JBonnerAnglican

Welcome!

Hi JBonnerAnglican! I noticed your contributions and wanted to welcome you to the Wikipedia community. I hope you like it here and decide to stay.

As you get started, you may find this short tutorial helpful:

Learn more about editing

Alternatively, the contributing to Wikipedia page covers the same topics.

If you have any questions, we have a friendly space where experienced editors can help you here:

Get help at the Teahouse

If you are not sure where to help out, you can find a task here:

Volunteer at the Task Center

Please remember to sign your messages on talk pages by typing four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date.

Happy editing!

As for licensing, if your blog is licensed under one of the compatible licenses, (CC BY, all versions and ports, up to and including 4.0; CC BY-SA 1.0, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0; or CC0) you are free to use the content. Just make sure to state in the edit summary where it comes from for attribution purposes. (t · c) buidhe 17:18, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Be sure to read the above note, per your blog, this will help! Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 20:17, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Gerald Bonner

JBonnerAnglicanHi again. You cannot use the unpublished docs as sources, as I said at the Teahouse. However, not every stmt has to have a ref, only if the "statement is challenged, or likely to be challenged". If you need help on this article, let me know. Don't get discouraged. Best, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 19:40, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

I have read through the article again, and see additional good info in the obituary source already present. I will work on adding more facts, based on this document. Will also add a "Legacy" section, regarding the research award. Will work on this later today. Regards, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 20:14, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Managing a conflict of interest

Hello, JBonnerAnglican. We welcome your contributions, but if you have an external relationship with the people, places or things you have written about in the page Gerald Bonner, you may have a conflict of interest (COI). Editors with a conflict of interest may be unduly influenced by their connection to the topic. See the conflict of interest guideline and FAQ for organizations for more information. We ask that you:

• avoid editing or creating articles about yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, company, organization or competitors;
• propose changes on the talk pages of affected articles (you can use the {{request edit}} template);
• disclose your conflict of interest when discussing affected articles (see Wikipedia:Conflict of interest#How to disclose a COI);
• avoid linking to your organization's website in other articles (see WP:Spam);
• do your best to comply with Wikipedia's content policies.

In addition, you are required by the Wikimedia Foundation's terms of use to disclose your employer, client, and affiliation with respect to any contribution which forms all or part of work for which you receive, or expect to receive, compensation. See Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure.

Also, editing for the purpose of advertising, publicising, or promoting anyone or anything is not permitted. Thank you. Theroadislong (talk) 08:47, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

The article in question was written by someone other than myself and much of the most recent editing has been effected by another editor (ironically, using material from an obituary that I helped write, but there you are). In the editing that I have undertaken, I have made clear my relationship with the subject under discussion (my father) in my comments and my most recent edits have been statments of fact corroborated by citations of articles that he (or other people) wrote. Your colleagues have indicated that unpublished sources may not be employed and I have been using only published sources to sustain the points under discussion. With an entry like this, the only people likely to be willing to put in the time to make it comprehensive are "family, friends and colleagues"; this being the nature of the academic profession. I am not doing any of this for financial gain.

Thank you

Thanks very much for your recent edits to Gerald Bonner. I appreciate the additional information and sources, as well as your edits to clarify certain terms that I did not properly understand. Now, I will go through and copyedit a bit, please let me know if I make errors regarding terminology, etc. Regards, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 22:34, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

I have copyedited the article, added sections, wikilinks to other articles, etc. Despite the fact that I am not ("family, friends and colleagues") and never knew your father, I have edited out of historical interest, a respect for his achievements and his contributions to his "profession", as well as wider society.

Would you be willing to converse with me here on your talk page? I have lovely memories of visiting Durham Cathedral, on three occasions, several decades ago. I wonder if I might have seen your father's lecture text, when I visited St. Bede's tomb.

