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User talk:Howicus/Archive 4

Archive 1Archive 2Archive 3Archive 4Archive 5Archive 6→Archive 10

Please help with dispute resolution over Rodeo Dive

As a term-long assignment for COM257 at NCSU, a group of three others and I, were tasked with editing the Rodeo Drive page. This page had hardly any information on it when we began, and as we tried to expand it, we ran into trouble with a specific user who was extremely critical our content - so much to the point that we had a hard time adding ANYTHING. I didn't add this to the 3O page because although we are experiencing difficulties with one specific user, we are four different users. By looking at the talk page, you can see there has been a lot of discussion. Although we have been able to add more since starting, there are a few things that we (and other wiki users) have been trying to add since 2006 - specifically, a list of the shops on Rodeo Drive. Even after citing sources establishing the importance of these stores, this user refuses to allow it. We can't give up the article and come back another time, because the final draft is due in a couple of weeks. I am asking your help as a volunteer because we want to make a strong claim in this instance - as our class is learning about encyclopedic knowledge as a field of study - but are not familiar enough with Wikipedia tools and regulations to do it on our own. If you can't assist in the next week or two, please let me know so I can seek help from someone else. Thank you! Gotgomped (talk) 18:47, 9 April 2014 (UTC)

Hello Gotgomped, I'm afraid that I don't have much time at present...discuss the issue with the user on the talk page, or try the dispute resolution noticeboard. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 23:10, 9 April 2014 (UTC)

Please comment on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Biography

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TerraCycle

Hey Howicus! Could you please check out TerraCycle and, if you see any, point out some issues to me? I'm going to nominate the article for DYK by tonight. Thanks, :) Bananasoldier (talk) 08:37, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Hiya!

Hiya, Howicus! Just saying hi....... IBCPirates (talk) 19:17, 12 April 2014 (UTC)IBCPiratesIBCPirates (talk) 19:17, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 09 April 2014

  • News and notes: Round 2 of FDC funding open to public comments
    Community review is open for the four applications in the second and final round of applications to the WMF's Funds Dissemination Committee for 2013–14. Three eligible organisations have applied for funding under the newly named "annual program grants": Wikimedia France, Wikimedia Norway, and the India-based Centre for Internet and Society, which last November was recognised as eligible to apply for FDC funding purposes.
  • WikiProject report: WikiProject Law
    This week, we interviewed the Law WikiProject.
  • Special report: Community mourns passing of Adrianne Wadewitz
    "I remember laughing and talking and laughing and talking at Wikimania 2012. I took this picture of her that she used for a long while as a profile pic. Someone on Facebook said it looked 'skepchickal', which she loved."
  • Traffic report: Conquest of the Couch Potatoes
    Television has always been a topic of choice on this site, but it exploded this week. Fully six slots were devoted to television shows, as the final episode of How I Met Your Mother, one of the most popular Wikipedia searches of the last few years, coincided with the season finale of The Walking Dead and the upcoming fourth season of Game of Thrones. The number rises to 8 if movies released on video and new TV tech are are included.
  • Featured content: Snow heater and Ash sweep
    Five article, five lists, and ten pictures were promoted to 'featured' status on the English Wikipedia last week.

Thank you for the welcome

Our interests do seem to coincide. For several years I have been a member of a an on-line naval ships forum, for which I have contributed many articles, including WW2 convoys ONS5, PQ17 and JW51B. As soon as I feel competent and confident I will add an article concerning a little known episode of RN in the inter-war years.Thanks again for the welcome.Billwnsf (talk) 11:48, 13 April 2014 (UTC)

Please comment on Talk:Australian Senate special election in Western Australia, 2014

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Please comment on Talk:Gun politics in the United States

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Please comment on Talk:List of Ukrainian elections

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The Signpost: 23 April 2014

  • Special report: 2014 Wikimedia Conference—what is the impact?
    The annual Wikimedia Conference wound up last Sunday, 13 April—a four-day meeting costing several hundred thousand dollars, hosted in Berlin by Wikimedia Germany and attended by more than 100 Wikimedians.
  • Op-ed: Five things a Wikipedian in residence can do
    Hey you—yeah you, the Wikipedian! Do you want to help a museum, a library, a university, or other organization explore ways to engage with Wikipedia? Great—you should offer your expertise as a Wikipedian in residence!
  • News and notes: Wikimedian passes away
    Cynthia Ashley-Nelson, who edited as "Cindamuse" on the Wikimedia projects, passed away in her sleep at the Wikimedia Conference in Berlin on 10 April.
  • Wikimania: Winning bid announced for 2015
    After just over a month of deliberation, the Wikimania jury has selected Wikimedia Mexico's bid to host Wikimania 2015 in Mexico City, with a proposed date of 15–19 July.
  • Traffic report: Reflecting in Gethsemane
    If I were the kind of person who made snap judgments based on flimsy evidence, I'd say our readership is in a funk.
  • Featured content: There was I, waiting at the church
    Fourteen articles, four lists, seven pictures, and one topic attained "featured" status on the English Wikipedia over the last two weeks.

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Please comment on Talk:2013–14 Thai political crisis

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Please comment on Talk:Coat of arms of Mauritius

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The Signpost: 30 April 2014

  • News and notes: WMF's draft annual plan turns indigestible as an FDC proposal
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  • Traffic report: Going to the Doggs
    Not much to report this week. The same post-Easter celebrations (4/20, Earth Day) were popular again this year, except last year we were still reeling from the Boston Marathon bombing.
  • Breaking: The Foundation's new executive director
    The Wikimedia Foundation has announced that its new executive director will be Lila Tretikov, until now a chief product officer in Silicon Valley.
  • WikiProject report: Genetics
    This week, we unraveled the mysteries of WikiProject Genetics.
  • Featured content: Browsing behaviours
    Four articles and sixteen featured pictures were promoted to 'featured' status on the English Wikipedia last week.

Please comment on Talk:French Revolution

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Hi!

Just checking in! --Salimfadhley (talk) 23:35, 6 May 2014 (UTC)

Plz adopt me!

