User talk:Michael Snow/Archive (Jan-Apr 2007)

Query re: top ten edited articles in December of last year

MySQL on toolserver transcript:

mysql> SELECT page_title FROM page INNER JOIN (SELECT COUNT(*) AS edits, rev_page FROM revision WHERE rev_timestamp LIKE '200612%' GROUP BY rev_page) r ON r.rev_page = page.page_id WHERE page_namespace = 0 ORDER BY r.edits DESC LIMIT 10;
+----------------------------------------+
| page_title                             |
+----------------------------------------+
| Paul_McCartney                         |
| Down_syndrome                          |
| Christmas                              |
| Alexander_Litvinenko                   |
| Deaths_in_2006                         |
| Objects_from_The_Lost_Room             |
| Wii                                    |
| James_Kim                              |
| The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Twilight_Princess |
| Turkey                                 |
+----------------------------------------+
10 rows in set (11.05 sec)

As per your request

— Werdna talk 05:13, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the answers. I take it one would change the DESC LIMIT to increase the number of results (for example, if you wanted to weed out those that were the featured article of the day during the month, since those get an artificially high number of edits). Also, what query would produce the actual number of edits for the listed articles? I don't necessarily need the results themselves, this is a dry run for a major publication that was interested, but if I just have the information on how it's done that could expedite things when it's wanted for real. --Michael Snow 06:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, change LIMIT 10 to LIMIT whatever you like. As for the number of edits, see below:

Modified query:

mysql> SELECT page_title, edits FROM page INNER JOIN (SELECT COUNT(*) AS edits, rev_page FROM revision WHERE rev_timestamp LIKE '200612%' GROUP BY rev_page) r ON r.rev_page = page.page_id WHERE page_namespace = 0 ORDER BY r.edits DESC LIMIT 10;
+----------------------------------------+-------+
| page_title                             | edits |
+----------------------------------------+-------+
| Paul_McCartney                         |   863 |
| Down_syndrome                          |   797 |
| Christmas                              |   795 |
| Alexander_Litvinenko                   |   770 |
| Deaths_in_2006                         |   755 |
| Objects_from_The_Lost_Room             |   727 |
| Wii                                    |   707 |
| James_Kim                              |   706 |
| The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Twilight_Princess |   697 |
| Turkey                                 |   696 |
+----------------------------------------+-------+
10 rows in set (2 min 25.29 sec)

— Werdna talk 08:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia and plagiarism

Re this week's Signpost article - Not sure if you knew but there was an article on a well-respected Australian TV show, Media Watch, in early October 2006 about a Perth community newspaper group's extensive plagiarism (over 40 articles!) from Wikipedia. transcript - The articles lifted included the Mitchell Freeway writeup. The quoted section is almost identical to this diff in April 2006 [1] by User:Boochan. Orderinchaos78 13:42, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

No worries - I only realised after posting this that I could actually enter it myself. Hope it was OK! :) Orderinchaos78 16:38, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Hello Michael

You've mentioned three reputable magazines who presented articles plagiarised from Wikipedia, but did not mention if the reporters have survived the cases or not. Regards LouisBB 18:47, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Many thanks. I vaguely suspected, as you said, that the info was not available. I asked the q. just in case, but the further elucidation was very useful. Translating the Signpost I was preparing myself for the q. Thanks again. LouisBB 10:40, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

Wait.

