Talk:Jimmy Wales

Regarding style of quotes

I recently took the trouble to convert all the straight quotation marks to curly ones. I expected to be reverted, and indeed it was, but now the article has a combination of curly and straight quotes (inconsistent).

I just want to remember that MoS is just a guideline and not policy. This encyclopedia is not just online, its articles also end up printed in books.

I know that " is easier for type, but you are not encouraged to use “ and ”. If someone took the time to change those little signs, do not undo that just for following the manual of style. In that case, don’t you think that this article also should follow strictly MoS? —Fitoschido ^[shout] \\ 19 July, 2011 [02:10]

In my humble opinion curly quotes are best in this very important WP page .!. . . . Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 15:09, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

User account

Hi all,

I think there should be a link to User:Jimbo Wales in the See also section of this article.

Thanks,

The Doctahedron, 16:42, 27 December 2011 (UTC)
Note: "The Doctahedron" is not my user name. It is simply an alias by which I conceal my IP address.

• The standard (see WP:SEEALSO) is to link to Namespace pages only in the "See also" sections. I think it would set a bad precedent to link user pages from the namespace.--Rollins83 (talk) 13:52, 17 January 2012 (UTC)
  • It's not about precedent. It simply does not work on mirror sites. This is why hyperlinks specifically to Wikipedia must be external links:
    • {{cite web}}: "User talk:Jimbo Wales". English Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales. 
    • {{srlink}}: User talk:Jimbo Wales
  • Uncle G (talk) 22:57, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

"Ph.D" you either have one....or you don't

It seems rather strange to me that Mr Wales has on his page something he doesn't have. And that is a Ph.D. If he doesn't have a Ph.D, why mention it? I'm sure there are plenty of people that don't have degrees, or don't have a Masters or don't have any qualifications altogether....so are wikipedia editors going to mention all of them as well? .....very strange..I am so tempted to remove it, but I don't want to cause an edit-war. ...and by-the-way I don't have a Ph.D either....but I do have common sense.... Veryscarymary (talk) 14:35, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

I guess the only reason to mention he doesn't have a Ph.D would be if it was notable, like for example the first person to walk on the moon who doesn't have a Ph.D and so on. If anyone without a Ph.D can create a site of such magnitude than there is no reason to say he doesn't have one. 206.172.0.204 (talk) 22:48, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

No more opinions without an actionable proposal please. There have been a lot of offtopic rants here, and any discussion must be restricted to serious consideration of improvements to the article. The second paragraph of the introduction mentions the Ph.D. because the lead of an article is a summary of the main points, and the Ph.D. program/teaching was a significant step in his early life, as explained at Jimmy Wales#Early life and education. Johnuniq (talk) 23:07, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

File:L Sanger.jpg Nominated for Deletion

An image used in this article, File:L Sanger.jpg, has been nominated for deletion at Wikimedia Commons in the following category: Deletion requests January 2012 What should I do? Don't panic; a discussion will now take place over on Commons about whether to remove the file. This gives you an opportunity to contest the deletion, although please review Commons guidelines before doing so. If the image is non-free then you may need to upload it to Wikipedia (Commons does not allow fair use) If the image isn't freely licensed and there is no fair use rationale then it cannot be uploaded or used. This notification is provided by a Bot --CommonsNotificationBot (talk) 00:39, 4 January 2012 (UTC)

Respect

Apologies for the un proffesional headline, and for the possibility that this is in the wrong thread. However I spent half an hour trying to figure out where to post this. I would like to commend Mr. Wales and the entire Wikipedia team for their action on the SOPA bill currently happening. It is a true stand for democracy and I only wish I had something to offer this cause. It will be inconvient to lose Wikipedia, but the greater cause is worth the inconvience. Whenever I actually have available funds to donate, Wikipedia is the first on my list. Again, respect for this stand against the censorship and eventual goverment take over on the worlds last chance for a transperant democracy. Cheers, Alex. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.90.251.108 (talk) 09:39, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

