User talk:Cullen328

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I don't live on Cullen Ct, but I like the street sign

If you have any interest in editing Wikipedia by smartphone, I encourage you to read my essay, Smartphone editing. Thank you.

Welcome to my talk page I use the name Cullen328 on Wikipedia, but you can call me "Jim" because that's my real first name. If you want to start a new conversation, please click "New section" or "Add topic" at the top of this page. I keep the old comments from July and August of 2009 that follow the "Contents" here, because these friendly words of greeting made me feel welcome when I first started editing Wikipedia.

The importance of a friendly greeting

Hello and welcome to my talk page. If you want to start a new conversation, please click "New section" at the top of this page. I keep the comments that follow from July and August of 2009 readily visible, because these friendly words of greeting made me feel welcome here on Wikipedia when I first started editing. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 17:38, 6 November 2011 (UTC

Please offer your thoughts

I would appreciate comments and suggestions on any contributions I make. I am learning.Cullen328 (talk) 03:22, 3 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Nice work on Jules Eichorn. He's been needing an article for a while.   Will Beback  talk  06:28, 31 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If I may suggest, now that you've posted the Eichorn article the draft below might be deleted. It's your talk page to do with as you like, but it's a bit hard to edit around.
As for formatting and pictures, a good way to learn is to look around at other articles to see what you think looks best. It can be helpful to break up long blocks of text into subsections. Perhaps it'd be possible to split the biography into two or three eras. Other than that, the formatting is usually kept fairly plain. As for photos, it's easy to upload them: the trick is in finding photos with appropriate licensing. If you have any personal photos then those'd be fine. There are might be pictures of the peaks he did first ascents on in the Wikicommons. File:Cathedral Peak.png is a so-so pic of Eichorn Pinnacle.
As before, feel free to ask if you have any questions. There are several editors here who are mountaineers or just admirers of the Sierra, so you're in good company.   Will Beback  talk  21:13, 31 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
PS: Many editors create "sandbox" pages for drafting articles. For example, User talk:Cullen328/Sandbox.   Will Beback  talk  00:17, 1 August 2009


Your climber biographies

Hey Jim, just wanted to say welcome and thanks for your contributions to the Sierra Nevada climbing history articles. You're filling a niche that's been missing here, I look forward to working with you. --Justin (talk) 11:54, 27 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'll second that. Nice work on Allen Steck and welcome to Wikipedia. I don't know who you are planning to write up next but if your taking requests I think Peter Croft (climber) could really use a page. If you ever have any questions please ask. Thanks again for your great additions.--OMCV (talk) 02:25, 29 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Justin and OMCV. I am beginning work on Tom Frost and Glen Dawson. Comments on Norman Clyde would be welcomed. I will defintely read up on Peter Croft, OMCV. I am still "learning the ropes" in Wikipedia, to use a climbing analogy, and have all sorts of things in mind. My biggest challenge right now is getting permission to use images. My next biggest challenge is hiking to the top of Mt. Whitney with my wife in ten days - she's never been above 12,000 feet except for the train ride up Pikes Peak. As she's 56 and developing arthritis in her toes, it will be an accomplishment if she (and I) complete the Class 1 feat. Jim Heaphy (talk) 02:34, 29 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Debra and I made it to the summit of Mt. Whitney at 2:20 PM on Friday, September 11. Jim Heaphy (talk) 00:59, 17 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

2009 Archive

2010 Archive

2011 Archive

2012 Archive (first six months)

Automatic Archive 1Automatic Archive 2Automatic Archive 3

Happy New Year

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Happy New Year 2021
I hope your New Year holiday is enjoyable and the coming year is much better than the one we are leaving behind.
Best wishes from Los Angeles.   // Timothy :: talk 

working on a new page

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hello jim, hope you are doing well. i am a beginner on wikipedia but i am auto correction user. i want to write an article on a ngo which is working very good in there respective field. a friend of mine wrote a article on that topic but it got deleted due to less third party source. can you suggest me something how to write an article which won't get deleted, also i have some credible third party source so i want to ask how can i mention them because they are external links. Devanshusharma569 (talk)devanshusharma569

Happy St. Patrick's Day

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I hope your St. Patrick's Day is enjoyable and safe. Hopefully next year there will be more festive celebrations.
Best wishes from Los Angeles.   // Timothy :: talk 

(personal attack removed)

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(Personal attack removed)

Request of Help on "Just the Facts" Tone

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Hi Jim,

I am very new to Wikipedia. I got your feedback on the draft article located under PhoCoHaNoi. Thanks so much for your comments. I would greatly appreciate if you would spare some valuable time to highlight those parts from the draft that I need to pay close attentions to regarding the aspect that you raised. I know it would be a long shot to ask if you would even consider providing specific examples by directly editing them on the draft.

