User talk:Peteforsyth/Archive 10

This is an archive of past discussions about User:Peteforsyth. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

←

→

Some thoughts

Hi, Pete - I know you're a very busy man and I wanted to stop by to say thank you again for your words of encouragement at WP:Project Accuracy (WPA). I have received some very thoughtful input and while experience has taught me to utilize productive criticism, I haven't yet perfected a proper response to the other kind, but I'm trying. I came across the Britannica entry about Wikipedia, and the following gave me pause (my bold underline): Although some highly publicized problems have called attention to Wikipedia’s editorial process, they have done little to dampen public use of the resource, which is one of the most-visited sites on the Internet. And then there's this: which leads to this: [https://www.technologyreview.com/s/534616/computational-linguistics-reveals-how-wikipedia-articles-are-biased-against-women/. I think the "highly publicized problems" are catching up to us which is why I introduced WPA.

I had a good discussion this morning with WMF staff about ways to best achieve our project goals and acquire the potential funding that will help make it happen. But before I move forward, I need both help and support from editors who share the same vision and who at least understand what I'm actually proposing. I realize the project will involve a great deal of dedication, time and effort; a thankless job in the beginning but with great potential to be highly rewarding after the dust settles.

Would you consider becoming one of 5 or 7 primary project coordinators (PPC) whose job may include (and hopefully be paid via the grant) all or some of the following:

outreach efforts to recruit qualified WP editors to serve on the editorial review board (ERB),
help secure off-Wiki academics/experts/professionals also willing to serve on the ERB;
collaborate with various project teams to assemble FAs for review, and help coordinate an ERB best suited for reviewing the articles;
initially help with the project's site design, or help line-up experienced design people we can hire;

A balanced mix of reviewers will comprise the ERB - possibly 50 to 100 we can draw from - including academics, writers with RW experience in public dissemination who can translate highly specified jargon for the general public, experts in the areas relevant to the articles they'll be reviewing, and so forth. The PPC will coordinate the reviews and collaborate with the project teams (or individuals) who submit the FAs for promotion. I also have plans for "promotion drives" that will offer prizes (either monetary or product or both). Look forward to your response. ^{Atsme📞📧} 19:08, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

Hi Atsme, thank you for the information and the invitation. I agree very much that there are significant problems with Wikipedia, and that they should be addressed. My work (both professional and as a volunteer) is very much aimed at addressing those problems. And I am glad to see others working to address them as well. While I am happy to offer words of encouragement, joining an editorial board is a major step (both in terms of my time commitment and in terms of attaching my own reputation with that of a project). Thus far, I am not confident that the structure of your project is likely to lead to significant success. It is certainly possible, and I very much hope that you will do great things; but at the moment, I am not prepared to join your project as a formal member. Thank you, though, for the invitation; I am honored that you would consider me. -Pete (talk) 23:42, 4 April 2016 (UTC)

File:William Chester Minor.jpg

Hi Pete,

may you please move the file to Commons? It's now URAA-safe (2016-95 = 1921).--Kopiersperre (talk) 21:52, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

Hi Kopiersperre, I tried (using http://tools.wmflabs.org/commonshelper), but it didn't work because the file already existed on Commons and was deleted. I think the better thing is to find a Commons administrator to simply undelete that copy (and make any needed updates to the PD templates, etc.) If you'd like me to find somebody let me know, I can help but maybe not for a few days. Thanks for your attention to this detail -- it's a great photo to have widely accessible. -Pete (talk) 22:03, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

Keep an eye

Could you please keep an eye on this? - 2001:558:1400:10:1524:BCDC:B355:7DDD (talk) 15:58, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

Racosch Sàrl

I looked at their edits when that article posted and was ... not surprised. They edit like paid editors (bad sourcing or no sourcing, promotional, no negatives about their clients) and they edit directly. Not how we do things in en-Wiki. I understand other projects have different approaches to things. The articles they have edited in en-Wiki are on my todo list. It will take time.

So to clarify "promotional" - it is something that different people understand differently. There is overtly promotional language which would be "Debiopharm is a biotech company that has succeeded in executing on the in-license-develop-flip business model better than any company in history." They don't do that. The kinds of promotional editing that I often deal with are: a) an article exists that shouldn't (the goal was to get a WP article at all); b) detail is included that no one cares about (like the sponsorships stuff that was in the Debiopharm article - that is pure PR); and c) abuse of Wikipedia as a webhost with trivial updates, crystalball stuff, and upcoming events. All of that is part of what Wikipedia is WP:NOT - its not enduring, encyclopedic content, and is promotional at the end of the day. Jytdog (talk) 18:59, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for clarifying, Jytdog. I agree with all that, and it's a useful analysis. My comment on the Debiopharm talk page was intended to highlight the factual stuff about their approach that can't be argued with...I want to be sure that's visible. You're right, "promotional" means different things to different people, in different contexts. I have no problem with discussing the promotional aspects of the content, just didn't want to lose track of the behavioral practices in the process. -Pete (talk) 19:14, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

	The Teamwork Barnstar
	Thank you for teaching #Nueva how to be good wiki stewards and contributors!! 01Jape (talk) 20:05, 14 May 2016 (UTC)

File:William Chester Minor.jpg listed for discussion

A file that you uploaded or altered, File:William Chester Minor.jpg, has been listed at Wikipedia:Files for discussion. Please see the discussion to see why it has been listed (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry). Feel free to add your opinion on the matter below the nomination. Thank you. Sfan00 IMG (talk) 16:43, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

Invitation to the Bay Area WikiSalon series, Wednesday, June 29

Please join us in downtown San Francisco!

