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Wikipedia has errors like other encyclopedias. But wikipedia has an issue that is different from e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica. A single person or a small group can take over small areas of the encyclopedia and put their stamp on it in bizarre ways - and those people don’t need to be expert or to have much understanding of their topic.As a result then Wikipedia I think is like many encyclopedias smashed together, and not a single encyclopedia. Some areas of it are really excellent. For instance (for ones I know about) on space missions, and on astronomy - and many of its articles on rhythms and on some areas of maths and music.Other areas are appalling. For instance, for several years, one editor there was able to remove all material about the present day habitability of Mars even though there are many papers published every year, and regular conferences or conference sessions on that topic. I was the main one trying to get this material included and I was labelled as a troll for my attempts.She went away for a few months and I took that opportunity to add in the content that he had removed. Nobody else objected which makes it clear it was him, and him alone who was keeping the material out of wikipedia.After she came back he no longer tried to remove it. This is one of two main articles I added while he was on his holiday from WikipediaModern Mars habitability - WikipediaShe did try to add a bunch of templates to the head of it saying it had all sorts of things wrong with it but in discussion on the talk page it turned out he had no basis for those objections, and I recently removed them. Again he had no support from anyone else in this.She also removed all the material on this topic of the habitability of Mars from Life on Mars and Water on Mars, and for a couple of years there was nothing in wikipedia on this topic which is one of the top subjects of interest in modern astrobiology. There are many views on whether there is life - in the form of microbes most likely - on the surface of Mars. If the life exist, it’s likely to be no more than a few microbes, in seeps of salty water perhaps, or maybe an occasional lichen. But the question of whether it exists at all is one of the hottest questions in modern astrobiology - and wikipedia didn’t cover it at all. Just had a short paragraph or two saying that it was impossible that there is any surface life on Mars - nothing to suggest that this statement is disputed. That is just one view of many on the topic.So - for a while that was no longer an issue but for a couple of years or so wikipedia was very biased just because of the actions of that one person. The main issue is that the editors who wrote the content originally probably all had stopped contributing to wikipedia. There is very little editing activity any more in the astrobiology sections there, which made it easy for one person to put their stamp on it.For another similar topic - at one point a rogue editor managed to get others to band together with him to remove just about all the material on planetary protection from wikipedia. This is the subject of protection of Earth from microbes from space and ofo other planets from Earth microbes - a topc with many articles a year and an entire Planetary Protection office in the US and other countries with their planetary protection officers and international discusions of scientists on the topic in workshops every two years.At one point almost the only material on this subject in the whole encyclopedia was in a single article, Planetary Protection and that article was so mangled as to be hard to read. (Also one very short section on it in Mars sample return). Eventually this rogue editor got stopped and over a period fo time I’ve been able to restore matieral on this topic to most of the articles that previously covered it. Again this is a topic area where there wasn’t that much activity anyway and editors who contributed material originally left or are no longer active making it easy to remove it.There are many other examples and several that I’ve tried to get something done about with no success, and I am currently serving an indef topic ban as a result of trying to fix a similar issue in the Buddhism topic area. Of an editor who just removes material if it is sourced to traditional Buddhist scholars such as Prayudh Payutto, the Dalai Lama (who not many know, but he is highly qualified having completed the top qualification for a traditional Buddhist scholar in Tibet), and Walpola Rahula who was qualified in both Oriental and Western systems of education with a doctorate from Paris university. Anything attributed to them is liable to be deleted from the core articles on Buddhism. He also does not permit those articles to present the view of authenticity according to which the teachings of the Buddha were memorized word for word from the Great Council after he died through to the present using a simlar method to the Vedas. Yet he does permit this in the Pali Canon article but not in the Four Noble Truths article.There are many other eccentricities in the Buddhism topic area in these core areas. The main one is that he doesn’t permit material that says that Buddha became fully enlightened as a young man of 30 even though this is the understanding of many Buddhists. He is of the view that Buddha only realized cessation of suffering and confusion at death.It's hard to explain how radical their rewrite is because so few Westerners are familiar with the central teachings of Buddhism. But this idea that Buddha realized cessation of all suffering and unsatisfactoriness age 30 is in the sutras and is a central belief of most Buddhists. As central as the belief of Christians in the resurection of the body for Jesus.The rewrite they did of four noble truths is akin to someone rewriting the article on resurrection of Jesus to say "Although the Bible says that Jesus was resurrected in the body - this can't have happened because of x y z". Then someone tries to revert back to the previous version saying that many Christians believe he was resurrected in the body and therefore it should represent their views. And the editor who did the radical rewrite then responds "They are biased because they are Christian and so do not count as reliable sources - we can only use sources by people who don't believe in the resurrection".This view that Buddha didn’t actually completely realize cessation as a young man presented in the literature e.g. from Richard Gombrich, a noted Western scholar - there is nothing wrong with presenting that. Also I understand that some (not all) Therevadhans have this view also (though not for the same reasons).But like the Mars example - this wikipedia editor just does not permit any other view to be presented in the core articles on the topic. Or if it is mentioned it has to be just in passing. It can’t be covered in any depth. Up until 2014 then these articles presented the full range of views on the subject but after his rewrites from spring to autumn 2014, they no longer do. The project is vast with over 5,000 articles and many of them continue to present the full range of views and material that presents the POV (Point of View) of traditional buddhist scholarship, making Wikipedia inconsistent with itself. I’d say that actually most of the Buddhist articles there are still based on traditional Buddhist scholarship ideas and describe them in some detail - but the central articles repudiate those ideas - don’t even mention them or only in passing. And any attempt to fix this is strongly resisted by the editors concerned.For another example, the entry on Morgellons disease is protected in a similar way by an editor who does not permit any mentions of some recent research that suggests it is a genuine disease that is the result of an infection by spirochetes. The article just says it is a delusion based on the conclusions of a controversial study by the CDC. In support of this it presents bizarre ideas attributed to some of the sufferers such as that it is due to self replicating nanomachines (a technology we don’t have and are a long way from having) sourced to a journalistic article in the Atlantic which in turn just summarizes the views that some people posted in forum posts. But it does not mention this modern scientific research carried out by a number of researchers who have good evidence for their case. It could mention the research and say it is controversial - but no - it doesn’t mention it at all, because it doesn’t support the main thesis of the article that Morgellons is a delusion and not a disease.Again it is a very similar thing. The main editors of the article have come to a conclusion about what the article will say and won’t permit anything else in it, even if well sourced, but permit things that do support the main thesis in the article even if it is very poorly sourced as a journalist summary of blog posts.I tried to get them to include this research - first did a separate article on the topic which was merged away without discussion with me first. Then I talked about it on the talk page of the article. Finally I had to stop when a notorious Wikipedian called Jytdog threatened to get me topic banned if I said any more on the subject on the talk page. He has successfully topic banned many people in the past so I knew he could and would ban me if I continued so I stopped.None of these editors have any extra authority in Wikipedia. They are not admins (and if they were, it’s an abuse of their powers to use them to protect a favoured interpretation or version of an article) and there isn’t such a concept as an article “curator” in wikipedia (though there is in scholarpedia). They achieve their authority by reverting edits by anyone