"A pig's snout is NOT an electrical outlet." - Taken from a fortune cookie

When you have a platform, you have a responsibility.[1]

Hello, I'm ONUnicorn. I've been editing Wikipedia off and on since 2006. I became an administrator in 2017. I've been using this screen name various places on the internet since 1998. It's a combination of ONU (for Olivet Nazarene University, my alma mater) and Unicorn because unicorns have always been my favorite animal (real or mythological). Of course, this is no guarantee that someone using this screen name someplace else is me, but it probably is.

In real life, I'm an attorney, but don't hold that against me!

I'm one of those people who is interested in just about everything. I love to learn new things, and to regurgitate things that I have recently learned. As a result, I edit articles in a wide variety of topics. When I stumble across an article that I think could be better I enjoy making it better.

I studied French in school, and can stumble through some basic translation, but I'm no where near fluent. I have edited French Wikipedia a little, but not much. I also have made some contributions to the Simple English Wikipedia. It's a fun challenge to limit myself to the word-lists. I have uploaded a few pictures to Commons, but there are FAR better photographers out there.

I've got some userboxes at the bottom of this page. They are organized by wikipedia activities, educational achievements, about me, grammar, miscellaneous, and ones that are just silly or fun. If you have any questions or want to know anything else about me, feel free to ask me on my talk page.

Old editor review can be found here. RFA can be found here.

an annoying little pastel box!
an annoying little pastel box!
I often feel this way in real life conversations.

The story of life

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There's a sort of proverb that's been floating around for a while. I remember a teacher passing it out on a flyer in high school, and I've seen it plastered all over the internet since. I don't know where it comes from, but it's quite applicable to what one sees on Wikipedia if one hangs around long enough.

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

The moral of the story, not only as it relates to Wikipedia, but also as it relates to school, work, politics, and home life, indeed, life in general . . . so fix it!

Articles I am especially proud of my contributions to

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Did You Knows

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  On 29 July, 2006, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Wyandotte Caves, which you created. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the "Did you know?" talk page.

On 24 December 2016, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Fashion History Museum, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that the Fashion History Museum in Cambridge, Ontario houses what may be the oldest existing European shoe worn in North America? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Fashion History Museum. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, Fashion History Museum), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page.

On 2 February 2017, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Komboni, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that approximately 80% of residents of Lusaka, Zambia, live in kombonis? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Komboni. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, Komboni), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page.

On 3 February 2017, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Thompson Snell & Passmore, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that Thompson Snell & Passmore holds the world record for being the oldest continually operating law firm still in existence? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Thompson Snell & Passmore. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, Thompson Snell & Passmore), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page.

On 4 February 2017, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Saint Anne's Guest Home, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that Saint Anne's Guest Home is reputed to be haunted by a nun? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Saint Anne's Guest Home. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, Saint Anne's Guest Home), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page.

On 5 May 2023, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Adam Bobrow, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that table tennis commentator Adam Bobrow's nickname "Snakeman" comes from a trick shot called "the snake"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Adam Bobrow. You are welcome to check how many pageviews the nominated article or articles got while on the front page (here's how, Adam Bobrow), and the hook may be added to the statistics page after its run on the Main Page has completed. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page.

Nominated only

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List

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  • Children's Village (New York) - I rescued it from deletion via a total re-write. Too bad I was too late to stop the original contributor from deciding Wikipedia wasn't worth his efforts and turning to vandalism.
  • Der Ruf - Another stub I found and expanded. An interesting WWII era propaganda project which had a lasting impact on post-war Germany. I'm still working on it, hopefully to take it to either GA or FA when I'm done.
  • Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis - a very encyclopedic topic which deserved more than the stub it started out as. It was featured on the main page as a DYK.
  • Holland's Magazine A redlink in Ralph Pallen Coleman, which I found on New Page Patrol made me curious. So I researched and wrote an article on this. Was featured on the main page as a DYK.
  • Souk Okaz - I found it on new pages patrol as a stub that had someone had tag-bombed. This is what it looked like when I found it. I did some research and after an hour or two this is what it looked like.
  • Hammerton Killick - Started by Coolpug05, who then posted a couple places asking for people to help with the article. Cullen328 then found some sources for him and pasted them on the talk page, and as I read the stub of an article and then started to read the sources posted by Cullen, I became absolutely fascinated with this segment in Haitian history. I proceeded to largely re-write the article, and then to write a related article on the Crête-à-Pierrot, Killick's ship. I also intend to continue research in this area and further improve both those two pages and the pages of other players in that particular drama. It was featured on the main page DYK!
  • Critical Mass (Catholic rock) - Most of the actual work on this article was done by Criticalmassjohn, but I helped and fought tooth and nail to save it from deletion.
  • Wyandotte Caves - To start with, I thought I was writing an article from scratch to replace a copyvio. Then, when I was about half done with it, I discovered Wikipedia had an existing article on the topic. I merged the two articles and this is the result. It was even on the main page as a DYK!!!!
  • Fork in the road - Ok, so I added an image. Ok, so it's a rather dumb little image. But... I made it myself using paint! It was the first image I uploaded to Wikipedia. So what if it's a silly little paint image added to an obscure little article. I like it. I'm proud of it. Someone didn't think it added value to the article. A third opinion agreed. *sniff*
Apparently someone liked it, and so did someone else.

