User talk:Roxy the dog

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Some cookies to welcome you!

Welcome to Wikipedia, Roxy the dog! I am Bobrayner and have been editing Wikipedia for quite some time. Thank you for your contributions. I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to Wikipedia! If you have any questions check out Wikipedia:Questions, or feel free to leave me a message on my talk page or type {{helpme}} at the bottom of this page. I love to help new users, so don't be afraid to leave a message! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

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I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Also, when you post on talk pages you should sign your name using four tildes (~~~~); that should automatically produce your username and the date after your post. Again, welcome!

bobrayner (talk) 10:24, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Anyway, apart from the slightly tacky templated message, if you are who I think you are then I'm sure your contributions will be really helpful and evidence-based. bobrayner (talk) 10:26, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Hi Bob. I am who you think I am Roxy the dog (talk) 01:52, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Groovy. If there are any pages you're really interested in, you can add them to your watchlist, which helps you keep track of any changes since you last looked. If you want to improve any articles touching on alt-med, bear in mind that the WP:MEDRS guideline requires really strong sources for medical claims, and content which isn't properly sourced might be challenged/changed/removed. Have fun! bobrayner (talk) 14:37, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

A question for you, maybe an apology

Hello Roxy the dog,
I referred to you as "the dog lady" because I thought your name was female, Roxy, and you seemed to have a tolerance for the absurdity that is both amusing and annoying on Wikipedia. I love and hate it, but love wins out, so far. Anyway, I recall your brief presence during my brief time with the NLP article talk page, which I have since backed away from ;o) I apologize if it seemed like I was insulting you by referring to you as "the dog lady". I couldn't recall your user ID, just that it was someone the dog. I am female, and would be very unhappy to be referred to as the dog lady, unless it were meant that I liked dogs, or cared for them, e.g. in a kennel setting. That's the apology.

Now, time for the question! What is a pseudo-skeptic forum, do you think? Is it like Skeptics StackExchange? Or maybe Less Wrong #6? Or even the opposite of Less Wrong, I think, a critique of the critiquer's e.g. more right than Less Wrong? Or Snopes, or maybe the opposite view, Snopes is a hoax (this is an especially bizarre example)? In other words, is it a forum where they expose or try to refute superstitions that exploit or defraud people? Or is it "pseudo" because it merely pretends to do that? The latter would be an odd thing. Have you ever seen one of the latter? I haven't, and admit to some curiosity about it.

Thank you for reading this, and for considering my question. --FeralOink (talk) 22:35, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

First of all, absolutely no apology needed, I smiled when I saw your dog lady comment. As regards a Pseudoskeptic forum, such a thing does not exist, even though the internet is full of really strange things. I do not subscribe to the spelling with a "k" either. I'm a Brit, and sceptic is spelled thusly. I'm a member of the JREF forum, though I rarely post there, and not using the "Roxy" name either. I use many forums on a regular basis. The term Pseudoskeptic that was used on the NLP page was intended as an insult. I pressed the editor concerned on the subject, and he declined to comment further. I may offer him an olive branch. Roxy the dog (talk) 23:35, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

IRRI

hi,

as the editor who most recently flipped out and called attention to this user's editing, I am interested in how this is dealt with even though i do not actually have any experience with rice or agriculture related articles.

I am also not sure exactly whether a user's talk page is the best forum for this. even though i assume that's not your intent, it seems a little cabal-like. At the same time, I'm not sure what a more appropriate forum would be. maybe WT:AG? That seems public enough, targeted enough, and even though the project is inactive, it might attract additional voices that could be useful in figuring out how to handle this. Other suggestions are of course welcome. -- [ UseTheCommandLine ~/talk ]# ▄ 00:45, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

I think I'm going to open a discussion on the IRRI Talk page as suggested by NickCT, rather than continue here - I don't want no cabal. Roxy the dog (talk) 09:00, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

I would really like to encourage WT:AG, since it seems to pertain to a number of articles, and some activity there might have the benefit of getting some other people involved in the consensus process. But that's just me. -- [ UseTheCommandLine ~/talk ]# ▄ 09:08, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

I understand your thinking here, and the only reason I am a bit reluctant to go bigger is my inexperience at "wiki-ing." The proposed discussion on the IRRI talk page doesn't preclude me doing the same thing at WT:AG. I'll give it serious thought.Roxy the dog (talk) 09:17, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

WP:BOLD. But i appreciate that you are being thoughtful about this. we need more of that here. -- [ UseTheCommandLine ~/talk ]# ▄ 09:20, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

Comment

Hi - I just noticed your question to me at the alt med page (sorry for the wait). I don't recall any specific problem - people just kept opening a lot of new sections, so there were a lot of them open at once.

