User talk:Ballista/Archive 1

This page was archived on 10th June 2006 (with a few additions since)

Animal Testing

If you are going to go around adding to every article on a pet food or a pet food manufacturing company that they do animal testing, please provide proper references/sources for your claims and please be sure to read WP:NPOV, this is not the place to push a personal agenda. Thanks. -Dawson 17:39, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

You don't have to add entire sections of text from other articles, an overview of the company's testing (methods, procedures would be great if you can find them, but they're notoriously secretive about that stuff), and a link to the article about it per Wikipedia:Citing sources works just fine. Unless of course the testing is a real pertinent part of the article, like significant litigation, or something else that greatly affects the company, etc. Then it could warrant a more detailed explaination. Methods and means of animal testing for pet food may also be worth an addition to dog food and cat food, if they're appropriately sourced of course. -Dawson 21:16, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

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Wallenberg family

Hi Ballista, I regularly check for links to the SAS disambiguation page and fix them when I can. You added such a link to the Wallenberg family that I can't immediately resolve. I'm guessing that it refers to Scandinavian Airlines System, but I can't tell for sure. I'd appreciate it if you could fix this when you get a chance. Thanks! Pagrashtak 03:39, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Merge you semi-proposed for Veterinary Surgeons

• HI!
  

Please consult with WP:MM (Wikipedia:Merging and moving pages) and use the mergeto/mergefrom templates and the proper procedure if you want to push this issue.

You didn't even bother to annote the respective talk pages with your rationale.

Then it is a polite practice to drop a quick note on the talk pages of recent contributors in both articles, say going back two or three months. The contribs and history pages can be printed, or extracted to a text editor (Windows Notepad.exe) using CTRL-A,CTRL-C with the limit set for 500 and boil out the users to notify.

Then work through the contribs lists with your short list and paste your message on one after the other. (Backspace back to the contribs, and pick the next victim! It really doesn't take long once you organize it. <G>

Have fun! FrankB 06:10, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Welcome message from Fabartus

Since you're a newbie, let me add my welcome. Here's some good stuff to puruse and play with in User_talk:Ballista/Scratchpad01, should you choose to create it after looking that over.

How did you rename the article in a prior edit? And did you check links first. That's usually an Admin task, and after a year plus, I don't know how to do that!. Kudos! What's the secret?FrankB 06:19, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Just thought I'd pop over and say hi!

Just thought I'd pop over and say hi! How's things coming along.

I just spent a couple fo hours helping another newbie user Talk:Macs417, so when looking over my talk, I saw your note from a week or two back. So here I am. :) or :( as you prefer! <G>

Making any headway with my welcome message 'tricks' re: user:Fabartus/Welcome message, or did I 'move too fast' on something else?

Best regards, FrankB 20:14, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

• Looking over your excellent contribs herein, I'm sad and worried I might have scared you off! See the newbie post just above, and fill in your scratchpad as I instructed him/her. There are a lot of people to ask questions, Follow the help link on your skin (on the default it is in the sidebar above the search bar. The many specific forums will still help you even should you post the 'wrong' place in a technical sense... there is no 'wrong' here in this society save WP:NPA and maybe WP:POV. There is a tremendously large learning curve, but it's not all that difficult.

Best! FrankB 20:23, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

Good - didn't see any recent activity. Best! FrankB 21:06, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

John Barnard FRCO

Thanks for the note. Happy editing! --Alan Au 06:09, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

License tagging for Image:800px-Dapedium.jpg

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License tagging for Image:Saab 'Daihatsu'.jpg

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License tagging for Image:Saab 99 EMS 1974 (UK Spec).jpg

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Year linking

You have recently edited the Morris Motor Company article and added links to all the years mentioned. This is not really needed and according to Wikipedia:Only make links that are relevant to the context it is only necessary to do this if the date is needed to let the reader clearly understand the topic. Malcolma 08:34, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

Liftback

I guess that you are on the opposite side of the Atlantic than the Saab :D I think it's not that much a transatlantic variation, but rather an imprecision due to the fact that 5-door body styles are in general not that popular in America. The same applies to e.g. compact minivans, which are called "wagons" in America due to relative inpopularity of this body style and thus lack of established term for it.

There is a significant difference between hatchback (relatively vertical back end, small trunk) and liftback (fastback or notchback rear, trunk comparable to a sedan car). A good example would be the Toyota Corolla, which came in both hatchback and liftback forms concurrently (not in the US, but in many markets).

