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Rada Iveković

Biggest problem here is the lack of independent third-party in-depth reliable sources to show notability. Plus it's a BLP, everything needs to be sourced to such sources. If the article doesn't get properly sourced, I'll be nominating it for deletion. Academics aren't automatically notable. Yworo (talk) 19:54, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

I realize that, Yworo. In fact, it is harder for an academic to have a Wikipedia article than it is for a 19 year old back-up dancer for Justin Bieber. What I was thinking is that for two days now, I've been going through dozens of BLP articles on philosophers and, I gotta say, some of them have less information on them than Iveković had on hers.
Now, it's not in my nature or Wiki habits to tag a dozen articles on philosophers and take them to AfD, especially when every single episode of Seinfeld has its own page. I think having mediocre listings on some Continental philosophers is infinitely more valuable to the world than having a complete listing of every Pokemon character.
So, while I'll admit that you likely have WP guidelines on your side in deleting this article, there is a whole lot of content on Wikipedia that is completely insignificant and insubstantial and I don't believe that having a profile of a Croatian Buddhist philosopher is even on that list. Liz Read! Talk! 20:49, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
Problem is, we have a very strict biography of living persons policy. And we should. If she were deceased, it'd be different. Yworo (talk) 20:54, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
Yeah, it's a shame she isn't dead. J/K. I explained my position, Yworo, you do what you have to do and I'll keep categorizing philosophers. I have a work to do.
Thanks for taking the time to come to my Talk Page and explain your side of the situation. Lots of Editors are not that thoughtful and I do appreciate it. Liz Read! Talk! 21:00, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
Carry on... Editors who know how to do categories properly rock! Yworo (talk) 23:15, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
Categories are quick, they are usually straight-forward and uncontroversial and there aren't people watchlisting categories, leaping to revert edits. They are not very social but sometimes, that's a blessing. Also, they can bring visibility to little known phenomena...who knew there were several noteworthy Lithuanian women philosophers? I didn't until today. Liz Read! Talk! 23:27, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the mention

Hi Liz, thanks for citing me in your discussion on the Teahouse. I won't contribute to your discussion there, for fear of making it too long :p but I totally agree with the issue you raised. AugurNZ ✐⌕ 05:45, 21 September 2013 (UTC)

Well, AugurNZ, I think your discussion about deletionism was very important. If you look through Teahouse questions, you'll see the same question--new editors frustrated with speedy deletions of new articles--over and over again. Liz Read! Talk! 13:28, 21 September 2013 (UTC)
Yet another example of this deletionist regime in action, along with the obligatory knee-jerk reaction to the provided examples. Also, I've mentioned you in my farewell speech. Thanks for your support previously. AugurNZ ✐⌕ 20:13, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
Sorry to read about your frustration, AugurNZ ✐. I find the image copyright legalese confusing so I have done absolutely nothing with photos or images on Wikipedia. I'm sorry that this has led to you deciding to quit but, remember, accounts aren't deleted, they just go inactive. You can always return at another time. Policies do change over time as do attitudes. And, in WP, there are no deadlines and it'll still be here tomorrow and next year. All the best, Augur! Liz Read! Talk! 20:25, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

RolandR

Hello Liz, Can you help me with RolandR? He is wrong about all my contribs (Heidegger, Hölderlin, Benjamin and so on). Thank you! I´m Ketxus — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ketxus (talk • contribs) 01:48, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

Ketxus, I'm not sure what you are asking me to help you with or who RolandR is. Liz Read! Talk! 02:15, 26 October 2013 (UTC)
Don't worry Liz, it is not easy to explain. Thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ketxus (talk • contribs) 02:49, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

Philosophers

I've met a real one. A pretty important one, as I understand it: Nicholas Rescher. Lou Sander (talk) 14:25, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

@Lou Sander: I'm not familiar with Rescher. In my 20s, I studied with Jacob Needleman but his Wikipedia article is pitiful. I'm surprised his students haven't made it more substantial. I guess I'll get around to doing that one day. He's had a long career.

Neutral notice

This is a neutral notice that an RfC has been opened at an article which you have edited within the past year. It is at Talk:Clint Eastwood#8 children by 6 women. --Tenebrae (talk) 14:08, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

@Tenebrae:, thanks for letting me know. I don't recall editing that article but I'll check it out. Liz Read! Talk! 15:19, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