The last Wednesday evening of every month, wiki enthusiasts gather at Bay Area WikiSalon to collaborate, mingle, and learn about new projects and ideas.

We make sure to allow time for informal conversation and working on articles. Newcomers and experienced wiki users are encouraged to attend. Free Wi-Fi is available so bring your editing devices. We will have beverages and light snacks. We will also have:

A brief report on Pride edit-a-thon recently held at the San Francisco Publice Library, coordinated by Merrilee:
What topics might we cover in a follow up?

Find out more about resources your public library provides to help with editing (hint, it's more than just books!)

Special announcement (secret for now but come and find out more!)
Join in on an in person Wikidojo!
Are you curious how your peers approach writing a Wikipedia article? This exercise, pioneered by Wikipedians Nikola Kalchev and Vassia Atanassova in 2015 and conducted in many places around the world, will help us all - from first-time wiki users to veteran Wikipedians - share ideas, while building an article together. If you have ideas (relating to Bay Area history, ideally) about a new article we could build (stubs and short existing articles are fine), please submit them ahead of time to coordinator Pete Forsyth. (User talk page or email is fine.)

Announcements and impromptu topics are welcome, too!

Please note: You must register here, and bring a photo ID that matches your registration name. The building policy is strict.

For further details, see: Wikipedia:Bay Area WikiSalon, June 2016

See you soon! Pete F, Ben, Stephen and Checkingfax | (Subscribe or Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 10:07, 19 June 2016 (UTC)

REMINDER/invitation to the Bay Area WikiSalon series, Wednesday, June 29 at 6 p.m.

Please join us in downtown San Francisco tonight!

If you cannot join in person or want to view portions later:

We will have:

Light snacks, and time to mingle
A brief report on the Pride edit-a-thon recently held at the San Francisco Public Library, that was coordinated by Wiki editor Merrilee
A special announcement (secret for now but come and find out more!)
Join in on a brief in person Wikidojo!
Announcements and impromptu topics are welcome, too!

Please register at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cjLRrSTlEkGOPTQ-h6A0WvSFI4ZmIUl6jEHp_RYas-E/viewform and bring a photo ID that matches your registration name. The building policy is strict.

For further details, see: Bay Area WikiSalon, June 2016

See you tonight! Pete F, Ben, Stephen and MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 15:48, 29 June 2016 (UTC) | (Subscribe or Unsubscribe to this talk page notice)

Late breaking invitation to the Bay Area WikiSalon series, July 27 (Wednesday) - change of venue - tonight

Please join us in the Mission at Noisebridge (one time change of venue)!

We hope you can join us today, Wednesday, from 6 p.m. on, at our July Bay Area WikiSalon. This month only, we are going to be at Noisebridge, a hackerspace/makerspace 1.5 blocks from the 16th & Mission BART station (see the link for directions). Some of us will be working on the Wikipedia article on basic income. All info here. Some good news - we do not have to be as strict about advance RSVP at Noisebridge, so bring spontaneous guests! (Registering ahead of time is still helpful, as always, as it will help us plan ahead.)

Come and hang out, have some light snacks. Wi-Fi is available, so please bring your editing device if you plan to edit.

Also, Pete just published a writeup of the Wikidojo exercise we did last month. Your comments welcome, if he missed anything! http://wikistrategies.net/ghost-town-royals-wikidojo

The last Wednesday evening of every month, wiki enthusiasts gather at Bay Area WikiSalon to collaborate, mingle, and learn about new projects and ideas. Mark you calendars now.

We allow time for informal conversation and working on articles. Newcomers and experienced wiki users are encouraged to attend.

See you soon! Pete F, Ben Creasy, Stephen and Wayne | (Subscribe/Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 17:05, 27 July 2016 (UTC)

File:2008 polling bo rg.png listed for discussion

A file that you uploaded or altered, File:2008 polling bo rg.png, has been listed at Wikipedia:Files for discussion. Please see the discussion to see why it has been listed (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry). Feel free to add your opinion on the matter below the nomination. Thank you. Sfan00 IMG (talk) 11:15, 30 July 2016 (UTC)

Wikiversity Journal of Medicine, an open access peer reviewed journal with no charges, invites you to participate.

Did you know about Wikiversity Journal of Medicine? It is an open access, peer reviewed medical journal, with no publication charges. We welcome you to have a look. Feel free to participate.