I am not reverting your edits, in case you have an important reason to eschew liftbacks, in which case I would be thankful if you would discuss them :D Bravada Talk to me! 06:40, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

OK, so I was wrong about where you come from :D It's funny for me that the term liftback is so rarely used in the UK, since it seems that liftbacks are particularly popular in the UK. Anyway, in continental Europe the term seems to be in widespread use (except for the French, who have a catch-all term "berline", and think sedan is a city in the north of France ;) ).

I believe for the purpose of increasing clarity, the term liftback should be used wherever applicable. Of course, sometimes it might be hard to determine whether a paticular car is a liftback or a hatchback, but I believe that the E10 Corollas might serve as borderline examples - hatchback and liftback (there are 5-door hatchbacks too, I just couldn't find a profile shot). In general, all 5-door midsize cars are liftbacks (I mean, non-estate midsize 5-door cars ;) ), the only exception I can think of from recent years is the Opel Signum.

Seems like we would also need a separate article for liftbacks, I will try to compose one in a moment. Bravada Talk to me! 07:15, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

There you go, a liftback article is here. I would be most grateful if you could review it. If you find it OK, I will reformulate the "Similar body styles" section of the hatchback article accordingly and begin demasking liftbacks in appropriate articles :D

BTW, I just realized what your edit of the Saab 900 really was, at first I thought that you have REPLACED liftback with hatchback, now I see what was the case. If I would realize that in the beginning, I wouldn't have made any fuss of it, but then there would be no discussion, liftback article and the Daihatsu Applause article (which I see I have to create now).

I believe that now it does not make sense to bill body styles as both liftbacks and hatchbacks, but the description of the Saab 900 body style could read "liftback (combi coupe)". How about that? Bravada Talk to me! 09:20, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your review and lending a hand where my rudimentary English let me down after a sleepless night :D We'll see about the merger, as of now I take it that I have the green light to edit the hatchback article and start disseminating the liftback evangelion in appropriate places to integrate this new article with Wikipedia :D

On an unrelated note, I just discovered that Google automatic translation of Japanese "Toyota Camry" returns "the Back Hole" [1] - do you think this should be included in the "trivia" section of the Toyota Camry article? ;P Bravada Talk to me! 11:22, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your comment on my English. I reserve the right to a different view on that matter :D As concerns the "green light" I just wanted a second opinion before I go on with, as I don't feel good judging my own ideas. Anyway, seems like I have to get some sleep as I most obviously lost the ability to express myself in a comprehensible way.

The Camry thing was just a funny occurence I wanted to share with somebody - the fact that Google says that "Camry" stands for "back hole" is totally cracking me up :D

Enough of that. Over and out! Bravada Talk to me! 11:37, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

WikiProject Dinosaurs

Hi Ballista!

There's currently less than 100 dinosaurs left on the Missing dinosaur page. We've come a long way! I was thinking that since there's just under 100 dinosaurs left, and since there are 25 of us signed on for the project, if we each wrote about four articles, we'd be done! Well, not "done", obviously, as many of the articles are in need of expansion. But then we could focus on expansion and other things.

You could take, say, Pycnonemosaurus, Rachitrema, Rayososaurus, and Rhadinosaurus.

It's just an idea, of course, and you're of course not obligated and can do whatever you like; I just figured I'd mention the idea, and see if you were interested. No harm, right?

Take care, --Firsfron 07:12, 23 April 2006 (UTC) :)

OK - thanks for contact - I'll give it a try, over the next week or so. - Ballista 07:33, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Great, Ballista! I'm looking forward to your articles. Thank you! :) --Firsfron 18:05, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Excellent start! Rayososaurus looks really good. Keep it up! :)--Firsfron 05:01, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the Barnstar, Ballista. I've displayed it proudly on my user page. The four new articles do indeed look good; you needn't have worried. Thanks for your assistance, and hope to see you more often around WP:Dinosaurs!--Firsfron 00:32, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Smallpox Hill

Fascinating. Thanks. Is there a picture, or could you read off its map reference do you think? Margaret Gelling is a placename expert with a particular focus on old (Saxon etc) names for hills, and I suspect it would amuse her to hear this. We could acquire its previous names. Midgley 09:44, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

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Uley/ Downham Hill/ Smallpox Hill

The reason that Downham Hill is known as Smallpox Hill or Pox Hill is that there used to be a smallpox isolation hospital on the top of it. It was at the eastern end of the hill; the ruins were still visible around a hundred years ago, and there are still some grassy mounds there today. I have never come across any firm evidence that Jenner was actually connected with the place.