who opposes their views, by pinging each other to join conversations to support each others’ views in the talk pages, by bamboozling newbies by quoting complex Wikipedia guidelines that seem to justify what they are doing if you don’t look too closely - and if necessary by getting people topic banned which nowadays is easy to do in Wikipedia using a new process where you can be banned by the community if enough people vote to topic ban you and give what seem good reasons for banning you to the closing admin.So - though Wikipedia’s percentage of accurate / inaccurate articles and facts may be similar to those of Encyclopedia Britannica, say, it is for a rather different reason. Much of the most inaccurate content is not a simple mistake. In my experience the worst examples of this are nearly always due to someone who has a strange agenda or view and is slanting a significant part of the encyclopedia towards what they want it to be. They are often involved in various forms of cyberbullying to ensure their section of wikipedia stays as they like it, using their intimate understanding of how the wikipedia arcane disciplinary processes work.It is often hard to understand why they do this. They often don’t explain.The wikipedia guidelines are excellent. But they are applied by volunteers and they are enforced by more volunteers and the whole thing has developed into an arcane hard to navigate system where people can easily get into a situation where they are able to hold off all comers and enforce an eccentric interpretation in an article.This is less likely to happen in the most popular articles. For instance an article on Climate Change is likely to be well written, to present all the main points of view andn to be accurate. But in topic areas with few editors - well one editor or half a dozen for the larger areas - are easily enough to ward off all comers and to eliminate material from the encyclopedia that doesn’t match their own views on the topic or what they think the article should say. They can do this because they are very active, watch the article, and the challengers come to the page only one at a time typically and are easily overwhelmed by them. They are not necessarily ill motivated. They think they are right but they often are not very knowledgeable on the topic and are just biased or have strange views.If it wasn’t for this issue I think Wikipedia could easily be far more accurate than most encyclopedias. When it is good it is excellent. When it is bad it is awful. The combination results in an encyclopedia that is middling to good.But you have to check for systematic bias much more so than for, say Encyclopedia Britannica. Apart from vandalism, most facts are right (though you do need to check to be sure of course if it is important). Most of it doesn’t have this issue. A random page will be fine nearly always.But if you see something in wikipedia that seems a bit strange - well - it might be that it is due to this. Have a look at the article talk pages and then at the talk page archives. Systematic bias is more insiduous than the occasional errors in a normal encyclopedia because the page can seem coherent and not to contradict itself and the citations may back it up, or seem to if you don’t look too closely. You need to look elsewhere, outside the encyclopedia, to detect it.For instance if you read the Morgellons article you will come away with the understanding that it is a delusion. It would not be easy to find the research that suggests it is a real disease.Journalists in turn often use Wikipedia as a source which confounds the problem. Even if they use it mainly to find sources to look up further, still, if the bias is due to wikipedia omitting articles on views that disagree with the main thesis of an article, you remain biased by the article even when reading its sources.If you read the Four Noble Truths article then you will find it presents a very particular view that may seem to make sense to you. But it seems to make sense because it is using concepts that Westerners are more familiar with than the original authentic Buddhist teachings as most Buddhists themselves understand them, which are harder to understand for those not yet familiar with them. In this case if you search outside of Wikipedia you will soon find that the Wikipedia Four Truths article is the only popular page on the web in the top few search ersults that presents it in that particular way and may then come to wonder if it is accurate.If you find that some article or topic in Wikipedia is covered in a bizarre idiosyncratic way then it may be due to this issue. You can go for years editing wikipedia without this happening to you. But hit the wrong area and wham you are right against it. You may even find yourself topic banned for trying to get material included that is usually regarded as non controverisal. Material that is accepted by most experts in the topic area but is not accepted by the current dominating editors in that topic area.It’s a tricky problem. I’m not sure what they can do about it with their current system. But until it is solved, then Wikipedia will remain a middling to good encyclopedia rather than the excellent one it could be. Though some parts of it are indeed excellent already.UPDATEThat editor who removed the stuff on life on Mars eventually succeeded in removing my new article. It’s now deleted from Wikipedia and I’m indef blocked.They are not supposed to be able to do things like that but they can do it by lying about you, basically. Nobody else there checks the lies they tell. Or sometimes they may be confused or just think you must be doing something bad because they disagree with your views, and then out and say you are based on no evidence when you did nothing.That’s how it happens. Wikipedia has a guideline that editors shouldn’t make serious accusations without serious evidence. They get around that by claiming to have evidence and nobody checks if they really do, and they know that, and so they say it based on the flimsiest of supposed “evidence” that stands up to no scrutiny at all, or no evidence at all, just say they have evidence but don’t disclose it because actually they don’t.They also claim that they are expert and that they have to get rid of you because you are destroying Wikipedia. This lady claims to be an astrobiologist but it is not credible that an astrobiologist does not know that present day Mars habitability is the second part of NASA’s first science goal for Mars exploration, for instance. But based on her say-so as a supposed “expert” as a trouble maker, they indef blocked me from Wikipedia for, amongst other things, contributing this article and then answering back in the deletion debate when people, including this lady, said nonsensical things about modern Mars habitability in their votes to delete it.Alice In Wonderland Sanctioning In Wikipedia - Blocked For Covering NASA's Science Goal To Search For Habitats For Life On Mars‽UPDATE 2I tried an appeal of my indef block but it was thrown out immediately, not even sent to ANI for discussion. You can see the appeal and the reasons for rejecting it hereHowever I have found an annotation tool that lets me do corrections for Wikipedia. It is very useful if I want to share an article with someone which is almost right but has one or two very serious mistakes in it. I can share my annotated version fixing those mistakes for them.Also it can help highlight how many of the articles there are seriously mistaken or out of date.Now that I’m indef blocked, I am freer to just say things as I see them, because I don’t really see any prospect of returning and others can’t say to me “But why didn’t you fix it”See myAnnotating Wikipedia

It is possible to edit wikipedia for years without any problems. Much of wikipedia is excellent. But then you can run into crazy opposition by other editors who turn out to have immense power within the tiny world of a small subsection of wikipedia. When you tangle with them, it’s like suddenly ending up in a hall of mirrors, like Alice through the Looking Glass.One of the most bizarre epsiodes I’ve come across so far is the case of Clarawood123 who after 80 edits found themselves attacked on all sides for the heinous crime of writing about the place where they live. They were warned that this is a “conflict of interest” and eventually after a number of other bizarre incidents, were forced to leave wikipedia. All on the basis of those 80 edits of their first ever article in wikipedia.“But “glory” doesn’t mean “a nice knock-down argument,” - Alice objected.