Lastly, I still do not know on how to submit the revision for review. I do not see any obvious buttons or pull-down menus from the Sandbox setting that would be able to allow to submit the article for review.

Thank you so much.

PhoCoHaNoi

Hello, PhoCoHaNoi. I am not going to edit the draft myself, because I want this to be a learning exercise for you. Here are a few examples of unacceptable wording:
  • "celebrating the 73-year history of outstanding men and women"
  • "pioneering contributions"
  • "sustained leadership and strategic vision"
  • "Exceptional services to innovation ecosystem"
  • "stimulating small business innovation, meeting the Air Force and DoD R&D needs, broadening participation in innovation and entrepreneurship, and boosting commercialization"
  • " So, as Dr. Pham looked back now, he brought systems-theoretic science and control engineering principles, together with teamwork and interdisciplinary to bear fruition in solving warfighter engineering problems, various areas of specific focus for increased activities in space control autonomy and space domain awareness."
It is not the job of a Wikipedia editor (you) to praise a person. Every trace of this non-neutral language must be removed. A Wikipedia article should never say "Person A is great!" Instead, it should say "Reliable source C reports that Expert B says that Person A is great", along with a reference to Reliable source C.
As for how to submit your draft, I will explain that when the draft complies with the neutral point of view. Cullen328 Let's discuss it

Sending Messages to Other Editors

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Hi Jim. I will deeply appreciate anything that you can do to help. How can I find out about other editors and send them messages? I recently looked for an article about The Italian Coffee Company that I had read years ago. However, I could not find it. I believe that this article should be available. I am a new editor and I have a big learning curve ahead of me. Maybe you can post to my talk page. I am user Mojosa17. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Invitation to Local Wikimania Event in San Francisco this Friday

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Hi!

Wikimania is happening and hopefully you're enjoying the sessions. While it's fairly last minute, you're warmly invited to participate in the local Wikimania-themed meetup in the Wikimedia Foundation office this Friday (tomorrow!). You will have to register in advance, but we would love to see more people from the WikiSalon community participate! For more information and registration, please check out meta:Wikimania 2022/San Francisco Meetup.

The event will involve hacking, teaching, learning, and celebrating and we'll have snacks. We will have the opportunity to watch live sessions at Wikimania together in the afternoon. The rest of the day we'll have opportunity to participate in the hackathon, and we may have some on-demand workshops/learning sessions.

In case we run out of space, it's first-come-first-serve so let us know soon! Hope to see you there.

(Subscribe/Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

On behalf of the Bay Area Wiki Salon team and Bittakea, Effeietsanders

Debate to delete a Category

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You have been Notified because you were once involved in a similar discussion involving Founding Fathers.
There is a debate over whether to keep Category: Homes of United States Founding Fathers as a category. More opinions are needed. The discussion is located Here -- Gwillhickers (talk)

Question from Junkoh88 (23:58, 23 April 2025)

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Hi can you assist me (; I’m new I got everything rejected! --Junkoh88 (talk) 23:58, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Junkoh88. Wikipedia is a neutrally written encyclopedia. Self promotion is not permitted on Wikipedia, and trying to write an autobiography is almost never successful, especially when an editor knows almost nothing about how Wikipedia actually works. Please read and study Your first article to develop a better understanding. I recommend that you work on improving existing articles for a while, and if you decide to write a new article, select a topic that you personally have nothing to do with. If you are here only to promote yourself and your book series, there are other websites for that purpose. Cullen328 (talk) 00:40, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mentorship