Are you able to demonstrate that he was? Downhamhill 09:12, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Infobox

There is a consensus discussion on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Aircraft#Infobox Aicraft consensus discussion on adopting a non-specifications summary infobox for aircraft articles. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks! - Emt147 ^Burninate! 18:30, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Welcome to VandalProof!

Thank you for your interest in VandalProof, Ballista! You have now been added to the list of authorized users, so if you haven't already, simply download and install VandalProof from our main page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any other moderator, or you can post a message on the discussion page. AmiDaniel (Talk) 07:08, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Re: user page assistance

Unfortunately, both of the links to contributions/uploads on my userpage are outdated. They make use of Interiot's editcount tools, which are no longer updated on the English Wikipedia. I'm not aware of anything similar that you could link to that would do the same thing, even Duesentrieb's gallery tool is no longer being updated, which is a pretty nice tool. At some point in the future they may be fixed, I don't really know. Cheers. -Dawson 18:01, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Sonett IV proposed merger

Yes, the IV article just duplicated what's alsready in the Sonett article. // Liftarn

Saab 60

Do you have any sources for the article on the Saab 60? // Liftarn

'born from jets'

Ah, interesting you should mention it - it has bothered me from time to time. While I believe that the 'claim' is becoming less valid with time, they may still be legitimate in that the heritage of the design department is probably still influenced by the jet history. Ballista 19:09, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Doubtful, considering the current Saab lineup consists of rebadged and tweaked Opels, Subarus, and GM trucks. The only "aircraft" feature is the black cockpit switch which turns off everything but the speedo. - Emt147 ^Burninate! 19:13, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Punting in France

Hello Ballista thanks for your contribution about punting.

Do you have a reference for Punting in Venise Verte in France? If you do (or perhaps just a web page) can you please put it in the links at the bottom? Can you explain what you mean by "punting of a sort"? Can you phrase it in more encyclopedic language?

Thanks ever so much, Thruston 22:39, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

'Homeopathy'

Don't mean to stamp on you, far from it. I'm intending to keep clear of the homeopathy article - I think the way will be to find a time when people are happy to let all sides be told rather than try to modify what the other side is saying, which won't happen easilyGleng 21:47, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

VandalProof 1.2 Now Available

After a lenghty, but much-needed Wikibreak, I'm happy to announce that version 1.2 of VandalProof is now available for download! Beyond fixing some of the most obnoxious bugs, like the persistent crash on start-up that many have experienced, version 1.2 also offers a wide variety of new features, including a stub-sorter, a global user whitelist and blacklist, navigational controls, and greater customization. You can find a full list of the new features here. While I believe this release to be a significant improvement over the last, it's nonetheless nowhere near the end of the line for VandalProof. Thanks to Rob Church, I now have an account on test.wikipedia.org with SysOp rights and have already been hard at work incorporating administrative tools into VandalProof, which I plan to make available in the near future. An example of one such SysOp tool that I'm working on incorporating is my simple history merge tool, which simplifies the process of performing history merges from one article into another. Anyway, if you haven't already, I'd encourage you to download and install version 1.2 and take it out for a test-drive. As always, your suggestions for improvement are always appreciated, and I hope that you will find this new version useful. Happy editing! --AmiDaniel (talk) 02:06, 21 May 2006 (UTC)

Military history WikiProject Newsletter - Issue III - May 2006

The May 2006 issue of the Military history WikiProject newsletter has been published. You may read the newsletter, change the format in which future issues will be delivered to you, or unsubscribe from this notification by following the link. Thank you. —ERcheck @ 11:40, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

License tagging for Image:VOIE DE LIBERTE km00 UTAH BEACH.jpg

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Guidance please

Hey Ballista! I'm not sure I understand. You do know about the Watchlist, right? you can add any page to a list you monitor, if you either:

a)click on the 'Watch' tab, or

b)edit the page, and check the box marked 'watch this page' (which is the default setting, I believe).

As long as you're logged in, a link to your watchlist will be at the top of every page. The watchlist normally defaults to changes made in the last three days, so you only really need to check it every three days or so to be effective. I suppose you already know about watchlists, but I really don't know of a much easier way to monitor pages for changes, since it's really easy this way. I also reccommend that you set your watchlist settings to ignore your own edits, and ignore bot edits, as this cuts down on the list considerably. Does this answer your question? Hope something I said helps. :) --Firsfron 20:50, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

Kinky software? I think you're looking on the wrong site. ;) --Firsfron of Ronchester 10:06, 4 June 2006 (UTC)