wonder whether the beef is unnatural. In addition, understanding the gene mutation behind double muscling can help consumers understand how microbiology and genetic engineering can be utilized to improve animal production. Maybe someone who reads the article will have some myths and fears dispelled about these types of issues. Then, they can follow up on the references you have provided and learn even more! As animal scientists, it's our job to provide the public with all the knowledge they demand, so great job helping accomplish this!
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