Talk:Alain de Botton

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Paid editing
Persons who edit this page for reward should note new usage conditions. Therefore the drive-by spa IP editors who so often add to this article can expect to have their contributions questioned. Xxanthippe (talk) 22:30, 20 June 2014 (UTC).
 * Questionable edits by spa IPs, such as these latest ones, continue to be made to this BLP. It is not clear if they are made by supporters of the subject or by enemies who are intent  on portraying him as vainglorious. Either way there is a case for permanent WP:Semiprotection. Xxanthippe (talk) 23:49, 4 September 2015 (UTC).
 * These edits continue . Xxanthippe, (talk) 06:42, 24 September 2015 (UTC).
 * and more abusive ones []. Xxanthippe (talk) 21:26, 29 November 2015 (UTC).
 * and more . Xxanthippe (talk) 21:50, 30 December 2015 (UTC).
 * again Xxanthippe (talk) 10:12, 19 January 2016 (UTC).
 * and more . Xxanthippe (talk) 21:33, 8 February 2016 (UTC).
 * again. Xxanthippe (talk) 21:34, 21 February 2016 (UTC).
 * and again . Xxanthippe (talk) 10:31, 22 April 2016 (UTC).
 * . Xxanthippe (talk) 04:19, 9 May 2016 (UTC).

 

Beginning the name with a capital letter
I made this edit and was told to discuss it here. So, why is it controversial to change the name to start with a capital letter, if it's at the beginning of a sentence? Especially because the next alinea does start the same way, so one of them must be wrong I'd say. Pieceofmetalwork (talk) 05:58, 20 August 2017 (UTC)
 * His family name is de Botton (de is French for of). Refer to him as Alain de Botton if that makes you happier. Xxanthippe (talk) 06:12, 20 August 2017 (UTC).

Should Radio info have been retained?
Regarding the edit 17 November 2017 Xxanthippe (29,197 bytes) (-3,424) (→Radio: this level of detail is too trivial for Wikipedia), It seems like the deleted text should be brought back. Maybe the "level of detail" could be reduced without compleTly eliminating all the text.

How trivial is too trivial? On Wikipedia, Trivia is "information that is not important to the subject it is being presented in relation to." The Radio information is important to the subject of Botton. It is part of Bottons notability, and creative output. It was not trivia. The Radio info was neutral, verifiable, and non-original. It was like a list of works. Lists of works are permitted on Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Robinesque (talk • contribs) 12:29, 28 November 2017 (UTC)
 * A vast amount of trivial puffery has been added to this BLP and it is in need of a substantial prune. Xxanthippe (talk) 21:29, 28 November 2017 (UTC).

Edit war in progress
119.17.33.134 reverted other's edits for 5 times in the past 24 hours (25/4 08:34 to 26/4 08:34). It is against the three revert rule.

119.17.33.134, repeatedly reverting another editors edit, or repeating your own edit after it has been reverted multiple times is not acceptable. If you have problems with the negative reviews, please discuss here instead of keep reverting other's edit.

If the edit war continues, I may request to protect this page. Thank you. Abelmoschus Esculentus (talk to me) 08:54, 26 April 2018 (UTC)


 * You should do that. The text the IPs are deleting is reasonable. Bangabandhu (talk) 15:41, 26 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Yes, it's time this BLP was semi-protected. See the threads above. Xxanthippe (talk) 22:25, 26 April 2018 (UTC).

Semi-protected edit request on 28 January 2020
Change:

"De Botton read History at University of Cambridge, where he was a member of Gonville and Caius College."

To:

"De Botton read History at University of Cambridge, where he was a member of Gonville and Caius College, graduating with a double starred first."

Rationale:

This was previously part of the page, and incorrectly removed in this edit due to an expired link (new sources below).

It's important context for Alain de Botton's academic background, and common to refer to degree honors in notable figures' Wikipedia pages.

Sources:

https://www.alaindebotton.com/philosophy/reviews/new-york-review-of-books/

https://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/1784

https://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/the-real-world-alain-de-botton-philosopher-writer-and-tv-presenter-6098166.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160206/education.independent.co.uk/graduate_options/article994758.ece

Previous discussion on archived talk page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AAlain_de_Botton/Archive_1#degree_rating Kennysong (talk) 07:47, 28 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 20:00, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

Philosopher?!
de Botton is not a philosopher. He does not do research in philosophy. On his website (https://www.alaindebotton.com/cv/) and school of life profile (https://www.theschooloflife.com/about-us/faculty/alain-de-botton/) he does not claim to be a philosopher. Dawkin Verbier (talk) 03:09, 7 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Yes. According to the article, he was on track to be a philosopher, but choose another career instead. Based upon the article, of which the lead is supposed to be summary, I am changing this to "public speaker."
 * (See also: Talk:Ayn_Rand.)
 * Cheers, Patrick J. Welsh (talk) 18:43, 21 September 2023 (UTC)

First twelve years of his life in Switzerland?
That is what it states here, though there is no evidence offered to support it. In this interview for the Financial times (https://www.ft.com/content/4c2d3894-dab3-11e3-9a27-00144feabdc0), presumably made with de Botton's co-operation, since he was interviewed by the author, it states that he arrived in England aged 8. However the same article also states: "Botton was, in large part, brought up by a woman called Bertha Von Buren. He spent much of his childhood in her village of Ennetmoos, in rural Switzerland. “She looked after me until I was 13.." Which doesn't seem to tally. Was he in England from age 13 or age 8? 145.130.113.142 (talk) 17:18, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

Birth place
The article says "Swiss-born" at the top, then later says he was "born in Alexandria, Egypt". Which is it? It cannot be both. 2A02:C7F:A0B9:800:F828:3854:F8A7:D7E2 (talk) 15:14, 1 September 2023 (UTC)


 * If you read the article more carefully, it was his father who is referred to as being born in Alexandria. Sbishop (talk) 15:21, 1 September 2023 (UTC)