N94228

I think that N94228 misunderstands one of the criteria for speedy deletion. (It isn't clear whether he or she understands anything about Wikipedia.) Articles written by banned or blocked users can be deleted. N94228 apparently is concerned that he or she is about to be blocked, which may happen if he or she continues making idle accusations. However, the deletion rule does not apply to users who are blocked or banned after writing the articles. It only applies to users who are already blocked or banned, and so never should have written the articles, but were evading the block, typically by sock-puppetry. You are an experienced editor and knew that. The original question did not have to do with the article containing racism, which it does not, but with whether the author is blocked for racism. The author is likely to be blocked for disruptive editing, a different matter. Now that another editor has properly sourced the article, the article is unlikely to be deleted for any of racism (which it does not contain), lack of notability (established by another editor), or blockage of the author (which may happen but the article was validly composed.) Maybe N94228 is a racist, or is accused of racism. That doesn't matter unless he or she points racist drivel. N94228 almost certainly is a teenager. That doesn't matter; some young teenagers, let alone adult teenagers, can edit responsibly. N94228 is a disruptive editor; that does matter. Robert McClenon (talk) 16:56, 26 October 2013 (UTC)
@Robert McClenon: What is this about? Liz Read! Talk! 17:05, 26 October 2013 (UTC)

At WP:ANI, N94228 asked: "If I will be blocked for racism\vandalism\reason will my article be killed or they will stay in Wiki?" You answered that if the article contained racism or vandalism, it would probably be deleted. The article is not racist. However, the author is engaged in disruptive editing, is exhibiting ownership behavior, and is being a diva without an entourage. The author is likely to get blocked, not for racism, but for disruptive editing. Is that an answer? Robert McClenon (talk) 18:56, 26 October 2013 (UTC)
@Robert McClenon:, thanks for the reference, it didn't ring a bell. Now I remember. I didn't look into the user or her/his contributions, I was just answering the question of if an Editor is blocked, are the articles they worked on deleted. It sounds like she/he might be heading for a block if they are being disruptive. Liz Read! Talk! 19:01, 26 October 2013 (UTC)
Yes, so that the question about whether the article will be deleted is the wrong question, and the right question is whether the editor will be blocked unless there is a change in behavior. Robert McClenon (talk) 00:32, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
@Robert McClenon: Yes, it's usually a bad sign when an Editor calls it "my article". Staying off the noticeboards today and getting so much work done! Have a good weekend. Liz Read! Talk! 00:37, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

The Signpost: 23 October 2013

Kate Winslet

Hi. I noticed you undid my removal of tabloid sources for contentious information on this article. On consideration, I have restored this edit. I made it in an admin capacity while enforcing WP:BLPSOURCES, so I'd be grateful if you could refrain from restoring it a second time. Could you instead take it ti article talk or (preferably) find better sources for this info? --John (talk) 08:34, 22 September 2013 (UTC)

Okay, John. But I don't know how an Editor (me) is supposed to know when an edit is made "in an admin capacity" and when it is a normal edit. How are these special edits distinguished from others?
Plus, I thought that according to WP:BRD, that the sequence goes, 1) Editor A makes an edit, 2) Editor B chooses to revert, then 3) Editor A goes to Talk Page to discuss the edit...not that Editor A re-reverts the edit. At least, I thought that was how Wikipedia was supposed to work based on what I've been told to do when someone reverted my edit. It's up to the original Editor A to go to the Talk Page and get consensus for their addition or deletion. Liz Read! Talk! 10:24, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
talkpage stalker swoops in to suggest... that if an admin (or indeed any editor) wants to communicate some desire to future editors, of a page that they are about to edit, then the best way is to use a short HTML comment, placed 'in the editing path' so that the future editor cannot miss it. There is in fact just such a secret future-editors-only comment in *this* paragraph.
   Usually, if you are editing a mainspace article, and plan to put a hidden HTML comment in there, you should first create a talkpage section, and explain why future editors should be cautious, and then manually archive that talkpage section you just created (to prevent linkrot). Then, in the appropriate place on the mainspace article, put something like this: <!-- hello, please read http29823982932982322989823 on the article talkpage before you make edits here, thanks --> .... the only gotcha is that you should not utilize double-dash characters in you brief comment -- do not do that or this -- because they can confuse browsers into mis-displaying your stuff. I realize you and John have been at this longer than me, but sometimes remembering wikipedia's five bazillion helpdocs is not so easy.  :-)
   p.s. I prefer that editor A makes an edit, editor B collaboratively modifies that edit, goto step one. But that's a rare mode of interacting nowadays. Failing that, I prefer editor A makes an edit, editor B starts the talkpage discussion *before* just flat reverting (except for BLP or COPYVIO or NPA or blatant destructive vandalism or somesuch), then after some discussion editor B collaboratively modifies that edit, goto step one. p.p.s. Actually, I have a scheme slash proposal for colorizing edits, so that it was possible to see how long ago they were made... adding an admin-action-taken tint would be cool. Anyhoo, time to swoop out again. Thanks for improving wikipedia. 74.192.84.101 (talk) 03:09, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Indef blocks data