You can participate in any one or more of the following ways:

Publish an article to the journal.
Sign up as a peer reviewer of potential upcoming articles. If you do not have expertise in these subjects, you can help in finding peer reviewers for current submissions.
Sign up as an editor, and help out in open tasks.
Outreach to potential contributors, with can include (but is not limited to) scholars and health professionals. In any mention of Wikiversity Journal of Medicine, there may be a reference to this Contribute-page. Example presentation about the journal.
Add a post-publication review of an existing publication. If errors are found, there are guidelines for editing published works.
Apply to become the treasurer of the journal
Join the editorial board.
Share your ideas of what the journal would be like in the future as separate Wikimedia project.
Donate to Wikimedia Foundation.
Translate journal pages into other languages. Wikiversity currently exists in the following other languages
- Ceština, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, 한국어, Português, Slovenšcina, Suomi, Svenska, Ελληνικά, Русский, العربية, 日本語
Sign up to get emails related to the journal, which are sent to updateswijoumed.org. If you want to receive these emails too, state your interest at the talk page, or contact the Editor-in-chief at haggstrom.mikaelwikiversityjournal.org.
Spread the word to anyone who could be interested or could benefit from it.

The future of this journal as a separate Wikimedia project is under discussion and the name can be changed suitably. Currently a voting for the same is underway. Please cast your vote in the name you find most suitable. We would be glad to receive further suggestions from you. It is also acceptable to mention your votes in the wide-reachwikiversityjournal.org email list. Please note that the voting closes on 16th August, 2016, unless protracted by consensus, due to any reason.

-from Diptanshu.D (talk · contribs · count) and others of the Editorial Board, Wikiversity Journal of Medicine.

Diptanshu^Talk 10:00, 7 August 2016 (UTC)

Congrats

Congrats on the new co-editor-in-chief job! BTW, I'm living back in Oakland again (after traveling most of last year). We should grab a drink some time! Kaldari (talk) 16:39, 11 August 2016 (UTC)

Hey there Kaldari, sorry for the slow reply. I've actually moved north myself...seems we are out of step! Hopefully I'll catch you on a visit soon though. -Pete (talk) 23:13, 14 August 2016 (UTC)

PEAT

English Wikipedia Indian community won a trophy in Punjab edit-a-thon where more than 10 communities participated (discussion). Can you make a signpost post on it? I'll provide all needed details. Regards. --Tito Dutta (talk) 19:24, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

Thanks Titodutta, yes, Ravidreams alerted me to that, but it was too late to weave it into this week's coverage. Certainly worth circling back to. I'm not ready to start on the next issue yet, but if you can start assembling details, that would be a big help. Much appreciated! Pinging Jayen466 and Tony1 so you're in the loop. -Pete (talk) 19:37, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

Titodutta Depending what else we end up covering, we might need to put it in "In brief" -- so think about what are the most vital details to include, you might not want to put the effort into a more substantial piece unless we let you know we can run it. -Pete (talk) 19:41, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

Sure, I'll do it. Thanks for your quick reply. --Tito Dutta (talk) 19:42, 18 August 2016 (UTC)

My Google Books thing

I'm really not sure what technicalities or whatever there are for the Signpost. Will it be you trying to summarize what I've done, or were you asking for my opinion and help when you commented on it on the Resource Request section? Sorry for my complete lack of any idea, I generally stick to the adding side of the wiki, rarely anything else. IJReid ^discuss 15:52, 20 August 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for the reply IJReid, I don't have a clear idea yet, but will ruminate and get back to you shortly. -Pete (talk) 17:54, 20 August 2016 (UTC)

Invitation to the Bay Area WikiSalon series, Wednesday, August 31

Please join us in downtown San Francisco!

Hi folks,

We would like to invite you to this month's Bay Area WikiSalon. The last Wednesday evening of every month, wiki enthusiasts gather to collaborate, mingle, and learn about new projects and ideas.

Former EFF intern Marta Belcher will discuss crowdsourcing her Stanford Law School graduation speech using a wiki. The "WikiSpeech" was the subject of prominent national media attention in 2015, and more than half of her classmates contributed to writing and editing the commencement address via a wiki.

Please note: You should register here, and bring a photo ID that matches your registration name. The building policy is strict on the I.D. part. This also helps us figure out how much food and drink to bring in! Feel free to stop by even if only to say a quick hello, but you might have to give us a last minute call if you forget to RSVP. Also, don't be shy about hitting us up if you have thoughts on speakers or wiki-related activities.