Plz could u adopt me?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by -MARSHMELLOWxPUPPIES- (talk • contribs) 22:24, 8 May 2014 (UTC)

Please comment on Talk:Jews and Communism

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The Signpost: 07 May 2014

  • News and notes: New system of discretionary sanctions; Buchenwald; is Pirelli 'Cracking Wikipedia'?
    The English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) introduced the first form of what are known as the "discretionary sanction" (DS) in 2009. A new DS regime, called Discretionary sanctions (2014), is the result of an elaborate review process involving both the community, since last September, and the committee, for more than a year.
  • Traffic report: TMZedia
    For all the claims of Wikipedia bringing the world's knowledge to all who want it, it seems the human race most wants is a tabloid newspaper; a quick source for TV listings, pop culture facts, celebrity gossip and, above all, scandal—with some nice juicy racism thrown in too.
  • In focus: Foundation announces long-awaited new executive director
    In a live video stream on 1 May, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that Lila Tretikov will be replacing Sue Gardner, its executive director. Gardner, who has been in the position since 2007, declared her intention to leave more than a year ago.
  • In the media: Google and the flu; Adrianne
    Boston Children's Hospital postdoctoral fellow David McIver and a team have determined that using page view statistics from Wikipedia, they can track flu progression better than the Center for Disease Control can using Google searches.
  • WikiProject report: Singing with Eurovision
    Formed in 2003, the Eurovision WikiProject boasts four featured articles and 22 good articles. The Eurovision Song Contest 2014 is currently taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, so we went to the stage to talk with one of the project's members.
  • Featured content: Wikipedia at the Rijksmuseum
    Four articles, two lists, and five pictures were promoted to "featured" status on the English Wikipedia last week.

I want to be adopted!

Plz adopt me! ✌️😁👍🍻 =^_^= Meow! I love everything! (talk) 21:23, 13 May 2014 (UTC)

I'd be happy to. I have an adoption school set up at this page: User:Howicus/Adoption school, you should take a look and follow the instructions to set up your own page. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 17:09, 14 May 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 14 May 2014

  • WikiProject report: Relaxing in Puerto Rico
    This week, the Signpost jumped over the ocean to chat with the Puerto Rico WikiProject.
  • News and notes: 'Ask a librarian'—connecting Wikimedians with the National Library of Australia
    Editors of Australian-related topics on the English Wikipedia may have noticed an odd addition if they viewed the article's talk pages. For example, on Talk:Darwin, Northern Territory, they might be drawn in by the question mark, nested within what is often a sea of WikiProject templates: "Need help improving this article? Ask a librarian at the National Library of Australia, or the Northern Territory Library." Just what is this?
  • Featured content: On the rocks
    Six articles, seven lists, and four pictures were promoted to 'featured' status on the English Wikipedia this week.

The Signpost: 21 May 2014

  • News and notes: "Crisis" over Wikimedia Germany's palace revolution
    Last Sunday the board of Wikimedia Germany passed 9–1 a vote of no confidence in the chapter's executive director, Pavel Richter, who has held the position since 2009. With more than 50 employees, an annual budget approaching $10 million, and the right to conduct its own fundraising through the Wikimedia Foundation's (WMF) site banners, Wikimedia Germany is the second-largest organisation in the movement after the WMF itself. The decision was announced on the Wikimedia mailing list by the chapter chair, Nikolas Becker.
  • Traffic report: Doodles' dawn
    It's a relief to see Google Doodles having an impact again; their wide coverage means that they inspire curiosity on many subjects which, for reasons of nationality, ethnicity or gender, might not be known in the English-speaking world. It's a shame then, that Wikipedia so often fails to keep up; articles on Google Doodles are almost invariably C-class, and seldom do justice to their subjects. Still, interest in Google Doodles has been waning in recent months—Audrey Hepburn last week was the first to top the list since December—so any rise in popularity is worth celebrating.

The Signpost: 28 May 2014

  • News and notes: The English Wikipedia's second featured-article centurion; wiki inventor interviewed on video
    With the promotion to featured article of Grus (constellation) on 17 May, Casliber became Wikipedia's second featured-article centurion, following Wehwalt's groundbreaking achievement last December. Cas's first FA, Banksia integrifolia, a group effort, was promoted on 16 November 2006. His first solo project, Diplodocus, followed in January 2007; he has rarely been off the FAC since. In a second story, Ward Cunningham, an American computer programmer who invented the wiki, was interviewed by the WMF.
  • Featured content: Zombie fight in the saloon
    Wikipedia editor Sven Manguard's work is quite underappreciated a lot of the time, most likely because people haven't heard of it yet: He's developed good relationships with game companies, and is thus able to get full-resolution screenshots released under a Creative Commons license for use on Wikipedia and elsewhere. This week's trove of new featured items on the English Wikipedia comprises seven articles, three lists, and four pictures.
  • Traffic report: Get fitted for flipflops and floppy hats
    In the US, Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and summer is definitely on people's minds this week, with summer films Godzilla and X-Men: Days of Future Past, the apparently designated summer song "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea, and summer TV show, Game of Thrones.
  • Recent research: Predicting which article you will edit next
    Wikipedia in the eyes of its beholders; "Chinese-language time zones" favor Asian pop and IT topics on Wikipedia; and bipartite editing prediction in Wikipedia.

The Signpost: 04 June 2014

  • Special report: IEG funding for women's stories: a new approach to the gender gap
    Individual engagement grants (IEGs) are announced twice yearly by a volunteer WMF committee, the most recent of which we covered last December. The scheme, launched at the start of last year, awards funds to individuals or teams of up to four to produce high-impact outcomes for the WMF's online projects. It favours innovative approaches to solving critical issues in the movement.
  • News and notes: Two new affiliate-selected trustees
    New trustee Frieda Briosch from Italy: we face "a couple of headaches", she says: "how to boost editors, which includes the development of the next strategic plan, and how to keep our project always 'glamorous'."
  • Op-ed: "Hospitality, jerks, and what I learned"—the amazing keynote at WikiConference USA
    I never feel quite adequate trying to paraphrase Sumana's words: she is so articulate. I highly encourage every person who reads this article to directly watch her keynote—it directly speaks to a lot of Wikimedia's most significant issues, made with great eloquence. We have a serious issue with retaining editors, and parts of her speech could serve as a pretty good partial blueprint towards how we could begin to fix that problem.
  • Featured content: Ye stately homes of England
    David Iliff, or Diliff, as he is known on here outside of the file pages for his many, many, excellent photographs, is one of Wikipedia's longest-standing professional-standard photographers. This week, the Signpost salutes him.
  • Traffic report: Autumn in summer
    The northern summer is a time when one is meant to celebrate the exuberance of life; instead, commemoration of the dead was a significant theme this week.