I just lost interest in it, or rather I wasn't that interested in it initially. The raw data comes from the database dumps, which are still being generated. Hut 8.5 09:32, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, Hut 8.5. I guess you need significant knowledge of coding to get this raw data into a manageable form to analyze? I don't have a background in programming. Liz Read! Talk! 21:38, 26 September 2013 (UTC)
The way I did it was extremely messy, but I don't know anything about the proper way. I would regenerate the data based on a more recent database dump, but the format of the dumps has changed and I'd have to rewrite the program. You might well be able to find someone who can generate this data for you. WP:VPT maybe. Hut 8.5 22:14, 26 September 2013 (UTC)
Yeah, I've since learned that there were pitfalls when I chose to focus on qualitative research rather than quantitative research in my degree work. More stats classes and I could probably figure out this myself.
Thanks for the information, much appreciated! Liz Read! Talk! 22:30, 26 September 2013 (UTC)
I have been curious about this subject as well, just this past few weeks... I have some programming skill, but knowing where to start, and what to look for, is often more difficult than writing the few lines of code that will give you the answer. (Knowing how to ask the right question is hard, in other words.) So, in an attempt to ask the right question, is there still any interest here? I don't understand the context of this conversation, or what the goal was, so that makes it hard to ask the right question. As for my own interest, I have a hypothesis that users with specific editing-styles (as measured by percent mainspace versus percent talkspace and bytes-added-versus-bytes-removed per edit and such) will be banned less often by admins with similar profiles, and more often by admins with differing profiles. Ping my talkpage if you or Hut_8.5 are also still curious, maybe we can figure out both our answers. Danke. 74.192.84.101 (talk) 03:22, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Information icon This message is being sent to inform you that a discussion at Wikipedia:External links/Noticeboard is taking place regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. Thank you. --MorrowStravis (talk) 18:37, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Category:Public philosophers

Category:Public philosophers, which you created, has been nominated for possible deletion, merging, or renaming. If you would like to participate in the discussion, you are invited to add your comments at the category's entry on the Categories for discussion page. Thank you. FreeKnowledgeCreator (talk) 20:25, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Categorization: redundant ‘parents’

I made some changes to the categories at Christine de Pizan, and thought I’d drop a line to explain. I haven’t studied the categorization guidelines; this is just what seems sensible to me. Since the category Italian women philosophers is included in Italian philosophers, it seems redundant to list the latter: being the ‘parent’, members of its ‘children‘ belong to it by implication. Likewise for the French. And since French women poets is included in French women writers and French poets (which I realize weren‘t among your additions—just while we’re at it), it can replace both of them.

BTW, I notice you’re using HotCat: if you click the superscripted plus-sign near the beginning of the category list, you can make several changes in one edit.—Odysseus1479 19:09, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Odysseus, please read WP:EGRS. Ethnic, gender, religion and sexual orientation categories are "non-diffusing" categories. That means, for example, that football wide receiver Dez Bryant is listed under both Category:Dallas Cowboys players and Category:African-American players of American football. Agatha Christie is not only in Category:English mystery writers but also Category:Women mystery writers.
Gender, race and ethnicity categories do not exclude the person from also being listed in the parent category. So, Ayn Rand is both in Category: American philosophers and also Category: American women philosophers (and both Category: Women novelists, Category: Jewish novelists as well as Category: 20th-century American novelists, too).
This not only is general practice but there was a big media to-do about this very issue back in Spring 2013 where Wikipedia got a lot of bad press for segregating women into gender-only categories. So, women authors were only listed as Category: Women novelists and Category: Novelists only contained male authors. A lot of work has been done over the past six months to rectify this. Liz Read! Talk! 20:21, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
Thanks; I hadn’t come across the “non-diffusing“ concept before. The Rand example is pertinent, but I don’t see the relevance of Bryant or Christie, because none of those categories includes the other. (Indeed, I note Bryant is not included in American players of American football—an oversight?) Anyway, I’ll restore the ‘parents’ at C. de P. & tag the ‘daughter’ categories accordingly.—Odysseus1479 20:53, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Books and Bytes: The Wikipedia Library Newsletter

Books and Bytes

Volume 1, Issue 1, October 2013

by The Interior (talk · contribs), Ocaasi (talk · contribs)

Greetings Wikipedia Library members! Welcome to the inaugural edition of Books and Bytes, TWL’s monthly newsletter. We're sending you the first edition of this opt-in newsletter, because you signed up, or applied for a free research account: HighBeam, Credo, Questia, JSTOR, or Cochrane. To receive future updates of Books and Bytes, please add your name to the subscriber's list. There's lots of news this month for the Wikipedia Library, including new accounts, upcoming events, and new ways to get involved...

