User:Rusty Cashman

Professional history

I am a software engineer who has worked on embedded system software and on data communication protocols, on devices such as cable modems, VoIP systems, and wireless comunication devices. I played a role in the early development of both the CDPD and DOCSIS systems, and I am currently working in the areas of Ultra-wideband and IEEE 802.15. For more information see my linkedIn profile.

Areas of interests

Although my professional expertise is in SW engineering I rarely edit those articles. Instead I do most of my editing on articles related to the history of science and evolutionary biology which are long standing interests of mine.

Personal beliefs relevant to Wikipedia

Fig.1: The title page of the Encyclopédie

• I believe it was no accident that the greatest literary project of the enlightenment was an encyclopedia.

• I believe that Wikipedia represents a major step towards Isaac Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica, a nearly comprehensive summary and distillation of human knowledge.

• I also believe that Wikipedia is one of the best practical realizations of Ted Nelson's hypertext concept even though he probably hates it. Whenever I use Wikipedia as a reference I never stop with the article I started with, so I believe that cross linking between articles is incredibly important and I try to spend time adding cross links wherever I find them missing.

• I believe that Wikipedia should be as easy to use as possible so I also spend time adding redirects.

• I believe that many otherwise reasonably good articles on scientific topics don't have enough historical context.

• I believe that biographical articles should always tell you why the subject was important enough to merit an article. In particular I think that means that a biographical article on a scientist should always include some discussion of the subject's work and how it fit into the historical development of whatever scientific field that person contributed to, not just a laundry list of career achievements.

History as a Wikipedian

Userboxes This user is a member of the History of Science WikiProject. This user values third opinions and occasionally provides one. C This user has access to Credo Reference. This user has written or significantly contributed to 5 featured articles on Wikipedia. This user helped promote the article History of paleontology to good article status. This user helped promote Alfred Russel Wallace to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 8 January 2009. This user helped promote History of evolutionary thought to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 12 February 2009. This user helped promote History of Biology to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 3 June 2009. This user helped promote On the Origin of Species to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 24 November 2009. This user has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian and was awarded their own day. 5 This Wikipedian joined Wikipedia 5 years, 7 months, 2 days ago as of March 17, 2012. This editor is a Yeoman Editor and is entitled to display this Service Badge.

I had used Wikipedia as a reference for years, but I only became a Wikipedian, when I stumbled across an incorrect fact in the polar bear article back in August 2006. Naturally, after I corrected it, my edit was reverted out (probably by someone who thought I was a vandal) the next day. I managed to find some online references to support my position and managed to make my edit stick. Once I made one edit to the article I just had to make a few more improvements...

Articles I started:

• Nylon-eating bacteria - My first
• Nylon-eating bacteria and creationism
• History of paleontology - Made GA!
• Duria Antiquior - Outgrowth of history of paleontology
• Elizabeth Philpot - Outgrowth of Mary Anning
• John Jenner Weir
• The Malay Archipelago
• Charles H. Smith (historian of science)
• The eclipse of Darwinism - which someone renamed to The eclipse of Darwin for political reasons, but it finally got switched back.
• Evolutionary ideas of the renaissance and enlightenment

The 6th-8th grew out of my work on Alfred Russel Wallace, and the last 2 were spin-offs from History of evolutionary thought.

I am particularly proud of my contributions to:

• Alfred Russel Wallace - My biggest project, finally promoted to FA! Featured on Main page Jan. 8 2009.
• Georges Cuvier
• Catastrophism
• History of biology
• History of evolutionary thought - Finally made FA! Featured on main page Feb. 12 2009 (200th anniversary of Darwin's birth)
• Modern evolutionary synthesis - Much improved but still needs work.
• Bernhard Rensch -- ditto
• Stratigraphy
• Wallace effect
• Transmutation of species
• On the Origin of Species - Made it to FA in time to be featured on main page for the 150th anniversary of its publication in Nov. 2009.
• Mary Anning - Made it to FA.
• William Buckland
• Kirkdale Cave

I am a member of the Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Science project and its sub project the Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Biology. My current personal wiki-project is to improve articles related to early 19th century paleontology. I have been working on Mary Anning, which is now FA, and William Buckland, which is much improved. Now I plan to work on William Conybeare, Thomas Hawkins (geologist), John Phillips, Georges Cuvier, The Great Devonian Controversy and some others. I also plan to improve some of the articles connected to History of evolutionary thought.

Here is my edit count. I am not a big edit count guy, but I find the statistics about what I have been working on interesting.

Some things I am proud of

Alfred Russel Wallace - Promoted to featured article status May 27, 2007. History of evolutionary thought - Promoted to featured article status July 28, 2008.
On the Origin of Species - Promoted to featured article status June 20, 2009. Mary Anning - Promoted to featured article status June 15, 2011.

		The Origins Award
		Thanks for all the fish, Rusty, and for doing so much to improve On the Origin of Species. . . dave souza, talk 11:02, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

		The shiny new Darwin-Wallace medal
		For your dedicated work on Alfred Russel Wallace - Shyamal 02:30, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Tim Vickers awarded this Barnstar to User:Rusty Cashman for his excellent work on the History of paleontology.

		The Bio-star
		En avance de bringing Alfred Russel Wallace to FA status, and for some earlier contributions. Samsara (talk • contribs) 09:37, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

		The Barnstar of National Merit
		For excellent, dedicated and ongoing efforts to Alfred Russel Wallace -- --Merbabu 17:37, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

		The Bio-star
		For helping to taking 2 important and complex works to FA, Origin of Species and Fertilisation of Orchids --Philcha (talk) 12:14, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

User:Rusty Cashman has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian, and therefore, I've officially declared today as Rusty Cashman's day! For being such a beautiful person and great Wikipedian, enjoy being the Star of the day, dear Rusty Cashman! Peace, Rlevse 00:06, 24 March 2010 (UTC) A record of your Day will always be kept here.

Useful links

Rusty Cashman 06:26, 17 September 2006 (UTC)