Hi! I would like to be adopted please!

I am a postgraduate cancer biologist looking to make the most of this awesome resource, improve it and learn allot too! CSTgraduate (talk) 18:03, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

Gladly! I see you've already set up the adoption school. Just go ahead and work through that at your own pace, and I'll check in at least once a day. Hope you enjoy editing Wikipedia! Howicus (Did I mess up?) 21:20, 11 June 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 11 June 2014

  • News and notes: PR agencies commit to ethical interactions with Wikipedia
    Eleven public relations agencies have declared their intention to follow "ethical engagement practices" in Wikipedia editing. The results were published last Tuesday: a joint statement from the participating PR agencies—representing five of the top ten global agencies and all but one of the top ten in the United States—clarifying their views and practices with regards to the Wikimedia projects.
  • Traffic report: The week the wired went weird
    It seems that, more than commemorating the great moments in our history, more than even anticipating great sporting events, what our audience wants is the weird.
  • Paid editing: Does Wikipedia Pay? The Moderator: William Beutler
    William Beutler (WWB), author of the blog The Wikipedian, is a long-time editor and community-watcher. He is also a paid editor (WWB Too). Well—not anymore—because he gave up direct editing of articles in 2011. Instead, for the past three years he has followed Jimmy Wales' Bright Line rule in acting as a researcher and consultant for companies and clients that want to suggest changes to Wikipedia articles and engage on the Talk page.
  • Special report: Questions raised over secret voting for WMF trustees
    Last week we reported the announcement of two new affiliate-selected WMF trustees. The board of trustees is the most powerful and influential body in the movement, and chapters have been permitted to select two of the 10 seats since 2008, for two-year terms that start in even-numbered years.
  • Featured content: Politics, ships, art, and cyclones
    Five articles, one list, twelve pictures, and one topic were promoted to 'featured' status last week on the English Wikipedia.

The Signpost: 18 June 2014

  • Featured content: Worming our way to featured picture
    Five articles, five lists, 22 pictures, and one portal were promoted to 'featured' status on the English Wikipedia last week.
  • Special report: Wikimedia Bangladesh: a chapter's five-year journey
    The Bangladesh chapter of the Wikimedia movement was formed in 2009. They received official local registration from the national authorities on 10 June 2014. The long road in between was subject to much persistence, patience, and luck—along with a good deal of worry.
  • Traffic report: You can't dethrone Thrones
    To the surprise of absolutely no one, the 2014 FIFA World Cup was the main draw this week, taking four slots. People appeared desperate to bone up on their trivia; checking not only this year's World Cup, but the last one. Even so, they still couldn't push Game of Thrones from the top ten. It will be interesting to see what happens come next week's season finale.
  • WikiProject report: Visiting the city
    This week, the Signpost came in from the hinterland to interview members of the Cities WikiProject.

The Signpost: 25 June 2014

  • News and notes: US National Archives enshrines Wikipedia in Open Government Plan
    The US National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) have committed to engaging with Wikimedia projects in their newest Open Government Plan. The biannual effort is a roadmap for how the agency will accomplish its goals in the digital age.
  • Traffic report: Fake war, or real sport?
    Despite the interest generated by its season finale, Game of Thrones still couldn't top the World Cup, which still dominated interest, as evidenced by the fact that this top 10 is virtually identical to last week's, just with a different dead celebrity.
  • Featured content: Showing our Wörth
    Ten articles and eleven pictures were promoted to "featured" status on the English Wikipedia this week.
  • WikiProject report: The world where dreams come true
    This week, the Signpost visited the land of Disney, blockbusters, explosions, dream sequences, and cultural masterpieces: film.
  • Recent research: Power users and diversity in WikiProjects
    In a recent paper, Jacob Solomon and Rick Wash investigate the question of sustainability in online communities by analysing trends in the growth of WikiProjects.

A beer for you!

Hey Howicus, Thanks for your contributions at List of Bangladesh Premier League captains It's a FL now. Cheers. -- Pratyya (Hello!) 13:43, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 02 July 2014

  • In the media: Wiki Education; medical content; PR firms
    The Los Angeles Times highlighted a recent Wiki Education Foundation (WEF) course at Pomona College in their article "Wikipedia pops up in bibliographies, and even college curricula". We interviewed Char Booth, the campus ambassador for the course, for additional details.
  • Traffic report: The Cup runneth over... and over.
    With Game of Thrones over for another year, the World Cup dominated yet again. And that is pretty much that. This list isn't likely to be particularly eventful until the Cup is won.
  • News and notes: Wikimedia Israel receives Roaring Lion award
    Wikimedia Israel (WMIL) has won a Roaring Lion in the category of Internet and cellular for its public outreach during the tenth anniversary of the Hebrew Wikipedia in July 2013.
  • Featured content: Ship-shape
    Six articles, five lists, seventeen pictures, and one topic were promoted to "featured" status on the English Wikipedia this week.
  • Technology report: In memoriam: the Toolserver (2005–14)
    In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Wikimedia Deutschland's Toolserver project was switched off, marking the end of one of the Wikimedia movement's longest running Chapter-led projects. The Toolserver, which was in fact a collection of servers, first came online in 2005, hosting hundreds of webpages and scripts ("tools") made available for use by Wikimedia readers, editors and administrators.

The Signpost: 09 July 2014

  • Special report: Wikimania 2014—what will it cost?
    Last May, James Forrester announced to the world that London had been awarded the 2014 Wikimania conference. Functioning as the Wikimedia movement's annual conference, it is separate from the chapter-focused Wikimedia Conference. The first, located in Frankfurt, took place in 2005 and had 380 attendees. London, the tenth, is now expected to attract 1500. With Wikimania ambition, attention, and attendance rising significantly over the last nine years, how have this year's monetary costs come to be?
  • Wikimedia in education: Exploring the United States and Canada with LiAnna Davis
    The Wikimedia Education Program currently spans 60 programs around the world; students and instructors participate at almost every level of education. The Education program Signpost series presents a snapshot of the Wikimedia Global Education Program as it exists in 2014.
  • Traffic report: World Cup, Tim Howard rule the week
    Unsurprisingly, the World Cup continued to dominate the English Wikipedia's viewing statistics. In particular, the record-breaking performance of US goalkeeper Tim Howard and the tournament-ending injury to Brazil's Neymar drove large amount of views to their articles.

