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Historical data in the wiki (e.g., dates) are compiled using criteria for the validity of the sources from which they are taken, which are used to make a choice when there is uncertain or conflicting information. Sources of information should always be indicated on the pages (for brand or models).  

Historical data in the wiki (e.g., dates) are compiled using criteria for the validity of the sources from which they are taken, which are used to make a choice when there is uncertain or conflicting information. Sources of information should always be indicated on the pages (for brand or models).  

The most relevant criterion for attesting to the validity of a source is the ancient Latin '''carta canta''', meaning that the presence of dates or other information on contemporaneous paper documents (or on archived scans of them) always takes precedence over all other possible sources, such as those reported in generic historical reconstructions found in books and journals (which often turn out to be inaccurate, if not totally made-up), or even in official historical reconstructions made by the companies themselves, which sometime tend to give themselves a more prestigious tone by setting back the dates by a few years.

The most relevant criterion for attesting to the validity of a source is the ancient Latin ''"carta canta"'', meaning that the presence of dates or other information on contemporaneous paper documents (or on archived scans of them) always takes precedence over all other possible sources, such as those reported in generic historical reconstructions found in books and journals (which often turn out to be inaccurate, if not totally made-up), or even in official historical reconstructions made by the companies themselves, which sometime tend to give themselves a more prestigious tone by setting back the dates by a few years.

This criterion of prevalence also applies even more strongly in relation to any indications obtained from direct testimony of people involved in the company's activities. Indeed, people's memory tends to be a far less stable medium over time than paper, as well evidenced by the difference in what the same person reported in different times, which emerged at [http://forum.fountainpen.it/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8177#p103676 this discussion] on the forum.

This criterion of prevalence also applies even more strongly in relation to any indications obtained from direct testimony of people involved in the company's activities. Indeed, people's memory tends to be a far less stable medium over time than paper, as well evidenced by the difference in what the same person reported in different times, which emerged at [http://forum.fountainpen.it/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8177#p103676 this discussion] on the forum.

==Image dating criteria==  

==Image dating criteria==  

One of the main information sources used to reconstruct the history of brands and models is that one coming from the advertisements that the various companies published in newspapers and magazines, from invoices or commercial documents found or from the (unfortunately few) original catalogs. All the material available to the authors of the site has been scanned and published on the site in the various sections (in particular [[:Category:Ads|advertising]], [[:Category:Documents|documents]], [[:Category:Catalogs|catalogs]]), together with the material made available by all those who have contributed by providing scans or material to be scanned.

One of the main information sources used to reconstruct the history of brands and models is that one coming from the advertisements that the various companies published in newspapers and magazines, from invoices or commercial documents found or from the (unfortunately few) original catalogs. All the material available to the authors of the site has been scanned and published on the site in the various sections (in particular [[:Category:Ads|advertising]], [[:Category:Documenti|documents]], [[:Category:Cataloghi|catalogs]]), together with the material made available by all those who have contributed by providing scans or material to be scanned.

For the dating of individual images, a special template has been prepared ([[Template:Datazione]]) to be inserted in the image classification template when uploading them (see for example [[Help:Uploading an advertisement]] and [[Help:Uploading a document]]) using the value of the <tt>Datazione</tt> argument, which allows you to indicate how the date assigned to the image was determined, starting from the obvious case in which it appears directly on it.

For the dating of individual images, a special template has been prepared ([[Template:Datazione]]) to be inserted in the image classification template when uploading them (see for example [[Help:Uploading an advertisement]] and [[Help:Uploading a document]]) using the value of the <tt>Datazione</tt> argument, which allows you to indicate how the date assigned to the image was determined, starting from the obvious case in which it appears directly on it.