Anyways, on an "advice" note I would say that if you get involved in that discussion, it will be time-sucking (and soul-sucking!) based on my previous experience. :-) It may get very frustrating, and you need to avoid that (in general, disciplinary action on Wikipedia is solely based on user conduct). If you've read the archives, don't model yourself after ParkSehjik ;-). (He was also socking - the IP addresses were his - and his exit from the discussion occurred when he was banned.) I eventually concluded that the first sentence wasn't really worth the trouble, and that the definitions from the medical organizations give at the least a good argument in Wikipedia policy (WP:RS, etc. And of course WP:Verifiability, not truth.) The best opportunities to be productive in the article are probably, well, anywhere but the lead sentence.

By the way, we can always use help at WP:FTN. (There are also Wikiprojects, e.g. Medicine and Rational Skepticism, even though I don't spend much time with them myself.) Also, I'm not always around much, but feel free to drop a note on my talk page if I can ever answer any questions. Arc de Ciel (talk) 10:16, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

My question to you was a little facetious, and not really aimed at you, but I was having trouble following the discussion there. I am also aware that the topics here that interest me are the ones that cause heated discussion with true believers. You have obviously identified this, and your suggestions have opened up a rich vein of things that could be interesting for me. I haven't come to scepticism recently, (I'm 57) but have become more active here because of the NLP page and the Seralini Affair. I've been adding to my watchlist almost exponentially in the last month.

Thank you for your offer to answer a question or two - I'm sure I'll take advantage of that sooner or later.Roxy the dog (talk) 17:17, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

I also remember the expanding-watchlist phenomenon from when I first started editing regularly. :-) I look forward to seeing you around. Arc de Ciel (talk) 22:51, 18 August 2013 (UTC)

It's a common problem. I, too, am a slave to my watchlist - about 4000 articles, mostly quite controversial. Sometimes you just have to let go once you're confident that other people have an article in safe hands. If you ever find yourself getting too stressed, Roxy, remember that the watchlist is your own creation and the world won't end if you skip a bit or ask others for help with a problem. bobrayner (talk) 02:02, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

Yes, a few months ago I cleared mine, and let it start creeping up again. Sometimes its better to use the wikiproject watchlists like [1] and [2] etc for general watching, IRWolfie- (talk) 00:40, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

Oh dear me. Another raft of new things to figure out. Thank you all for the suggestions Roxy the dog (talk) 14:24, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

You seem to be getting a bit close to arguing the topic over at the altmed talkpage rather than simply our coverage of it. Discussions go more smoothly if we can stay focused.

In the spirit of the above, never run out of stuff to fix. - 2/0 (cont.) 18:58, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for this, I do appreciate it - but how do I cope with it all??? I also take your point re the Alt Med talk page. --Roxy the dog (talk) 19:06, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

You don't have to drain the ocean if you don't want to. If you just take a cupful and let others deal with the rest, that's fine too. Relax and have fun! bobrayner (talk) 20:15, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

Cope with it all? That way lies madness. Your watchlist will devour each spare moment you devote to it and still maintain its relentless scroll. Just pick something you feel like doing at the moment or look for somewhere you can make an edit that would otherwise go unmade, then go back to your real life. Guard your sanity jealously, it is your most precious asset. - 2/0 (cont.) 20:39, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

I've decided to study local bus timetables for a bit - it will enable me to improve a real wiki page, with little controversy. Good advice from 2/0 (cont.) --Roxy the dog (talk) 20:34, 28 August 2013 (UTC)

Help wanted, I don't know how to ......

