User:Btblomenkamp1/sandbox

Article Evaluation

• Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

Everything about the Icebox is relevant but there is a huge lack of information which is first noticed by the format of the article with the use of only three subject headings. There are grammatical errors that need to be fixed but other than that distractions seem to be minimal. The information given is relevant but is minimal.

• Is anything missing that could be added?

Thorough examination of the main goal of an icebox, preservation of food, and the history of preservation that led to the creation of the icebox is not included. The addition of a "History" subject heading with information on prior food preservation techniques and the strenuous tasks that took place of not being able to store large sums of food may be relevant in developing a platform for the usefulness of food storage and how it increased the standard of living.

Another relevant addition could be a subject heading titled "Rise of the modern Icebox" and be useful in a further break down of the progression and usefulness of the icebox. How that changed over time. What convenience factors did an icebox bring to families during time period. What setbacks did the icebox bring (having to replenish melted ice) and how these factors lead to the modern day icebox we have today.

Possibly an addition of a sub heading under the "Rise of the modern icebox" heading that examines the different types of iceboxes at the time broken up into the different types of insulations used. Details on the effectiveness of each type of insulation and their physical capabilities to insulate can be briefly examined and the effectiveness of todays insulation techniques can be added which will further explain how the modern day icebox, or refrigerator, came about. ----Must be short to refrain from throwing off the balance of the article---- If this is added I don't think it should outweigh the content in the "History" subject header in order to retain balance in the subject that is more important. Might have to make a new sub heading titled "Types" that contain this information while also finding more information to add to the "History" heading.

• Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

Under the "Design" subject heading, a claim is made that ice boxes were commonly made of wood and handsome pieces of furniture. No citations are listed and these claims appear to be biased opinions. Under the "Use" subject heading, a claim is made saying how most ice was collected. This is a bias remark and does not cite a reference to support this claim.

• Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

Out of the two sources used, they are both legitimate and allow you to read the information that the publishing editor read to support claims. The claims made in relation to the citations are supported. However, many more citations need to be added.

The external link however is not supported and leads to an error page. Should be removed.

• Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?

There are numerous claims made that have no citation at all. Under the "Design" subject heading, a claim is made that ice boxes were commonly made of wood and handsome pieces of furniture. No citations are listed and these claims appear to come across as biased opinions. Under the "Use" subject heading, a claim is made saying how most ice was collected. This is a bias remark and does not cite a reference to support this claim. Claims about the deterioration of the sanity in the collection of ice is made and claims to be due to urbanization, which seems reasonable but does not have a citation to support these claims.

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Choosing An Article (with a partner)

• Why did we choose it?

The reason we like the idea of the icebox is due to the lack of information that is given and the lack of structure. There is a lot of information, relatively speaking, that can be taken out due to the lack of sources and the use of opinionated bias.

• What's missing?

There is no History heading that describes how the idea of the icebox came about or why it was needed. There is no information on the affects the icebox had on the lives of the individuals who did or didn't have them. There is no information on prior food preservation techniques with the use of salt. There is no information on the different types of icebox materials or their benefits. These are all things we can and will add when we are able to attach to reliable resources.

• What to Add?

Along with the information listed above in Article Evaluation more additions can be made.

There is a slight mention of how ice was "usually" collected, which is biased and offers no credible source, but we could make an addition about the process of ice collection and how ice was collected and delivered.

We could possibly add information on the use of iceboxes for things other than food preservation like maybe body preservation for scientific uses if that was ever a thing. Require more research.

• Sources?

Missouri S&T library holds a book titled, "Refrigeration Nation: A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprises in America" that I will have checked out by the end of today.

Another potential source is a book titled, "History of Artificial Cold, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Issues".

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Article Edit

• An icebox (also called a cold closet) is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common early-twentieth-century kitchen appliance before the development of safe powered refrigeration devices. [citation needed]

Additions: Before the development of electric refrigerators, "iceboxes" were referred to by the public as refrigerators. Only after the invention of the modern day electric refrigerator did the early non electric refrigerators become known as an icebox.

