Talk:Machine

Revisions to this article
I am slowly and carefully trying to reverse the degradation of this article. But I worry that at some point, I will reawaken the "electronic-systems-are-machines" crowd. Their argument is that electrons running through wires satisfy the forces and controlled movement definition of a machine. This makes cellphones, flat screen tvs, computers, networks, video games, e-books, animals and plants, and just about everything a machine, which in a way causes the word to lose its meaning. Recent vandalism to this article repeatedly added the word hat as a machine, which would fit the "electronic-systems-are-machines" definition if it included wearable electronics such as earphones or glasses. Prof McCarthy (talk) 22:53, 17 September 2017 (UTC)
 * 'Hats' was originally added as a joke, probably by Mark Watson, for the Taskmaster TV show (S05E02). One could assume that subsequent edits were copycats once the show aired. Nzd   (talk)  00:40, 26 February 2018 (UTC)
 * I think if you were to ask a layman who doesn't know that electricity is the current of electrons. they would say that a smartphone is a machine. Rguyr (talk) 00:13, 29 June 2024 (UTC)

Article protected for six months
Because of this edit made after the recent protection expired I have protected the article for 6 months. I previously protected the article from for two weeks 16–23 September 2017 so that "autoconfirmed or confirmed access" was needed. Ie if an IP address or a new user make a change it had to be confirmed by an experienced user. I would have preferred to reinstate that form of protection. However while that was in place there was on average one case of vandalism a day which while not displayed had to be reverted.

Therefore reluctantly I have now protected the page against any edit by IP or new users for six months.

See also Sockpuppet investigations/BiffyClyroFan13

-- PBS (talk) 10:23, 25 September 2017 (UTC)

arab claims need attention
It looks like we have another case of Jagged 85 style cleanup to do, fhe first programmable mechanism was described by Hero of Alexandria, a mechanical theatre which could play various scenes and plays from Greek comedy and tragedy. Other claims are here which look suspicious, I cannot divert time to check them but someone should. For more info see: WP:Jagged 85 cleanup. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.173.168.137 (talk • contribs) 19:27, September 28, 2019 (UTC)