“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.Part of Alice’s conversation with Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice through the Looking Glass “So first to explain how I found out about it - my most recent run in was with an editor called Jytdog. See the Morgellons section of my answer to Is Wikipedia biased? In short this is an article I never edited just posted to the talk page saying in forthright honest fashion that I think it is biased. Jytdog silenced me in that debate, by threatening to take out an action to ban me from the talk page of the article unless I stopped talking there voluntarily. The way they did it was so aggressive and strange, I wanted to find out more.Anyway, when I talked about this to a wikipedia editor friends off wiki, I learnt that I was right to take this editor very seriously as they are notorious for this sort of thing, and their bizarre conduct is often discussed off wiki. So that’s how I found out about Jytdog’s extraordinary message to Clarawood123.A “CONFLICT OF INTEREST” TO WRITE ABOUT THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE???Clarawood123 is a newbie editor. They joined in January 2016, and this happens after only 80 edits of wikipedia. It’s their first article, and not surprisingly, all their edits are edits of this article, about the housing estate in Ireland where they live called Clarawood, which also naturally enough they took as a wikipedia user name too.If you live in the US a bit of background may help. Here in the UK, large estates like this are typically built by the government, rather than private contractors. So it’s just like writing about the village you live in.So, this is how a UK reader will understand this. Jytdog tells them on their talk page that they have a conflict of interest because they live there! He warns them that they should learn to concede to the better judgement of people who don't live in Clarawood and have never seen the place! He also warns them of a possible financial conflict of interest if they own property in Clarawood - a UK reader will take this as meaning, a conflict if you own a house in Clarawood. It’s quite the most bizarre wikipedia episode I’ve ever seen."Hi Clarawood123. I work on conflict of interest issues here in Wikipedia and my attention was called to your situation by the ANI filing. Apparently nobody has talked with you about what we call "conflict of interest" in Wikipedia, which is pretty clearly at the root of the problems you are experiencing. You made it clear in this comment] that you are "a very long term resident of Clarawood with direct experience", and every edit you have made has been about Clarawood. I'm giving you notice of our conflict of interest guideline and will have some comments and questions for you below.....As I noted above, it is clear from your username, your editing, and your actual disclosure that you are a long time resident of Clarawood. It is not clear to me if you own the place where you live and have an actual financial conflict of interest, but it is clear that you are very invested in how people see Clarawood, and in your notions about it. This connection to Clarawood - your "interest" in it, is creating a conflict of interest here in Wikipedia, and that conflict is in turn driving the problems you are having with other editors. "Wikipedia is going stark raving bonkers here!Now Jytdog’s aggression towards Clarawood123 is based on a false assumption I think. Housing estates are not generally owned by developers here in the UK. Many were built by the government and that's the case for Clarawood. 313 of the estate houses remain in government ownership and 278 have been sold according to the page. At most Clarawood123 might own his or her house if it is one of those privately owned.So when Jytdog says“It is not clear to me if you own the place where you live and have an actual financial conflict of interest”- then Clarawood123 would understand that as saying “It is not clear to me if you own your own house and have an actual financial conflict of interest”.However probably Jytdog meant “It is not clear to me if you own the Clarawood estate”. Otherwise how could they think it is a potential COI? As the conversation continues others from the US put this more explicitly, a user called “North America” of all things says “Your username implies that you represent the Clarawood housing estate.”.It's an understandable misunderstanding once you realize the different approaches to housing development on the two sides of the Atlantic. But a friendly conversation and a few questions back and forth could have cleared that up quickly.A bit more background. When Jytdog says" I work on conflict of interest issues here in Wikipedia"- that sounds like they have an official post - but no, this is just an editor who has decided they want to patrol wikipedia looking out for conflict of interest issues, they are not speaking for anyone except themselves.As for the “ANI filing” - that was actually a filing by Clarawood123 themselves to a complaint board on wikipedia called “ANI” just the day before: Problem with admin who has erroneously accused me of disruptive editing on the page ClarawoodInstead of getting support and sympathy, Clarawood123 find themselves in the middle of what’s called a “boomerang” on wikipedia. You go to complain about some bad conduct, and the argument reverses and you find that everyone is complaining about your conduct instead. Though those boards are supposed to help you, editors who run into issues on wikipedia soon find out that it's best just to steer well clear of thems unless you really know what you are doing, especially if you are a newbie complaining about the behaviour of an established editor there.So, far from getting support there, suddenly many editors they have never come across before weigh in on whether to topic ban or site ban them.SENTENCE FIRST, EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE LATERIt’s like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland in these dispute boards on wikipedia. They really could do with the advice of someone with some experience in the judiciary. It is all back to front. The editors there are rapid to sentence you first, declare you are guilty, then go on to examine the evidence - you try to defend yourself from this assumption of guilt after many people have already said you are guilty and sentenced you.And you have no assistance. There is no system by which a neutral third party helps newbie editors to present their case. It’s like a legal case where you are sentenced first by the jury, then try to persuade the jury to reverse their sentence, have no judge, only a jury, and have no-one to help you mount a defense.Alice's Adventures Under Ground - Lewis Carroll - British Library - original MS for Alice in WonderlandYou can read the debate here: Proposed ban / WP:BOOMERANG of Clarawood123As you see, four editors say they should be topic banned, four say they should be site banned meaning prohibited from editing wikipedia at all in any topic area, and four oppose or strongly oppose. And many of them have already made their judgement before Clarawood123 learns about the case.Probably many of them made the same assumption Jytdog made. Perhaps that’s why Clarawood123 faced so much hostility?Then in the middle of that, they got this bizarre message on their talk page by Jytdog saying it is a conflict of interest to write about the place where you live.USER “NORTH AMERICA” WARNS “CLARAWOOD123If that wasn’t bizarre enough, they also get a warning on their talk page about their user name from another busybody wikipedian, complaining that their name implies they represent the Clarawood estate - by an editor of the name “North America” of all things.User talk:Clarawood123 - WikipediaWelcome to Wikipedia.I noticed that your username, "Clarawood123", may not meet Wikipedia's username policy because Your username implies that you represent the Clarawood housing estate. See WP:CORPNAME for more information. Please seriously consider creating a new account using a neutral username.If you believe that your username does not violate our policy, please leave a note here explaining why. As an alternative, you may ask for a change of username by completing this form, or you may simply create a new account for editing. Thank you . North America1000… Clarawood123, you can safely ignore the above warning which I assume is based on a misunderstanding. The US (where I assume from their name Northamerica1000is from) has no tradition of centrally-planned housing and thus no real equivalent to estates, and NA1000 is probably assuming that this is a private development and you work for the developer. Northamerica1000, a British or Irish estate is for all practical purposes a government-planned village, usually complete with its own pubs, shops, churches etc (some of the larger ones like Becontree or Wythenshawe can be treated as full-blown cities in their own right); treat it as you would any other village. Estates are built by the government, not by private developers; unless you're insinuating that Clarawood123 works for the local authority, claiming a COI from the name would be like me banning you from North American articles owing to your username. ‑ Iridescent 08:24, 15 April 2016 (UTC)(ping) @Iridescent: and Clarawood123: I struck my message above. I assumed it was a private development. Cheers, North America1000 22:55, 15 April 2016 (UTC)Cheers Clarawood123 (talk) 08:13, 16 April 2016 (UTC)This user later strikes out their comment, explaining that they made a mistake. But why not ask? It’s the same thing as with the ANI discussion. They just presume guilt on the basis of slender evidence and you then have to try to prove innocence.BLOCKED AS A SOCK PUPPETAnd then finally (you can read this on their talk page as well), Clarawood123 gets blocked as a sockpuppet!What, I’m a sock puppet? Carlb-sockpuppet-02I.e. the admins claim that they are not a genuine person, but rather, another experienced wikipedia user masquerading as a newbie Clarawood123 in order to harm wikipedia (a sockpuppet by definition is always someone doing something harmful, the idea is that they wear the other person’s identity much like the way someone might wear a sock as a puppet on a hand).The result of this block is that they can’t contribute anywhere on wikipedia except their own talk page.This is what Clarawood123 says when they find out that they have been blocked:“User:Bbb23 has blocked me in connection with a sockpuppet investigation of me. I have just discovered this today. There is absolutely no way any investigation of this would have been able to prove any sockpuppetry as I am a genuine account and have no connection whatsoever to the disruptive editor or anyone else. I am not able to defend myself as I have been blocked. I would like to be unblocked immediately so that I can defend myself as I have, once again, been accused of multiple things I have not done.”This appeal is declinedDecline reason:Confirmed