New positions: Sign up to be a Wikipedia Visiting Scholar, or a Volunteer Wikipedia Librarian

Wikipedia Loves Libraries: Off to a roaring start this fall in the United States: 29 events are planned or have been hosted.

New subscription donations: Cochrane round 2; HighBeam round 8; Questia round 4... Can we partner with NY Times and Lexis-Nexis??

New ideas: OCLC innovations in the works; VisualEditor Reference Dialog Workshop; a photo contest idea emerges

News from the library world: Wikipedian joins the National Archives full time; the Getty Museum releases 4,500 images; CERN goes CC-BY

Announcing WikiProject Open: WikiProject Open kicked off in October, with several brainstorming and co-working sessions

New ways to get involved: Visiting scholar requirements; subject guides; room for library expansion and exploration

Read the full newsletter


Thanks for reading! All future newsletters will be opt-in only. Have an item for the next issue? Leave a note for the editor on the Suggestions page. --The Interior 21:13, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

Tags

Hello Liz, How can I remove a tag, correctly? Thank You (Ketxus (talk) 14:29, 28 October 2013 (UTC))

Ketxus, you can go to the Edit tab at the top of the page to edit most aspects of an article.
Can you give me an example that I can look at? Then I could give you specific advice. Liz Read! Talk! 14:32, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
See please the article Joxe Azurmendi It has a tag about "self-published sources", so I added more independent sources. I don´t know if I can remove the tag now.(Ketxus (talk) 14:40, 28 October 2013 (UTC))
You have provided links to a few websites, which is nice, but an article about an academic really needs more secondary, print material (books, journal articles, encyclopedias, newspapers, etc.). If you don't have access to a library, you can sometimes find useful material at Google Books or Google Scholar.
I don't think you have added enough to remove the tag right now. But the tag was just put on three days ago and won't lead to an immediate removal of the article. I encourage you to keep working on it...it's a challenge but it will really improve the article! Liz Read! Talk! 14:50, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, I learned a lot with you about wikipedia. You are very kind.(Ketxus (talk) 22:16, 28 October 2013 (UTC))
Well, I'm not sure how much I helped, Ketxus! The thing about Wikipedia is that a great deal of it is rarely reviewed. There are over 4 million articles on the English Wikipedia alone! An article might go a year or two (or longer!) without any Editor touching it. But when an article does get scrutinized, the expected standards of writing are actually quite high, reliable sources are required to validate all claims, especially when they involve a BLP (biography of a living person). So, with your article, someone has noted that it doesn't meet the desired standards and a tag is just a notice to attract Editors to put in a little effort to improve it. But the article has not been nominated for deletion so that's acknowledgment that it's already has a lot going for it, it just could be better. Liz Read! Talk! 22:24, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Editor Survey December 2011

I just came across this WMF Editor Survey Dec 2011 results pdf file. What is particularly interesting is Section III (pg. 18) about how Editors feel about the Wikipedia Community and interactions with Admins and other Editors. It dispels some common misconceptions and reveals other interesting facts. Also, in demographics, 25% of those responding were under 21 years of age, most were male, single and had no children. I imagine parents, especially of young children, have little time to devote to editing.
Of course, all of the regular disclaimers apply, this was not a randomly selected group of Editors, those who are willing to take time to respond to a survey request are those individuals who tend to be more satisfied with the process. Liz Read! Talk! 19:56, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

English Wikipedia at a glance August 2013

Stat Data Yearly Change Monthly Change
Page Views per Month 9,985,326,806 -- --
Article Count 4,382,898 +8% +1%
New Articles per Day 869 -- --
Edits per Month 2,915,395 -16% +2%
Active Editors 30,941 -6% +0%
Very Active Editors 3,156 -8% -0%
New Editors 5,986 -9% -1%
Speakers 1,500,000,000 -- --
Editors per Million Speakers 21 -- --

Page views: 9,985 million/month = 333 million/day = 13.9 million/hour = 231 thousand/minute = 3.9 thousand/second

Other data

Hi User:Liz, Here is another interesting chart I found on a user page (so accuracy and date of data are questions) but whats' really striking to me is that only 1658 editors have more than 3,000 edits and there are 976 administrators. So I wonder what % of users over 3,000 edits are Admins. It would seem like it could be a very high %.-- — Keithbob • Talk • 20:22, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
Wiki Users
Description Number Percentage of Active Users
Total Users 1924618 462.5%
Active Users (one edit) or more 416139 100%
Users with three or more edits 200270 48.1%
Users with ten or more edits 111163 26.7%
Users with thirty-two or more edits 50733 12.2%
Users with 100 or more edits 23709 5.7%
Users with 316 or more edits 11076 2.7%
Users with 1000 or more edits 4789 1.2%
Users with 3162 or more edits 1658 0.4%
Number of admins 976 0.2%
Number of users with over 10,000 edits 381 0.1%
And there is a lot of interesting data here too.[1]-- — Keithbob • Talk • 20:31, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
I don't know how I missed seeing this chart, Keithbob...thanks for sharing it! Liz Read! Talk! 22:26, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
And according to this page there are only 634 Admins who have made more than 15 edits per month for the past two months.-- — Keithbob • Talk • 01:36, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Sheldrake/Telekinesis

Funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlOxlSOr3_M Lou Sander (talk) 02:40, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

About the change to my talk page

Please do not that again. I left it that way, and I want the top few comments I posted to remain that way. I don't mean to be rude, but I wish for it to stay that way. Thinks anyway. --Pretty les♀, Dark Mistress, talk, 18:11, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

You're not being rude, Pretty les♀, Dark Mistress, . You have every right to have your Talk Page appear as you wish. I apologize for my attempts to "clean up" the page. I had thought you were a new Editor and were unfamiliar with Talk Page formatting. Liz Read! Talk! 18:15, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

More Hispanic and Latino actor categories

Please don't create Category:Hispanic and Latino American film actors unless the current discussion on Category:African-American film actors closes as a keep. We have already seen Category:Hispanic and Latino American child actors upmerged after a very short existence. This will just lead to more work for people. At a minimum open a discussion on the wikiproject for actors and filmmakers and wait until you get a clear support for creating this category.John Pack Lambert (talk) 02:09, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Don't worry, John Pack Lambert. I was just offering a contrasting perspective in that conversation. And I hope there also isn't a move to delete entire actor categories without discussion on the actors' WikiProject either. See you at CfD! Liz Read! Talk! 18:18, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Wikimedia NYC Meetup- "Greenwich Village In The 60s" Editathon! Saturday November 2

Jefferson Market Public Library
 Please join Wikipedia "Greenwich Village In The 60s" Editathon on November 2, 2013!
Everyone gather at Jefferson Market Library to further Wikipedia's local outreach
for Greenwich Village articles on the history and the community.
--Pharos (talk) 21:26, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

MilesMoney ANI

Hi Liz. Thank you for stating your opinion on the ANI. If you want, it might be helpful to restate it in the "topic ban for milesmoney tendentious editing" section. Steeletrap (talk) 01:19, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

"England, UK" vs "England"

A discussion has been started at Wikipedia talk:UK Wikipedians' notice board#England, UK or just England? on a topic you have recently discussed elsewhere. Please have your say if you wish. Thanks, Bretonbanquet (talk) 22:09, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Wow, Bretonbanquet, is this still being discussed? Thanks for letting me know. All I want is a definite decision, one way or the other! Liz Read! Talk! 22:26, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
The original editor brought it up again without informing me, not that he was obliged to, I suppose. The discussion seems to be alive again...! Bretonbanquet (talk) 22:31, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
Is the Editor who was removing UK from all England locations still doing it or did it stop? Liz Read! Talk! 22:54, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
He has stopped, but is basically asking if he can start again. Bretonbanquet (talk) 22:56, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
I'm a little shocked that he is asking for approval since before he just "went with it", whole hog, without ever inquiring about it on a noticeboard or Talk Page. Glad he is taking a different route this time around. Liz Read! Talk! 23:00, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
I'm still more than a touch surprised that no admins are even raising an eyebrow at his editing patterns. It's this kind of thing that makes Wikipedia look rather ridiculous. Bretonbanquet (talk) 23:05, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Precious

inquiring mind
Thank you, busy reading editor with a pumpkin, for gnomish work sorting categories and rescuing articles, for inquiring about the work of admins and arbitrators (you would be good at it!), for missing people, - you are an awesome Wikipedian!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:44, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, Gerda! Much appreciated! ;-) Liz Read! Talk! 16:24, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

Louisa Venable Kyle wrote a children's book on The Witch of Pungo ;) --Gerda Arendt (talk) 23:06, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

WikiCup 2013 October newsletter

The WikiCup is over for another year! Our champion, for the second year running, is Wales Cwmhiraeth (submissions). Our final nine were as follows:

  1. Wales Cwmhiraeth (submissions)
  2. Australia Hawkeye7 (submissions)
  3. Canada Sasata (submissions)
  4. Colorado Sturmvogel_66 (submissions)
  5. New South Wales Casliber (submissions)
  6. Scotland Adam Cuerden (submissions)
  7. London Miyagawa (submissions)
  8. Poland Piotrus (submissions)
  9. Wyoming Ealdgyth (submissions)

All those who reached the final win prizes, and prizes will also be going to the following participants:

  • New South Wales Casliber (submissions) wins the FA prize, for four featured articles in round 4, worth 400 points.
  • Colorado Sturmvogel_66 (submissions) wins the GA prize, for 20 good articles in round 3, worth 600 points.
  • Portland, Oregon Another Believer (submissions) wins the FL prize, for four featured lists in round 2, worth 180 points.
  • Scotland Adam Cuerden (submissions) wins the FP prize, for 23 featured pictures in round 5, worth 805 point.
  • Republic of Rose Island Sven Manguard (submissions) wins the FPo prize, for 2 featured portals in round 3, worth 70 points.
  • Australia Hawkeye7 (submissions) wins the topic prize, for a 23-article featured topic in round 5, worth 230 points.
  • Wales Cwmhiraeth (submissions) wins the DYK prize, for 79 did you know articles in round 5, worth 570 points.
  • Ohio ThaddeusB (submissions) wins the ITN prize, for 23 in the news articles in round 4, worth 270 points.
  • United States Ed! (submissions) wins the GAR prize, for 24 good article reviews in round 1, worth 96 points.
  • The judges are awarding the Oddball Barnstar to British Empire The C of E (submissions), for some curious contributions in earlier rounds.
  • Finally, the judges are awarding Wales Cwmhiraeth (submissions) the Geography Barnstar for her work on sea, now a featured article. This top-importance article was the highest-scoring this year; when it was promoted to FA status, Cwmhiraeth could claim 720 points.

Prizes will be handed out in the coming weeks. Please be patient!

Congratulations to everyone who has been successful in this year's WikiCup, whether you made it to the final rounds or not, and a particular congratulations to the newcomers to the WikiCup who have achieved this year. Thanks to all who have taken part and helped out with the competition. While it has been an excellent year, errors have opened up the judges' eyes to the need for a third judge, and it is with pleasure that we announce that experienced WikiCup participant Miyagawa will be acting as a judge from now on. We hope you will all join us in welcoming him to the team.

Next year's competition begins on 1 January. You are invited to sign up to participate; it is open to all Wikipedians, new and old. Brainstorming and discussion remains open for how next year's competition will work, and straw polls will be opened by the judges soon. Those interested in friendly competition may also like to keep an eye on the stub contest, being organised by Casliber. The WikiCup judges will be back in touch over the coming months, and we hope to see you all in the 2014 competition. Until then, it only remains to once again congratulate our worthy winners, and thank all participants for their involvement! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 00:11, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Feel free to drop me a note.

milesmoney.m2h1n3@gmail.com MilesMoney (talk) 01:39, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Miles, I wish you wouldn't flounce away and quit, especially when you have friends here arguing on your behalf. Specifico, especially, is speaking up for you, repeatedly, arguing against your topic ban. But you seem to be resigned to quitting so I guess my words are unlikely to have any effect. Liz Read! Talk! 02:24, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
I am willing to respond by email, but you have not registered an email address for this use. If you wish, drop me a note by email and I will respond there. MilesMoney (talk) 02:34, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
Yes, well, there are more people who I don't want to receive email from than people I want to correspond with. As you have learned, it's easy to get on the wrong side of people here. Thanks for trusting me with your email address. Liz Read! Talk! 02:46, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
I have no interest in invading your privacy. I was warned that any public comment I make about the ANI would be analyzed in bad faith, taken out of context, and generally used against me, so I would have preferred to speak privately. The email account I gave out is the one I made especially for Wikipedia, and you could have likewise created a Wikipedia-specific one. For what it's worth, I recommend that you do so, regardless of me.
As for me, I've broken my silence on ANI, so it doesn't really matter anymore. I'll take a look at your earlier comments and see if they still need replying to. MilesMoney (talk) 00:32, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

NBA awards categories

Hi, could you please add the basketball awards discussion notifications at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject National Basketball Association as well? I would but I do not know how to do that. Thanks.Hoops gza (talk) 00:49, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

Suuuuuuure, Hoops gza. ;-) It was kind of complicated but at this point, I can copy and paste what I posted at WikiProject Basketball. Thanks for being open to hearing the voices of others. Liz Read! Talk! 17:24, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

Wikidata weekly summary #82

Here's your quick overview of what has been happening around Wikidata over the last week.
Read the full report · Unsubscribe · Global message delivery 20:41, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

The Signpost: 30 October 2013

The conflict

If you want to cut through to the core of the dispute; it boils down to basic organization more so than any concrete policy issue. Ryulong doesn't believe there should be different articles for anime and manga. I point to Harry Potter and how the movies and books are covered; noting that despite a very faithful adaptation different articles exist. The latest issues are amongst the largest and most notable of all anime. Each one more than 100 hours long and making hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. The Wikiproject is highly aligned against adaptations and their respective cast lists, reception, non-English dubs, music, themes and production segments. These are all segments that are perfect for stand alone articles. We can't even discuss a set index or disamb for Ghost in the Shell because Ryulong wants the manga to be page despite being part of 30+ works containing the name and a film and video game using the same name. And rather than let it take a natural form, listings of the media, even briefly, get removed as "not important".[2] There needs to be an intervention. Arb Com or not; hundreds of articles are affected and the entire scope of the project is deeply affected by the handful of editors of A&M who follow Ryulong's lead. ChrisGualtieri (talk) 02:40, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