The Signpost: 16 July 2014

  • Special report: $10 million lawsuit against Wikipedia editors withdrawn, but plaintiff intends to refile
    On the same day the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) announced it would offer assistance to English Wikipedia editors embroiled in a legal dispute with Yank Barry, the lawsuit has been withdrawn without prejudice at the request of Barry's legal team—but this action is being described as "strategic" so that they can refile the lawsuit with a "new, more comprehensive complaint."
  • Featured content: The Island with the Golden Gun
    Eight articles, three lists, and 28 pictures were promoted to "featured" status on the English Wikipedia last week.
  • News and notes: Bot-created Wikipedia articles covered in the Wall Street Journal, push Cebuano over one million articles
    The Swedish Wikipedia's prolific Lsjbot, which has created a significant proportion of the site's 1.7 million articles and has nearly single-handedly pushed it to being the fourth-largest Wikipedia, was covered in the Wall Street Journal this week. The newspaper reported that the bot has created 2.7 million articles, which is apparently a reference to the Waray-Waray and Cebuano Wikipedias, where Lsjbot is also active, and that "on a good day", it creates 10,000 articles.

Thanks For Welcome and Advise

Hi Howicus, Thank you for the welcome message. I have really enjoyed my first few days as a Wikipedian so I think I am here to stay! Thanks for the Clontarf advise too. Strangely I find myself a bit confused after the reedit though. I'm don't really get how saying Boru on its own could confuse a reader, (He was a pretty famous High-King back in the day I think!). I don't know, it's not a big deal anyway. You seem to have a lot of experience editing so I'll leave it to you! Regards, The Free Editor Anyone Can Cite (talk) 20:49, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

I was just thinking in terms of consistency is all. Glad that you're enjoying editing, and keep up the good work! Howicus (Did I mess up?) 20:52, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

The Real Life Barnstar
Gj Pissed me off 10/10 OccamsFuckingChainsaw (talk) 22:39, 19 July 2014 (UTC)
It wasn't my intention to pissed you off. If you're willing to discuss it I can explain why I reverted your edits in greater detail. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 22:45, 19 July 2014 (UTC)

"Some Help Please": 19 July 2014

Hi! You gave me some constructive criticism on my edit to the Joshua Rush article and I wanted to clear a something up.. I am not being paid to edit the article. I have been asked by him to edit the article. I'm not being paid, I'm doing it because I'm his personal friend. 2 Also, I wanted to ask if you'd be able to assist me with it, as part of the welcoming committee. He asked me to: 1. Add the part I added abut ADR. 2. Add the part about Kacey 3. Add a photo of him to the article 4. Protect the article against vandalism by classifying it as a biography.

As you can see, I did the first two, but as this is my first day with a real Wikipedia account, instead of just looking at the pages, I have no Idea on how to do this. I only did this because he asked.

Your help would be greatly appreciated! Please reply even if you don't want to help me out on my user talk page (I know a few things!)

Hi K7ka. To be able to add those things about the ADR and Kacey, you need reliable, independent sources such as newspapers or magazines that talk about those things. Wikipedia's policy is if no sources are writing about some detail, it's probably not significant enough to be included in the article. As far as a photo goes, if you take one yourself and are willing to license it so that anyone can reuse it for any purpose, then you can upload it to Wikimedia commons, here, and then add it to the article (details here). And as far as protecting the page goes, the article is already classified as a biography (see the talk page). There are other ways to protect a page, but those are only used in response to vandalism, not as a preventative measure. Hope this helps! Howicus (Did I mess up?) 00:16, 20 July 2014 (UTC)

Deletion Question

Hi Howicus, In response to my aricle tagged for deletion about music producer [London], I realized my links to Zobbel were incorrect and can be fixed. This website archives all song chart positions referenced in the article. I believe London deserves a Wikipedia page. He is listed here [Breaks] as a major contributor to this music genre.

Look forward to your comments

musicman47 11:02, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Hello! Unfortunately the sources you provided were not enough to support the article. Wikipedia needs reliable, independent sources with editorial oversight to show that London is notable. Good sources might be music magazines or credible music websites. Also, since anyone can edit Wikipedia, the fact that Dave London is mentioned on another Wikipedia page does not mean that he's any more deserving of an article. Hope this helps explain things. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 16:28, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 23 July 2014

  • Traffic report: The World Cup hangs on, though tragedies seek to replace it
    Last week I predicted that the World Cup dominance on the report would be over—but I was wrong. The World Cup Final fell on the 13th of July, which was actually the first day of the week covered by this report, not the last day of the last report. Hence, five of the Top 10 this week are again World Cup related-topics.
  • News and notes: Institutional media uploads to Commons get a bit easier
    Galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) today are facing fewer barriers to uploading their content onto Wikimedia projects now that the new GLAM-Wiki Toolset Project has been launched. The tool, which is the fruit of a collaboration between Europeana and several Wikimedia chapters, relieves GLAMs from having to write their own automated scripts and gives them a standardized method of uploading large amounts of their digitized holdings.
  • Forum: Did you know?—good idea, needs reform
    The English Wikipedia's did you know (DYK) section has been a feature of the site's main page since February 2004. From the beginning, the section has served as a place to highlight Wikipedia's newest articles. But over the last few years, the did you know section has gotten steadily larger and more complex, and non-notable or plagiarized articles have occasionally slipped through the reviewing process, leading numerous editors to call for reforms to the system. We asked two editors to share their views.
  • Featured content: Why, they're plum identical!
    Ten articles, five lists, and 25 pictures were promoted to featured status on the English Wikipedia last week.