For further details, see: Wikipedia:Bay Area WikiSalon, August 2016

See you soon! Pete F, Ben, Stephen and Checkingfax | (Subscribe or Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 21:05, 29 August 2016 (UTC)

RfC: Protect user pages by default

A request for comment is available on protecting user pages by default from edits by anonymous and new users. I am notifying you because you commented on this proposal when it was either in idea or draft form. Funcrunch (talk) 17:33, 31 August 2016 (UTC)

Tonight: Live and archived links for Bay Area WikiSalon

Bay Area WikiSalon, Wednesday, August 31:

If you cannot join us in person tonight, we are streaming (and later archiving) the presentation by former EFF intern Marta Belcher. We expect her to be live starting between 6:30 or 6:45 p.m. PDT and talking and taking questions for about 30 minutes thereafter.

Here is the YouTube stream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t8V79s2-og
Here is the link to join the Hangout on Air: https://hangouts.google.com/call/ezrol7dafjfwxfh2ilpkjyxoaue

You can search for it on the Commons and YouTube later too.

Wayne, Pete, Ben, and Stephen

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 22:50, 31 August 2016 (UTC)

Books & Bytes - Issue 18

The Wikipedia Library

Books & Bytes
Issue 18, June–July 2016
by The Interior (talk · contribs), Ocaasi, Samwalton9, UY Scuti, and Sadads

New donations - Edinburgh University Press, American Psychological Association, Nomos (a German-language database), and more!
Spotlight: GLAM and Wikidata
TWL attends and presents at International Federation of Library Associations conference, meets with Association of Research Libraries
OCLC wins grant to train librarians on Wikimedia contribution

Read the full newsletter

The Interior via MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 23:25, 31 August 2016 (UTC)

Extended confirmed protection

Hello, Peteforsyth. This message is intended to notify administrators of important changes to the protection policy.

Extended confirmed protection (also known as "30/500 protection") is a new level of page protection that only allows edits from accounts at least 30 days old and with 500 edits. The automatically assigned "extended confirmed" user right was created for this purpose. The protection level was created following this community discussion with the primary intention of enforcing various arbitration remedies that prohibited editors under the "30 days/500 edits" threshold to edit certain topic areas.

In July and August 2016, a request for comment established consensus for community use of the new protection level. Administrators are authorized to apply extended confirmed protection to combat any form of disruption (e.g. vandalism, sock puppetry, edit warring, etc.) on any topic, subject to the following conditions:

Extended confirmed protection may only be used in cases where semi-protection has proven ineffective. It should not be used as a first resort.
A bot will post a notification at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard of each use. MusikBot currently does this by updating a report, which is transcluded onto the noticeboard.

Please review the protection policy carefully before using this new level of protection on pages. Thank you.
This message was sent to the administrators' mass message list. To opt-out of future messages, please remove yourself from the list. 17:49, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

Invitation to the Bay Area WikiSalon series, Wednesday, September 28

Please join us in downtown San Francisco!

Hi folks,

We would like to invite you to this month's Bay Area WikiSalon. The last Wednesday evening of every month, Wikipedia and Wikimedia enthusiasts gather to collaborate, mingle, and learn about new projects and ideas.

We will have no formal agenda to allow people to freely share ideas and perhaps learn about Wikipedia through hands-on editing. Co-organizer Ben Creasy will be looking at election-related articles to enhance the information available in the upcoming November elections.

Co-organizer Stephen LaPorte has suggested doing an upload-a-thon for Wiki Loves Monuments. Niki, the California coordinator for WLM will be in attendance. WLM is an annual event and the official dealine is Friday the 30th for submissions to count towards awards.

Or, you can grab a couch, a booth, or a stool and do your own thing.

For further details, please see: Wikipedia:Bay Area WikiSalon, September 2016. Mark your calendars now for the 3rd Wednesday in October, the 26th, when we will have a brief presentation.

See you soon! Pete F, Ben, Stephen and Checkingfax | (Subscribe or Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 01:35, 24 September 2016 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Next issue/Arbitration report

Hey, Peteforsyth! On this upcoming issue of The Signpost, you write that On 1 September, the committee announced that a topic ban from 2010, editing restrictions from 2014, and a two-way interaction ban from earlier this year would all remain in force. I believe the meaning of that motion was to rescind parts of the restriction imposed in 2014. (I'm not speaking for the Committee as a clerk, of course.) Thanks! Kevin (aka L235 · t · c) 03:25, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

@GamerPro64: Could you look into this? I have a busy morning. Thank you for the note, L235. -Pete (talk) 15:39, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Reworked it. GamerPro64 15:55, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

Where do I find out about Wikipedia things going on at Stanford?

Hi, Pete! Since you have some Bay Area knowledge, I'm wondering if you know if there's anything going on Wikipedia-wise at Stanford? I've checked for campus ambassadors or classes teaching with Wikipedia and came up with nothing. But maybe I'm looking in the wrong places? Thanks in advance for letting me pick your brain! -Margarita Nafpaktitism (talk) 04:57, 13 October 2016 (UTC)

You are invited to a Wednesday evening event in SF

Please join us in downtown San Francisco!

Hi folks,

Please copy and share this on other talk pages. We would like to invite you to this month's Bay Area WikiSalon. The last Wednesday evening of every month, Wikipedia and Wikimedia enthusiasts gather at the Wikimedia Foundation lounge to collaborate, mingle, and learn about new projects and ideas.

