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A fact from Alexander Column appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 9 June 2006. The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the Alexander Column(pictured) on Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, despite its weight of 600 tons, is set so nicely that no attachment to the base is required?
Latest comment: 14 years ago5 comments5 people in discussion
Named after Emperor Alexander I, who ruled Russia between 1801 and 1825, the column is an interesting piece of architecture and engineering... It is set so nicely that no attachment to the base is needed.
I think this sounds a bit puerile, and more importantly undescriptive.
I agree; what on earth does "It is set so nicely that no attachment to the base is needed" actually mean?? I like the article, and kudos to the author(s), but the grammar is appalling. How did this make the main page? Satyricon uk16:57, 9 June 2006 (UTC)Reply
Well, the actual article says "set so precisely..." which I think is much better. "Interesting" doesn't seem so bad, though. Perhaps "unusual"?? Juggins18:11, 9 June 2006 (UTC)Reply
"Nicely" might have been used erroneously to mean "neatly" instead since many massive column sections are designed to fit neatly into each other especially if the ends are highly polished. CJ Withers19:58, 9 June 2006 (UTC)Reply
"Nice" has several meanings, one of which is "accurate", so its use here is quite correct. As for the grammar is appalling: I've checked it and can find only one error, which I've corrected. Bazza09:39, 18 June 2006 (UTC)Reply
I came to this article from Palace Square because I wanted a more detailed explanation of what is described in that article as "It is set so well that no attachment to the base is needed". When I get here I actually find even less clear language. What is a well set column? How are they usually attached to the base? What makes this column work without said attachment? Why is this not always the case? I leave this article with the same questions as when I came here, only more confused. Unfortunately I can not fix this myself because I do not have the answers... 85.225.84.201 (talk) 10:19, 25 September 2010 (UTC)Reply