• Various companies appeared including Sears, The Baldwin Refrigerator Company, and the Ranney Refrigerator Company started up to get into the icebox manufacturing industry.

Additions: I think this sentence can be re worded and more specific

• Iceboxes are commonly made of wood; many are handsome pieces of furniture.

Additions: This needs a citation or needs to come out of the article as it sounds biased

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Article Draft

We are planning to edit and change the entire structure of the article and add new headings of value. One of these main headings might be "Preservation Before the Icebox".

PRESERVATION BEFORE THE ICEBOX

Need research on salt use in preservation. Compare the length of time something can be preserved using salt compared to cold temperature.

The constant temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit has been utilized in preserving ice collected during winter months in the form of underground pits since Roman times. The temperature of the soil is held relatively constant year round when taken below the frost line, located 3 to 5 feet below the surface, and varies from about 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit based on the location of the region (In the United States). Prior to the convenience of having refrigeration inside the home, cold storage systems would often be located underground in the form of a pit. These pits would be deep enough to not only provide thorough insulation but also deter animals from intruding on the perishable items within. In earlier cases, straw and sawdust might be compacted along the sides of ice to provide further insulation and help slow the ice melting process. By the year 1781, personal ice pits were becoming more advanced. The Robert Morris Icehouse, located in Philadelphia brought new refrigeration technicalities to the forefront. This pit contains a drainage system for water run off as well as the use of brick and mortar for its insulation. The octagon shaped pit, approximately 4 meters in diameter located 5.5 meters underground was capable of storing ice that was obtained during the winter months to the next October or November. Ice blocks collected during winter months could later be distributed to customers year round.

As refrigeration began to make its way into the home during the early to mid 19th century, in the form of what's known today as an icebox, the market of collecting and distributing ice expanded and soon became a global industry. During the later half of the 19th century, natural ice became the most important export for the United States in terms of dollar amount second only to the export of cotton.

Peer Evaluation Btblomenkamp1 (talk) 16:53, 22 March 2019 (UTC)(Raw Materials)[edit source][edit]

1. I really like the details that are given about the history and use of meteoric iron. A nice balance was made with the addition of information presented by your partner about iron ore. I like the specifics about the form of bog iron a lot.
2. What specifically about the nickel content allowed meteoric iron to be more malleable/ no need for heat? low percent high percent? range of percent compared to the percent that is seen in todays heated iron? What effect did this (not heating, and specific % iron) have on the strength of the weapons in this time. What have we as humans done to iron to fit the societal demands? Take us through history in jumps of chronological order to talk about why we changed metal or manipulated its contents and percents. Ex. "Due to IR we needed strength in metal to withstand new levels of pressures"... Going from wood wheel spokes to metal spokes, pressures of black powder in riffles and cannons. Use of metal in structural design of old buildings-new era. I think an "Overview" heading might be useful in creating a platform for the discussion of metal in a very general sense with the ideas of where metal is commonly used today and the various different types and the fact that humans have been altering/ combining the contents of metals since the beginning to try and fit the needs of society.
3. I think the most important thing you guys could do to this article is create broad heading topics that can include more specific sub heading topics. I think this will provide structure for the article and help organize the information you guys are adding. Divide out the different metals under broad headings in terms of their similarities or maybe in terms of their practical use to society.
4. Something I enjoyed about this article and should apply to my article is the use of wiki links for key topic words and conceptual understanding words that give further background knowledge on what is being talked about. I like what you guys have so far and I hope this helps, keep digging for information and sources!

Peer Eval Christopher White 96 (talk) 18:19, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

I like that you are taking the time to reword some of the sentences in the article. This is an approach that I want to incorporate into my drafting.

Is an entire new section labeled “preservation before icebox” necessary? It seems like this topic should just be mentioned in a section detailing a brief history of it, since they are different technologies from it.

Why the 54 degrees? Could that be clarified as to why that particular temperature?

I like that you discussed how the industry around the icebox developed and the impact that it had on the industry. Christopher White 96 (talk) 18:19, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

Btblomenkamp1 (talk) 17:07, 22 March 2019 (UTC)