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Greetings, thank you for your position against the rule of crowd in one of recent cases. I'm looking for a mentor and a friend to moderate my unfriendly approach in Wiki article discussions and to help, to teach me to approach other editors online in a more diplomatic way. Main areas of interest are current Rus-Ukr war and related topics. A TB will be issued soon on some of areas after the discussion at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents#Breakdown of BRD and potential Holocaust Revisionism at Roman Shukhevych , but the current war topic is probably even more contentious with some heated discussions as well. However greater number of active editors was letting me to step out of heat more often. My approach to editing is to rely on reliable, preferably academic sources, and to argument using their conclusions. I would consult some or many contested edits and contested discussions with the mentor, appreciating them to be a 3rd party and their advice. Other than that, I would also use a 3rd-party dispute resolution more often. Thank you for your volunteer work, and happy to hear your feedback. ManyAreasExpert (talk) 17:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Manyareasexpert. I do not understand what you are alluding to in your first sentence. It is always best to speak directly on Wikipedia. As for assisting you with editing regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, that it not a topic area where I have any expertise beyond what the daily newspapers report, and I have no interest in delving more deeply. It is too upsetting for me. Your likely topic ban will make it extremely difficult for you to contribute regarding that war. My suggestion is that you contribute in the Wikipedia language version in your first language, at least when it comes to contentious topics. I am always willing to provide you with advice as long as it does not require delving deeply into source material that I an not familiar with. Cullen328 (talk) 18:36, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, I was referring to this comment Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/IncidentArchive1185#c-Cullen328-20250409233300-Davidbena-20250409233000 . ManyAreasExpert (talk) 21:26, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, Manyareasexpert. I have interest in and a certain level of knowledge of Judaism, plus I own roughly 100 books in that topic area. The same is not true regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine. Cullen328 (talk) 02:10, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I see. I have lots of academic ebooks on Russia and Ukraine, although I haven't read all of them. ManyAreasExpert (talk) 07:47, 7 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

luna programme question (17:19, 24 April 2025)

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well, i am trying to edit a certain article and I, don't know if i can publish smthing that i am unsure if i can publish --Take2andRUN (talk) 17:19, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Take2andRUN. You will need to be much more specific if you want me to give you any useful advice. Which article? What sort of content do you want to publish? How familiar are you with Wikipedia's Policies and guidelines? Cullen328 (talk) 18:42, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
the articles of the soviet luna programme. especially the ones where there are least photos and i have a (prolly) good area Take2andRUN (talk) 01:46, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Take2andRUN, please be aware that Luna programme is semi-protected due to persistent vandalism. You can make a well-referenced, formal Edit request at Talk: Luna programme. Cullen328 (talk) 02:57, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
https://www.laspace.ru/en/ was the website for te items Take2andRUN (talk) 10:07, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
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Hi Cullen328, Thanks for your response (diff) at this Teahouse discussion about translation software. Indeed, MT is getting better, and indeed, it still makes errors, occasionally egregious ones which turn facts on their head. I have been troubled for some time by the weakness of our guidelines about the MT issue, and am on a slow roll to improve them, but I believe that will require some solid evidence of MT quality (especially the mistakes) to gain consensus for a strengthened guideline, as my impression is that casual observers, especially monolingual ones, believe the quality to be far better than it really is, or at least, that this level of serious error is a relic of the past. I worded my guideline goal a bit differently, but it very much aligns with your comment that "it is still necessary to have working competence in both languages". As it happens, I just started this discussion about gathering such evidence, and a worksheet at Help:Translation/Machine translation errors to record them. Your input would be most welcome any time. Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 08:53, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Mathglot. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and I am very interested in this topic. However, it is bedtime for me and I am exhausted. So, I will have to wait eight hours or so to delve into your work and make comments. Cullen328 (talk) 09:00, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Mathglot, I read the documents and I approve what you are doing. Although I have studied other languages (French, German and Latin), my proficiency is not adequate to be of much use to your project. If I see something that looks egregious to me, I will point it out to you. Cullen328 (talk) 16:36, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your response to my Teahouse thread

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Thank you for your response on my Teahouse thread, apologies I couldn't do this on the thread itself, but I am not active here and it got archived. Thx56 | Talk to me! 18:36, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

An AfD that needs administrator attention?

