Drifting plume following the twilight launch of
Atlantis
I first began visiting Wikipedia in late 2002. Then, it was nearly two years old, but still quite a bit different than it appears today, as indeed, the entire internet is. I continued visiting, reading, but did no edits until 2005, and did not create an account until late summer of that year. Since then, while making small edits for obvious mistakes here initially, I watched. I read, and learned policies, and noticed they grew by the month. I occasionally took time away from reading about the workings of Wikipedia, for real life obligations, but continued to use it as a source of information.
As I tend to "lurk" until I feel I know enough to post something meaningful, or assist in some useful way, my first genuine foray into editing wasn't until nearly two years after creating the account, once I felt I had a good grasp of most of the basic policies, and I had much more time on my hands. Since July of 2007, I've been active in Recent Change patrol, Articles for Creation, Account Creation Requests, Editor's Assistance Requests, Wikipedia Help Desk, Articles for Deletion, WikiProject Space, and its sub-projects, and a wide variety of other areas.
I frequently spend time doing random page edits, doing general cleanup, fixing footnotes, etc. I really feel that properly cited references are the backbone of a really great article, and to that end, I use the citation templates to fix the "simple URL" references in many articles, as they provide information not available by simply looking at a URL with no explanation. I have created several articles, including some that went on to become good articles and were featured in Did you know...?, but I also enjoy doing behind-the-scenes work.
I would classify myself as a WikiFairy, but I am also proud of the articles that I've done significant work on. I enjoy helping others, even if it is just a simple thing, and there is really nothing that can bring a smile faster than a simple "Thank you" from another editor. I do not have a specific "Wiki Philosophy", I think that some articles are definitely needed, but others are simply unnecessary and really don't belong. However, I realize that my opinions won't always line up with popular opinion, and that is fine with me, because really, the community drives this project, and I feel we must listen to the community when dealing with additions and deletions. No one person is more important than another; if a certain article isn't something I think belongs, and others do, that's fine with me.
In a fun bit of trivia, The name of the machine that is the master database server for the English Wikipedia is Ariel
I was a System Operator/Admin (+sysop) for the Microsoft Gaming Zone for many years, so I'm pretty familiar with how to handle vandals :) I do prefer to handle vandalism on Wikipedia with panache, rather than always using informal templates or curt notes, and I believe in gentle warnings for nearly all first offenses. I also believe in the "four strikes" rule, and normally won't report a user unless they've had at least four warnings. I enjoy using pictures in my comments, because I feel that the format of text does not allow for the true intent of the person writing. A well-placed smiley face goes a long way towards conveying intent, and diffusing a situation.
I have a lot of time on my hands, so I hope that in the future, while I may not be memorable, I'll at least be remembered as having helped in small ways, to what I envision as a repository of knowledge for the future.
I have accounts on many Wikis, including Commons, and Meta. Please see my matrix for more.
If you get bored, you can always let fate guide your reading. ♥
- Wikipedian since July 24, 2005.