This is the appropriate page for these comments. This talk page is specifically for the purpose of discussing improvements to the Jimmy Wales article. Not a big deal, though.--Rollins83 (talk) 14:02, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

The Wikipedia protest blackout, Wednesday, Jan.18.2012

This is big!! .!. It is important to this article about the Founder and leader of WP. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/wikipedia-blackout-coming-jan-18-says-co-founder-jimmy-wales/2012/01/16/gIQAh2Ke3P_blog.html Headline: “Wikipedia blackout coming Wednesday, says co-founder Jimmy Wales . . . If Wikipedia blacks out as promised, Wales expects an estimated 25 million daily visitors to be affected. [English-speaking]. His advice for students who might rely on the site: “Do your homework early.”

And Wikipedia editors and contributors can do their work ‘offline’ for a day.
Another ref.:[2] Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 16:15, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Divorce and second child

Would it be possible to update Wales' biography with confirmation of his divorce from Christine (http://pubtitlet.co.pinellas.fl.us/servlet/pcg.wsclient.servlet.CivilDocketServlet?CS__CASE=09011014FD&CS__RESULTS__KNT=10) and birth of his second child (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24028957-mr-wikipedia-on-todays-blackout-moving-to-london-and-marrying-a-blair-babe.do)? - Pinellas FL records (talk) 13:24, 19 January 2012 (UTC)

Y Done NickCT (talk) 16:27, 19 January 2012 (UTC)

Note - I didn't add a reference for the second divorce. I think the primary source offered above is sufficient evidence that it is actually complete. NickCT (talk) 16:29, 19 January 2012 (UTC)

== Once and for all, founder or co-founder? ==

Either the WMF was "economical with the actualité" in its press release here or the stated co-founder's (revisionist?) claim here, restored by a recent edit, is ditto. Which is it? Writegeist (talk) 07:39, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Before this is allowed to become a GA, the "Controversy" section needs expanding

Not mentioned at all is Jimbo's well publicized role in the Commons child pornography debacle, which ended with Jimbo shamed into giving up many of the powers that were built into the Founder flag. He's been involved in other screw ups too, but at the very least the child porn unilateral deletion thing needs to be covered. Sven Manguard Wha? 18:24, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

I am not familiar with this article at all, only here because it is nominated at GAN, but the above comment falls well and truly onto the wrong side of helpful to any potential reviewer. If it is well publicised then some links to the publicity is needed and the vitriol needs to be toned down a notch or three. AIRcorn (talk) 12:23, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

What's a 'GA' and what is 'GAN' ? . . . Do I have to search WP or do a Google-search to find out? Is it important? Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 13:09, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Wikipedia abbreviations -- 208.81.184.4 (talk) 20:33, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! (Def. of Good Article abbr.) It looks like a Good Article to me and 'controversy' doesn't appeal to some of us. Thanks Again, Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 14:55, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

GA Review

Toolbox
dashboard disambig links external links See WP:DEADREF for dead URLs

This review is transcluded from Talk:Jimmy Wales/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: TonyTheTiger (talk · contribs) 15:44, 18 February 2012 (UTC)

• Since I often take on reviews to learn about a subject, this is a good one because it is a subject I should know more about. I'll start this review in the next few days.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 15:44, 18 February 2012 (UTC)

WP:LEAD

• Is "Jimmy" the name his momma gave him (As opposed to the more common James or its variants)?--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:18, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• Please merge or expand both one-sentence paragraphs?--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:18, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• I think the infobox is a bit sloppy and confusing. I would prefer that each title have its own officeholder type section. It is not clear what title the successor is relevant for. I am not sure how much would be lost converting the infobox to that format. If there is significant content loss, we should discuss another way to clarify the currently confusion content.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:22, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
  • On second look, the infobox is not so confusing as to require an overhaul. I have just never had to work so hard to determine what the successor is relevant to in a WP infobox.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:55, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• I would link futures and options here rather than later.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 18:59, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Early life and education