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Please see here, wherein oppose !voters have engaged in clear, disruptive personal attacks/aspersions/ABF (here, here, here, the edit summary here, and especially the statements here and here), and are seemingly trying to !vote multiple times. The most senior of the personal attackers was previously blocked by you for similarly disruptive behavior. I made a good faith attempt to stem that editor's attacks here, but apparently that effort was "harming the project." Somewhat ironically the article in question seems to merit keeping, but the personal attacks need to stop, and stay stopped. Thanks for your help. JoJo Anthrax (talk) 18:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

JoJo Anthrax, I am going to decline to get involved in that AfD and the associated behavior. To be frank, I think that the nominator is being unnecessarily inflammatory in their wording of AfD nominations in this topic area, which has led to an escalation of emotions and bad feelings. Phrasing such as "UFO club run by enthusiast Garry Nolan" and "outfit" are unnecessary in this AfD, and similar phrasing at the Harald Malmgren AfD such as "The late Harald Malmgren has catapulted to awareness in the wild corners of the internet populated by UFO enthusiasts due to his whacky claims about marauding space aliens" was similarly unhelpful. A dry, neutral "just the facts" analysis by nominators is far more productive than emotive mockery, as I see things. Cullen328 (talk) 18:35, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I had written a longer response, but upon reflection I see it would simply be a waste of your time. I do thank you for responding. JoJo Anthrax (talk) 19:29, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
You've piqued my curiosity, JoJo Anthrax. Cullen328 (talk) 21:58, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Valorrr

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Hi Cullen. I saw your response to Valorrr after they’d made some confused responses to Teahouse questions, and while I agree that they are not ready to be a Teahouse host and that their answers created more confusion than help, I think that your message here was overly harsh. They’re a newer user who is clearly in good faith and has difficulties with communication (which they have now clarified is due to a disability) and I really think a gentler first message would have been a lot more effective. -- NotCharizard 🗨 04:19, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Notcharizard, I said nothing about their disability because I knew nothing about their disability. I explained in detail what was incorrect about their repeated comments in that Teahouse thread. As you can see by reading that conversation, two other editors pointed out the actual issue and Valorrr just plowed ahead on the wrong path anyway. Had they not ignored input from those two editors, and had they not gone ahead and said incorrect things about the issue on the article talk page and the user talk pages of ten different editors who they tried to pull into that discussion about a non-issue, perhaps I would have been less firm in my message to them, or not commented at all. They then went to WP:RFPP to ask that Mike Waltz be protected, writing Violations of the biographies of living persons policy. Current event, and most auto-confirmed users are adding an unreliable source to a BLP, Assuming that someone is appointed to congress, without an official Whitehouse post. "Appointed to Congress"? That is a complete misunderstanding of the factual matter. And then they filed a silly complaint about me at the Bureaucrats noticeboard which got swiftly declined. They have made 371 edits so far in May, which concerns me. I would spot check them, but then I might get accused of hounding a disabled person. Perhaps you can take a closer look instead. But I am convinced that they are unprepared to function as a Teahouse host at this time. Cullen328 (talk) 05:37, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
You have misunderstood me; I was not defending Valorrr, and I am not at all interested in the Mike Waltz article. I was only asking that in future you are be more thoughtful with your words, as people who you deem “incompetent” may have be people with disabilities who are acting in good faith, and a gentle message on their talk page is a better option that being aggressive.
Your response to me here is oddly argumentative considering all I asked for was empathy, and I am disappointed as I admire your work at the Teahouse. Saying “I would spot check them, but then I might get accused of hounding a disabled person” is a concerning thing to say. Please do better. -- NotCharizard 🗨 06:58, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Notcharizard, in my view, stating the facts frankly and politely is not being aggressive. I am not obligated to speculate that any editor who edits problematically may possibly be disabled when I interact with them. My wife of 43 years has been disabled since childhood. My 35 year old son has been disabled since birth. I deal with disability issues every single day. I expect their best and no more from disabled people. Exactly as I do for everyone. As for empathy, I have no problem at all with this editor contributing in areas where they are able to do so without entirely misunderstanding an issue and forging on, even after being told by other editors that they misunderstood. Bravo to this editor for editing productively within their current level of skills and experience. Cullen328 (talk) 07:31, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
“I'm not racist, I have black friends” is not helpful. Looking at your talk page, I can see multiple concerns about civility and I think it is really worth taking some time to reflect on your communication style without getting defensive. It will help both yourself and others. -- NotCharizard 🗨 07:43, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Notcharizard, you are now comparing my decades long day to day loving relationships with my real wife and my real son to imaginary or exaggerated "black friends"? And you choose to accuse me of incivility? Take a look in the mirror. Being an administrator truly is a "you can't win for losing" unpaid job, but somehow I am still proud to do it despite the pot shots. Cullen328 (talk) 08:42, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Jim, please. I am not trying to insult you. I am genuinely asking you to be self-reflective and aware that the way you communicate can be upsetting and scary. -- NotCharizard 🗨 08:45, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Not trying to insult me, Notcharizard? Well, you are doing a damned fine job of it anyway. Cullen328 (talk) 08:48, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