The Signpost: 30 July 2014

  • Book review: Knowledge or unreality?
    In Common Knowledge: An Ethnography of Wikipedia, Dariusz Jemielniak discusses Wikipedia from the standpoint of an experienced editor and administrator who is also a university professor specializing in management and organizations. In Virtual Reality: Just Because the Internet Told You, How Do You Know It's True?, Charles Seife presents a more broadly themed work reminding us to question the reliability of information found throughout the Internet.
  • Recent research: Shifting values in the paid content debate
    Kim Osman has performed a fascinating study on the three 2013 failed proposals to ban paid advocacy editing in the English language Wikipedia. Using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach, Osman analyzed 573 posts from the three main votes on paid editing conducted in the community in November 2013.
  • News and notes: How many more hoaxes will Wikipedia find?
    Another hoax on the English Wikipedia was uncovered this week—not by any thorough investigation, but through the self-disclosure of an anonymous change made when the editors were in their sophomore year of college. The deliberate misinformation had been in the article for over five years with plenty of individuals noticing, but not one suspected its authenticity. This leads to one obvious question: how many more are there?
  • Traffic report: Doom and gloom vs. the power of Reddit
    We indeed moved far away from football this week, and further into much more serious issues of war and death. The Israel-Palestinian conflict continues to dominate the news, and the top 10, with Gaza Strip, Israel, and Hamas. The top 25 also includes Palestine and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Death also lies behind the popularity of James Garner, the American actor who died on July 19th, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and deaths in 2014.
  • Featured content: Skeletons and Skeltons
    Two articles, four lists, and seven pictures attained featured status on the English Wikipedia last week.

You deleted Fappy The Anti-Masturbation Dolphin

I'm new here. I don't understand how this works.. Yeah, I figured it was a hoax. There's a lot of pages online about that fictitious mascot. I found this one on Daily Dot about a supposed Fappy movie being put out by Michael Moore. http://www.dailydot.com/lol/michael-moore-fappy-the-dolphin-film-hoax/ So my question is, because he's a hoax he doesn't get a page on Wikipedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yup69 (talk • contribs) 03:15, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Ok, first, I am not a administrator. I proposed that the page be deleted, but the actual deleting was done by User:FreeRangeFrog. Second, for Fappy to have a page, there would have to be a lot of coverage about Fappy in reliable, independent sources that acknowledge that it's a hoax. The Daily Dot could be one of those. Third, if you want to try again I'd suggest creating it as a draft article, at a title like Draft:Fappy The Anti-Masturbation Dolphin. That way you can work on the page at your own pace and then submit it for review once it's done. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 03:31, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Okay, first of all, thanks. Yup69 (talk) 03:49, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 06 August 2014

  • Technology report: A technologist's Wikimania preview
    As the start of Wikimania proper on 8 August approaches, the Signpost looks ahead to what its dozens of presentations might offer the technologically-inclined, whether attending in person or taking advantage of what promises to be a strong digital offering.
  • Traffic report: Ebola
    Serious news continues to dominate the most popular articles chart on Wikipedia this week, with the Ebola virus disease far and away in the top spot. In the top 25, we see the related articles Ebola virus, which talks about biological aspects, at #18 and 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak at #19.

New contributor and I need a little (or maybe a lot of) help!

I have written one submission to Wikipedia titled "AFN Bremerhaven"; however, since I'm a "rookie" as a contributor to the site, I'm having some trouble with various elements of the format. I can't get my "References" to appear as most do on other well-formatted pages, trouble with internal citations, I get some error messages after attempted correction/submissions, and there's most likely other errors or problems that I don't even recognize much less know how to fix. I've "read the manuals" (yes, even after several readings, much of it is still "Greek to me"), and I have attempted many fixes, but, a look at my article, will tell you it needs help. If you could give a few pointers as to how to "fix the format" and correct other problems that I'm sure you will see right away, it would be greatly appreciated. TucsonTerp76 (talk) 21:10, 9 August 2014 (UTC)

Hi TucsonTerp76, thanks for contributing to Wikipedia! I'm taking a stab at fixing up the article. Two things I noticed that go beyond just formatting: first, do not use Wikipedia as a source for Wikipedia. Since anyone can edit Wikipedia at any time, it's not a reliable source (and yes, I realize that's a little ironic). Second, one of the sources you cited is a book called Brass Button Broadcaster. You should provide more information about that source, such as the publisher, and the page or pages that talk about AFN Bremerhaven.
Also, just an aside, because I'm curious: how'd you come across my talk page? Howicus (Did I mess up?) 23:12, 9 August 2014 (UTC)

A cup of coffee for you!

For cheering me up on IRC. Thanks! Cheers and Thanks, L235-Talk Ping when replying 00:30, 10 August 2014 (UTC)

VisualEditor global newsletter—July and August 2014

The VisualEditor team is currently working mostly to fix bugs, improve performance, reduce technical debt, and other infrastructure needs. You can find on Mediawiki.org weekly updates detailing recent work.

Screenshot of VisualEditor's link tool
Dialog boxes in VisualEditor have been re-designed to use action words instead of icons. This has increased the number of items that need to be translated. The user guide is also being updated.

The biggest visible change since the last newsletter was to the dialog boxes. The design for each dialog box and window was simplified. The most commonly needed buttons are now at the top. Based on user feedback, the buttons are now labeled with simple words (like "Cancel" or "Done") instead of potentially confusing icons (like "<" or "X"). Many of the buttons to edit links, images, and other items now also show the linked page, image name, or other useful information when you click on them.

  • Hidden HTML comments (notes visible to editors, but not to readers) can now be read, edited, inserted, and removed. A small icon (a white exclamation mark on a dot) marks the location of each comments. You can click on the icon to see the comment.
  • You can now drag and drop text and templates as well as images. A new placement line makes it much easier to see where you are dropping the item. Images can no longer be dropped into the middle of paragraphs.
  • All references and footnotes (<ref> tags) are now made through the "⧼visualeditor-toolbar-cite-label⧽" menu, including the "⧼visualeditor-dialogbutton-reference-tooltip⧽" (manual formatting) footnotes and the ability to re-use an existing citation, both of which were previously accessible only through the "Insert" menu. The "⧼visualeditor-dialogbutton-referencelist-tooltip⧽" is still added via the "Insert" menu.
  • When you add an image or other media file, you are now prompted to add an image caption immediately. You can also replace an image whilst keeping the original caption and other settings.
  • All tablet users visiting the mobile web version of Wikipedias will be able to opt-in to a version of VisualEditor from 14 August. You can test the new tool by choosing the beta version of the mobile view in the Settings menu.
  • The link tool has a new "Open" button that will open a linked page in another tab so you can make sure a link is the right one.
  • The "Cancel" button in the toolbar has been removed based on user testing. To cancel any edit, you can leave the page by clicking the Read tab, the back button in your browser, or closing the browser window without saving your changes.