I would like to ask you about an outdoor sculpture that we saw there in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Thanks for your consideration. Respectfully, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 01:13, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Sorry for so many notes, but I went back through your edits, and saw the edit note stating that your blog has a creative commons license! Great, and I found it! I am going through the blog, and will add to the article. As I, obviously, do not have a COI ( conflict of interest), I believe I can add rather freely to GB, in a manner that you may not be " allowed" to do. Off to work....Regards, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 02:04, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Greetings Tribe of Tiger (I'm Jeremy, by the way).

Only just seen your feedback so apologies for the belated reply.

As you see, I've been adding things anyway, but feel free to take out anything that seems too personal or inadequately sourced. I've been searching THE TIMES archive and have found some of my father's published letters, which I assume are valid published material. Thank you so much for tidying this up; it will mean a lot to my mother.

I'm glad you had a good experience visiting Durham, as it's a lovely city. Happy to answer your question about the sculpture.

JBonnerAnglican (talk) 08:05, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Some notes...

Thanks so much for your personal reply, Jeremy! Yes, the Times is an absolutely valid source. Is it possible to cull additional biographical info from them? I think we could cull stmts from the letters to add to the Theological Views section. We will need to move carefully there, if you will heed my advice...

I must tell you that you are, mostly, "flying under the radar", in reference to your Conflict of Interest WP:COI in regards to your father. The notion of this COI may seem rather unreasonable to you. But as a result of WP becoming such a well-known and high-ranking internet platform, it was inundated with shamelessly advertorial " biographies" of corporate officers, unknown musicians, etc., and was being used as a source of free advertising. This was antithetical to its purpose as an encyclopedia, and a misuse of WP as a nonprofit organization. Thus the origin of COI rules.

Also, certain groups could slant articles in order to favor a political position, or "whitewash" unfavorable coverage of certain topics. Sorry if I seem to lecture here, but I wished to explain the background of the notices you have received.

Now, if you wish to add any more excerpts from GB's letters to The Times, I strongly urge you to post your "suggested edits" to the talk page of the article. Then I, as a neutral editor, can vet them, and add them. I will list the GB talkpage on my watchlist, but you might wish to send me a notification, on the page, which reads as follows: {{u|Tribe of Tiger}}. So, two curly brackets, then u, then upright line, then Tribe of Tiger, ending with two curly brackets. I am very pleased to work with you. Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 02:31, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Question regarding sculpture

Now, my personal question. In the late 1980s or early 1990s, while exploring the grounds near Durham Cathedral, my husband and I happened upon a strange circular formation. It consisted of carved, upright wooden posts. Mystified, we walked around and studied them. Soon, we came to a carved seat. Once seated, all became clear, as the various elements resolved to show a room, to the best of our decades-old memory. (The Upper Room?)

We had just been steeped in the awe, beauty and sanctity of the Cathedral, and gazed with respect at the saint's "tombs." Then we climbed the numerous winding steps to the top of the Cathedral. Finding and exploring the mystery of this outdoor sculpture added to our spiritual experience.

Do you recall this sculpture? Can you provide any information about it? I'm not sure that it will have lasted, through the decades.

At the time, we were staying with English friends (in a village near Newcastle). I met them through Friendship Force International in 1987. So we were able to take a day trip to Durham. Not only did we wish to see the Cathedral, but Durham had an addition meaning to us because we live near, shop, work etc. in Durham, NC. And at Duke University, we have our very own (much smaller) cathedral-like church, Duke Chapel.

There is a theory of Six degrees of separation. I am quite certain that if I could remember all the names of the kind and lovely people that we met in England, you and I would discover that we are less than "six handshakes" apart. Please give my greetings and respect to your mother. Has she ever been involved with "WI" ...Women's Institutes?

Thanks for your willingness to answer my questions. Most sincerely, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 03:18, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Dear Tribe of Tiger,

I must confess admit that the Cathedral has had many exhibits over the years. I don't remember it from the late 1980s/early 1990s, and I can safely say it's not there now. From the fall (you see, I still use the term) of 1992 I was a graduate student at CUA so I wouldn't have seen any sculpture after that. Sorry I cannot be of more help.