ANI

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Information icon There is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. -- NotCharizard 🗨 08:57, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Since the ANI thread got closed

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I didn't write this at the ANI thread, but here's what I have to say. Your communication style is to be clear and direct. In my experience, that is interpreted as rudeness by people that are not used to or prepared to receive such feedback. It would be better with newer editors to focus more on improvement and actions. To take this quote:

You categorize yourself as a Teahouse host on your userpage. You lack the experience and the competence and the English language fluency to be a Teahouse host at this time.

This is direct. I would greatly appreciate someone cutting the BS and telling me this. Someone not knowledgeable about Wikipedia's policies isn't familiar with our culture of giving such feedback and will take that to be insulting. Phrasing that's more palatable to most people is:

You should get more experience with our policies and the meaning of them before being a Teahouse host.

The impact of your original phrasing is that Valorrr became defensive and decided that your feedback related to an immutable personal characteristic of theirs (having autism). Valorrr fixated on that and decided they were unable to ever become an effective Teahouse host. This is irrational. It's also a common response to non-growth minded feedback. Chess (talk) (please mention me on reply) 07:10, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Chess. I appreciate the friendly and thoughtful tone of your message. I am going to make an effort to be gentler and kinder in such circumstances while retaining the firmness that I think is necessary in dealing with such problems as an administrator.
I would like to point out a couple of things in response. First of all, I was unaware that Valorr claimed to be autistic until after I made my comment on their talk page. I could be wrong but I do not believe they had ever said that previously on Wikipedia. I perceived that their poor input at the Teahouse was due to lack of experience and possibly lack of a necessary level of English language fluency, both of which can be improved over the course of a few months of work outside of being a Teahouse host. That is what I had hoped for. Also, if Valorrr's problems are actually "immutable" (and I am not sure that they are), then they will probably never make a good Teahouse host. They have subsequently said that their idiosyncratic language style is a result of their autism rather than English not being their first language. I accept that possibility and regret making an incorrect assumption about that.
One thing that your alternate wording does not convey is that Valorrr made factual errors about substantive content matters as well. Valorr thought that Waltz had been appointed to Congress when actually he had been appointed as US Ambassador to the United Nations. I won't mention the lesser factual errors. I certainly do not expect every editor to be familiar with US political offices, but if they aren't familiar, they should refrain from commenting about the details of such content while saying that they are a Teahouse host. I am among the most experienced of Teahouse hosts with over 12,000 edits there. But if an editor asked a question about an article about an advanced topic in subatomic physics, I would not make a fool out of myself by pretending to understand concepts in that field that I do not understand. I know what sort of things I do not know.
I and other experienced Teahouse hosts have run across this type of problem a number of times in the past. A new Teahouse host will repeatedly give inaccurate and misleading answers, all in good faith, because of their lack of experience and inability to perceive appropriate boundaries. Someone will make a gentle criticism and the new host will continue on their merry way giving bad advice. It only stops when forceful formal warnings and sometimes blocks are issued. It is a conundrum. Cullen328 (talk) 07:48, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A beer for you!

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I think you need this. Polygnotus (talk) 14:21, 5 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You've got mail

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Hello, Cullen328. Please check your email; you've got mail!
It may take a few minutes from the time the email is sent for it to show up in your inbox. You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{You've got mail}} or {{ygm}} template. Doug Weller talk 09:07, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from SPV6751269 (13:15, 6 May 2025)

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Hello, i want to ask something, when i was an "ip address accountless editor" i made multiple spelling edits, so would that count in my account? --SPV6751269 (talk) 13:15, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, SPV6751269. No, there is no way to connect the edits of an IP address with a registered account without violating anonymity. You can make a note on your user page that you previously made minor edits as an IP. Cullen328 (talk) 18:12, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Administrators' newsletter – May 2025

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News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2025).