This doesn't look like blanking? 1ne 07:16, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Newyorkbrad's RfA

Thank you for your support on my RfA, which closed favorably this morning. I appreciate the confidence the community has placed in me and am looking forward to my new responsibilities. Please let me know if ever you have any comments or suggestions, especially as I am learning how to use the tools. Best regards, Newyorkbrad 19:00, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Nofollow

When you wrote that "Wales expressed the opinion that it should be turned off for Wikipedia," I assume that this should refer to larger Wikipedias, or the English Wikipedia in general? Or did he advocate nofollow being turned off on all Wikipedias? Ral315 (talk) 01:40, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Signpost

“ Given that a number of people have poked fun at Wikipedia itself for cultivating a dry, bland style of writing, the reader may wonder just how bad legal prose really is if judges are resorting to Wikipedia references to add color. ”

Very amusing. :) Thanks for the work on Signpost. --Interiot 17:23, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Hah! I was just about to leave a comment about this sentence myself. Adding color, indeed. :-) Kat Walsh (spill your mind?) 01:29, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

You've been sigged!

User:Ta bu shi da yu/Quotes - Too funny! - Ta bu shi da yu 06:38, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Arbitrators' views regarding IRC

Can you please write an article about this for Monday? I can do so if you are unable, but I feel that my personal views about IRC might taint at least the perceived neutrality of such an article, so I'd prefer that you write it if possible. Ral315 (talk) 03:30, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Wikimedia Foundation Membership

You might be interested in the goings on at User:The Thadman/Give Back Our Membership for the next issue of the Signpost. אמר Steve Caruso _(desk/AMA) • Give Back Our Membership! 05:08, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Signpost - comment and minor nit

Michael, I really enjoy the Signpost each week - I have a comment on: "Activity on the recently renamed Delta Center arena in Utah was traced to both EnergySolutions, the company that bought the naming rights to the facility, and a company owned by Larry H. Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz franchise that plays there." Larry Miller also owns the arena and sold the naming rights to EnergySolutions. — Zaui (talk) 20:08, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

question

I would like to write for the signpost. I have journalism exp. and im on wiki a lot. How Can I Go about this?Quatreryukami 16:09, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

		The Current Events Barnstar
		I, Piotrus, award you the The Current Events Barnstar, because, simply, without your efforts there would be no Signpost.  Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus | talk  04:32, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for explaining

Thanks for providing the link in the edit summary of your reverting me at the WP Signpost. As it turns out, "Signpost" did have something to do with signing posts, but there was a larger point to it. I put the edit there because the edit button is there for a reason, I thought it was something others might want to know, and I felt really proud of myself for finally figuring out, after a month, why it's called a Signpost. But never mind, I'm sure I don't need to apologize. YechielMan 08:27, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Background data for signpost article on Essjay can be found at

• http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=2778&st=0 28th August 2006, 3:57pm "It's possible that he has made up all of his biographical details. He's too busy on Wikipedia to be a full-time professor, maintain a relationship with Robbie, and eat and sleep too."
• http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=2778&st=20 20th January 2007, 5:40pm "I might write to The New Yorker and complain about their fact-checking, and ask for a retraction and investigation." 20th January 2007, 11:54pm (copy of letter sent) WAS 4.250 09:08, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

If you read the whole sequence you will see that Daniel Brandt is behind the recent publicity, which in turn was sparked by a change to Essjay's self description to create an appropriate new and different persona for his new Wikia job. There is no evidence for either description to be accurate. WAS 4.250 09:08, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

More on signpost

I just wanted to thank you for being willing to write an article on EssJay in the upcoming Signpost. It won't be easy to be comprehensive, concise, and fair. Good luck. – Quadell ^{(talk) (random)} 17:16, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Oh, and P.S., note that the article "The Book Stops Here" (by Daniel H. Pink, from Wired), which was first published last year, has been selected as being one of The Best of Technology Writing 2006 by University of Michigan Press. It's about the history of Wikipedia. (The article doesn't mention Essjay, just Wales, Sanger, and Beesley.) I'm not sure whether this merits an "in the news" mention or not, but I thought I'd let you know. – Quadell ^{(talk) (random)} 20:22, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

E-mail sent to you. Ral315 » 21:31, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Brandt AfD