sockpuppet. And you are able to defend yourself just fine while blocked. You still have access to this page. You don't need to edit articles in order to defend yourselfI don't for a moment think they are a sock puppet. They are so obviously genuine and a newbie too, from the way they talked and reacted, from the nature of their first article, from the understandable but naive way they tried to go to ANI with a complaint and it boomeranged - everything they did shouts out newbie wikipedia editor. How anyone could conclude that they are a sockpuppet is beyond me.Imagine facing all that as a newbie user with only 80 edits, attempting your first ever article in wikipedia.Eventually they get unblocked with a warning“As a result of an appeal to the Arbitration Committee. However, I strongly suggest that you get consensus for any possible controversial edits “I would imagine they have probably thoroughly discouraged this newbie editor from taking part in wikipedia. They started trying to help wikipedia in February. That final unblocking happens in June. But naturally enough really, they haven’t contributed anything since then: User contributions for Clarawood123 - WikipediaI’ve seen many strange Alice through the Looking Glass conversations during my time of contributing to Wikipedia as an editor - but this one really takes the biscuit. Think how many people must get discouraged from editing wikipedia every year as a result of this absurd nonsense!THEY ARE LIKE THE BORGI’ve been the other side of something like this myself when I was banned from talking about the “four noble truths” on wikipedia. The ban process is relentless, and remorseless. When you read your alert that you have been taken to ANI the debate is already underway - they don’t wait for you to show up or ask you questions first. In some cases then they may have already started to vote on whether to topic ban you before you even find the conversation.Many editors who you have never met, who know nothing about the dispute, all join the conversation and the votes. They echo the words of the person who accused you, and all make the same false assumptions about you.Most don’t bother to read the original dispute and none of them have any time to listen to you. If you write two paragraphs of explanation you get told that it is too much for them to read. You only have minutes of their time to try to turn them away from their presumption of guilt to a proof that you are innocent. And they don’t even think about asking you questions outside of the dispute, say on your talk page, to get your own view on the situation.I joke with my friends that it is a bit like encountering the Borg in Star Trek, who want to assimilate you. For most ordinary mortals, the only way to avoid being assimilated is to leave.To do anything about it you need to be like Captain Janeway or Jean Luc Picard.Jean Luc Picard as a Borg. One of the surprising twists of plot. The likes of Jean Luc Picard (fictional Star Trek captain) can do this and get away with it. I don’t recommend ordinary folk trying to fix the Borg like activity in wikipedia.In the case of Clarawood123 this drama was for a newbie editor who has just started work on their first ever article in wikipedia. It’s obvious to anyone with an ounce of common sense that they never had any intent to disrupt and were doing their best in their small way to improve the encyclopedia.Even if you come from the US and have this assumption about housing estates - there must be many people in the US too who live in housing estates built by private developers and want to write about them, who have no financial motive for the article. That the user has used the name of their housing estate as a user name is an extremely slender basis to proceed on a presumption of guilty, without even asking them.CLARAWOOD - THE ARTICLE WHICH ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUTAnd having said all that, well I’ll also link to their original version of the article they wrote. It’s still there in the article history. And I think it’s a nice article myself :).Clarawood (old version as written by Clarawood123)I can see how some of it could be said to go against the wikipedia guidelines on “original research” which in my opinion are taken way too seriously there.They take this so seriously that sometimes it seems that you can’t say that there is an ancient oak tree growing in your village green or that it has a duck pond, unless you can find a newspaper story or similar remarking on it… I can understand the reason for those guidelines but I think even at the best of times they are somewhat over enforced.Anyway the original is much better than the latest version. And I get a bit of pleasure from sharing their original here after everything that happened to them.Clarawood Park entrance. The editor who took this photograph and wrote the article has now been banned from wikipedia as a “sockpuppet”, a ridiculous allegation, after stirring up a hornets nest because they had the misfortune to cross paths with Jytdog.And here is their article about it again :). ClarawoodSo anyway apparently this is just one of many episodes involving Jytdog. Though you can’t criticize them on wikipedia, not very easily anyway - you are liable to be banned for the attempt as they tend to have many friends there, they are much discussed off wiki. Here is a great long discussion here about how disruptive Jytdog is on wikipedia.Wikipediocracy - View topic - JytdogSAGERAD TOLD “EXTREMELY UNWISE” TO ACCEPT OFFER OF SYMPATHYFor another really bizarre episode involving another disruptive editor, after Jytdog silenced me I found out from another editor off-wiki about another editor SageRad who suffers from a rare condition called Misphonia - they say themselves on wikipedia, and had been working on an article about the condition. I’m not sure what it is but something to do with being adversely affected by sounds.They’d been disciplined on Jytdog’s instigation - and told to go away for very similar reasons to me Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Enforcement - Wikipedia"I'm honest, forthright, and speak what i see. In editing articles i've improved greatly since i began, and i think i understand the policies well. I edit according to policies. I speak honestly. I want good article -- nothing more. I want good articles that follow the best sources.Other people have issues that i speak to problems in Wikipedia. Are you going to shoot me for speaking? If so then it's on your hands."That is so like what I've encountered over and over.I write Debunking Doomsday posts for people scared because of some youtube video or red top tabloid newspaper story that the world is about to end. Sometimes they say they are or were feeling suicidal so it is somewhat uppermost in my mind that people can be.So, when I saw that Sagerad used the word “Suicide” and “Dead” on the pages I wanted to contact them just in case they need emotional support, though I knew it was probably just a metaphor (as it was).Anyway so I write this on their talk page (at the time they were in a period of “voluntarily” abstaining from wikipedia, though facing likely disciplinary action if they attempt to edit it even on their own talk page):@SageRad: I've been in a very similar situation to you - in a different topic area in Medicine, the Morgellons article, with the same editor as you also. Didn't go as far as AE. As with you it was just for being honest and forthright on the talk page. I've had previous experiences like this and when they threatened AE I knew to stop, there is nothing more you can do at that point. I know from my own experience how scary and stressful it can be. You say to yourself "it's just wikipedia" but at that point you've got quite involved in it, got to really care about the quality of wikipedia articles, and it can be very distressing indeed to be threatened to be banned when all you are doing is trying to help here.I'd just like to offer my sympathy especially as you talk about preferring to commit suicide - I hope that is just a metaphor and you didn't actually do it - saw that your user page says DEAD at the top, again I hope it is just a metaphor. Do contact me via email if you want support / sympathy / comparing experiences. You can message me via the messaging link on my user page or else you can email me at [email protected] - I'm a software developer and that's a public email address, so no problem sharing it here. Robert Walker (talk) 06:08, 3 November 2016 (UTC)Another editor who was opposed to me in the Morgellons discussion immediately jumps in saying“Sage, it would be extremely unwise to take up this offer. Robert is promoting a fake disease, and if you go down that route you will be aligning yourself with the pseudoscientists and woo-mongers, and that will get you a full site ban much more quickly than what you're doing now. “What he or she says there is way off the mark however I wasn’t recruiting them at all. What would SageRad be expected to know about Morgellons or indeed me about Misphonia? Both are extremely rare conditions that few know much about.For more about it see this comment on the whole episode on Reddit: Admin "warns" editor who mentioned suicide not to accept offer to talk it outMUCH OF THIS MAY LOOK FINE IF YOU ARE AN ADMIN IN WIKIPEDIAIncidentally, to write what I’ve said here, anywhere on wikipedia, including on my own talk page there, would surely get me banned instantly. The discussion wouldn’t last long at all, I’d probably get a site ban and not be able to edit it at all, for a year or indefinitely.For that reason, the admins there just don’t get to see much of the complaints about what is going on unless they explore forums outside of wikipedia. They just see problem editors who they ban, and that solves the problem as far as they are concerned. The editors that remain know that they can’t say things like this there.You might wonder how all this is possible under freedom of speech. However, wikipedia have this as a right, which is explained here: Wikipedia:Free speech - Wikipedia“In short, editing Wikipedia is a privilege granted to you by the permission of the Wikimedia Foundation, and can be revoked at any time for whatever reason that organization sees fit to do so. Your only legal rights on Wikipedia are your right to fork (create another encyclopaedia independent of the Wikimedia Foundation) and your right to leave (stop editing).