Looking ahead

The team posts details about planned work on the VisualEditor roadmap. The VisualEditor team plans to add auto-fill features for citations soon. Your ideas about making referencing quick and easy are still wanted. Support for upright image sizes is being developed. The designers are also working on support for adding rows and columns to tables; you can already provide feedback about the design workflow. Work to support Internet Explorer is ongoing.

Feedback opportunities

Please share your questions, suggestions, or problems by posting a note at the VisualEditor feedback page or by joining the office hours discussion on Thursday, 14 August 2014 at 09:00 UTC (daytime for Europe, Middle East and Asia) or on Thursday, 18 September 2014 at 16:00 UTC (daytime for the Americas; evening for Europe).

If you'd like to get this newsletter on your own page (about once a month), please subscribe at w:en:Wikipedia:VisualEditor/Newsletter for English Wikipedia only or at Meta for any project. Thank you! --Elitre (WMF), 17:53, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

The Special Barnstar
Thank you for all your hard work, on-wiki or off. Thanks for helping at #wikipedia-en-help. Cheers and Thanks, L235-Talk Ping when replying 21:12, 14 August 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 13 August 2014

  • Special report: Twitter bots catalogue government edits to Wikipedia
    Slate reports that Tom Scott, co-creator of the emoji social network Emojli, created a Twitter bot called Parliament WikiEdits to automatically tweet a link to any Wikipedia edits made from an IP address belonging to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Scott's bot initially did not tweet any links to edits made from Parliament and, according to Scott, an "insider" reports that their IP addresses changed. Despite this, Scott's Twitter bot has inspired similar creations in numerous other countries.
  • Traffic report: Disease, decimation and distraction
    It's been a grim few weeks. It says something that formerly arresting crises like the war in Ukraine, Boko Haram and the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, despite still being ongoing, have fallen out of the top 10 to make way for the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak and the equally if not more intense conflict against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
  • Wikimania: Promised the moon, settled for the stars
    Wikimania 2014 was held last week in the Barbican Centre in London. Below, the Signpost's former "Technology report" writer Harry Burt (User:Jarry1250) shares his thoughts on a bustling conference.
  • News and notes: Media Viewer controversy spreads to German Wikipedia
    Wikimedia Foundation staff members have now been granted superpowers that would allow them to override community consensus. The new protection level came as a response to attempts of German Wikipedia administrators to implement a community consensus on the new Media Viewer. "Superprotect" is a level above full protection, and prevents edits by administrators.
  • Op-ed: Red links, blue links, and erythrophobia
    Erythrophobia is the fear of, or sensitivity to, the colour red. Recently, I have seen more and more erythrophobic Wikipedians; specifically, Wikipedians who are scared of red links. In Wikipedia's early days, red links were encouraged and well-loved, and when I started editing in 2006, this was still mostly the case. Jump forward to 2014, and many editors now have an aversion to red links.
  • In the media: Monkey selfie, net neutrality, and hoaxes
    The Observer reported (August 2) that Google would "restrict search terms to a link to a Wikipedia article, in the first request under Europe's controversial new 'right to be forgotten' legislation to affect the 110m-page encyclopaedia."

Reviewer granted

Hello. Your account has been granted the "reviewer" userright, allowing you to review other users' edits on pages protected by pending changes. The list of articles awaiting review is located at Special:PendingChanges, while the list of articles that have pending changes protection turned on is located at Special:StablePages.

Being granted reviewer rights neither grants you status nor changes how you can edit articles. If you do not want this user right, you may ask any administrator to remove it for you at any time.

See also:

The Signpost: 20 August 2014

  • Op-ed: A new metric for Wikimedia
    Denny Vrandečić argues that "We should focus on measuring how much knowledge we allow every human to share in, instead of number of articles or active editors."

Thank you!

The Guidance Barnstar
Your suggestion helped greatly in the matter with the Michael Brown talk page. Icarosaurvus (talk) 21:52, 29 August 2014 (UTC)


Thank you very much for your suggestions regarding calming things on a talkpage which had been beset by turmoil. After implementing some of them, the result seems to be a (at least temporary) increase in cordiality. Icarosaurvus (talk) 21:51, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 27 August 2014

  • Traffic report: Viral
    "This was a week when an actual virus, Ebola, competed for attention with several viral social phenomena; most notably the Ice Bucket Challenge..."

Thanks

Hey, I tried thanking your edit on my talk page but it wouldn't let me. Wierd. So I just said it here. :) --DangerousJXD (talk) 00:41, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Barnstar

The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Thanks for helping me out on the IRC! Bobherry talk 01:27, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Doubt

Greetings Howicus, could you be more specific about why my article does not have importance? The article says it is a new organization whose primary purpose is to promote, through art, the non-violence and tolerance. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mywo (talk • contribs) 03:42, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Wikipedia articles need reliable, independent sources such as newspapers or magazines that cover the subject of the article in depth. Have such sources written about Ciglart? If not, then Ciglart is probably too new to have an article at this point. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 03:52, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Ok I understand now. Yes the organization is relatively new, but the article will be expanded (weekly) as the organization grows, by different good sources like artists and writers with different viewpoints. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mywo (talk • contribs) 04:01, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Have newspapers or magazines or other independent sources written about Ciglart? Sources such as those are a requirement for an article to exist. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 04:04, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

No they don't have yet, just the website (my source) and a couple of question to the founders that i made. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mywo (talk • contribs) 04:16, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Then there should not be an article on Ciglart until those sources exist. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 04:25, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 03 September 2014

  • Arbitration report: Media viewer case is suspended
    "On 1 September, the Arbitrators voted to suspend the Media Viewer case for 60 days. After the suspension period is up, the case is to be closed unless the committee votes otherwise. The case suspension comes in response to several new initiatives and policies announced by the Wikimedia Foundation that may make the case moot. In the same motion, the committee declared that Eloquence's resignation of the administrator right was "under the cloud" and that he can only regain the right through another RfA."
  • Traffic report: Holding Pattern
    "This week we saw three of the top ten articles remain in place, with the Ice Bucket Challenge at #1, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at #2, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant at #5, all for a second straight week..."
  • WikiProject report: Gray's Anatomy (v. 2)
    "This week, the Signpost went out to meet WikiProject Anatomy, dedicated to improving the articles about all our bones, brains, bladders and biceps, and getting them to the high standard expected of a comprehensive encyclopaedia."

Thank you for the advice

Hello, Howicus.