We will have no meaty agenda this month, but we will allow a brief period for:

Open mic for anybody who attended WikiConference North America 2016 in San Diego last week and wants to share their takeaway
Question & answer
Open mic for announcements
Maybe a focus on some topical election article editing with Ben?

Or, you can grab a couch, a booth, a stool or counter and do your own thing.

For further details, please see: Wikipedia:Bay Area WikiSalon, October 2016.

PS: Mark your calendars ahead now for the 3rd Wednesday in November, the 30th (the week after Thanksgiving), at 6 p.m. when our WikiSalon will host a super awesome top secret mystery guest mingling in our midst. We will announce specifics at the upcoming WikiSalon.

See you soon! Pete F, Ben, Stephen, Jacob, and Checkingfax | (Subscribe or Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:51, 22 October 2016 (UTC)

Books and Bytes - Issue 19

The Wikipedia Library

Books & Bytes
Issue 19, September–October 2016
by Nikkimaria, Sadads and UY Scuti

New and expanded donations - Foreign Affairs, Open Edition, and many more
New Library Card Platform and Conference news
Spotlight: Fixing one million broken links

Read the full newsletter

19:08, 1 November 2016 (UTC)

Hello from Bowen

Hello Peteforsyth,

I am Bowen Yu, a Ph.D. student from GroupLens Research at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Currently, we are undertaking a study about turnover in WikiProjects within Wikipedia. We are trying to understand the effects of member turnovers on the WikiProject group, in terms of the group performance and member interaction, with a purpose of learning how to build successful online communities in future.

I would like to invite you for an interview if you are interested in our study and willing to share your experience with us. The interview will be about 30 - 45 minutes via either Skype or Google Hangout. You will receive a $10 gift card as compensation afterwards.

You can reach me at bowen@cs.umn.edu if you are interested or have any questions.

Thank you, Bowen — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bobo.03 (talk • contribs) 06:36, 1 November 2016 (UTC)

Hi Bobo.03, thanks for reaching out, I'd be happy to talk to you -- I'll get back to you by email. But I'm curious, have you encountered the relevant pages on Meta Wiki? I believe there's a process researchers are expected to follow when reaching out to Wikimedians. I am not fully up to speed, but I think the easiest first step is probably sending an email to the Wiki-Research-L email list. -Pete (talk) 15:24, 1 November 2016 (UTC)

Hi Peteforsyth, yeh, thanks for mentioning it. Yes, I just wrote a research proposal in MetaWiki which can be found here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:The_effects_of_member_turnovers_in_WikiProjects Yes, I should reach out to Wikimedians in a more polite way :)

Sorry Bobo.03, didn't mean to imply you did anything wrong -- this was perfectly polite! Just wasn't sure you were aware. Emailing you now, the day got away from me. -Pete (talk) 04:54, 2 November 2016 (UTC)

"These weeks"

What about dropping it altogether! Armbrust ^{The Homunculus} 00:16, 3 November 2016 (UTC)

Wikicup submission

I've made the suggested changes. It doesn't have a blurb, but I suspect those are a standard form, and I don't want to break it. Anyway! If you can slip it in, it'd be appreciated.

As for Wugapodes, I'm afraid I only know them distantly. Adam Cuerden ^(talk) 14:20, 3 November 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 4 November 2016

News and notes: Finally, a new CTO; trustee joins Quora; copyright upgrade impending

In the media: Washington Post continues in-depth Wikipedia coverage

Wikicup: WikiCup winners

Discussion report: What's on your tech wishlist for the coming year?

Technology report: New guideline for technical collaboration; citation templates now flag open access content

Featured content: Cream of the crop

Traffic report: Un-presidential politics

Arbitration report: Recapping October's activities

Recent research: Why women edit less, and where they are overrepresented; article importance and quality; predicting elections from Wikipedia

* Read this Signpost in full * Single-page * Unsubscribe * MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 17:51, 4 November 2016 (UTC)

Wikipedia:WikiProject United States/The 50,000 Challenge

You are invited to participate in the 50,000 Challenge, aiming for 50,000 article improvements and creations for articles relating to the United States. This effort began on November 1, 2016 and to reach our goal, we will need editors like you to participate, expand, and create. See more here!

--MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 02:40, 8 November 2016 (UTC)

Two-Factor Authentication now available for admins

Hello,

Please note that TOTP based two-factor authentication is now available for all administrators. In light of the recent compromised accounts, you are encouraged to add this additional layer of security to your account. It may be enabled on your preferences page in the "User profile" tab under the "Basic information" section. For basic instructions on how to enable two-factor authentication, please see the developing help page for additional information. Important: Be sure to record the two-factor authentication key and the single use keys. If you lose your two factor authentication and do not have the keys, it's possible that your account will not be recoverable. Furthermore, you are encouraged to utilize a unique password and two-factor authentication for the email account associated with your Wikimedia account. This measure will assist in safeguarding your account from malicious password resets. Comments, questions, and concerns may be directed to the thread on the administrators' noticeboard. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 20:34, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

A new user right for New Page Patrollers

Hi Peteforsyth.