Ah, so you're denizens of the 'Harvard of the South'! A long-time family friend, who worked with my father on early Christian Northumbria, is a professor at Davidson College, but I've never visited Duke, I'm sorry to say. Durham, England, is a small place so I'm sure you did encounter someone whom we know/knew. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit and were able to appreciate the beauty of the Cathedral (my wife, who didn't grow up with it, has an even more profound appreciation of it than I do). I will convey your greetings to my mother and thank you again for your patience in this matter; I'm glad there is a neutral editor willing to take time and trouble.

Jeremy

JBonnerAnglican (talk) 07:47, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

It did not occur to me, at the time, that this might have been a "temporary exhibit". In retrospect, that makes sense. Anyway, W & I have our valued memory of the experience. Plus, somewhere around the house, I have the slides that I made, on high-quality film.

Yes, I am a "denizen" of the South, and my life has, in so many ways, been entwined with and influenced by Duke. It is rather amazing that a small start, many years ago, has provided benefits to many people. Per the Duke article: "Duke is the second-largest private employer in North Carolina with more than 39,000 employed, as of fall 2018 and is consistently ranked among the top places to work by multiple publications, including Forbes and The Chronicle of Higher Education." Sorry to brag a bit here! Small potatoes, compared to Durham Cathedral, I know.

I think we are both blessed, in our associations. Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 23:17, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Need some help...

Please see the talk page for the GB article, as I have some questions/observations regarding the Times quote. Makes better sense to discuss it over there! Best, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 03:27, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

notes per GB talk page,"Re: Durham University section" ,etc.

Your kind words and the offer of hospitality are much appreciated. I shall repeat here that my traveling days are over, but your offer of hospitality has caused me to grab a tissue, to deal with my watery eyes. Perhaps it is a bit strange....I often feel that because so many good-hearted and well-meaning people edit here, we constitute a "secular communion" of decent people, working to achieve a common and worthwhile goal. Below, I am posting something that I wrote offline, prior to your recent edits on the GB talk page:

"You asked me on the GB talk page, how long I have been editing....it has been @ 4.5 years. You can discover this info about any editor, as follows:

• Click on the user name, which will take you to their user page and talk page.
• On the left, under tools, click on "user contributions". This provides access to all their edits, last to first. Near the top, click on "oldest", and you will see their very first edits.

So, my first edit was March 2016. Our friend {np|Theroadislong}} (TRIL) made their first edit in 2006, and they have logged over 100,000 edits. (They have a lovely user page, worth a look.) Jeremy, When I first started with WP, I made a habit of checking out the editors with whom I was conversing, and I suspect this saved me much grief.

Now, I admit that it is very much to my discredit that I did not heed TRIL's first gentle shoulder tap, regarding WP:OR. Instead, I restored my edit, and received another gentle tap. See the GB talk page, under "Original Research". Falling over the cat knocked some sense into me. I re-read WP:OR, and saw my mistake.

This may have been a frustrating experience for you, to be buffeted about by the arcane rules of WP. We have been fortunate that an experienced and (quite really) supportive editor like TRIL, has taken an interest.

As much as I am truly interested in "Gerald Bonner" as an article, I simply do not have access to the sources, etc., that you have provided. Your fine efforts have allowed "us" to turn a beginning article from this[1] into this [2], so far. A wonderful achievement, for just a few days.

I hope that you might consider editing other articles, in the future. Your education, writing ability and access to sources would be of great benefit to both readers and editors. For example, can you add to/expand the article on Walter Ewing Crum, for example? It is a very short article and you might have access to other sources, etc.

Nowadays, as "The Plague" (Covid-19) has so many of us isolated, it is even more rewarding to work together with others, on WP. Working with you is such a pleasure!"

You are a kind and generous person. I am so very happy to have met you!