Chris, I don't know who is right and who is wrong, I just sense that if you and Ryulong show up one more time at AN/I, you'll both get blocked. I know nothing about anime or manga and I assume most Editors don't either so the details of the dispute are lost on me. All I notice are you and Ryulong at AN/I at least once a week, for the past two months. AN/I isn't a place to settle content issues. My advice is either go back to dispute resolution or file a request at ARBCOM but these weekly visits to AN/I are going to backfire soon. Liz Read! Talk! 02:48, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
I understand. I did not anticipate Knowledgekid's bring it to ANI - I was not informed or contacted prior to it. I sent a message inquiring about ArbCom yesterday, but pending response and this ANI's closure I believe I will be seeking it. Ryulong doesn't want to sit down and discuss, but Arb Com is not voluntary. These constant little battles over basic policy are disruptive to the community, but I hope you understand that repeatedly blanking and redirecting pages with 40 or more sources rightfully troubles me and my first response is to restore and state "take it to AFD per WP:BLAR". This is what provoked the ANI from Knowledgekid. ChrisGualtieri (talk) 03:05, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
From what I've gleaned from participating in a recent ARBCOM case, what's important in presenting a case request is
  • Be concise. Do not go on and on, there are strict word limits (I believe 500 words). Do not waste words in a request, you can go into details if a case is accepted. If you go on too long, you will be asked to cut down your stratement. That doesn't start the request off on a positive note.
  • Have diffs ready that are examples of the pattern of behavior or interactions that is causing a disruption.
  • Do not use a request to make personal attacks. Stay focused on conduct, not personalities.
  • Have individuals willing to write brief statements supporting your position.
  • It really helps to have evidence that a) you tried, repeatedly, to work things out and b) that you can work constructively with other Editors in fruitful collaborations. Otherwise, it could appear that it is a problem you have working with others.
Just some unasked for advice. Good luck! Liz Read! Talk! 03:29, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
Thank you for the advice. I must admit that this is the last place I wanted this to go, but I suppose I should spend a few hours researching the history and running through everything. I've grown to become a better person and deal with conflict throughout this ordeal. I believe I could get it to about 250 words, but what do you mean by have people willing to write brief statements? And does this run afoul of canvassing? ChrisGualtieri (talk) 03:38, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
Just a thought, but you might think about waiting a couple months before filing an Arbcom case. There will be a new committee then and you might have better luck getting it accepted/getting a sensible solution. Mark Arsten (talk) 03:54, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

The Surreal Barnstar
For opposing a lengthy ban on a broad range of articles despite supporting some sort of ban. Moderation is a rare thing. MilesMoney (talk) 17:47, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

How unexpected, MilesMoney! Even though I disagree with you on, well, just almost everything, I think you offer a unique perspective to Wikipedia. I don't want you to quit editing, I just want you to work harder at consensus (i.e. try to play nicely with others!). Short bans can reinforce good behavior, lengthy bans or bans that basically forbid an Editor from contributing to their main subjects of interest, simply drive Editors away. Liz Read! Talk! 18:15, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