I don't know how seriously to take an editor debating nicely on a controversial subjects Talk page. Thing is, said editor doesn't have a wiki account and is what I believe is called an "IP Editor" If the person had an account, I wouldn't bat an eyelid, but he/she proposes (and makes a reasonable case) major changes to a page. It feels wrong that this could be done. How should I react? THX. --Roxy the dog (talk) 20:40, 4 September 2013 (UTC)

If the IP account is behaving reasonably, there isn't a problem. People are encouraged to register an account, but "anyone can edit" is an important principle. See Wikipedia:IPs are human too. Regards, JohnCD (talk) 20:49, 4 September 2013 (UTC)

OK. Thank you very much. --Roxy the dog (talk) 22:02, 4 September 2013 (UTC)

Mind you, there is another essay: Wikipedia:IP addresses are not people! JohnCD (talk) 22:13, 4 September 2013 (UTC)

I've read both essays properly now - I will have to reign in my grumpiness in future, thanks again. --Roxy the dog (talk) 22:27, 4 September 2013 (UTC)

Your comment at Talk:Orthomolecular medicine

I have removed it, as a consequence of removing the extensive fringe/notforum that was just posted by an ip editor (which has a history of fringe contribs there). I can replace it if you'd like, but it seems like it would lack context. let me know if i should do so anyway, or of course feel free to do so yourself. -- [ UseTheCommandLine ~/talk ]# ▄ 19:06, 12 September 2013 (UTC)

No problem at all. --Roxy the dog (bark) 20:20, 12 September 2013 (UTC)

Proposed reference format for Alternative medicine

Greetings and thank you for your contributions to WP. I have proposed a format for references on Alternative medicine. I wanted to let you know and give you an opportunity to comment here. Good day! - - MrBill3 (talk) 17:16, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

Social experiment

I've been passing around this link. His initial appearance at Talk:Rupert Sheldrake here consisted of extremely bizarre behavior: repeatedly (like 5 times) splitting comments after being told to stop (including splitting comments that ask not to split comments), arguing that http://blog.ted.com is a news organization and a reliable secondary source, and more.

I was completely convinced that it was his Tumbleman / Bubblefish trolling persona, as his boastful description of trolling activities elsewhere matched the behavior I was seeing. He took me to dispute resolution (the wrong place); the case was dismissed and I've ceased communicating with him altogether. He walks a delicate line of always being able to claim he's acting to the best of his ability, and so I'm unable to prove anything. He's been boastfully trolling for a decade, as his Tumbleman / Bubblefish persona on the 'net shows.

He was a defender of Sheldrake at the TED forums, so he has reason to be here other than random trolling. Maybe it's a real-life case of le Petit Tourette, where he's been trolling so long that he's lost the ability to interact for real. vzaak (talk) 00:03, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

I've crossed swords with him as one of his trolls in another place. I only really connected it all yesterday, though I had seen your interactions with him, now deleted, on your talk page, it didn't register. I saw the dispute resolution stuff as well. It's never simple, is it? --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 06:15, 2 October 2013 (UTC)

G4

Same fellow, virtually same article. Peridon (talk) 18:29, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Ha !! --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 18:32, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Please stop removing sourced information from March Against Monsanto

We are seeking proper sources for a lower estimate, to give a range besides the organizers' claim. If you know of such sourcing, please join us at the RS noticeboard where consensus has been reached regarding the CVS source you have just used. Simply put, it has been determined by all that this source cannot be used as an estimate since much of the event had not begun at the time of its publication. If you need this concept explained in greater detail, the noticeboard will help.

Also you removed information about the upcoming march but did not explain why. Please be careful to use guidelines very carefully at pages related to Monsanto and GMOs, because the edits made to these pages are going to be scrutinized in the future.