Administrator changes

added Rusalkii
readded NaomiAmethyst (overlooked last month)
removed

Interface administrator changes

removed Galobtter

Guideline and policy news

Miscellaneous

Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 15:01, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Michael Thadou (16:23, 6 May 2025)

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Hi Sir, How do I create a new page? --Michael Thadou (talk) 16:23, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Michael Thadou. Please read Your first article. Cullen328 (talk) 18:14, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Ok. Thanks. Michael Thadou (talk) 18:52, 6 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Alabare Communications (15:15, 8 May 2025)

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Hi - I recently joined the charity Alabaré. It's a registered UK charity (founded in 1991) that provides safe, secure supported housing and care to the homeless, veterans, young people, those with mental health challenges and people with learning disabilities. A recent audit identified that it's lack of a wikipedia page was holding it back. I created a page that has subsequently been deleted. Can you guide me on what I need to do to ensure this follows Wikipedia's policy? --Alabare Communications (talk) 15:15, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Alabare Communications. I see that you have been blocked for a username violation and for promotional editing. So, you will need to appeal your block. Wikipedia does not permit usernames that are the names of organizations. A Wikipedia account is for one individual person. You also tried to draft an article on your userpage. The purpose of a userpage is to describe the individual person and their plans as an editor. It is also the place to disclose your conflicts of interest and your paid status if you are on the staff of the charity. The proper process for you to draft an article is called Articles for creation. Your deleted draft was written in the organization's voice, as if it was a brochure or website for the charity. It relied heavily on references to the charity website. None of that is acceptable. An acceptable Wikipedia article will summarize and reference significant coverage published in reliable sources that are fully independent of the charity. Please read the Neutral point of view and Your first article. In your appeal, explain that you made mistakes in good faith and make a clear pledge to follow Wikipedia's Policies and guidelines in the future. Good luck. Cullen328 (talk) 16:35, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from ForeverBetter (17:12, 8 May 2025)

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Hi Cullen. I want to use the Draft function in the following way. Rather than produce a draft from scratch, I want the draft's starting point to be an existing article, such as the Ethics article. Can that be done? --ForeverBetter (talk) 17:12, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, ForeverBetter. That is not the purpose of draft space, which is to draft new articles. You can use your personal sandbox space to draft new content for existing articles. As for Ethics, it is not a good idea in almost all cases to do a dramatic rewrite of an article that many editors have contributed to over 24 years. Perhaps you should describe your plans for the article at Talk:Ethics first. Cullen328 (talk) 22:42, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Ah I see, thank you. I have pasted the article into my userpage and I'll work there.
I understand your concern about randos and newbies coming in and shaking up the place, but I have a PhD in philosophy from a top program, and am a professional philosopher and ethicist. I don't intend to dramatically rewrite the article. However, the article can be substantially improved in many places.
The article's organization is decent and I don't see many factual errors, if any. The section on cogntivism and non-cognitivism is especially good, but this is because there is a tremendous amount of unanimity among philosophers about how those positions are to be formulated, and thus they are presented everywhere in a standardized way. The article accurately recapitulates that presentation.
The article presents few examples which help the reader grasp the basic concepts of ethics, concepts which they are likely encountering for the first time, such as 'intrinsic value'. Shockingly, I do not see a quotation of G.E. Moore, whose discussion of intrinsic value has profoundly shaped all later discussions on the topic.
The discussion of ethical theories mentions only the big three (deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics), while relegating contractualism to an 'Other' section. But contractualism has been receiving a tremendous amount of scholarly attention for the last two decades, and is considered by many to be a serious contender for the truth. It should not be relegated to the 'Other' section, which in all honesty is just a grab bag of views that writers didn't know how to categorize.
Divine command theory (DCT) is listed under that same heading, but this is by far the most historically influential ethical theory, though contemporary philosophers almost unanimously reject it. And finally, we should not take for granted that contractualism and DCT are ethical theories at all--DCT can be construed as a meta-ethical view about the nature of wrongness, and contractualism is hard to categorize, with some versions being ethical theories properly speaking and others being meta-ethical theories. The article as it's written ignores these rich complications.
Finally, the article mentions very few if any contemporary Western proponents of the views presented. The way that philosophical views have been developed to meet the most obvious objections against them is totally absent but always illuminating. This issue can be resolved easily by adding sentences which show how the historical development of the view was shaped by these objections. I might put in something like: 'Many scholars views Sidgwick's rule utilitarianism as a direct response to this objection. This is especially apparent in bk. 4 of The Methods of Ethics, where Sidgwick writes...Sidgwick's views on this subject clearly influence even contemporary consequentialists such as Al, Bob, and Cole.
You get the picture. Anyway, thank you for pointing me to the talk page and to my userpage. ForeverBetter (talk) 23:45, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
ForeverBetter, this is precisely the type of commentary that belongs at Talk: Ethics instead of my talk page since I lack the expertise to respond regarding the content issues you have raised. You may find some useful advice at Wikipedia:Expert editors. Cullen328 (talk) 00:19, 9 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
ForeverBetter, I see that you are trying to work on content on your user page. I had suggested your user sandbox page. The purpose of your user page is to tell other editors about you and your plans as a Wikipedia editor. Cullen328 (talk) 00:25, 9 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I found the sandbox, and have moved the content from my userpage to the sandbox. Thanks again for your help in this. ForeverBetter (talk) 00:30, 9 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Feedback request: Biographies request for comment

