Glossary updates needed?

[oratio]

While trying to get a grasp on what Detroit style pizza was, I was trying to look it up in the glossary, but it seems to me it isn't in there. Is Detroit style a sub-style variant of Sicilian? A definition of Sicilian style pizza also seem to be missing from there.

 - Mike

[norma427]

Mike,

This is what Wikipedia says Detroit-style pizzas are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizza

Detroit-style pizzas are Sicilian pizzas, but just made a little differently.  Jet’s is also a Sicilian pizza and made similarly to what a Buddy’s pizza is, but with a little lower hydration and doesn’t have the caramelized edges.   

This is a thread that I think explains why there are not more categorizing of different pizza styles.  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,20022.0.html  You can read the whole thread and especially what Peter posted at Reply 6 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,20022.msg196709.html#msg196709 about why Detroit style isn’t categorized separately on its own board.

If you read though the Buddy’s thread, it should give you a good idea of what a Detroit-style pizza is.

Norma

[oratio]

Thank you, Norma. I have been viewing these threads that you have been suggesting, and I have been convinced that this is something I want to do later on. It's somewhat baffling to me how you can just conjure up references to comments and links on the spot like that, but then you are since long a very active and contributing member that knows your way around the threads. When I get my kitchen up and running with all the right equipment - and atm it's all snowed in on the island where it's situated - I plan to go through the threads more thoroughly.

My intent with this post was to point to that the definitions of Detroit style or even Sicilian style seem to be missing from the actual glossary on the start page and 'sticked' to the newbie thread. Maybe I should have done that by PM to Pete-zza, though.

 - Mike

[TXCraig1]

My intent with this post was to point to that the definitions of Detroit style or even Sicilian style seem to be missing from the actual glossary on the start page and 'sticked' to the newbie thread. Maybe I should have done that by PM to Pete-zza, though.

Mike,

Take a look at the main forum index page, and you will see that the major styles are defined under their topic header. For example:

---
Sicilian Style
A deep-dish style pizza characterized by a thick, bread-like crust with a crunchy exterior, and is most typically baked in a dark, well-seasoned, well-oiled rectangular or square pan.
---

I'm sure you can appreciate the time and difficulty that would be involved with trying to identify and define all the various sub-styles and regional styles of the main styles - particularly when there may very well be multiple competing definitions.

Nobody here gets paid to do what they do here, and everyone should contribute when they see an opportunity. My suggestion would be, rather than ask Peter to do work that you could easily do with the search function, perhaps you could write up a definition that you think is needed and ask that it be added to the glossary?

[oratio]

Mike,

Take a look at the main forum index page, and you will see that the major styles are defined under their topic header. For example:

---
Sicilian Style
A deep-dish style pizza characterized by a thick, bread-like crust with a crunchy exterior, and is most typically baked in a dark, well-seasoned, well-oiled rectangular or square pan.
---

I'm sure you can appreciate the time and difficulty that would be involved with trying to identify and define all the various sub-styles and regional styles of the main styles - particularly when there may very well be multiple competing definitions.

Nobody here gets paid to do what they do here, and everyone should contribute when they see an opportunity. My suggestion would be, rather than ask Peter to do work that you could easily do with the search function, perhaps you could write up a definition that you think is needed and ask that it be added to the glossary?

Craig,

newbies like me are asked before posting a question to look up the glossary. The Sicilian style has it's own section on the site, and the Detroit style seem to be a popular type of pizza that have spurred long and interesting threads on the site. Most of the styles are in that glossary, but not the Sicilian. This is what I pointed out. If the site has a glossary and is actually asking people to use it, maybe it should have the definitions in it that is handled in the forum and has a section. This is what I was thinking and what I was asking about.

I do know how to use the search function, and I have. I also Googled, and asked an uncle that has been in the US, if he ever ate one. But at the time I posted this, I knew very well what a Detroit style pizza was. It was never meant as negative criticism but asking about something that seem to be missing. I love this site, and one of the first things I have done since becoming a member is donating, and that before I have actually started making pizza. I did that because of the things you say, that nobody is getting paid for what they are doing. Not Steve, not Tom Lehman, not Pete-zza or Norma.

I am not sure why you are coming down on me like this, but I am sure you have a reason that I don't see. I have great respect for the pizzas you make and it makes me sad and uncomfortable to be attacked for an innocent post by someone I appreciate following, and hope to get some critical response from in the future regarding my own progress.

Happy new year, though..

[Pete-zza]

Mike,

I can assure you that Craig did not mean to criticize or attack you. Maybe a little background will be helpful to put matters into perspective.

Part of the problem of the forum--purely an organizational one--is that only Steve and the Moderators have access to the internals of the forum to implement ideas suggested by members. That applies to the Pizza Glossary that you specifically mentioned and also to just about all of the tools of the forum, including the dough calculating tools, lists of recipes and other helpful tools. It was Steve and I that put together the Pizza Glossary. I and another Moderator created all of the dough calculating tools, and I created several lists and tools. So, when members suggest new ideas, it falls to Steve and to the Moderators to implement them if they are deemed worthy. Since we are all doing these things in our spare time, as well as moderating a growing and popular forum, there really isn't a lot of free time available to take on new projects. There is also the problem that often the ideas suggested by members cannot be implemented by them because they do not know enough to do it themselves. Steve has been with the forum since 2003 and I have been with the forum since 2004 and Bill has been with the forum since 2005. Pretty much by default that makes us experts on the subject of pizza making and perhaps the only ones in a position to do the kind of work requested by the members and to operationally implement them. Craig knows all of the above and I believe that he was only trying to remind everyone that there aren't a lot of resources available to implement new ideas or even improvements of existing material on the forum.

One of these days, I would like to take a fresh look at the Pizza Glossary to see if it should be revised and updated. Since the Pizza Glossary was first created, a lot of water has gone over the dam so I am sure that it can be improved. One thought that comes to mind is to ask the members for suggestions of new entries for the Pizza Glossary. Of course, Steve will also have to bless this approach since he will be the one to actually implement the changes.

Peter

[oratio]

Thank you for your response Peter,

this forum is such an amazing resource. It is well run and moderated - I am sure, in great deal thanks to you - and you and great many people such as Craig, contribute passionately to this site, helping others. I will not make any posts concerning the forum again, by post nor by PM. If you so chose, you can delete this thread. It brings no benefit to the forum.

 - Mike

[Pete-zza]

Mike,

Since you started this thread, I will delete it if you ask me to do so. However, I have always felt that the more the members know about the forum and how it is run, the better the forum will be. Most people who come to the forum have no idea as to who does the work. They see the forum as a place where they can get an enormous amount of information and help, and at no cost to them unless they choose to become Supporting Members. They may think that there are a bunch of people behind the curtain whose jobs are to create whatever they see on the forum, and maybe they are even paid for their efforts. They don't know that the forum is a free and open not-for-profit resource where everyone is a volunteer.

I don't mind it if members offer suggestions. And I don't mind trying to implement suggestions if I have the time and Steve approves.

Peter

[oratio]

Peter,

I will leave that up to your judgement.

 - Mike

[TXCraig1]

Mike,

I wasn't coming down on you personally nor do I think you should stop making suggestions.

The glossary isn't perfect though you might be surprised how many new members ask questions that CAN be found in it. Many new members also choose to ask questions that can be easily found through a simple search such.

I was just pointing out that the time of Peter and the other more active members is better spent helping people with answers to questions that can't be easily found.

CL

[oratio]

Craig,

thank you for your answer. It's now perfectly clear to me that I misread you. Should I make any suggestions, it will be when I know you guys and my way around the site a whole lot better.

 - Michael