Best, petrarchan47tc 18:19, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

With your permission Petra, could I move this discussion to the article talk page, where I think it ought to go? --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 18:45, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

All of this information is there, this does pertain to you since you added the source. Please go here to read about this issue and to weigh in if you feel to, thanks, petrarchan47tc 19:00, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

It is a mystery to me Petra how you conclude that the 200,000 figure has been ruled out by that discussion. It concludes no such thing. --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 19:08, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

You appear to have misread me: consensus has been reached regarding the CVS source . Please don't ask me to argue or defend something I haven't said. Cheers, petrarchan47tc 19:11, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

I'll read it again, I'm sorry if I misunderstood. --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 19:14, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Petra, The point now appears moot, as Jytdog has used another source for the 200,000 figure. Perhaps I missed the notification about the RS discussion on the MAM page. I apologise again for misreading / misunderstanding your comment here, I'll try not to let it happen again. --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 19:58, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Note

Hi, considering Tumbleman has been blocked, it would be best to avoid giving him the oxygen of publicity (trolls wish to disrupt by attracting attention to themselves). IRWolfie- (talk) 12:47, 18 October 2013 (UTC)

Hi, considering that you show far better judgment than the average editor, I'd caution against taking advice from blind squirrels on a regular basis, even if, on this occasion, the squirrel has found a nut. David in DC (talk) 01:12, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

I find it very scary that after one troll gets dealt with, another one turns up. --Roxy the dog (quack quack) 20:19, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Question

Hi Roxy, do you live in the UK? If so I am wondering whether people there see the British political system as a Two party system or as a Multi-party system. Which is your view?--Tomwsulcer (talk) 22:53, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

Yes, UK. Personally, I don't see it as anything more than two party, with fringe organisations trying like hell to get a grip on things. At the moment, the LibDems are in cohorts with the Conservatives in coalition government, but at the next general election, the LibDems will almost vanish.

What we have is Conservatives, sort of like Republicans, and Labour, sort of like Democrats, and various fringe elements. That is a naive assessment though, and it is an awful lot more complicated than that.

So, to actually answer the question that you asked, rather than the one I wanted to answer, I think we have a two party system, that allows for other parties who like to think they have a role to play. The Liberals go back a long long way, and used to play a major part. The Social Democrats rose in my lifetime splitting from Labour, and joined/merged with the Liberals relatively recently, in historical terms, to form the Lib/Dems.

I don't do politics normally.  ;) __Roxy the dog (quack quack) 23:27, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, Roxy. Helpful.--Tomwsulcer (talk) 01:00, 22 October 2013 (UTC)

The Fool Explains

I will not even try an defend how I looked the fool. During my brief time on Wikipedia trying to edit, you have had made a couple of comments that actually made me laugh. I mean that in a good way, your witty remarks actually made me laugh. I just want bring up a couple things. Remember when you started editing? It wasn't easy. The quote from your user page kind of sums up what you felt. "I was so green when I wrote the above sentence, I didn't even sign it. I was wrong about the links on that page, and I can see that now, but I was furious at the time." Roxy the dog (talk) 23:57, 25 July 2013 (UTC) "I was furious at the time" being the key phrase. That's how I felt. I can see now that I was wrong, way overreacted and in my babble insulted an entire Nation. My point is I really did not mean to fly off the handle but did. You were right, I looked quite foolish. Different people have different ways of being furious. I tend to go off and yet my BP is actually lower then normal. Go figure. I'm not known for being quiet is the simplest way to put it. You are another person I owe an apology to for insulting the British. I really didn't mean anything by it, I was in full blown rant mode. Yes I should have just shut up. If you were anyway offended I owe you an apology also. For now I'm going to just sit back and let the editors such as yourself make edits. Perhaps when it is a bit colder out I will try and edit something or maybe even try and write an article. For now I'm just going to let things cool down. I did not edit on here to fight with people. I felt at first that I had a better understanding of the AfD then most. After getting guidance from Nat and Lesion and going over the rules I changed my opinion. 4 weeks later I was informed that what I thought was dead was now back and I was being accused of something. I was furious. I was thinking would you all just leave me alone and I promise to not state anymore opinions. Then I thought about it and was like I'm not allowed an opinion? Flame on and I made an ass of myself. That's my story but out of all this you are the only one who actually made me laugh so I really do appreciate that. Gibco65 (talk) 14:11, 30 October 2013 (UTC)