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Your feedback is requested at Talk:Pope Leo XIV/RFC: Date format on a "Biographies" request for comment. Thank you for helping out!
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Question from ColtenGreen (06:18, 12 May 2025)

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How do I create new articles? --ColtenGreen (talk) 06:18, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, ColtenGreen. Please read and study Your first article. It is a good idea for new editors to get some experience improving existing articles before taking on the challengeof writing a new article. Cullen328 (talk) 06:36, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from T. Senye (20:49, 12 May 2025)

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Hello AlphaBetaGamma. How do i create citation? --T. Senye (talk) 20:49, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, T. Senye. I am Cullen328 not AlphaBetaGamma. Please read Referencing for beginners. Cullen328 (talk) 22:06, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

May music

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story · music · places

check my talk today for two pics of Margot Friedländer --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:52, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Gerda Arendt. I heard about her death a few days ago. Cullen328 (talk) 22:10, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I nominated her for RD as soon as I heard it, surprised that nobody else had done it. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:14, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I am not very much involved with the main page, Gerda Arendt, but I appreciate the work of the editors who are. Cullen328 (talk) 23:31, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't expect you to enter it there, but someone. It felt like an undeserved honour. - Now one pic was replaced by one of May Abrahamse (with uncertain licensing), and Vakhtang Machavariani is nominated (last day today). --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:59, 13 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Duckydude87 (07:44, 14 May 2025)

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My account is more than 4 days old and I've made over 10 edits, why isn't the move button appearing for me? I'm trying to move a draft to the mainspace. --Duckydude87 (talk) 07:45, 14 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Duckydude87. Four days means a full 96 hours. You registered your account at 2025-05-10 23:57 (UTC) and will be eligible to move drafts at 2025-05-14 23:57 (UTC). So, you have a little less than 16 hours to go. Cullen328 (talk) 08:12, 14 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

MOS:POSTNOM has an RfC

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MOS:POSTNOM has an RfC for possible consensus. A discussion is taking place. If you would like to participate in the discussion, you are invited to add your comments on the discussion page. Thank you. Ed [talk] [OMT] 18:25, 14 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

About that racist vandal...

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It's looking like you may have to revoke access to their talk page... for... reasons shown here. elm she/they (ARF! | pugmarks) 03:43, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Cedelmwood.  Done. Cullen328 (talk) 04:18, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Sure thing. elm she/they (ARF! | pugmarks) 04:20, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Capapapaapa (13:34, 15 May 2025)

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Hi, I have a question. How can I link any page in a Wiki? Thanks! --Capapapaapa (talk) 13:34, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Capapapaapa. In the source code, add two square brackets immediately before the precise page title, and two square brackets immediately after. Read Help: Wikilink for complete details. I am not familiar with the visual editor. Cullen328 (talk) 17:57, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Erhard

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Hiya! What do you think about the article Werner Erhard? Is it OK in its current state?