“This being said, we're not trying to be jerks. Nor do we plan on being jerks. We do hope that you stay, and help us to build a better Wikipedia. There's lots of work to be done, and everyone who's willing to contribute constructively is needed. Including you.”It’s not really that different from e.g. the right of someone who has a blog to delete troll posts in the comment threads. It’s an understandable right. I wouldn’t dispute it, they obviously need it for vandals and trolls.I think that wikipedia would benefit from having some way that people can raise sincere criticisms there of other editors and of the processes themselves without risking being topic or site banned as a result. I don’t know how that could happen though.However, of course that right only extends to wikipedia. The editors there can’t take any action against us for writing about them off wiki. There we are protected by freedom of speech. The power of these complaint boards only extends over the domain of wikipedia itself.UNBLOCKABLE EDITORS - RECOGNIZED AS AN ISSUE BY ADMINS AS WELLAn original “Get Out of Jail Free” CardThere are some editors on wikipedia who seem to have an endless supply of “Get out of Jail Free” cards. Inexperienced admins will find they can’t do anything about the unblockables because at some point, they rose to their bait and defended themselves against their personal attacks. If they do that, it makes them an involved admin who can never discipline them ever in the future.More experienced admins still face the risk of losing their admin status unless super cautious in all their dealings with them. For details, see this post by a wikipedia admin, User Beeblebrox, about unblockable editors, and about how this phenomenon comes to happen and why an admin can’t do anything about it.This means, they can say the most outrageous things to you or about you and won’t be disciplined at all, or if they do, their block or ban is instantly overturned. But you try to show that they have lied or said something wrong to you, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself topic banned or maybe blocked from editing wikipedia or even totally site banned. The more you try to extricate yourself from this mess, the worse your sanctions get.For one recent particularly Kafka-esh case involving unblockables, see SageRad’s case. He has just been blocked for one year for alleged “battleground behaviour” by the unblockables Jytdog and JzG. Do read his section of the discussion and his talk page. Also these are a couple of comments that were removed from the discussion before the case was closed, which give another perspective Changes - Wikipedia.You can edit for years and never meet them. Or if unlucky, meet them on your first article as happened to the unfortunate Clarawood123. Sadly, the way wikipedia works at present, then these people are somewhat encouraged (not intentionally).If you have tangled with an unblockable, they continually try to bait you - don’t take the bait. Let them have the last word when they try to bait you. Unless you really know what you are doing, best not to call them out on things, don’t say they lied even though both you and they know they did. You can try just calmly saying the truth, without saying anything about whether they lied, leave the reader to make that inference. Or better, at least safer, just go away, take a wiki break, or edit another part of wikipedia. You may also be interested in POV railroad which is about some of the tactics they and other editors use that are hard to counter, and when done by an “unblockable” pretty much unstoppable.And if you do get blocked anyway - well you are in excellent company :). You could be a professor and the best expert in the world on your topic, widely known for your depth of knowledge and understanding of your field, it would make no difference. Please don’t take it as any kind of a reflection on you as a person.WATCH OUT FOR MAD HATTERS AND CHESHIRE CATSSo - generally if you are in any of the more controversial areas, you may find that it’s hard to make friends on wikipedia and you may encounter a lot of hostility, and some (of course not all) of the most prolific editors there are characters that wouldn’t be out of place in a book by Lewis Carroll - Mad Hatters, Red Queens, Mock Turtles, Cheshire Cats vanishing leaving only a smile behind. If you’ve ever been involved in this stuff you’ve probably met the equivalents of all those characters and more.Cheshire Cat vanishing (detail) - original illustration by Tenniel.It’s so much nicer writing here on quora than on wikipedia.IS THERE A WAY FORWARD FOR WIKIPEDIA?I hope somehow someone finds a way towards doing something about this. I don’t know what the solution is though, as it is quite entrenched there, this attitude. I’ve come across it many times now in my own experience too. In many different topic areas - Life on Mars, Manned Missions to Mars, Morgellons, Four Noble Truths, a wide variety of editors, with so little overlap that it can't be a minority approach but is surely pervasive within wikipedia.Perhaps if they had to use real names, it would help - that seems to help in other places. But you can understand why someone would sometimes need to edit it with a pseudonym.Maybe it is something to do with the user interface? It’s awkward to edit, by modern standards - with users having to post in wikicode, scroll down through pages of comments to find out where to add your post at the end, and they don’t have auto collapse of long comments which is partly why you get so much hostility if you write anything of any length there. And users don’t have icons either - it’s a small thing but helps with friendliness I think.Perhaps if they had a decent system of justice there - maybe set up with advice from someone with judiciary experience? Perhaps if they had experts who were respected in the topic areas - but that then would conflict with the community nature of the project rather easily.The Jury (1861) painting by John Morgan- wikipedia appeal boards are like a legal system with a jury but no judge, no defendant, and on the basis of sentencing first, with the jury often meting out sentences there swiftly within minutes of filing the case, before the person accused has had a chance to reply to the accusations. Perhaps it would benefit from an overhaul and attention by people with a background in jurisprudence. Maybe it could even do with a full time paid member with jurisprucence experience.But for that to happen, the volunteers who man wikipedia would need to agree that it needs overhaul. The admins there don’t even see that it is a problem. They don’t see all the posts and complaints by banned users because this happens off wiki. If I wrote this article on wikipedia I’d get site or topic banned swiftly.I think this is one of the main issues holding wikipedia back at present myself.Maybe they will find a way through this some day. I do think this is probably the main thing that is holding wikipedia back and limiting it now. Not vandals - that’s pretty much sorted out now. Not a shortage of people who want to help. But just this Alice through the Looking Glass attitude of some of the most prolific editors there, turns people off, and results in biased and inaccurate articles on many topics. It’s self perpetuating also - attracts people with the same attitudes to wikipedia, and turns other people away - or good editors may find that every edit they make is reverted until they give up.MANY AREAS ARE EXCELLENTPlease don’t go away with the idea that all the articles or even most are like this. Wikipedia has so much promise and many areas of it are excellent. When it works well it can work very well indeed. I use it nearly every day - though I know to check the cites for anything important. I also edit it a fair bit too, fix mistakes, occasionally write longer pieces. It’s ediitng guidelines are good to for the most part - I don’t have complaints about them either. But it is also so vulnerable to this sort of thing.I don't think there is too much I can do within wikipedia to deal with this situation. But perhaps writing about it in a humorous way off wiki can help in some indirect way. If nothing else, it may help those who have been in a similar situation to me to take it a bit less seriously and realize they aren't the only one who face this. Perhaps it might also reach the attention of a few who are in some position to do something about it? I don’t know if anyone can, but drawing attention to the issue is a starting point, if there is any way to fix it.WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW!If you are a reasonably experienced wikipedian, you can do a lot to help by working as an uninvolved commentator and voter on OCCASIONAL cases in WP:ANI. and other boards that permit participation by general editors.See: What you can do about the Alice through the Looking Glass world of Wikipedia Editing - Right NowSee also Ideas for wikipedia reform for the long termSee also my answer to Is Wikipedia biased?HOW TO EDIT WIKIPEDIA WITHOUT GETTING INTO TROUBLEIf you want to work on wikipedia, and want to do major work there, e.g. fill in some big gap in their coverage (they do still have large gaps in many specialist areas) then it is best to start with a non controversial topic. And - it is good to get lots of colleagues or friends involved in editing along with you. So long as there is no dispute in progress yet, there is no problem doing that and it doesn’t count as canvasing.And if you have an article with lots of editors then it is much less likely to be destroyed or dramatically rewritten than a long article by a single editor. For professors and experts same as for anyone else. Try to edit the article as a group of several of you rather than as a sole editor and you are much more likely to succeed.If a dispute does break out, then that’s the time to slow down. When you feel you have to reply, that’s often a sign that it’s a good time to take a break. A few comments stated clearly and calmly - and then you say nothing more for a day or two, will have much more impact than a long dialog in which you answer every point. Other editors may join in and make the points you would have made. Or if not, after a long conversation with the other editors ,to come back in and make a few points in a calm fashion again will work much better than to try a ding dong answering everything they say.For more on this see my How to edit wikipedia without getting into trouble

