From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

November/December 2005

• Roykirk

Can you provide a printed source for your contention that the name is Jackson Roy Kirk. I have been a fan for 35 years, have read dozens of books on the show, and I have never seen the name spelled like this. I've started a thread on this subject on the talk page at Star Trek. If in fact you can provide proof, you're invited to do so there, as well, otherwise others will probably revert the change as well. Cheers. 23skidoo 05:36, 10 November 2005 (UTC) reply

• Ted Kennedy is not his gay lover

Brad Lidge lives with his gay lover and Ted Kennedy, not his gay lover, Ted Kennedy. Don't put words in my mouth.

It just made sense to me, however I would be careful about using such verbiage as "[D]on't put words into my mouth", when part of the topic in question deals with male homosexuality, as you are inviting crass comments. Just some advice from an elder.

• Harriet Ellan Miers

I am not aware of having removed any info. from Miers' site except perhaps for some wikilinked years which are essentially meaningless, i.e. so and so graduated from college in 1970, which I probably would have changed to so and so graduated from college in 1970. Otherwise I only corrected some syntax and spelling.

It was actually a paragraph that was removed from the beginning of the article about her nomination -- it may have been inadvertent -- I put it back the way it was. Also, many editors do tend to link most years, so it's probably better just to leave them. Thanks, User:Bcorr 23:30, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Definitely it was inadvertent; I cannot imagine or recall ever having removed an entire paragraph. IF I did so, please forgive me.

No problem :-) User:Bcorr 23:38, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Unblock Request: User:65.49.212.17

Please unblock and reblock this IP. I blocked them 15 mins ago, but, of course, the user can still edit their talk page. I blocked the IP for 24 hours. Your 3 hour block will override mine. Thanks. -- Psy guy Talk 23:05, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem. Thanks for the unblock. I appreciate it. -- Psy guy Talk 23:08, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Yeah. Even if you are blocked, you can edit your userspace and the talk page of the admin who blocked you. This is so that the user can ask to be unblock if they have a legitimate reason. This guy/gal should get burned out pretty soon. -- Psy guy Talk 23:19, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Polyglot?

Where did you learn to speak fluent German, French, Spanish and Russian?? Just curious.

I must be honest -- if you check the codes you'll see I'm not fluent. But my degree is in Russian, I took four years of Latin in high school, a bit of French too, and the German and Spanish I picked up along the way. Cheers, User:Bcorr 00:59, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Signature

I am really not sure what to say. I think there is a bug in the system because my signature was doing the very same thing a few weeks ago. It just kept playing with it and finally got it too work. For comparison here is my signature as copied from my Prefs: [[User:Psy guy|Psy guy]] <sup>[[User_talk:Psy_guy|Talk]]</sup>

Sorry I can't be more help. -- Psy guy Talk 23:42, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks -- I'll mess around with it a bit more and see what I can do.... User:Bcorr 01:00, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Regarding your sig, try checking the box that says "Raw signature", then add [[ to the beginning and ]] to the end, and paste all the foreign letters and symbols into the preferences box instead of using the ascii codes for them. — FREAK OF NURxTURE ( TALK) 11:46, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
ASCII codes shouldn't be a problem, but improperly formatted HTML (eg. unmatched <font> tags) will be, ever since HTML Tidy was turned off about a month ago. Alphax  τ ε χ 12:38, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
..::ooo000OOHHHHHHHH! And I was so close, but just didn't quite get how to use the raw sig (I was thinking for some silly reason that I had to use full URLs). Mille grazie, amici! -- BCorr| Брайен 13:41, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• A little help...

Hi Brian, Not to get too lengthy - I noticed you reverted the Dickinson College page, for changes that 24.74.14.75 made.

I run a few local sites which I posted on Wiki, before I really understood that they should NOT have been posted. I also removed false information - posted by 24.74.14.75 (specifically regarding gocarlisle.com - which is NOT the official Carlisle Borough website - it is carlislepa.org)

I originally posted from 208.22.58.254, now I have an account: Iwanowicz

My problem is that 24.74.14.75 has put my name and phone number in the history urging people to call about adult spam links - which I never added. This seems to be in retaliation for removing this persons gocarlisle.com link.

Is there a way that you get my name & number off these history pages? This is false and can really hurt my personal and professional reputation.

Thanks in advance Brian. I appreciate the effort that the admin do for this site. I intend to update this site more appropriately in the future.

