Spiralizer Wikipedia followup

A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled a spiralizers many uses where I discussed how fabulous the spiralizer kitchen tool was and referenced Wikipedia's entry on the product. To my surprise the entry was extremely short and hardly spoke about the vegetables you could use with the product. In fact, the "Usage" section referenced household products that most people use who also use a spiralizer. I decided to alter the Wikipedia entry to include the actual foods you can use with a spiralizer and how they can be used, for instance, zucchini can be used to make noodles with sauce, and carrots can be used as an edible garnish. I also completely removed the mention of blenders or processors since they didn't pertain to a spiralizer. 

I was so proud, this had been my first time contributing to Wikipedia after many years of using their site. I shared my change with past classmates and my husband. Within seconds they dropped the ball on me that my entry was deleted. I was shocked, and even more shocked to find that a "bot", which is a computerized program made to spot vandalism, deleted my post. Convinced I had made a mistake I went back into the system, double checked everything and reposted with some additional technical information. This time, within minutes a human contributor removed almost all of my post stating I did not reference a section, which I clearly did, so I was forced to react. I then took back their edits and re-entered mine for try #3. Third times a charm, right? Not quite, the human editor then informed me that my multiple references add nothing of significance and therefore edited my post yet again. Needless to say I was pretty heated at this point. 

Here is the current extremely abridged version of what I contributed to:

Spiralizers are often used to produce vegan or vegetarian meals or to transform high calorie meals into healthier options. Recipes containing spiraled ingredients are available on health blogs, (particularly vegan, vegetarian and paleo) and on social media sites.

After my several losses I took a few minutes and chilled out. After reading what was left to my entry I realized that part of my attempt to change the Wikipedia entry was a success. I did get the irrelevant section of other household items removed from the entry and the two sentences remaining were my own. Although I still stand by my additional information that was deleted, I realize that Wikipedia is not the place to argue over a few vegetables. Blogging is a great place to share plenty of information about a product and thus came several posts discussing different vegetable uses. I will still continue to use Wikipedia for quick knowledge of unknown subjects but I'm not sure if I will be contributing to it in the near future. 

A spiralizer's many uses

I’d like to share with you a tool that has really improved my healthy eating skills. This “fabulous food find” is called a spiralizer. With this kitchen tool you can quickly and easily carve your everyday vegetables into spiral like shapes. A spiralizer is a life saver when you are craving pasta but don’t want to take in all the carbs, hence the name of my device the Veggetti. There are many spiralizers on the market but this one happens to be the cheapest and easiest to use and it stores away nicely when not in use. 

When looking at Wikipedia I notice a very short entry of what a spiralizer is and then in the “Use With” section an author lists other kitchen devices that might help with healthy eating. In my opinion the “Use With” section should really include the different vegetable options that you can use with the tool. I’ve updated the section to include more foods and how they can be used directly with the spiralizer.

Wikipedia's entry:

Spiralizers are often used in kitchens with juicers, blenders, and food processors to produce raw vegan or vegetarian meals. For example, one can use a spiralizer to make "noodles" with spaghetti sauce; a blender to make a green smoothie; and a juicer to make home made orange juice. Meals like this are popular on many health blogs, particularly vegan, vegetarian, and paleo blogs. Users can find spiralizer recipes on sites such as Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, and Snapchat.

My change:

Spiralizers are often used to produce vegan or vegetarian meals or to transform high calorie meals into healthier options. Almost any vegetable can be cut down and spiraled to make alternative healthy meals. For example, one can use a spiralizer to make "zucchini noodles" with tomato sauce or for a great veggie stir-fry. Spiraled potatoes make a tasty hash or potato pancakes. You can also make sprialed carrots and beets for a colorful salad or quick garnishes that are fun, healthy, and attractive. Meals like these are popular on many health blogs, particularly vegan, vegetarian and paleo. Besides blogs, users can find spiralizer recipes on many social media sites.

Link can be found by clicking here.

For veggies that need to be cooked, it only takes a few minutes in some boiling water and they will come out just like pasta should be, al dente. Anything used for raw salads and garnishes are ready to use as soon as you spiral them. As a tip, I pull the veggie out in between turns to get short little strips. If you leave the veggie in the spiralizer and keep turning you will get long continuous strands.