1. Party in GoaImage SourceUnarguably, Goa has to be the amongst the first few places to visit in India in your twenties. Young and energetic! Amazing nightlife, variety of booze, beach shacks and dirt cheap prices – Goa has everything to make a trip memorable.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Dabolim International Airport is the major airport in Goa.By rail: Madagaon Railway Station and Thivim Railway Station are the main railway heads of Goa.By road: Margao Bus Terminal, Kadamba Bus Terminal, and Mapusa Bus Terminal are best connected bus terminals in Goa. However, many people prefer taking a car/bike ride from Mumbai and Pune.Attractions: Beaches like Vagator, Calangute, Anjuna, Colva, & Benaulim, Fort Aguada, Church of Mae De Deus, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Temple of Bodgeshwar, Dudhsagar Waterfalls, St Xavier’s Church, Grand Island (for watersports), and clubs like Cafe Mambos,Titos, LPK (Love Passion Karma), SinQ, & Club CubanaMust Read: India’s Most Insane Music FestivalsLooking To Book A Holiday Package?Book memorable holidays on TravelTriangle with 650+ verified travel agents for 65+ domestic and international destinations.Spellbinding Cochin Family Tour 2D/1N Package @ Rs 2,750Plan your trip today!Book NowHimachal Family Tour Package 4D/3N @ Rs 8,750Get quotes from multiple travel experts.Book NowExciting Andaman Family Trip 5D/4N @ Rs 10,250Compare & customize quotes before booking.Book NowGangtok & Darjeeling Tour Package 5D/4N @ Rs 13,000Have Questions? Talk to our travel experts today.Book NowWonderful Goa Family Package 3D/2N @ Rs 6,500Best prices guaranteed.Book NowRiveting Rajasthan Vacation 3D/2N Package @ Rs 6,499EMI option available.Book NowEnchanting Uttarakhand Tour 4D/3N Package @ Rs 7,199Explore best destinations with our experts.Book NowDelightful South Weekend Tour 3D/2N Package @ Rs 4,999Thrilling weekend full of fun.Book NowMarvelous Gujarat Tour 3D/2N Package @ Rs 4,999Talk to our experts today.Book NowSee more at TRAVELTRIANGLE.COMVisit Website<>2. Trek On The Hills Of McleodganjImage SourceThe majestic mountains can call tourists to experience the best of what nature has to offer. Triund offers the spectacular view of the Dhauladhar ranges. Experience bliss while camping under billions of stars with your friends in Triund.Best time to visit: September to JuneHow to reachBy air: Gaggal Airport (18 km away) is the nearest airport.By rail: The nearest rail head is Pathankot Railway Station (89 km away)By road: Numerous state government & private buses ply between Mcleodganj and various cities of north India like Delhi, Chandigarh, Dharamshala etc. on a regular basis. Passengers can take a bus till Mcleodganj bus stand and then hire a taxi.Attractions: Kangra Fort, Bhagsunath Temple, Bhagsu Falls, Namgyal Monastery, Dalai Lama Temple complex, HPCA Stadium, tea plantations of Kangra valley, and Triund trekMust Read: 9 Mcleodganj Experiences For Which You Need To Leave, NOW!3. Dwell in the Valleys of Ever Changing SrinagarImage SourceIf you’re in your twenties, it’s time to add Kashmir to your list of best places to visit in India. If there is heaven on earth, this it is! Experience its charismatic charm before the natural hits & turmoil spoils it all. And when would be a better time to explore a flood-hit, terror-stricken heaven on earth if not now?!Best time to visit: April to OctoberHow to reachBy air: Srinagar has its own airport.By rail: The Srinagar Railway Station is under construction. Till then, passengers can take a train to Udhampur Railway Station(229 km from Srinagar)By road: Unless you are traveling from a city of Jammu & Kashmir, road is not a preferred way to reach Srinagar.Attractions: Dal Lake (boating in shikaras & nightstays in houseboats), Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Tomb of Zin-ul-Abidin, Jama Masjid, Hazratbal Mosque, and Shankaracharya Hill4. Conquer the fears of water with Scuba Diving in AndamanImage SourceScared of water? Never swam? Maybe it’s time to beat the fear out of you and dive in to the deep sea and overcome the fear of water and depths, ZNMD Style. Trust us, you’d be delighted at the sites underwater and it will keep you coming back for more. And woah, aqua lovers, it is no less than a paradise!Best time to visit: November to mid-MayHow to reachBy air: Vir Savarkar Airport in Port Blair is the archipelago’s major airport.By sea: Ships ply between Haddo Wharf Port in Port Blair and cities of Chennai, Kolkata, & Vizag.Attractions: Cellular Jail National Memorial, Radhanagar Beach, Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex in Port Blair, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Chidiya Tapu, and watersports like scuba-diving, snorkeling, & parasailingMust Read: The Most Amazing Instances of Scuba Diving in Andaman Islands5. Ride on the Leh-Ladakh Highway and camp under the stars in LadakhImage SourceUndoubtedly, Leh – Ladakh is on every travel enthusiasts list of places to visit in India before they turn 30. Ride on the crazy winding roads, get stuck in the middle of no where, sleep with the locals and learn to be independent on the desert mountains as you undertake this adventurous journey.Best time to visit: April to mid-May and mid-September to mid-OctoberHow to reachBy air: Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh is the airport connecting the region to other places by air.By rail: Jammu Tawi Railway Station (700 km from Ladakh) is the nearest rail head. From here, one can hire a cab or board a JKSRTC bus to Ladakh.By road: The most popular means of reach Ladakh remains to be road. Travelers can go on a bike/jeep ride to the destination. Bike trips from Delhi, Chandigarh, and Manali are most popular.Attractions: Zanskar Valley, Pangong Tso Lake, Khardung-La Pass, Spituk Gompa, and Hemis National ParkMust Read: Don’t Tell Yourself You’ve Been To Ladakh If You Haven’t Done These Things6. Explore the Ghats in BanarasImage SourceBanaras may not be on the list of places to visit in India before you turn 30, but the beautiful ghats, the aartis and prayers, a boat ride along the calm banks could change this picture forever.Best time to visit: October to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport of Varanasi is well-connected to Delhi and Mumbai.By rail: Kashi Railway Station and Varanasi Junction are the two major rail heads of the city.By road: State-run and private buses regularly ply between Varanasi and the nearby cities.Attractions: Assi Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manmandir Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and Durga Temple7. Stay overnight at Marine Drive in the never sleeping city of MumbaiThe city that never sleeps and lets you live a carefree life. Mumbai is about its people, the spirit of enjoying the nightclubs and of course Bollywood. Live like a mumbaikar, bite into the vada pav and sip a chai on your way to the locals.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport lies 30 km north of the city. Santa Cruz Domestic Airport lies 26 km north of the city.By rail: Trains from Central, East, and West India arrive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (erstwhile VT). Trains from the North arrive at Bombay Central Station.By road: Most of the inter-Maharashtra buses arrive at Mumbai Central Bus Station. But the ones from Pune and Nasik arrive at the ASIAD bus stand near Dadar railway station.Attractions: Gateway of India, Haji Ali Dargah, Elephanta Caves & island, Siddhivinayak Temple, Essel World, Kanheri Caves, Rajabai Clock Tower, Kamala Nehru Park, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Nehru Planetarium, Worli Fort, and Marine DriveMust Read: The Definitive Weekend Getaway Destinations for Mumbaikars8. Explore an offbeat Wildlife Sanctuary – Binsar at AlmoraImage SourcePeace. Jungles. Heights. Chills. Wildlife. All you wildlife enthusiasts out there, head to Almora for an incredible trip of your lifetime.Best time to visit: April to June and September to NovemberHow to reachBy air: There’s a domestic airport in Pantnagar, 116 km from Almora.By rail: Kathgodam Railway Station, 82 km from Almora, is the nearest railway head.By road: Buses connect the town with all majorr neighboring areas.Attractions: Nanda Devi Temple, Mrig Vihar Zoo, Khagmara Temple, and Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary9. Explore the Scotland of the south – CoorgImage SourceCoorg simply cannot be skipped from the list of best places to visit in India. A quick getaway for many from Bangalore, this mesmerizing hill station in Karnataka is breathtakingly beautiful. A visit here sure would heal you and energize you!Best time to visit: October to MarchHow to reachBy air: The nearest domestic airport is in Mangalore, 156 km away. The nearest international airport is the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, 285 kilometres away.By rail: Mysore Junction, 106 km away, is the nearest rail head.By road: The 238 km long road trip from Bangalore (Bengaluru) takes 5 hours 30 minutes.Attractions: Abbey Falls, Nalknad Palace, Barapole River, Brahmagiri Peak, Iruppu Falls, Namdroling Monastery, Nagarhole National Park, Microlight flight at Chelavara, ziplining, and angling in River KaveriMust Read: 10 Places to Visit in Coorg For a Memorable Vacation10. Kolkata to Color Yourself Red in Durga PujaImage SourceThe only time when the entire city gathers together to celebrate the much lauded and divine festival, Durga Puja, experience the culture of Bengal in it’s full form. Enjoy the festival with sweets, Bengali delicacies, themed pandal hoppings and grand aartis.