I understand your stance of doing everything after the book, but do you really believe that there would be another outcome if there is a 14th round in this match (oops, it would be 13 1/2) ? Alf^Photoman 01:35, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I gather that from the records, but I think a lot of grass has to grow over this one before trying to make a serious attempt to resolve it by any other means than Keep VS Delete. Sincerely, I didn't even know who this Brandt was until tonight Alf^Photoman 01:46, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia:BLP courtesy deletion

Do you have any interest in helping to write this? SlimVirgin ^(talk) 03:51, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Essjay

I'm amused that you've already been quoted by the New York Times about a story which we won't publish for another 6-12 hours :) I'll be on IRC for a while; however, there's a chance I might be called into work for about an hour tonight. If for some reason I'm not there, either wait for me, or e-mail me. Ral315 » 17:51, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

For the signpost article, be aware that we have both Wikipedia:Deletion review/Log/2007 March 5/Essjay and Wikipedia:Deletion review/Log/2007 March 5/User:Essjay/RFC on deletion review right now. The article (at this timestamp) is deleted with the review running, the RFC is undeleted but the review has intentionally been left running. GRBerry 21:20, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I made a note at Wikipedia talk:Wikipedia Signpost/2007-03-05/Essjay. Cheers, Daniel Bryant 06:17, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Observation

Hi,

I take your suggestion in stride, and without offense, but I do disagree. The comment was intended to convey the sentiment, roughly speaking, "Hey, I do this stuff all the time -- I do know what I'm doing here, so calm down." When someone begins to be finicky over CSD issues, I think its fine to remind them of the experience that admins have. I don't feel that there was any sense of a threat in the remark in the least. I would say the same thing again, and the manner in which I conveyed the sentiment was intended to be precise.

Of course, I do recognize the potential for misunderstanding, and if Mr. Lawton had brought up the point you raise, I would have elaborated as nicely as possible. I see no error, though, in lightly reminding argumentative folks that I have been around a bit. Best wishes, Xoloz 21:25, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

While sharing your wish not to belabor the question, I'll point out how tricky the matter is. From my perspective, mentioning one's experience too early in a conservation seems harsh, as if one were "pulling rank" on anyone who asks an honest question. That's why I delayed the reminder until the discussion became more intractable. I'll confess the issue is more delicate than I had thought, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness in broaching the subject. You're a good diplomat! :)

Essjay made the BBC, as I'm sure you know. Ugh. Best wishes, Xoloz 22:15, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

"What you don't know can't hurt you" — did you mean User:Eloquence?

Your article mentions Essjay trying to clarify a few things but then goes on to talk about Eric "Eloquence" Moller — did you switch handles here by accident? JDoorjam JDiscourse 06:04, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Wow. I'll file this under "Reasons Not To Edit Late At Night." Yeah, it said "Essay," and apparently I've got Mr. Jordan on the brain after last week. My bad. JDoorjam JDiscourse 06:49, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Diploma mills

Thanks for your great work on watching Wiki ! Your recent news made me want to point out to you this incessant spamming for the European Graduate School (see Talk:European Graduate School) by User:Europeangraduateschool and a number of anonym accounts. New trick is to download GFDL photos of theorists and make advertisement for his school for it... Abou didee 17:08, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Can you get this guy off my back?