Tom Iwanowicz

Hi Tom -- I'm leaving left a message with the info you left me and a link to 24.74.14.75's edits for someone who can actually help you -- Brion Vibber -- he's a Wikipedia programmer and has direct access to the database. You might also drop him a note and check in. Please let me know if I can be of any additional help. BCorr| Брайен 13:57, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thank You Brian, Tom

HBCUs

Hey Bcorr, could you take a look at HBCU outreach program and see if you can sign on. Thanks. - JCarriker 14:02, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

OK -- I've signed on, but I can't predict how long my activity spurt will last.... BCorr| Брайен 22:48, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Removing other people's comments

That's really not the sort of behaviour I'd expect from someone with your credentials. The request for an image on the Baja California Rat Snake page was entirely legitimate and, even if you disagree, contribute to the discussion instead of blanking someone's comment. Ben-w 17:11, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi Ben,
Thanks for your note. As you noted, normally I don't go around doing that, but the user in question has been "gumming up the works" with endless such requests -- often on stubs and substubs that s/he has just created -- after a number of people have pleaded with the user to stop and after the Wikipedia:Mentorship Committee has been offering help and guidance. I've been trying to be careful about not being overzealous and taking care not to remove legitimate requests. I'd have restored it but I see that you've already taken care of it. I will try to be even more careful in the future. (crossposted to Ben-w's talk page)
Thanks again, BCorr| Брайен 18:43, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Fair enough. That does happen; I have a couple of troublemakers that I watch for (see endless changes to Montgomery Burns and Mark Wingett). If you flag the change, though, it would help me avoid misunderstanding. Ben-w 19:10, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Kyoto and Boston

Hi Bcorr,

Although I feel that a photo of a city's sister can enhance the article about the city, I'll respect your wish and won't add the picture of Kyoto to the Boston article again. Fg2 20:52, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks —– I appreciate it BCorr| Брайен 21:22, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• About the Chinese Wikipedia

Sorry, but I thought all wikis with more than 50,000 pages deserved a place around the globe.

Thanks

I'm afraid that the English-language Wikipedia article is not the place to register your complaint. You could have update the number in the list in the article without the commentary. I would suggest leaving a message at w:zh:Talk:维基百科. Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 22:38, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• sorry for the TM thing

Sorry, I edited your welcome letter... I meant to edit someone's page who the letter appeared on! peace, Sethie 19:06, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem :-) BCorr| Брайен

Ummm the article could use some help. The guy whose comments I took out, you took out and another user took out, are just being reverted back by him. I started a rfc user conduct: http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/149.152.216.49&action=edit

Any help would be appreciated Sethie 20:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I'll do what I can to rein them in....
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 22:39, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• You suck

I left you a christmas gift in the Talk:Fidel_Castro discussion. Enjoy :)

Feliz Navidad, mi guzanitillo BCorr| Брайен 22:44, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Wtf is guzanitillo?
Es el pequeño guzanito -- como ud. BCorr| Брайен 16:43, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• A content question...about objectivists

Hi Jimbo -- I have a content question for you! An anon IP has been editing occasionally over the last few months -- removing the [[Category:Objectivists]] from various articles, including Alan Greenspan and Clarence Thomas. Here are their contribs: Special:Contributions/68.7.212.152. Whenever you get a chance, it would be great if you could check a few diffs and let me know if these are OK or not.

P.S. I'm totally psyched that Wikimania is going to be here in Boston!

Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 01:00, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I don't know of any reason to think that Clarence Thomas is an Objectivist or would consider himself one or is considered such by any reputable sources. (I believe I have read that he has at some point said that he was influenced by Ayn Rand, but Hilary Clinton has said similar if I remember correctly, so this doesn't exactly make someone an Objectivist.) To my knowledge, Alan Greenspan likely still considers himself and Objectivist. In some ways this can be a contentious question among some people, like most questions of identity. I suppose our answer to the question "Is X a Y?" depends on exactly how we are defining the term 'Y'. Is an "Objectivist" someone who agrees with all the philosophy of Ayn Rand? With most of it? With the essentials? Someone strongly influenced by her work? There's the additional problem that the term 'objectivist' applies in other contexts. It's a content issue, and so of course anything I say or think about it is just one more editor with some knowledge of that subject area.-- Jimbo Wales 12:06, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thanks for the info -- I appreciate the quick reply. I'll try to work with this person and avoid reversion en masse. BCorr| Брайен 13:48, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Updating

Thank you for the note. I understand this may be controversial, and my intent is not to start a fight or be offensive. However, the new facts are no more controversial than the previous edit. I have not given an opinion on the case, and have stated only facts that cite to specific sources. What opinion people form based on the information is entirely up to them. Many facts are controversial, that does not mean they should be unavailable or not discussed.