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is situated at Dumdum, 15 km from the main city.By rail: Howrah and Sealdah are the two main railway junctions in Kolkata that connect the city to several major cities in the country.Attractions: Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Indian Museum, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium, Kalighat Kali Temple, Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, Birla Planetarium, and St. Paul’s Cathedral11. Explore The Caver’s Paradise – MeghalayaImage SourceIf you aren’t afraid of heights, insects, darkness and tight spaces, caving would prove to be a great adventure for you! And if you are, what a better time to beat your fears in the deepest and longest caves of entire South Asia? What if you return as the next Bruce Wayne, err?Best time to visit: March to JulyHow to reachBy air: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati in Assam (118 km from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya) is the nearest international airport. Umroi Airport at Umroi, 30 km from Shillong, is the nearest domestic airport.By rail: Mendipathar railway station is located in Resubelpara Municipal Board Jurisdiction of Meghalaya at a distance of 225 km from Shillong. However, the Guwahati Junaction in Assam is the nearest rail head with good connectivity to other cities of India.Attractions: Umiam Lake, Nohkalikai Falls, Elephant Falls, Seven Sisters Falls, Shillong View Point, Spread Eagle Falls, Wah Umngot River, Nohwet Living Root Bridge, Kynrem falls, Khasi Hills, Khoh Ramhah or Motrop (Giant conical rock), and Garo HillsMust Read: The Ultimate List of Adventure Holidays In India for Summer12. Volunteer with the monks in SikkimImage SourceLife is not all about exploring the world. Feel the mystical essence of Buddhism around you, visit Sikkim and its host of monasteries. And if you happen to like them, maybe, volunteer with the monks and master the art of giving!Best time to visit: March to June and September to DecemberHow to reachBy air: Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal (124 km from Gangtok) is the nearest airport. A 20 minutes’ helicopter ride from Bagdogra will take you further on till Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.By rail: New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Silguri (148 km from Gangtok) is the nearest rail head.By road: The cities of Sikkim are well-connected to Darjeeling (West Bengal) by good quality roads.Attractions: Nathu La, Hanuman Tok, Rumtek Monastery, Khecheopalri Lake, Tsomgo Lake, Phodong Monastery, & Teesta River in Gangtok, Yumthang Valley, Buddha Park of Ravangla, Kanchenjunga Falls, Lingdum Monastery, and Singshore BridgeMust Read: 31 Reasons Why You Should Never Visit North East India13. Visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World – The Taj Mahal in AgraImage SourceTourists across the world visit India just to witness the spectacular symbol of love. The majestic monument has to be on your bucket list for its the cultural epitome of India.Best time to visit: April to OctoberHow to reachBy air: Kheria airport, 13 km away from Agra, is a seasonal commercial airport and is connected only by Air India flights from New Delhi.By rail: Agra Cantt Station (the main station), Agra Fort Railway Station, Raja ki Mandi, Agra City, and Idgah Railway Station are well-connected by a network of trains to cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior, Jhansi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai.By road: Agra has two major interstate bus terminals called Idgah Bus Stand and ISBT that connect it to cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior, Lucknow, & Kanpur.Attractions: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, Mehtab Bagh, Jama Masjid, Guru ka Tal, Tomb of Akbar the Great, Chini Ka Rauza, Moti Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri, Dilli Gate, Great gate (Darwaza i rauza), Amar Singh Gate, Kaanch Mahal, and Sikandra14. Enchant your spirit in KeralaImage SourceTo all the nature lover’s out there. A trip to God’s own country is a must in your twenties for its enchanting wilderness. Luscious green trees, pristine water, crazy wildlife experience – visit Kerala for more such wonderful delights.Best time to visit: November to January and June to AugustHow to reachBy air: Thiruvananthapuram has the Trivandrum International Airport, linked by flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin, and Chennai.By rail: Trivandrum Central Railway Station in Thiruvananthapuram is the major rail head. Kerala Express connects daily to Delhi. Netravati Express goes to Mumbai.AttractionsAlleppey: Alappuzha Beach, Krishnapuram Palace, Kumarakom bird sanctuary, Marari Beach, Revi Karunakaran Museum, Marari Beach, Punnamada Lake, Pathiramanal, and Sri Krishna Temple in AmbalappuzhaMunnar: TATA Tea Museum, Meesapulimala, Blossom Park, Pothamedu ViewPoint, Attukal Waterfalls, Cheeyappara Waterfalls, Kundala Lake, Mattupetty Dam, Anamudi, and Eravikulam National ParkKumarakom: Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Backwaters, Aruvikkuzhi waterfall, Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple, Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom Beach, and Pathiramal IslandWayanad: Meenmutty Waterfalls, Chembra Peak, 9 Hairpin Curves, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Ekkadal Caves, Bathery Jain Temple, Neelimala View Point, and Pookot LakeThekkady: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Mangla Devi Temple, Abraham’s Spice Garden, Murikkady, Kadathanadan Kalari Centre, Chellarkovil, Kumily, and Deepa World Spice & Ayurvedic GardenKovalam: Lighthouse Beach, Samudra Beach, Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple, Vizhinjam Marine Aquarium, Halcyon Castle, Akkulam Lake, Jama Masjid, Vellayani Lake, Karamana River, and Rock Cut CavesBekal: Bekal Fort, Ananthapura Temple, Valiyaparamba Backwaters, Bekal Beach, Mallikarjuna Temple, Chandragiri Fort, Kappil Beach, Nileswaram, Bekal Hole Aqua Park, and Pallikere BeachKozhikode: Mananchira, Conolly Canal, Hilite Mall, Kallayi, Tali Temple, Kappad Beach, Kozhikode Beach, Thusharagiri Waterfalls, Sargaalaya, Payyoli Beach, Kozhippara Falls, and Matri Dei CathedralVarakala: Varkala Beach, Janardhan Temple, Sivagiri Muth, Kappil Lake, Papanasam Beach, Janardan Swami Temple, Vishnu Temple, Anjengo Fort, Sarkara Devi Temple, Varkala Tunnel, and Kaduvayil Thangal DargahMust Read: 20 Amazing Things To Do On Your Trip to KeralaGet Custom-Made Travel Quotes from Trusted AgentsGet Custom QuotesGet Best Deals for travel packages in your inboxGet Travel DealsGet custom travel guide prepared by travel expertsGet Travel Guide15. Camp In The Arid Thar DesertImage SourceThe place that speaks of royalty and world-class heritage, Rajasthan is vast, huge and a destination to experience the luxury of India.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryPlanning your holiday but confused about where to go? These travel stories help you find your best trip ever!Real travel stories. Real stays. Handy tips to help you make the right choice.Nikhil Recites A Tale Of 11 Friends Who Went From Bengaluru To LadakhBengaluru - Delhi - Leh - Ladakh - Leh - Delhi - Amristsar - Chandigarh - BengaluruRead MorePranav Took A Solo Trip To Andaman & It Was Truly WonderfulA backpacker's guide to the predominant Honeymoon destination!Read MoreShivani Talks Of Her Trip To Mcleodganj & Dalhousie With Her Husband And FriendsSunset views. Monasteries. Bhagsunath falls. And amazing street food.Read MoreShivani Talks Of Her Trip To Mcleodganj & Dalhousie With Her Husband And FriendsSunset views. Monasteries. Bhagsunath falls. And amazing street food.Read MoreShivani Talks Of Her Trip To Mcleodganj & Dalhousie With Her Husband And FriendsSunset views. Monasteries. Bhagsunath falls. And amazing street food.Read MoreKanika Proves That Traveling With An Infant To Kerala Is Totally Safe & WonderfulBeaches, Backwaters, Spas, & More. Take me there now, please!Read MoreHere's Why Aakanksha's Trip To Manali Changed Her Idea About Group ToursIdeal long weekend getaway from Delhi! Isn't it?Read MoreIsha Elaborates On How She Went Solo To Kasol & Returned With Lots Of FriendsAnd tales of her exciting Kheerganga & Chalal trek...Read MorePrasham's Account Of A Goa Tour Proves That Goa Is More Than A Party DestinationAdventure, sightseeing, laid-back beach tours, and it doesn't stop there!Read MoreBhavya Gives An Extensive Account Of His Jaisalmer Trip With FriendsDesert safari, haunted Kuldhara village, & Gadisar Lake. There's more...Read MoreAshish Tells Why Kashmir Turned Out