I know little about this guy, other than what I've read because of the various onwiki disputes. Polygnotus (talk) 18:38, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe I should ask a more precise question because this article is very long. In parts I feel it is decent, other parts are bad. I'll be back. Polygnotus (talk) 19:01, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Polygnotus, I will be off Wikipedia for several hours, so we can discuss this and related articles later. Cullen328 (talk) 20:52, 15 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Reading the newspaper

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Nice to see you've found a good home for that photo! Wouldn't want it to get lost among the guildines. — ClaudineChionh (she/her · talk · email · global) 12:48, 16 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for noticing, ClaudineChionh. I liked the photo and when I checked it out, I noticed that it is a Featured picture on Commons. I hope that nobody will think that I read Hindi. As for that essay, I think that WP:CIR applies. Cullen328 (talk) 17:09, 16 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Mischumerritt (23:20, 16 May 2025)

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Hi, Thanks for being my mentor! I made an edit to add scans of the letter by Oscar Fitzalan Harmon mentioned on the page https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=125th_Illinois_Infantry_Regiment Happy to get feedback on appropriateness, etc.

...I have about scans of about 400 of the letters he wrote home during the Civil War campaign, and a scan of the privately published "Life and Letters of Oscar Fitzalan Harmon" edited by his daughter. I welcome advice! Best regards, Michael --Mischumerritt (talk) 23:20, 16 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Mischumerritt. This is your only edit to the English Wikipedia. I see that you uploaded some documents to Wikimedia Commons. That is a separate project with its own inclusion criteria and its own policies and guidelines. You will have to ask there about this particular matter. I can assist you with editing the encyclopedia. Wikisource may be the best project for hosting this type of material. I do not know for sure because I am not active there. Good luck. Cullen328 (talk) 00:55, 17 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Could you perhaps suggest how I might inquire with whom? Alas I am not skilled in the art…. 2601:84:8700:5D50:8DB0:8280:173:1C79 (talk) 01:19, 17 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Is this Mischumerritt editing logged out? If so, please log in to edit. I have no experience with Wikisource so you should read their home page carefully. Here is a directory of help resources on Wikimedia Commons. Cullen328 (talk) 02:04, 17 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Bourdierd (17:04, 19 May 2025)

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hello, I would like to publish a biography of my son in wikipedia --Bourdierd (talk) 17:04, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Bourdierd. I assume that your statement has to do with your edit to Sidi Mansour (song). I am sorry, but what you wrote was in the wrong location, highly promotional and unreferenced. That's three policy violations. I consider it highly unlikely that a nine year old athlete would be eligible for a Wikipedia article. Please read WP:NFOOTY and Your first article. Cullen328 (talk) 17:37, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
yes, sorry for my mistake Bourdierd (talk) 20:10, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Mpilontle Mabuke (10:29, 20 May 2025)

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Hi, are there any tips you could give me on editing --Mpilontle Mabuke (talk) 10:29, 20 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Mpilontle Mabuke. Our role as Wikipedia editors is to accurately and neutrally summarize what the full range of reliable, independent sources say about a topic. Cullen328 (talk) 17:05, 20 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Okay. Understood 105.0.6.195 (talk) 17:07, 20 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Please log in to edit, Mpilontle Mabuke. Cullen328 (talk) 17:13, 20 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Shannonbryn (13:05, 22 May 2025)

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Hi Cullen328, I was editing a wikipedia page for which I might be categorized as a conflict of interest, and a friend later warned me that this is not acceptable so I reverted the changes as I didn't want to jeopardize the page. However, the minor edits (about 500 characters total) still need to be made as they are updates to outdated references on the page. Can you give me advice on how to contact someone who might assess the requested changes and make them? --Shannonbryn (talk) 13:05, 22 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Shannonbryn. I assume that this is about Shannon B. Olsson. There are a few things that you should do. First, click on your signature which is now red, type in the editing box to disclose your conflict of interest, and then click the blue "Publish page" box. Then, read about how to create a formal edit request. Then, make your formal edit request at Talk: Shannon B. Olsson. If you are unable to resolve the issue within a couple of days, come back here to my talk page and I will assist you further. Thank you for doing your best to resolve this the right way. Cullen328 (talk) 16:14, 22 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you @Cullen328, I will study these materials and go forward. I am hopeful that these minor edits might get made by an impartial third party. I appreciate your help. Shannonbryn (talk) 07:53, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Ochediameh (14:23, 22 May 2025)

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How do I edit on Wikipedia --Ochediameh (talk) 14:23, 22 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Ochediameh. Help: Editing is a good introduction. Please avoid making major changes to articles until you know what you are doing a little bit better. Cullen328 (talk) 16:30, 22 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]