WW2 POW Survival Rates

[keynes2.0]

I dont know anything about astrophysics. I'm just talking about straightforward information like apparent magnitude of stars or the mass of various objects in the solar system.

 

[yonderTheGreat]

Not sure what you're saying. Wikipedia was quoting official Russian sources - the doubt arises not from Wikipedia, but the Russian sources. Same for the German sources. I hate it when people knock Wikipedia - it's open to abuse, sure, but I think its excellent.

My objection was poorly phrased.

If you find a good source via Wikipedia... cite the source directly. Don't say cite only Wikipedia as the source.

I don't mean to sound like I'm knocking Wikipedia. It's a SUPERB *initial* starting point. But the person I was referring to openly criticized the lack of reputable sources earlier in the thread (perfectly legit point) and then directly cited WP. Why not directly cite the original Russian Sources. That would have been much more consistent by my reckoning. That's literally all I was saying.

 

[yonderTheGreat]

(Wikipedia is kind of like Paradox games... a *GREAT* way to learn little tidbits that inspire me to study in depth. I've learned a LOT of history from PDS games.)

 

[stevieji]

But the person I was referring to openly criticized the lack of reputable sources earlier in the thread (perfectly legit point) and then directly cited WP. Why not directly cite the original Russian Sources. That would have been much more consistent by my reckoning.

That person was me - the same person - and the same person who already gave as full an assessment as it's possible for me to make in that other thread. Rather than spend time repeating myself, I simply directed you to the source of my information.
Another person in this thread referenced exactly the same data and seems to have escaped this kind of criticism - and indeed seems to have received a degree of approbation.

If you find a good source via Wikipedia... cite the source directly. Don't say cite only Wikipedia as the source.

I have no access to 'the original Russian Sources' - I have access to Wikipedia. In any case, this is not a PhD thesis, it's a thread in a games company's forums - I literally don't need to cite anything. If I want to I can even make ill-informed guesses - or simply make stuff up. That seems to be what a lot of people do.
I certainly don't see any reason why I should necessarily have to go looking beyond Wikipedia for information. It's rigorously peer-reviewed and certainly comprehensive enough for this kind of forum.
Now, is there anything else I can help you with?