I just wanted to apologize for making the spelling and grammatical edits to Electrolux's Talk page. I thought that the edits I made were as minimal and logical as the Talk page guidelines would allow, but I see my error and learned from it.

I am new here, and I have been learning much about WP editing as I have gone along, so I am sorry for the mistake, and I thank you for the advice.TheBaer (talk) 00:27, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

No problem, no harm done. Have fun editing!  :) Howicus (Did I mess up?) 00:32, 11 September 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 10 September 2014

  • Op-ed: Media Viewer software is not ready
    Last month, I wrote an open letter to the Wikimedia Foundation, inviting others to join me in a simple but important request: roll back the recent actions—both technical and social—by which the Wikimedia Foundation has overruled legitimate decisions of several Wikimedia projects.
  • Traffic report: Refuge in celebrity
    Even though it's not quite 3/4 over, it's safe to say that 2014 will go down as a year of war, mass murder, plane crashes and terrible diseases. While certainly paying it some heed, it's not surprising that Wikipedia viewers tried this week to find any alternative to that litany of tragedy and pain, and their chosen method of escape was, as usual, celebrity.
  • Featured content: The louse and the fish's tongue
    The amazing and strange tongue-eating louse replacing a fish's tongue! Because isopods, the subject of a new featured article, are both awesome and really damn weird!
  • WikiProject report: Checking that everything's all right
    This week, the Signpost decided to have a look around with WikiProject Check Wikipedia a maintenance project not concerned so much with articles' content, but in all the tiny errors that are to be found scattered within them. Their front page gives a list of things they mainly focus on ...

The Signpost: 17 September 2014

  • WikiProject report: A trip up north to Scotland
    As Scotland is deciding its future this week, we thought it might be a good idea to get to know the editors of WikiProject Scotland and talk to them about the project.
  • Featured content: Which is not like the others?
    Four articles, two lists, and 51 pictures were promoted to "featured" status this week on the English Wikipedia.

Orphaned non-free image File:Pallium India logo.jpg

⚠
⚠

Thanks for uploading File:Pallium India logo.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. Stefan2 (talk) 14:16, 20 September 2014 (UTC)

WikiProject Military history coordinator election

Greetings from WikiProject Military history! As a member of the project, you are invited to take part in our annual project coordinator election, which will determine our coordinators for the next twelve months. If you wish to cast a vote, please do so on the election page by 23:59 (UTC) on 28 September! Ed [talk] [majestic titan] 22:06, 23 September 2014 (UTC)

Please adopt me

Please adopt me! Sgvrfjs (talk) 02:18, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

I'd be glad to :). Basically, how adoption works (or at least how I do it), is I've developed a page with various tasks for you to work through at your own pace. If that sounds good to you, you can take a look at User:Howicus/Adoption school and follow the instructions there to make your own version of that page. I look forward to hearing from you. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 02:40, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Actually, I was hopeful if you could just be there to answer general questions for now (this was listed as a use for adoption). I just completed and had accepted my first article (The Wood Nymph (Sibelius)), but was perplexed why it was rated as "start-class", which according to the directions is for articles that are not well sources and/or are insufficient in terms of information. If you could take a look and let me know why it was rated so low, I'd appreciate it. Is there something I'm not getting? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sgvrfjs (talk • contribs) 02:46, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Oh, sure, I'm happy to answer questions too. The article was rated start-class simply because that's the default, and the reviewer who accepted it didn't assess it. I've re-assessed it as B-class (the highest class that doesn't require a formal review). Howicus (Did I mess up?) 02:56, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Many thanks! You'll hear from me again sometime soon, I would bet! Sgvrfjs (talk) 02:59, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Murat Pak

I tried the links to the references and they did not work. After I was asked about this, I checked again and they worked. I suspect, since the same thing also happened on another article, that the links will not work if clicked on from Huggle. I explained this on the talk page and asked that the nomination be withdrawn. I have been explaining this and apologizing on the talk pages of those interested in the articles and on the articles themselves. I regret the mistakes. I am not sure why I have not run into this before but I certainly will not click on links from Huggle again. Donner60 (talk) 04:44, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation. Howicus (Did I mess up?) 21:18, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 24 September 2014

  • Featured content: Oil paintings galore
    Six articles, four lists, one topic, and 17 pictures were promoted to "featured" status this week on the English Wikipedia.
  • In the media: Indian political editing, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Congressional chelonii
    The Hindustan Times speculates (September 18) that politicians and their supporters are "sanitizing" their articles in advance of the 2014 Maharashtra State Assembly election. The Times notes the absence of significant controversies in the articles of particular politicians and the presence of heavily promotional language.
  • Traffic report: Wikipedia watches the referendum in Scotland
    This could be the beginning of a new era for this list. Until now, decisions to remove suspicious content have been largely educated guesswork. This week though, we have a new collaborator who can shine a light on the origins and patterns, sorting once and for all the webwheat from the cyberchaff.
  • WikiProject report: GAN reviewers take note: competition time
    A year and a week later, we're with some of the members of WikiProject Good Articles, who wanted to share the news of their upcoming contest within the project, the GA Cup. The aim of this friendly competition, which is held in the same light friendly manner of the WikiCup and the Core Contest, is to reduce the backlog of unreviewed articles at Good article nominations which has been a constant problem for quite a few years for those running the GA process.
  • Arbitration report: Banning Policy, Gender Gap, and Waldorf education
    Banning Policy finishes the workshop phase on 23 September. Parties have proposed findings of fact on the topics of the 3RR, the role of Jimbo Wales, and proxying for banned users. A request for arbitration was posted on 20 September about Landmark Worldwide.

The Signpost: 01 October 2014

  • Dispatches: Let's get serious about plagiarism
    This article was first published in the Signpost in 2009. Written by several long-standing editors, including the late Adrianne Wadewitz, the article was subjected to extensive commentary and ultimately influenced the English Wikipedia's plagiarism guideline. With recent debates about close paraphrasing vis-à-vis plagiarism, we feel that this dispatch retains its relevance and deserves a second airing.
  • WikiProject report: Animals, farms, forests, USDA? It must be WikiProject Agriculture
    This week, the Signpost went down to the farm to have a look at the work of WikiProject Agriculture, which has been in existence since 2007 and has a scope covering crop production, livestock management, aquaculture, dairy farming and forest management.
  • Traffic report: Shanah Tovah
    Jews wished each other Shanah Tovah ("Good year") this week as Rosh Hashanah was our most popular article. It was also a week not dominated by heavy news and tragedies, so aside from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (#2, sixth week in the Top 10), our popular article list runs the gamut of current events including new television series Gotham (#3), the 2014 Asian Games (#4), and Reddit-fueled popularity for German director Uwe Boll (#7).
  • Featured content: Brothers at War
    As the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the American Civil War draws to a close, the race to improve content continues. The Battle of Franklin, fought on November 30, 1864, will, quite appropriately, be Picture of the Day for November 30, 2014, its 150th anniversary. If you want to help commemorate the American Civil War, why not help out at the Military History WikiProject's Operation Brothers at War. Or help out with the World War I centennial, just starting up, Operation Great War Centennial.

