* This is a great loss. My deep condolences go to Adrianne's family, her partner, and her close friends. As a fellow Wikipedian, I always admired Adrianne for her passion and her intellect. We shared the love for 18th-century history and literature and I will miss her dearly. --[[User:Frank Schulenburg|Frank Schulenburg]] ([[User talk:Frank Schulenburg|talk]]) 15:11, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
* This is a great loss. My deep condolences go to Adrianne's family, her partner, and her close friends. As a fellow Wikipedian, I always admired Adrianne for her passion and her intellect. We shared the love for 18th-century history and literature and I will miss her dearly. --[[User:Frank Schulenburg|Frank Schulenburg]] ([[User talk:Frank Schulenburg|talk]]) 15:11, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
* What a terrible loss for Wikipedia, may she rest in peace. [[User:Secret|Secret]] <sup>[[User talk:Secret|account]]</sup> 15:13, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
* What a terrible loss for Wikipedia, may she rest in peace. [[User:Secret|Secret]] <sup>[[User talk:Secret|account]]</sup> 15:13, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
== Awadewit ==
Of all the terrible things Wikipedia has introduced me to over the years, this is by far the absolute worst. Fuck you once more, Wikipedia. So hard. I do not have words sufficient to describe how awful this news is, and this stupid fucking site for making it so awful. Fuck you, Wikipedia.
Better I direct it to the site in general than to Awadewit, to whom I directed a good share of swearing while I was active here. I was a proficient writer when I wrote my first article here, [[Ann Bannon]]. Awadewit reviewed it, encouraged me to make it a Featured Article, then proceeded to block me at every turn so the article eventually became the most informative, authoritative account of Bannon's life available anywhere, in print or online. Awadewit blocked my first attempt to get ''[[To Kill A Mockingbird]]'' to FA status because the article just was not good enough. Harper Lee outlived Awadewit. Who could wrap their mind around such a thing?
Because of Awadewit, Wikipedia got an extraordinarily thorough account of the issues surrounding the [[Everglades]]. She led the FA team effort to review these articles. I was the primary writer. Her enthusiasm propelled these articles from nonexistent to FA status in eight weeks. A discussion about her dissertation led me to write the article for "[[Amazing Grace]]". She encouraged me to write articles related to ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. If anyone reading just snorted in derision, she suggested I rewrite them for your scorn, so that I could add serious critique to them, invalidating your snort. So fuck you too.
It is somehow fitting that since I left Wikipedia some of these articles have devolved into the kind of mediocrity she rejected. She became Wikipedia's champion, while I do not have a vocabulary filthy enough to impart to this site to do it the cursed justice it deserves. I logged in for the first time in more than a year to leave this message. To whom?
Awadewit was active in promoting women's participation here. A repeated theme in criticism directed toward Wikipedia is its collective apathy toward women's issues, both in how topics are handled in article space and how female editors are treated. Awadewit chose to focus on this when she wrote articles, and when she wrote about Wikipedia offsite. The claim that women were treated poorer than editors who identified themselves as male always mystified me. Some of the strongest editors here are women--or were when I was active. Awadewit and SandyGeorgia on their own seemed to invalidate the claim that female editors are maligned and their opinions not taken seriously. Awadewit did more to raise expectations on Wikipedia perhaps than anyone else. My writing changed because of her. I know my reading did too.
Goddamit. --[[User:Moni3|Moni3]] ([[User talk:Moni3|talk]]) 15:18, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
Revision as of 15:18, 10 April 2014
This Wikipedia user has passed away. Condolences may be added below.