User:Tellyaddict

I am here to build the encyclopedia and make Wikipedia a good place for inforation, I'm sorry if you feel my intentions are wrong here but I can assure you they are not, I am not on the persons back but I find your comments on my talk page quite outrageous, I warned this user on 26 March at 15:20 about their edit summary usage which was removed, I then warned the user today and it was removed. I then realised this and warned the user using {{uw-tpv1}} about not removing talk page comments and that they should be archived, this too was removed so I reverted that and left {{uw-tpv2}} and replied to the comment when they said they have the right to removed comments which have been read, it says here that you are not meant to, although this is not a policy it is still a rule, with respect to the user (Ksnow); where does it say that he/she can delete them but others cannot???. Upon looking at the history it seems this user has a little bit of a habit of removing legitamite talk page comments shown here, this user even removed a Barnstar given by a user who I know. It also seems this user is intent on removing their comments, another user had too asked them not too and it was removed, this user should stick to the rules like everyone else and yes and edit summary is not a policy it is something which should be done. I think in the future you should look at the circumstances before you go throwing offensive accusations against regular Wikpedians, I mean no dis-respect by this message but I think you need to be more careful and not make highly offensive comments to users! Tellyaddict 17:32, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, I respect your opinion but the guidelines should apply for everyone and the warning templates about deleting talk page comments are there for a reason, not for show, if they continue to delete I will continue to warn as it is bad practice and a block can result after the level4 warning. I still stand by my opinion and I you also mentioned that welcoming users whi have been here for a while could be offensive, I didn't welcome him/her and even though others may agree with you I still remain firm on my point. Respectfully... Tellyaddict 17:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, I'm trying to assume good faith but the user was asked kindly without the warning previously and removed it, knowing what he/she was doing what was wrong, h/s then removed my level one template and left my level 2 template but the user should have knew anyway, every time you visit user talk pages their are archives, not just no messages and no archives.Tellyaddict 18:08, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

if you look at blnguyen their is actually an archives which are hidden in the yellow bar, if you clixk [show] you see a massive amount of arhcives except the second user has no archives bur still the first one does and it is a guideline.Tellyaddict 18:38, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Issue

Thanks; I've had time issues screwing me up on my end this week. Ral315 » 18:26, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

Mugabe emails

I trust you have received these. Nssdfdsfds 08:35, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

RfA

Thank you for the support vote in my recent RfA. Although it wasn't successful I appreciate your vote of confidence. Anyway, I'm continuing on with editing Pacific War-related articles and hopefully you'll see several of them on the FA nominations page in the future. Cla68 22:53, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Today's Signpost

I might hold off until after Danny's RFA closes, if it's closed on-time. Do you want to handle the story, or shall I? Ral315 » 23:45, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

I'll plan on it, then; I'll get on it in a few minutes, just starting on the basic stuff that'll be the same whether it passes or fails, until it's closed. Ral315 » 00:39, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

Re:Image Question

Oh. I forgot about that. I think I thought it was a US gov pic, but I guess it's not. My assumption is it should be deleted then. Right? icelandic hurricane #12 _(talk) 20:34, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Discuss then redirect

At least discuss this over on the talk page first or tell me before you do anything, anyway, I left a comment on the WP:TR page after yours. Af648 09:26, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

Pat Binns

I think KnightLago thought you were merely suggesting somebody else mention this incident, rather than offering to write up a story on it. Please do go ahead with a Signpost story if you're able. --Michael Snow 22:39, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Great, will do. -- Zanimum 18:15, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

AFD close

Thank you very much for making that close call. Much appreciated. FCYTravis 05:47, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

RfA reform story

see User talk:The Placebo Effect#Upcoming closure of RFA/Matt Britt

Long story short, the author of the article won't be able to add the update when the RfA closed and you seemed like the best person to call. The Placebo Effect 21:46, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Possessive apostrophes

Hello. I made a grammatical correction to the Signpost's story on the Virginia Tech articles^[2], which you reverted with the summary "incorrect apostrophe". I assumed the noun form (their rise) was intended, in which case a possessive apostrophe would be used to indicate possession. If the verb form (they rose) was intended, never mind. :) —{admin} Pathoschild 20:08:12, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Verb form, which I would consider more usual for news headlines, was intended, so no apostrophe ("rise" was actually a substitution for "soar", definitely a verb). By the way, I believe in a previous revert I managed to undo not only your change to the headline, but also your useful edits otherwise. I apologize for the oversight, and do appreciate your work even if we have to hammer out minor issues like this. --Michael Snow 20:14, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. :) —{admin} Pathoschild 20:18:39, 26 April 2007 (UTC)