Now then, pls see the GB talk page, for my notes under your "suggestions" and the next section, "Question". My very best wishes, as always, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 04:16, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

I think I'm getting a handle on the process now TT and yes - now I see the dynamic - I can appreciate the restraints that Wikipedia imposes. I'm just grateful someone like you found the subject matter interesting enough to persevere, especially since it's not a common or garden subject - I always felt like Theoden when he accepted Saruman's dismissal of himself as a "lesser son of greater sires", not because my father was not supportive of me (he was extremely supportive) but because I was conscious he was in a different class (reading his letters only serves to confirm that). It's nice that an online source exists that anyone can find.

I'll certainly consider editing subjects where I have no direct interest.JBonnerAnglican (talk) 07:13, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

Belated reply to above...

Because I type so slowly (physical problems now, so I am like a turtle, using one finger or two..), I often compose edits elsewhere, and then move them. Just found a reply, to your comment above, composed offline, that I forgot to move:

Re: Theoden: Thus speaks the man who has Tolkien quotes stored in his mind. I shall match your T(Tolkien) with another T(Teddy). Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

I suspect that you have always (considering your well-educated parents) been swimming in the deep waters which are occupied by the top 1% of the "creme de la creme" of humanity's intellectually-gifted individuals. It was confirmed, early in my life (age 11) that I was "gifted". Soon, experience taught me, only too well, that others surpassed me. Fifty years later, I can look back and see that if one does not make good use of their gifts, then they are useless. Mine stood me in good stead, despite the fact that I was unable to complete a formal education resulting in a degree. (You have no doubt noticed my lack, and there's a long story, etc.)

Perhaps our gifts are given, and sufficient, in relation to the task before us. How would your path be different, if you felt yourself to be superior in scholarship, etc. to your father? (This is a rhetorical, and obviously deeply personal question, I do not expect a reply, of course.)

In my own life, I think that God presented me with an "extra loaf", according to my need, and His plan. I must accept responsibility for "wasting" some of my bread.

TALK PAGES, ETC.

• When replying on a talk page, once you finish the sentence, with a full stop, simply add one space, and then sign with the four tildes (~). Don't hit enter and go to the next line/skip a line in order to sign. Causes layout problems on the page. I have been correcting, thus far, but if I don't tell you, you won't know.
• Indenting on talk pages, please see WP:INDENT. I think I may have missed some of your cmts, at first, because I am accustomed to scanning pages for the indents. I have gone back thru and rearranged, for ease of reading, etc.

I should have mentioned the above before, sorry. No way for you to have known. Can't write complete sentences, so I am not judgmental, heh, heh. Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 23:04, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Read your notes in the wrong order, so only just registered this. Sorry for messing up the page. JBonnerAnglican (talk) 13:08, 8 August 2020 (UTC)

May I contact you?

May I contact you thru email? We have a ref to your blog, per the book donation. May I send you a msg? I would like to share some (non-WP related) thoughts that are inappropriate to note here on your talk page/WP. And, also, to ask a few theological/religious questions, pertaining to the C of E. If you receive a msg from a person whose email address could be abbreviated as "GM", you will know that it is from me.

If you go to the user/talk page of an editor, on the left (usually), you will see "email this user". This allows editors to post a WP only access address, thru which others can send a msg, a system which preserves our privacy, etc. This is available to all editors, click on Preferences at the top of the screen, and see Email options for the set up.

I know you are busy in RL, so not expecting a response any time soon.... Best, Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 23:40, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

For whatever reason I can't see an e-mail option on your talk page. You're welcome to e-mail me at [hiding this -TT] I have just downloaded the letter as a PDF and can send it to you at your convenience. Happy to chat. JBonnerAnglican (talk) 08:45, 8 August 2020 (UTC)

I should have said that the email is on the left side of the screen. Usually, there is a long column of "selections" on the left side of the screen. So at my page, under Tools, it will have " email this user", etc. But no worries, we have our connection, and I will contact you! Thanks! Tribe of Tiger ^{Let's Purrfect!} 20:18, 8 August 2020 (UTC)