Adrianne, I find myself at a loss for words. We only crossed paths a few times, but I've spent years ogling at your achievements both on- and off-wiki. I wish you the best with whatever comes after. Ed[talk][majestic titan]06:23, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I've just been informed off-wiki that Adrianne died while rock climbing. An experienced editor with dozens of featured and good articles to her name and someone who worked to try and decrease systemic bias and increase contributions from women and other minority groups, Adrianne embodied many of the things which are best about this project. She will be missed by many fellow Wikipedians, and the contributions she did not get a chance to make will be missed by readers. Farewell, Adrianne Wadewitz. —Tom Morris (talk) 06:25, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I'll second Tom's comments. Adrianne was a great voice for Wikipedia, and for female editors specifically. She actively brought her academic background to Wikipedia and brought Wikipedia to her campus. She was an active participant in the various meet-ups, edit-a-thons, and Wikinics in Los Angeles. The Wikipedia community has lost a great contributor and I hope all our thoughts are with the loved ones she left behind. Chris Troutman (talk) 06:40, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I'm so sorry to hear about this. Andrianne was one of the few Wikimedians that I have met in real life, and it was always a pleasure to see her at local meetups. Thank you for everything you've done for this project. --Rschen775406:43, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Oh what terrible news. What an amazing person and great loss. Adrianne was simply one of the best editors this project has ever had. Not only a talented writer and researcher but a great teacher who successfully used Wikipedia in the classroom. Adrianne and friends formed a little FA-making-machine and I was fortunate to be helped and encouraged by her in my own FA. Thank you Adrianne. -- Colin°Talk07:43, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Adrianne was one of the best editors Wikipedia has ever had. I was lucky enough to meet her in person a year or two ago, after having worked with her on-wiki for years; and I was looking forward to getting to know her better after she joined the board of the Wiki Education Foundation a few months ago. This is a sad, sad loss. Mike Christie (talk - contribs - library) 08:20, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I was shocked to hear this. Dear, Adrianne. I met her years ago, at the Wikipedia Academy at the National Institutes of Health, and we kept in touch. She was a true friend, a nerd and such a wonderful person. I miss her so much.//Hannibal (talk) 08:37, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I just found this news and find it desperately sad. You were one of those rare wikimedians who was respected by all - for your content creation volume, quality, cultural-sector outreach, academic work, gender-gap advocacy, everything. Many of us would be lucky to be considered significant in any of these fields, you were significant in all of them.
I interviewed you for the Wikipedia Weekly podcast episode 35Wikipedia Weekly Episode 35 Secretly Famous Interview with Adrianne Wadewitz (archived MP3) in November 2007. At the time you were "secretly famous" (hence the name of the podcast episode) because you had not declared your real name or wanted to be publicly associated with you on-wiki activities out of fear that it would harm your career. This was your first "public" appearance. Not long after you "came out" and made your wiki-work a core part of your career - using it (particularly the Mary Wollstonecraft feature topic [I firmly believe that as a result of this work you are the single most cited/read Woolstonecraft scholar ever]) to bolster your academic CV. I believe you also invented the phrase "wikium vitae" (see the userpage) for that idea!
I first met you at a side-meeting during the lunch break at Wikimania 2008 in Alexandria. You struck me as an intensely thorough, academic type. Since then I met you many times across the world, including at several GLAM events and notably co-lecturing with me at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for the local university course in museum studies. The last time that I saw you was at Wikimania 2012 in D.C.
Your professionalism, commitment, prodigious output of high quality content, and good-humour made you one of, if not the most, respected Wikimedians in my books. When I was worried about what was happening in the wikiverse I would think of you being part of the community and be comforted. You will be sorely missed, by me and by many others. Wittylama10:49, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
My condolences to her family, the project has lost a prolific contributor and a community advocate. May she rest in peace. James(T • C) • 10:04pm •11:04, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I will miss her comments on the project in particular. She was one of the most interesting voices in the debate of what we are, what we do and how we do it. /Julle (talk) 11:31, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Love and sympathy to Adrianne's family and friends. She was just simply wonderful in every way. A bright spark, now gone. Victoria (tk) 12:16, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