• I am disappointed at the tone of this section and hope it does not continue throughout. It is as if the editors are hesitant to synthesize the RS and convert them into an encyclopedic entry. The article seems to attempt to retain a folksy tone, which is unencyclopedic.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• I would have included the sourced content that Wales disputes his claimed birthdate.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• I think I would link "Britannicas and World Book Encyclopedias".--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• "a small private school in the tradition of the one-room schoolhouse" does not sound encyclopedic.
• "As an adult, Wales was sharply critical of the government’s treatment of the school, citing the “constant interference and bureaucracy and very sort of snobby inspectors from the state” as a formative influence on his political philosophy." comes from nowhere almost assuming the reader is acquainted with examples of interference and bureaucracy.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• "school was expensive" should be preceded by a clear statement that he went to a private high school that charged a tuition.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)
• "something he ascribed to boredom" is an unencyclopedic choice of words. I would say "He ascribed his failure to complete his dissertation to boredom"--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 06:44, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Chicago Options Associates and Bomis

• "and used to write computer code as a pastime" does not properly match the tense of the prior verb and causes the dependent clause to be ungrammatical.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:01, 21 February 2012 (UTC)
• had become - > became--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:01, 21 February 2012 (UTC)
• potential of computer networks -> computer networks' potential--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:01, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Nupedia and the origins of Wikipedia

• "had struggled" had not necessary. It is generally more encyclopedic to write all past events in the simple past tense. Past perfect sort of has a grammatical purpose here to show that his struggles came before another past event, but since this is a chronological biographical article all past events come before other past events except the last one. Just use past tense throughout.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:14, 21 February 2012 (UTC)
• Similarly had encountered -> encountered and had engaged -> engaged.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:14, 21 February 2012 (UTC)
• "In an October 2009 speech, Wales recollects attempting to write a Nupedia article on Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert C. Merton, but being too intimidated to submit his first draft to the prestigious finance professors who were to peer review it, even though he had published a paper on Option Pricing Theory and was comfortable with the subject matter." is grammatically awkward. Break it down.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 05:14, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia

• This section seems very encyclopedic.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:02, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Controversy

• Please state the earliest date of the Wales claim of sole founder. I.E., something like "Since MM-YYYY, Wales has consistently claimed to be the sole founder"--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:02, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Role

• "his participation in the Wikipedia project saw him flying internationally on a near-constant basis as its public face" I think saw should be has seen. There should be some sort of date attached to this. Was he flying non-stop in 2003?--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:09, 23 February 2012 (UTC)
• I am not sure I agree with the sectioning. The section titled controversy is about his role in the founding and the section role is about his role in the ongoing entity. Reconsider the sectioning here.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:09, 23 February 2012 (UTC)
• I find the role section to be incomplete. The reader might want to know if Wales continues to edit, if he serves on any committees.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 00:11, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Wikimedia Foundation

• "possible its success" - move possible to the end of this phrase.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 13:32, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
• I once saw Wales state on Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert (probably Stewart) that Wikipedia operates under the laws of the state of Florida because it is incorporated there. Is that relevant to the first sentence of this section?--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 13:32, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Wikia and later pursuits

• "he recommended custodial sentences for members of the press who engaged in phone hacking and harassment." needs a citation.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 13:36, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
• Merge or expand one-line paragraph.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 13:37, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Political and economic views

• What is an objectivist? With the link piped the way it is on the second use, I am confused on where to find it. Lind the first use of the term.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 18:59, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
• I'd try to help the reader understand center-right. Maybe link to Left–right politics.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 18:59, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
• Why is the term trader only used here and in the infobox. If he was one, that section of his career should use the term and the LEAD might also include it and link it.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 18:59, 28 February 2012 (UTC)