That's exactly the point: you acted in good faith. By opposing a fatal ban, you showed that, whatever your concerns were, this wasn't just a way to get rid of me. Contrast this with the participants who've revealed through words and actions that this is their goal.
Given how good a job Wikipedia does at driving away contributors, your willingness to work with even those you disagree with is the sort of reasonable attitude that, if only it were more common, might reverse the decline of this site. Or, realistically, if only admins shut down these assassination attempts instead of enabling them.
In any case, I would have given this Barnstar to you sooner, but I wanted to wait until the report was locked down, so that it wouldn't appear as if this was an attempt to sway you. I genuinely wish the you best of luck, as you have been a Wikipedia rarity: an honorable opponent. MilesMoney (talk) 18:25, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
Well, I know this is heresy but, as a sociologist, the process of creating the encyclopedia is as important to me as the actual content. Wikis are a modern invention, a unique effort of group collaboration. They often succeed when they focus on a specific topic (like a TV show or a programming language) and there is a homogeneous group of like-minded individuals. But the fact that Wikipedia tries to take on every aspect of knowledge, well, it is a miracle that it is still up and running and hasn't imploded, especially considering that there are individuals actively trying to disrupt it through vandalism.
I'm not sure if you've read about the wisdom of crowds, but crowd sourcing works when there is a wide diversity of perspectives, attitudes and talents. It's not just having a large group of people, each devoting a little time to create some big project but the fact that they represent so many different points of view that it can cancel out bias, particularly cultural bias which is invisible almost everyone.
Thanks again for the compliment. It's a nice antidote to the rancor one comes across on the noticeboards. Have a good weekend! Liz Read! Talk! 18:40, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
Well said Liz. Nobody can stand Miles. He's so feisty. But he's one of the best and most productive editors and knowledgeable in a broad range of content. SPECIFICO talk 18:37, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
LOL! I wouldn't expect you to say that, SPECIFICO, since you are such a loyal defender. I was just reading the user page of a particularly productive editor and their main piece of advice? Stay away from AN/I! The drama boards are a time sink, they suck all of your energy and leave one with the feeling that Wikipedia is going to hell.
Meanwhile, there are thousands of Editors, making contributions and going about their business, not lodging complaints, putting in the time and effort to get the articles in better shape, reverting vandalism, finding citations, editing awkward language into smooth prose. It's definitely not as exciting as going to battle but, you know, these Editors tend to last longer on Wikipedia. Personally, I'm not afraid to stand my ground but I am selective about the battles I take on. It helps to be a little detached from your work...it's not easy but it helps it not to sting when someone chooses to delete something you just wrote. Still stings a little. ;-) Liz Read! Talk! 18:49, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
We are in agreement. Miles is like the young mongrel puppy who has two different ears, a bristly coat, and keeps running in circles with too much energy. However I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's a Rhodes Scholar as well. Ciao. SPECIFICO talk 18:58, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
Liz, I appreciate how you bring empathy and subtlety to these pages. Both of those are extraordinarily rare in ANIs. Steeletrap (talk) 22:20, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
Wow, Steeletrap, that's refreshing to hear. I get my share of grief (as I imagined you do, too) for defending Editors that others have written off as "disruptive". In fact, I was told that in defending one person, I was "just as bad as he was" and, according to this Editor, that was pretty damn awful! I don't think long-time users of Wikipedia realize the amount of insider jargon, standards, history and practices which are unknown to newer Editors. After 4, 5, 8 years of blocking vandals, even mild rabble-rousers start looking like potential vandals to some Admins (not all, but a few!).
I know when I've done vast amounts of grading or copy-editing, that it's easy to ignore what is normal while ones eye is drawn to errors or whatever seems like it doesn't fit in. Whatever deviates from normal is exaggerated and, on Wikipedia, mild irritations become suddenly intolerable. I spent a fair amount of my academic life studying deviancy and one core concept is that once a person becomes "labeled", others treat them differently (usually negatively). So, I am really antsy when I see labels like "troll", "sock", "vandal" or "fringe" thrown around, usually just to see if they stick. They are labels that are difficult to overcome once a critical number of influential people in ones social circle accepts that it is an accurate description. </soapbox> Any way, have a good weekend! Liz Read! Talk! 22:45, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
Liz, as a trans woman, I am all too well acquainted with the notion of the "Other" to which you are alluding. Miles is different from most people; all too often we are threatened by those who are different and seek to banish them rather than try to understand and find a place for them. Steeletrap (talk) 04:22, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
Well, as a trans woman, Steeletrap, there is all the more reason why a project like Wikipedia needs your participation and to hear your perspective. My hope is that none of the Three Musketeers faces a block from editing the site but I can't tell which way the wind is blowing right now among the Admin crew. They have little patience when a dispute seems persistent and unlikely to be resolved. It helps to have allies who support you in these Noticeboard disputes. But what is even better than that is for those involved in a conflict to go through Dispute Resolution and find some way to work with each other. From what I've seen, in a "Last Person Standing" battle, there are often no winners. Peace. Liz Read! Talk! 21:11, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

Magic Solution

But there is a magic solution. It just exists in a different universe, one in which magic works. So please don't be so dismissive of magic solutions. At least they may be the stuff of movies. Robert McClenon (talk) 02:15, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

Now, the solution that was being proposed whose proponent thought it was so obvious that he didn't even repost it, so that an opponent had to repost it, isn't a solution to any problems of which I am aware. Robert McClenon (talk) 02:15, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

By the way, this has to do with your comment at User talk:Jimbo Wales in response to an absurdly complicated reform proposal. You said that there was no magic solution. It is a magic solution in search of a problem in an alternate universe. Robert McClenon (talk) 02:21, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
Gotcha! ;-) Liz Read! Talk! 02:27, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
[http://en.mediamass.net/people/paul-walker/deathhoax.html it is a HOAX.] →Σσς. (Sigma) 12:12, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
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