Barnstars & Awards

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You are such a kind person that responded to me when I asked your help to copyedit the Mount Tambora article. Also thanks for your support at the article's FAC entry. It is now featured.
Indon (reply) — 10:56, 23 November 2006 (UTC)
  The Invisible Barnstar
Thank you for your continued work and assistance on Wikipedia:Unreferenced articles, referencing and generally cleaning up articles that have needed attention for a long time. Your good work goes unseen unless someone disagrees ;) Jeepday (talk) 13:47, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
  The Editor's Barnstar
This Barnstar is for the editing that you have done for the article Hammerton Killick! Enjoy! Coolpug05 (talk) 23:24, 4 March 2015 (UTC)
  The Third Opinion Award
Thank you for your kindness and aide. — SanctuaryX (talk) 17:00, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
  Silk Purse Award
I am both pleased and honored to present you with the Silk Purse Award in appreciation for your improvements to the Reza Shariffi article, to serve Wikipedia and its readers. Thank you. Schmidt, Michael Q. 14:04, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
  What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar
It's rare that I come across an idea in discussions here at WP that just stops me in my tracks with it's brilliance. Your C !vote at Talk:Miss Cleo did that today. Kudos for seeing the whole thing from a different angle that is far better for the encyclopedia than what was being proposed up until that point. Best regards, TransporterMan (TALK) 21:10, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
  The Minor barnstar
Thanks for making all those links to Class A Wild Trout Waters. I was dreading having to track down all those pages myself, but now I don't have to! --Jakob (talk) aka Jakec 15:50, 12 November 2015 (UTC)
  Lead Writing Award
To ONUnicorn, for some nice work on the lead of Burial. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 11:22, 23 February 2016 (UTC)
  The Good Heart Barnstar
For your careful handling of newbies at the help desk in general, and this edit in particular. TigraanClick here to contact me 15:55, 30 March 2017 (UTC)
 
Wiki Lei Barnstar

With aloha and gratitude for your intervention, identifying multiple-bot actions against Ancient Punaluu image and establishing order. Alawa (talk) 16:47, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

so fix it!

Thank you for quality articles such as Wyandotte Caves, Education in Brazil and komboni, for welcoming and appreciating third opinions, for cleaning up article talk pages, for service from 2006 saying "Did what I could." - good luck for your admin service, you are an awesome Wikipedian!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 15:26, 30 May 2017 (UTC)

Articles that I have started

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(Newest at top)

My Images

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These are all self-made. All of these are on Commons. I have also uploaded one or two images to Wikipedia under fair-use claims.

Work in progress

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Notes to self

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Useful stuff

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Wikipedia useful

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  1. This page has links to categories of templates
  2. These are the ones to warn vandals with
  3. Here are the cleanup ones
  4. Here are the Citation templates
    Template:Cite sign
  5. Templates to put after non-English external links
  6. An incredibly useful thingy for converting miles to kilometers, meters to yards, etc
  7. Wikipedia:Categorical index
  8. How to make a wikitable
  9. Special:PendingChanges
  10. Category:Wikipedia edit requests
  11. WP:INDAFD
  12. Wikipedia:WikiProject Film/Indian cinema task force
  13. Wikiblame
  14. WP:CATSCAN
  15. WP:YOUDONTSAY
  16. Wikipedia:New page patrol source guide, Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Sources
  17. File:SpongeBob-SquarePants-characters-toys.jpg - A particularly good example of fair-use rational for toys.
  18. Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome templates
  19. {{Source assess table}}

External useful

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  1. Scienceresearch.com, a search engine that searches scientific journals.
  2. Newspaper search, a tool to search U.S. newspaper articles in select states from 1900-1910.
  3. Understanding What It Takes To Be Notable For Wikipedia

Wikipedia, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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The Good

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  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • [2] - a pretty good summation of every political dispute, ever.
  • Hilarity ensues at ANI.

The Bad

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The Ugly

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Interesting

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Userboxes

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Committed identity: 23db4e864383fb8ef354720296a99fbbd44c4a71562a8ff74c400207688470097391251f88495fef29dce5abf6fa08158c314e468c01bc931bf5d6a780488a17 is a SHA-512 commitment to this user's real-life identity.