You're welcome, User:69.208.80.115. Thanks for your kind reply about the edits you made to Terri Schiavo. I would note that, in the past, this article has been highly contentious, and that you could initiate a broader conflict without ever intending to. Just my attempt at some friendly advice. BCorr| Брайен 14:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply


• TM page

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your help with the TM vandal!!!

ughh!

And, I am confused why you removed the NPOV tag. It was up before the vandal... both Lumiere and I agree the article is not NPOV.

On other pages, I have witnessed that such a tag is never taken down by an individual, always consenus is reached before it is taken down.

Please help me understand your choice! peace Sethie 17:26, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi Sethie -- I'm sorry my explanation on the talk page wasn't clear. I didn't remove it because I've made some sort of "official determination." I just hoped that: 1) not having to deal with the endless "comments" would make differences easier to discuss; and 2) that you and Lumiere could come to enough agreement that it's not necessary to have that big, ugly pink box at the top of the article. I certainly won't argue with either of you if you replace it. I would ask, however, that you two go to Wikipedia:Request for comment and get some other opinions and some additional editors' voices into the discussion.
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 21:05, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Heya-
Yeah- I have a RfC up and running, one of the things I complained about was people removing the NPOV tag without consensus! :)
No problem, I guess for me, until Lumiere and I are both satisfied (each from our own perspective) I would like it to be clear that hey- this article is not currently considered neutral. My other hope is in drawing attention and comments to it via the "ugly box."
Sethie 21:11, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
No problem -- BCorr| Брайен 22:26, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Jimmy Wales

Perhaps Jimmy Wales considers himself to be an Objectivist, although I don't really see any kind of support for that. I KNOW that Greenspan is not an Objectivist (though he used to be). Two leading Objectivists (Leonard Peikoff and Harry Binswanger) have stated that Greenspan has advocated ideas contrary to Objectivism, and this is the consensus among Objectivists. User:68.7.212.152.

Well, could you please leave some explanations or citations on the relevant articles' discussion pages when making such changes? Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 20:09, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Thanks

Thanks, BCorr, for watching over my user page. Opus33 17:22, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem! I'm simply happy to be of use. BCorr| Брайен 20:06, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Slandering

If you accuse people of slandering, I kindly ask you to stop making false accusations against other people and apoloigize for what you have done. User:Mesons

Dear Mesons, thank you for your not. I am not falsely accusing users of slander. If I were I would of course apologize. Sincerely, BCorr| Брайен 01:09, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Pock Suppet

Hi Brian. I hadn't initially noticed what was going on at Transcendental meditation - I caught and banned Pock Suppet as a sockpuppet of "Wikipedia is Communism" not nreasonably because he replaced Wikipedia with a redirect to Communism! Then there's the anon who put obscenities on Yoweri Museveni, whom I banned for a week but someone else only banned for 24 hours, so we'll have to see which one sticks... -- Arwel ( talk) 15:29, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Ah yes...the merry-go-round never seems to stop! BCorr| Брайен 15:34, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Re: Maoririder