A terrible loss to all who knew her, and to the millions who didn't, but who benefited (and will continue to benefit) from her contributions. Ijon (talk) 12:50, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Adrianne and I didn't have cause to cross paths very often, but over the years did have occasion to come together now and again. People like Adrianne are rare and always a pleasure to deal with. She knew what she was doing, and she did it kindly and gracefully. So, so sorry to hear of her passing. --Moonriddengirl(talk)13:43, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Man, I am lost for words. It's been hard to not cry over this, because I had the utmost respect for Adrienne. Sure, we disagreed on Gender Gap and other things on Not the Wikipedia Weekly/WikiVoices. I only got to meet her once in person, at Wikimania 2012 in DC, but I had known her for years thanks to NTWW. One of the most prolific writers on the English Wikipedia, the coverage of Mary Shelley and Mary Wallstonecraft would have never been better without her. She was the go-to person for anything on English literature and for Wikipedia Education Program, which she was nice enough to email two professors interested in the program. Today I was going to ask her to send another one, but then this came up. Adrienne, we at the English Wikipedia and those formerly of Not the Wikipedia Weekly/WikiVoices are going to miss your great ability to take a topic and make great arguments over it. We're all going to miss you. Mitch32(Any fool can make a rule, And any fool will mind it.)13:47, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Terrible news. Adrianne made huge contributions, both in her own work and her effects on others. After many online interactions, I also met her in DC in 2012, where she was just as impressive in person. A great loss to the project, and my deepest sympathy to her family and friends. Johnbod (talk) 13:52, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I just heard the news this morning, and I'm stunned by the shock of the loss. I never met Adrianne (and really wish I had), but I admired her greatly. I consider her one of my mentors in Wikipedia. She helped me greatly as a female editor and modeled how to write, research, and improve high-quality articles. Her contributions to this project and to academia cannot be measured, and she will be terribly missed throughout this community. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 13:56, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Such a massive loss for the project, and for the academic world, in many, many ways. Deepest condolences to her family and friends. — foxj14:33, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I am so sorry to hear this terrible news. I interacted with Adrienne for many years, here on Wikipedia and via email. I was pleased to meet her a few years ago in Bloomington. And I last saw her a couple of weeks back in LA, where she came across town to have lunch with me and we chatted about the Wikipedia education program, among other things. Adrienne was smart, thoughtful, funny, and a delight to know and work with in every way. She touched many people in many different contexts: teaching, online, rock-climbing... This is a great loss. --jbmurray (talk • contribs) 14:33, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
She was an epic Wikipedian, and an epic soul. It was my luck to be able to meet her at a number of Wikimedia gatherings, where she proved every bit as thoughtful and engaging as in her writing; the writing that did so much to make free knowledge a bigger, better, friendlier place. She was the best of us.--Pharos (talk) 14:54, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
It's difficult to know what to say. I didn't know you. I've recently joined this community. You've obviously inspired so many. I'll be thinking of all the knowledge and goodness and affection that you left in your wake, Adrianne. User:Annaproject 8:07, 10 April 2014 (UTC)
This is a great loss. My deep condolences go to Adrianne's family, her partner, and her close friends. As a fellow Wikipedian, I always admired Adrianne for her passion and her intellect. We shared the love for 18th-century history and literature and I will miss her dearly. --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 15:11, 10 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Of all the terrible things Wikipedia has introduced me to over the years, this is by far the absolute worst. Fuck you once more, Wikipedia. So hard. I do not have words sufficient to describe how awful this news is, and this stupid fucking site for making it so awful. Fuck you, Wikipedia.
Better I direct it to the site in general than to Awadewit, to whom I directed a good share of swearing while I was active here. I was a proficient writer when I wrote my first article here, Ann Bannon. Awadewit reviewed it, encouraged me to make it a Featured Article, then proceeded to block me at every turn so the article eventually became the most informative, authoritative account of Bannon's life available anywhere, in print or online. Awadewit blocked my first attempt to get To Kill A Mockingbird to FA status because the article just was not good enough. Harper Lee outlived Awadewit. Who could wrap their mind around such a thing?
Because of Awadewit, Wikipedia got an extraordinarily thorough account of the issues surrounding the Everglades. She led the FA team effort to review these articles. I was the primary writer. Her enthusiasm propelled these articles from nonexistent to FA status in eight weeks. A discussion about her dissertation led me to write the article for "Amazing Grace". She encouraged me to write articles related to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If anyone reading just snorted in derision, she suggested I rewrite them for your scorn, so that I could add serious critique to them, invalidating your snort. So fuck you too.
It is somehow fitting that since I left Wikipedia some of these articles have devolved into the kind of mediocrity she rejected. She became Wikipedia's champion, while I do not have a vocabulary filthy enough to impart to this site to do it the cursed justice it deserves. I logged in for the first time in more than a year to leave this message. To whom?
Awadewit was active in promoting women's participation here. A repeated theme in criticism directed toward Wikipedia is its collective apathy toward women's issues, both in how topics are handled in article space and how female editors are treated. Awadewit chose to focus on this when she wrote articles, and when she wrote about Wikipedia offsite. The claim that women were treated poorer than editors who identified themselves as male always mystified me. Some of the strongest editors here are women--or were when I was active. Awadewit and SandyGeorgia on their own seemed to invalidate the claim that female editors are maligned and their opinions not taken seriously. Awadewit did more to raise expectations on Wikipedia perhaps than anyone else. My writing changed because of her. I know my reading did too.