Ready for translation: VisualEditor News #8 (2014)

Hi, I'd like to inform you that the upcoming VisualEditor newsletter for September and October will be fully translatable for the first time. Here's the direct link for your convenience, if you can help with this task. Please find other details in this message at the Translators list. Thanks for your attention, Elitre (WMF) 22:26, 8 October 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 08 October 2014

  • Traffic report: Panic and denial
    The first case of the Ebola virus on US shores sent people into a tizzy, rushing to their keyboards to try and learn what they could.

VisualEditor News #8—2014

Did you know?

TemplateData is a separate program that organizes information about the parameters that can be used in a template. VisualEditor reads that data, and uses it to populate its simplified template dialogs.

With the new TemplateData editor, it is easier to add information about parameters, because the ones you need to use are pre-loaded.

See the help page for TemplateData for more information about adding TemplateData. The user guide has information about how to use VisualEditor.

Since the last newsletter, the Editing team has reduced technical debt, simplified some workflows for template and citation editing, made major progress on Internet Explorer support, and fixed over 125 bugs and requests. Several performance improvements were made, especially to the system around re-using references and reference lists. Weekly updates are posted on Mediawiki.org.

There were three issues that required urgent fixes: a deployment error that meant that many buttons didn't work correctly (bugs 69856 and 69864), a problem with edit conflicts that left the editor with nowhere to go (bug 69150), and a problem in Internet Explorer 11 that replaced some categories with a link to the system message MediaWiki:Badtitletext (bug 70894) when you saved. The developers apologize for the disruption, and thank the people who reported these problems quickly.

Increased support for devices and browsers

Internet Explorer 10 and 11 users now have access to VisualEditor. This means that about 5% of Wikimedia's users will now get an "Edit" tab alongside the existing "Edit source" tab. Support for Internet Explorer 9 is planned for the future.

Tablet users browsing the site's mobile mode now have the option of using a mobile-specific form of VisualEditor. More editing tools, and availability of VisualEditor on smartphones, is planned for the future. The mobile version of VisualEditor was tweaked to show the context menu for citations instead of basic references (bug 68897). A bug that broke the editor in iOS was corrected and released early (bug 68949). For mobile tablet users, three bugs related to scrolling were fixed (bug 66697, bug 68828, bug 69630). You can use VisualEditor on the mobile version of Wikipedia from your tablet by clicking on the cog in the top-right when editing a page and choosing which editor to use.

TemplateData editor

The tool for editing TemplateData has been deployed to 30 more Wikipedias this week. Other Wikipedias and some other projects may receive access next month. This tool makes it easier to add TemplateData to the template's documentation. When the tool is enabled, it will add a button above every editing window for a template (including documentation subpages). To use it, edit the template page or a subpage, and then click the "Edit template data" button at the top. Read the help page for TemplateData. You can test the TemplateData editor in a sandbox at Mediawiki.org. Remember that TemplateData should be placed either on a documentation subpage or on the template page itself. Only one block of TemplateData will be used per template.

Other changes

Several interface messages and labels were changed to be simpler, clearer, or shorter, based on feedback from translators and editors. The formatting of dialogs was changed, and more changes to the appearance will be coming soon, when VisualEditor implements the new MediaWiki theme from Design. (A preview of the theme is available on Labs for developers.) The team also made some improvements for users of the Monobook skin that improved the size of text in toolbars and fixed selections that overlapped menus.

VisualEditor-MediaWiki now supplies the mw-redirect and mw-disambig class on links to redirects and disambiguation pages, so that user gadgets that colour in these types of links can be created.

Templates' fields can be marked as 'required' in TemplateData. If a parameter is marked as required, then you cannot delete that field when you add a new template or edit an existing one (bug 60358).

Language support improved by making annotations use bi-directional isolation (so they display correctly with cursoring behaviour as expected) and by fixing a bug that crashed VisualEditor when trying to edit a page with a dir attribute but no lang set (bug 69955).

Looking ahead

The team posts details about planned work on the VisualEditor roadmap. The VisualEditor team plans to add auto-fill features for citations soon, perhaps in late October.

The team is also working on support for adding rows and columns to tables, and early work for this may appear within the month. Please comment on the design at Mediawiki.org.

In the future, real-time collaborative editing may be possible in VisualEditor. Some early preparatory work for this was recently done.

Supporting your wiki

At Wikimania, several developers gave presentations about VisualEditor. A translation sprint focused on improving access to VisualEditor was supported by many people. Deryck Chan was the top translator. Special honors also go to संजीव कुमार (Sanjeev Kumar), Robby, Takot, Bachounda, Bjankuloski06 and Ата. A summary of the work achieved by the translation community is available. Thank you all for your work.

This was the first translatable VisualEditor newsletter, so thanks to everybody who made this possible! If it hasn't been delivered in your language, and you'd like to help with translations in the future, please subscribe to the Translators mailing list or contact Elitre (WMF), so that you will be notified when the next issue is due.

VisualEditor can be made available to most non-Wikipedia projects. If your community would like to test VisualEditor, please contact product manager James Forrester or file an enhancement request in Bugzilla.

Please join the office hours on Saturday, 18 October 2014 at 18:00 UTC (daytime for the Americas; evening for Africa and Europe) and on Wednesday, 19 November at 16:00 UTC on IRC.

Give feedback on VisualEditor at mw:VisualEditor/Feedback. Subscribe or unsubscribe at Meta. Thank you! —Elitre (WMF)

09:46, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

Matti Leshem

Hi there - I left a reply to your note over at Talk:Matti_Leshem last week. I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks. NinaSpezz (talk) 19:32, 15 October 2014 (UTC)