Thanks for the info; I'll see what I can do. Flcelloguy ( A note?) 17:33, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem. A lot of people have tried to assume good faith, but... BCorr| Брайен 17:35, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply
His behavior has been extremely erratic and problematic as of late, but I think an indefinite block is too long unless we get a lot more input. What do you say we shorten the block to a few days and then open up a discussion at WP:AN/I? android 79 18:20, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Hi Android. Well, to be honest, I'm rather skeptical about this user ever being serious, and find his behavior bears serious resemblance to a certain small being that shall remain unnamed. Personally I don't see much evidence that he's ever really tried to contribute usefully in good conscience, although I know that the holidays seem to being out the worst in some people and vandalism is high this time of year (though, conversely, people who appear this time of year sometimes appear just to make trouble as an outlet for negativity, etc.).
However, even assuming good faith, I think that at least a month or two is warranted -- not as punishment, but because in my experience a time out (which is the purpose, IMHO) is generally only effective if it's in proportion to the insistence of the behavior. And Maoririder is one insistent user. I fear that he'll be happy to wait a few days and then come back with a vengeance -- and the fact that he's still doing "drive-bys" leaving messages about "n***az" and calling me a "redneck" tells me that he's not angry, but he's trying to provoke a reaction.
So that's where I am. At this point I'd support (and carry out) reducing the block to expire no sooner than 31 January 2006, which would give him time to cool off and truly reflect on his actions if it's motivated by misunderstanding and anger rather than maliciousness and a desire to provoke reactions in others. Otherwise, I won't reblock him if someone else unblocks, but I wouldn't support it (not that my support is necessary, by any means). And I'm happy to open up the discussion for more input, but would suggest a good set of links that give a representative sample of his behavior are easily accessible for those who are asked to weigh in.
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 18:40, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Yeah, I agree with pretty much everything you said. That long of a block might yet be too long – maybe just give him time to cool off over the holidays – but this is something to be discussed by a larger group of admins. If you'd like to pull together a summary with diffs of his recent behavior that led to this block and post a note to ANI, please do so if you have the time; otherwise let me know and I will. (I won't until later this evening.) android 79 19:25, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
If you could go ahead and pull that together that would be great -- I should really stop checking my watchlist every 30 minutes and get some other work done for a while ;-). I'd be happy to add to your list if you'd like, and I also think that User:Lucky 6.9 has a better grasp of the whole situation than I do. Thanks again, BCorr| Брайен 19:33, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Another P.S.: User:169.244.143.115 ( contribs) is pretty clearly the same person, IMHO. Not only are they both from Maine, but they both started making legal threats within minutes of each other, and they both spent days adding {{reqimage}} tags to random articles (look back where theirs is the last edit). When this IP was blocked they started going on in a purposefully confusing manner about how they were going to sue "the other person" using the IP when it was clearly them all along. In addition, this IP uses a different, but also characteristic style to try to appear different from Maoririder, but the template adding and edited articles give them away. Part of my skepticism stems from this. Many thanks, BCorr| Брайен 19:44, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Bcorr, have you been following the recent discussion on this on the MedCom list? Anyways, I think reducing the block down to one week would be more appropriate, and if the behavior persists or if he starts again, apply a longer block (two weeks) and keep on doing this until he either gets the point or he's indefinitely blocked. I'm willing to continue my attempts at mediation with him here. Thoughts? Thanks! Flcelloguy ( A note?) 20:47, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
recent discussion on this on the MedCom list – link, please? :-) android 79 20:51, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
I have been following it, and tried not to get involved while the mentorship was active, but since it seemed to have stalled out and Maoririder had continued his behavior, I felt it ws OK to do a bit of cleanup and later some warning. It would help if others would clean up after him (i.e., deleting sub-stubs and talk pages that consist of things like "{{reqimage}}{{cleanup}}{{uc}}pleeeeese add picture here. this needs it bad. pleese mentor meeee! Lucky you said to mentor me but i got to get help. my bad." But I understand that that wouldn't be you since you've been trying to mentor him, Flcelloguy. So I'm open to your approach.
Also, the archives are available only to mediators who are on the mailing list -- sorry, Android79.
And BTW, he's following this whole exchange closely, watching the watchers I suppose: see [ this diff].
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 21:43, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thanks for the reply. I'll email you in a minute. Flcelloguy ( A note?) 22:30, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
I'm going to let Flcelloguy take it from here; no ANI post needed at this point. android 79 21:56, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Thank you very much sir

Thank you for reverting my talk page back to normal! American Patriot 1776 20:12, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

You're welcome -- glad to be of help doing a little cleanup here and there! BCorr| Брайен 20:39, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

R&I

Hi. Regarding your comments on the R&I page I must have been confused by the fact that you continued a conversation started by User:Invsblmn. I was certain that I talked the to the same editor all the time. The original question by him/her was unsigned, which may explain my error, but I should have paid more attention to your signature. If I have used a tone of voice that offended you (by implying that your knowledge of this area was less than it was) then I am deeply sorry. Arbor 06:19, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks for the note, Arbor. I appreciate your understanding, since I oculdn't figure out why you had taken what seemed to be a condescending tone with me. No harm done. I still probably should stay away from that article. My first conflict with another user, RK, was over his insistence on putting in as proven fact that Ashkenazic Jews were the most intelligent people in the world and Blacks were the least. So I'm sorry that I got huffy -- and I look forward to harmonious editing with you in the future. BCorr| Брайен 13:54, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Picture Copyright

Thanks for the tip, I'll sort it out A.S.A.P. Nabs 16:06, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem -- I'm happy to help! BCorr| Брайен 16:38, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Personally I dont care what you dont like...