To Be A Winter Wonderland For His FamilyFor Gondolas, Shikaras, and plenty of snow!Read MoreArunav Can't Stop Praising His Adventurous Trip To Sikkim & Darjeeling With FriendsFor adventure in Air, on Land, and in Water!Read MoreAvneet Describes Her Trip To Spiti With A Group Of Strangers That Became FriendsSightseeing. Monasteries. Trekking. And beauty all alongRead MoreSee more at TRAVELTRIANGLE.COMVisit Website<>16. Listen to the qawwalis at Nizamuddin Dargah, DelhiEnjoy your gateway to the city of Ghalib, Dilli. While you’re still young, explore the cultures of your magnificent country. A stop at Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Dargah for a live Qawwali session will leave you mesmerized.Best time to visit: October to MarchHow to reachBy air: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport is very well connected to cities across India and the world.By rail: Delhi has an extensive railway network with major railway stations like New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Sarai Rohila, and Old Sabzi MandiBy road: Delhi is well connected by bus to cities like Jaipur, Agra, Alwar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Shimla, Manali, Dharamsala, Dehradun, and even Kathmandu. Commuters can get buses from Interstate Bus Terminals at Kashmiri Gate, Anand Vihar, & Sarai Kale Khan, and other spots like Majnu ka Tila & Bikaner House.Must Read: 30 Reasons I Would Rather Be From Delhi Than Anywhere Else17. Solo trip to KasolHere’s why every man should travel solo at least once in your life – Not only will you discover a new you and find a direction for yourself, but you’d return with experiences of a life time. And there’s no better place than Kasol to begin this adventure.Best time to visit: October to JuneHow to reachBy air: Bhuntar Domestic Airport (31 km away) is the nearest flight connect.By rail: Pathankot (296 km away) is the nearest rail head.By road: HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) runs regular buses from Delhi, Haryana, & Punjab and other Himachal cities like Pathankot, Shimla, Kangra, Solan, & Dharamsala.Must Read: Why Every Guy Should Travel Solo Atleast Once!18. Walk On The Living Root Bridges in CherrapunjiCherrapunji is a great sight for those who want to experience something surreal and out of the blue. The Root bridges will leave you awestruck.Best time to visit: November to MayHow to reachBy air: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (163 km away) is the nearest air connect.By rail: Guwahati is the nearest railhead to Cherrapunji.19. Face The Unknown At The Bhangarh FortImage SourceBhangarh fort is on every daredevil’s list of must visit places in India. Known as one of the scariest places in India, according to a folklore, it is believed that the entire town of people seemed to have vanished in a day. Get ready to be spooked on your trip here!Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: The nearest airport is the Sanganer airport in Jaipur, 56 km from Bhangarh.By rail: Dausa railway station, located at a distance of 22 km from Bhangarh, is the nearest rail head.20. Drive Through The Forest of BandipurImage SourceBandipur is a best place to visit in India when it comes to forests and drives. Get spooked by snake holes around, spot elephants, deers and monkeys as you go along the winding roads. And you might happen to spot a wild cat too. A drive through the wilderness is all you need in your twenties.Best time to visit: October to MayHow to reachBy air: Mandakalli airport near Mysore, 69 km from Bandipur, is the nearest air connect.By rail: Nanajangud Town Railway Station, 56 km from Bandipur, is the nearest rail head.21. Explore The Ruins Of HampiImage SourceHampi’s world heritage site is amongst the must visit places in India. Known for its old monumental and architectural beauty , Hampi place will dispose you to a world of aesthetics. PS: Don’t plan a trip to Hampi in summers.Best time to visit: October to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Hubli Airport (144 km away) and Belgaum Airport (215 km away) are two major domestic airports near Hampi.By rail: Hospet Junction, the nearest railway station to Hampi, is about 13 km away.By road: Hampi is one of the weekend getaways from Bangalore and is well connected to Hospet, Hassan, Mysore, and other nearby cities by road.22. Spectate At The Dhuandhar Falls, JabalpurImage SourceJabalpur may not be on your list of places to see in India before you turn 30, but a trip to these stunning white waterfalls which emanate a mist of smoke will leave you spellbound.Best time to visit: August to MarchHow to reachBy air: Dumna domestic airport in Jabalpur is the nearest airport.By rail: Jabalpur Junction is the nearest railway head.Must Read: 10 Waterfalls in India You Need to Explore This Summer23. Celebration for Colors in MathuraImage SourceAllow your spirit to soak in the raas-leela of Vrindavan. The place that celebrates Krishna’s living philosophy. The festival is ecstatic to say the least and celebration of colors here would the best you’d experience ever in your life.Best time to visit: November to MarchHow to reachBy air: Kheria airport in Agra, located at a distance of 49 km from Mathura, is the nearest air connect.By rail: Mathura has its own railway station.By road: Mathura is well-connected to Agra (49 km away), Delhi (182 km away), Vrindavan (14 km away), and other cities of North India.24. Travel To The Salt Lands During The Kutch FestivalImage SourceKutch is a must visit place in India before you turn 30. Travel to the no man’s land, the seasonal salt marsh amidst the famous Thar Desert during the kite festival where the sky comes alive with vibrant and oversized kites.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Bhuj Airport, 69 km away, is the nearest air connect.By rail: Bhuj Railway Station is 50 km away from Kutch.Must Read: 38 Most Colorful Places In India That Will Make Your Heart Skip A Beat25. Beat Your Fear Of Heights – Go Paragliding In SolangImage SourceTwenties is the time to explore your wild side and indulge in crazy adventures. Head to solang for paragliding and experience the bursting thrill as you fly across the panoramic views, verdant valleys and snow-capped ranges. Solang has to on your list of places to see in India.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Bhuntar Airport, 64 km away, is the nearest airport.By rail: Joginder Nagar Railway Station, 177 km away, is the nearest rail head.By road: Solang is only 14 km away from Manali.26. Visit Golden Temple in AmritsarImage SourceLearn to respect culture and religion before you turn 30. Visit this spiritual getaway that promises the nourishment of the soul. Spend some time in the India’s largest kitchen as you help clean the utensils or prepare langar for the visitors. The experience is simply worth it.Best time to visit: November to FebruaryHow to reachBy air: Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar is well-connected to other cities.By rail: Amritsar Junction Railway Station has an extensive network of trains.27. Travel To The Dangerously Beautiful Red CorridorImage SourceTravel to the red corridor once in your life. And there’s no better time than your twenties. Situated by the sea, Konark Temple in Orissa tells you many interesting stories about the origin of human sexuality. And if you’ve enough time and courage, beautiful highways in Orissa leading to some exceptionally picturesque destinations are waiting to be explored.Best time to visit: September to MarchHow to reachBy air: Bhubaneswar airport, 62 km from Konark, is connected by frequent flights to numerous major cities India including Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Hyderabad.By rail: Puri Railway Station, 36 km away, is connected to all major cities.28. A Wildlife Trip To Dibru Saikhowa National Park in AssamImage SourceStay set to be overwhelmed by the sceneries, flora, and fauna of the Dibru Saikhowa National Park. And this wildlife expedition is not the same as any jeep safari. Instead, activities like jungle walk and boat ride are conducted during the months of November to April. Cruise along the Brahmaputra river to witness the animals in their most natural habitats.Best time to visit: October to AprilHow to reachBy air: Mohanbari in Dibrugarh, 40 km away, is the nearest domestic airport. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati is 510 km away.By rail: New Tinsukia Railway Station is 12 km away.Must Read: 13 Places You Need To Visit For The Best Wildlife Experience in India29. White Water Rafting in RishikeshWith bursting energy and enthusiasm, twenties is the best time to enjoy thrill and adventure, especially with your friends. Travel to the adventure capital of India, Rishikeshand ride on the mystical but fierce fast flowing waters of Ganges. Rishikesh is a must visit place in India if you haven’t yet crossed the age bar.Best time to visit: September to November and February to JuneHow to reachBy air: Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, 20 km from Rishikesh, is the nearest air connect.By rail: Haridwar Junction, 21 km from Rishikesh, is the nearest rail head.By road: It is well-connected by road to major cities, including Haridwar (21 km away) and Delhi (229 km away).30. Kalka to Shimla in a Toy TrainImage SourceRevist childhood by hopping on the colorful toy train from Kalka to Shimla as it makes way through the pine forests and verdant valleys. If Shimla happens to be away for you, Darjeeling, Ooty and Matheran are there for this exceptionally elating toy train experience.Best time to visit: Year-roundSo, here we end our list of 30 best places to visit in India before your turn 30 with a hope that you’re set to explore this magnificent country in the most precious years of your life.