A new user group, New Page Reviewer, has been created in a move to greatly improve the standard of new page patrolling. The user right can be granted by any admin at PERM. It is highly recommended that admins look beyond the simple numerical threshold and satisfy themselves that the candidates have the required skills of communication and an advanced knowledge of notability and deletion. Admins are automatically included in this user right.

It is anticipated that this user right will significantly reduce the work load of admins who patrol the performance of the patrollers. However,due to the complexity of the rollout, some rights may have been accorded that may later need to be withdrawn, so some help will still be needed to some extent when discovering wrongly applied deletion tags or inappropriate pages that escape the attention of less experienced reviewers, and above all, hasty and bitey tagging for maintenance. User warnings are available here but very often a friendly custom message works best.

If you have any questions about this user right, don't hesitate to join us at WT:NPR. (Sent to all admins).MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 13:48, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

ArbCom Elections 2016: Voting now open!

Hello, Peteforsyth. Voting in the 2016 Arbitration Committee elections is open from Monday, 00:00, 21 November through Sunday, 23:59, 4 December to all unblocked users who have registered an account before Wednesday, 00:00, 28 October 2016 and have made at least 150 mainspace edits before Sunday, 00:00, 1 November 2016.

The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.

If you wish to participate in the 2016 election, please review the candidates' statements and submit your choices on the voting page. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 22:08, 21 November 2016 (UTC)

Tom Metzger

Is in the category Category:American neo-Nazis which is a direct or indirect subcategory of the other categories. According to the category rules, unless an exception is used, an article are not supposed to be both in a category and its parents. Please look at the category tree. Hmains (talk) 23:26, 25 November 2016 (UTC)

Hmains Got it, thanks. Self-reverted. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 01:17, 26 November 2016 (UTC)

Ok. Thanks for checking Hmains (talk) 01:20, 26 November 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 4 November 2016

News and notes: Arbitration Committee elections commence

In the media: Roundup of news related to U.S. presidential election and more

Blog: The top fifteen winning photos from Wiki Loves Earth

Gallery: Around the world with Wiki Loves Monuments 2016

Featured content: Featured mix

Special report: Taking stock of the Good Article backlog

Op-ed: Fundraising data should be more transparent

Traffic report: President-elect Trump

* Read this Signpost in full * Single-page * Unsubscribe * MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 09:05, 26 November 2016 (UTC)

Re: editorial

Yes. I need to deal with some stuff IRL, but should have a draft for you to look at in a few days. --Guy Macon (talk) 07:07, 28 November 2016 (UTC)

Everybody is invited to the November 30 Bay Area WikiSalon

Please join us in downtown San Francisco!

Details and RSVP here.

See you soon! Pete F, Ben Creasy, and Checkingfax | (Subscribe/Unsubscribe to this talk page notice here)

MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 00:54, 29 November 2016 (UTC)

Signpost

Hello Peter.

I'm interested in the op-ed/editorial coordination position on the Signpost editorial board. Could you detail the responsibilities of this position? Thanks. Biblio (talk) 00:51, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

Hi Biblio, and thank you -- your interest is most welcome! I'm pinging Rosiestep, our Human Resources coordinator, who will probably have ideas about how to proceed. Also, please feel free to email me (and I will cc Rosie in my response). Let's talk some more and figure out the best fit between the Signpost's needs and your interests. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 05:03, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

Thanks. I'll send an email when I get the chance. I was just looking over the Signpost and I understand that there is a apparently a perpetual staff shortage, so I thought I would try to help out. I always take in interest in helping to improve things where improvement is needed. Biblio (talk) 05:54, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

(Now that I think about it, it would probably be more efficient to just discuss things here.)

Looking through the Regular Responsibilities table, I see that there are four open positions: Features, Editorial, Design Editor, and Social Media Coordinator. I am not especially interested in the last two, but I would consider either of the first two. However, I do take a particular interest in fresh ideas (I did contribute an op-ed of my own last year), which I why I specifically mentioned managing the Editorial section. I might have volunteered to help manage the News section, but I see that part is already staffed with three coordinators. The current publication manager seems to be mostly inactive, so if that area really needs attention I could consider taking on that role. I do also have some background in copyediting (I was at one time quite involved with the GOCE, and even served a term as assistant coordinator about a couple of years ago). I'm always quite meticulous in making sure that things are written properly, so if nothing else I would agree to filling to copy editor position in tandem with MBW.

Now that I have described some of my interests, perhaps you could specify which of these areas are in need of the most help. Biblio (talk) 22:40, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

So glad to hear from you @Biblio regarding your interest in working at the "Signpost". I'll defer to Peteforsyth regarding areas which are most in need of help, but do let me know if you have any other questions I can answer. Thank you, --Rosiestep (talk) 03:05, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

Biblioworm, thank you for the more fleshed-out thoughts, and for the sample op-ed. It's quite an interesting one, and something I missed when it was first published, and it helps me get a sense of how you think. Very helpful. The page you referenced is not something we've diligently maintained, so don't take it as gospel. For a high level view, this "from the editor" note from Gamaliel over a year ago remains a pretty good representation of how we work. Some of our high priorities (in no particular order) right now are:

Some serious attention to our production process (first, we'll need a good high-level tech type, who can help think through possibilities and scope out a project...then, I'd imagine we'll need somebody with template editing and bot writing skills, etc.)
Writers who can either generate their own story ideas and write them, and/or take assignments (especially those with connections to other wiki projects and/or language communities)
Editors who can make a regular commitment to reviewing submissions and providing good feedback

Like Gamaliel, I will continue to take primary responsibility for editorials and op-eds. If there is a good fit, I would welcome assistance with that, but it's not the highest-priority need. I think what would work best is if we can find a few different kinds of tasks for you to take on over a couple of editions, and then have a more informed discussion about what the best long-term fit would be. Does that sound good? I'm sure Montanabw could use some help copyediting, and I'd be happy to point you toward some pieces to provide more substantive feedback as things start to come together. Are there any topics you'd be interested to write up? Have you ever used the web app Slack? That's what we use for coordination, and if you can send me your email address I could send an invitation to join us there. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:55, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

Just to clarify, what specifically do you mean by a "high-level tech type", and what exactly would such a person do? Only then would I be able to know whether such a position would be a good fit.

Otherwise, my main interest would in reviewing submissions, cleaning them up, and providing feedback on them.

As for Slack, I have never used that program. What in particular does the Signpost team do on this program? Biblio (talk) 00:37, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

Sorry, that was some shorthand I guess. "High level tech type" = somebody who has a fairly good idea of how various tech platforms work (what it's possible to do with bots, with templates, with custom javascript/gadgets or toollabs tools, and other platforms like WordPress or Medium...), enough to have some intuitive sense of how easy/difficult various tasks will be, how long they might take. The idea, as I see it, would be to work with me and complement my relative lack of in-depth tech knowledge, so we could produce a sort of road map/spec, that would guide specific tasks in support of revamping the whole thing. Some of the stuff included:

wrap your head around the manual version of our production process
we (and the rest of the team) should consider any substantial changes we want to make now, or in the future (e.g., how bylines are handled, any layout/design changes, page titles, naming convention of "Wikipedia Signpost" -> "Signpost", do we want to leave room to move from enwp to Meta, etc.
Brainstorm ways of getting a decent RSS feed, which could support SEO efforts, getting listed in places like Google News, and the occasional reader who wants to consume the SP via RSS themselves
Map out path forward, not in great detail, but with a broad view (that's what I meant by "high level")

I am hopeful that Tedder might be able to help, he is a good friend and lives near me. Kharkiv07 is very good at this stuff, but I believe as you surmised that he continues to have substantial demands on his time outside the SP.

Have you used IRC? Slack is very similar to IRC (heavily based on it) but is an integrated platform and more user friendly than any IRC client, and it has extended features like integration with Google Apps, Trello, etc. etc., you can post images, etc. We use it for discussing all aspects of the Signpost, from planning to finalizing each issue to planning out social media. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 01:58, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

I am acquainted with some aspects of technology and coding (mostly in the area of websites), and I occasionally program things as a kind of hobby, but I'm actually much more of an intellectual sort and I do not have tech knowledge at an extensive professional level.

As for IRC, I have never used it. As I alluded to above, I'm actually still rather old-fashioned, all things considered, and to my knowledge I never used any kind of web-based instant communication (except for email, of course) before I started editing wikis. Biblio (talk) 23:11, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

AE

I would like to request that you have a look at the linked AE case to see if you believe that Wikipedian best practices are being followed. I know it's the Christmas season (which in general is when the least savory news gets drowned out by the festivities). I am asking you this because I have a good deal of respect for what I've seen of your work at Wikipedia and at the Signpost. Incidentally, we were recently both mentioned in an article on the WMF blog here. —SashiRolls (talk) 06:03, 20 December 2016 (UTC)

Thanks and merry xmas

Thank you for all the effort you put into the Signpost, and for supporting and encouraging me in what I write for the tech report – it is appreciated! Also, ...

Evad37 [talk] is wishing you a Merry Christmas! This greeting (and season) promotes WikiLove and hopefully this note has made your day a little better. Spread the WikiLove by wishing another user a Merry Christmas, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past, a good friend, or just some random person. Happy New Year!

Spread the cheer by adding {{subst:Xmas6}} to their talk page with a friendly message.

- Evad37 [talk] 00:46, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Evad37, many thanks, this made my day. I'm glad to know my efforts are helpful. You consistently provide excellent content for the Signpost, and it's an honor to be able to help with it. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:18, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

Happy Holidays!


	Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a fulfilling 2017. Thanks for your contributions to Wikipedia. --Another Believer _(Talk) 18:07, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

And to you as well, Another Believer -- thank you! -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:50, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 22 December 2016

Year in review: Looking back on 2016

News and notes: Strategic planning update; English ArbCom election results

Special report: German ArbCom implodes

In focus: Active user page filter prevents vandalism and harassment

Op-ed: Operation successful, patient dead: Outreach workshops in Namibia

In the media: In brief: Coverage of gender gap initiatives, banner fundraising, and more

Featured content: The Christmas edition

Technology report: Labs improvements impact 2016 Tool Labs survey results

Traffic report: Post-election traffic blues

Blog: Wiki Loves Monuments contest winners announced

Recent research: One study and several abstracts

* Read this Signpost in full * Single-page * Unsubscribe * MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 03:03, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

Education Program

I was surfing on Wikipedia when I came across this project. I would like to be part of it. But how do I apply for it? It says that classes will start from January 9, 2017. Usman Khalil_Talk 16:05, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

Signpost barnstar

		*The Signpost* Barnstar**
		Thank you for your service to the community at the Signpost. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! --Pine^✉ 23:16, 24 December 2016 (UTC)

Arbcom interviews

Hey Pete. Just so I can get an all-clear for doing this, is it all right if I interview the newly appointed and outgoing Arbitrators? I did it last year and want to bring it back. GamerPro64 05:45, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

@Peteforsyth: Picked a bad time to ask if before Christmas and the weekend up I hope you can see this. GamerPro64 05:31, 27 December 2016 (UTC)

GamerPro64, my bad -- I did see this right away, but then I did indeed lose track over the holiday. I'd like to discuss a bit more, with input from Go Phightins! (who wrote our election results piece; in hindsight, we should have consulted with you while writing that, and I apologize for neglecting that point.) Yes, I do think such an interview would be good to include; but let's talk over the questions you're going to ask ahead of time, since the incoming arbs have recently gotten questions from us, to make sure they're good ones and not redundant. Do you have draft questions? Happy to discuss here or by email, your choice. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 05:38, 27 December 2016 (UTC)

Hey Pete. Letting you know I emailed you about the interviews. GamerPro64 01:19, 30 December 2016 (UTC)

Happy 2017!

Wishing good health and happiness as we start the new year! --Rosiestep (talk) 19:26, 1 January 2017 (UTC)

Rosiestep, thank you for the new year's greetings -- looking forward to a good 2017! I've really enjoyed working with you at the Signpost. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:43, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Holiday card

Wishing you a Charlie Russell Christmas,
Peteforsyth!

"Here's hoping that the worst end of your trail is behind you
That Dad Time be your friend from here to the end
And sickness nor sorrow don't find you."
—C.M. Russell, Christmas greeting 1926.
Montanabw^(talk) 23 December 2016 (UTC)

Hi Montanabw, thank you for the card. It's been great working with you at the Signpost, here's to a great 2017! -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:44, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Some stroopwafels for you!

Thanks for catching my mistake! Mea culpa, that was stupid. I am not a native speaker and I was about to fall asleep. (((The Quixotic Potato))) (talk) 16:37, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

The Quixotic Potato, thanks...tasty! You're neither the first nor thelast to miss that :) -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:48, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Signpost...

I hope you've noticed the sea of green at the top of WP:BN. It would be great if 2017 reversed some of the damaging trends we've seen at RfA in recent years. Happy new year, --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 11:44, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Hi Dweller, thank you for the observation. Yes, we've been discussing that, and considering how to cover it...how much might be needed to consider it a "trend" etc. If you have further ideas or insights, we'd love to discuss. Pinging Go Phightins! and Tony1. -Pete Forsyth (talk) 18:43, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Hard to say if it's a trend on scanty evidence. Why not get opinions from interested parties on what's been going on ar RfA over the years and their hopes and expectations for the future? --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 19:35, 7 January 2017 (UTC)

Agreed. We are actively working on this. Thanks, Dweller! Go Phightins! 00:56, 9 January 2017 (UTC)

The People's Cube

Dear mr Forsyth,

I recently posted a new draft of the page "The People's Cube" with many new notable third party sources, that in my view better confirm the "encyclopedic" value of a separate page for this topic.

The first reviewer of the draft SwisterTwister (although I of course appreciate his or her time in reviewing), did not really respond on questions about the validity and notability of these new sources. And now the new draft was tagged for "speedy deletion" by a rather avid opponent of the first topic (Exemplo347).

As you remember the previous discussion got somehow heated up. I see you tried to moderate things a bit. Can you help me understand what is wrong with the sources listed on the new draft, from an unbiased point of view? I'm afraid that the above editors will not be able to explain that to me (and once more, I appreciate their efforts but I'm afraid they won't give the topic a second chance).

Kind regards — Preceding unsigned comment added by Powderday (talk • contribs) 21:14, 12 January 2017 (UTC)