Personally I dont care what you dont like you are being a baby over this. stop reverting its not your article to say you dont like this and that its the communities and if you will not stop i have get help if i have to. This is a Warning.

This is your last warning. The next time you vandalize a page, you will be blocked from editing Wikipedia.

(unsigned addition by User:XGustaX)

I'm trying to be polite, but my advice still stands. Also, how did you learn about {{subst:}} within your first hour after creating an account? Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 04:05, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Okay now i see you are starting to get others in the community a bit"pissed" if i should say and telling people that i am new ive been part of wikipedia for a long time now. I am not new and you have no right to tell people to ingore me. after ive told you many nice times to talk to me instead of reverting. since you have already been warned the second time now if you countine to post about me or vandalize you can count on being blocked. thanks (unsigned addition by User:XGustaX)
This is your last warning. You will be blocked from editing Wikipedia the next time you vandalize a page. (a variant suitable for blanking vandalism) You have been repeatedly vandalize pages throughtout wikipedia as I can see if you do this again you WILL be blocked. (unsigned addition by User:XGustaX as User:24.60.161.63)
Well, XGustaX, I have now studied your history more carefully and see I was wrong about one thing: you have been making POV and possibly racialist edits about Central and Latin America for a few days. It's clear that you have been trying to add your POV — that Costa Ricans are "European" not mestizo, that "los indios y los ticos" had no influence on Costa Rican culture, etc. — and have ignored all warning to stop. You have been blocked for a relatively short time, but if you persist in your behavior, you will be blocked again, and for longer.
Saludos, BCorr| Брайен 13:45, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Race and ethnicity

You are cordially invited to participate in a discussion of race and ethnicity at Wikipedia. Please jump in as soon as possible. - JCarriker 05:31, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks! And thanks for getting this discussion started — it's sorely needed. BCorr| Брайен 13:47, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

User:XGustaX

I've received a complaint from this user about your blocking him. I saw in the block log that you blocked him for multiple instances of vandalism and threats to block other users. Could you please help me out and provide some specific examples I can evaluate instead of going through this user's entire edit history? - Mgm| (talk) 22:38, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi MacGyverMagic -- I'm packing to go away for the holidays (and probably won't be editing much) but I'll leave a few diffs on your talk page, and he threatened to block me above, but I believe that there was at least one other user he did that to. Also, I think I just blocked them for 31 hours, so it will be up soon. Thanks for checking in. BCorr| Брайен 02:32, 23 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I´m not a celebrity, and I´m amused that someone considers me that for my stand on abortion. I hope someone take my user nick out of that list while it´s time. (lol) I could list almost all the popes, if I wanted, or all the great christian writers in that list. The ideal will be really o abolish that category. Martin Luther King according to Cardinal O´Connor, was really a pro-life supporter, as much embarassing it is for many people. This site, and others, say that, and as he was a real christian, I don´t find that so difficult to believe. But to avoid polemics, his name probably should be left out of the list.

www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/sherringford.htm

• XGustaX

I've given this one another chance and unblocked him. It sounded more like a content dispute that led to a fit of anger. If this leads to any problems that need action, please contact me. - Mgm| (talk) 11:23, 26 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks Bcorr about the user XgustaX, whom was "forcing" his map on the article Hispanophone and others articles. His map is showing some exagerations (Brazil, USA and Alaska as big spanish speaker, they are just 10%), I have neutralised the map and I'm open to other point of view but he just restaure his map without any discussion. Then he said me than he want to block me. So thanks for your work, I asked to the community to say me the way to improve my map :] Yug (talk) 21:16, 26 December 2005 (UTC) reply
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

November/December 2005

• Roykirk

Can you provide a printed source for your contention that the name is Jackson Roy Kirk. I have been a fan for 35 years, have read dozens of books on the show, and I have never seen the name spelled like this. I've started a thread on this subject on the talk page at Star Trek. If in fact you can provide proof, you're invited to do so there, as well, otherwise others will probably revert the change as well. Cheers. 23skidoo 05:36, 10 November 2005 (UTC) reply

• Ted Kennedy is not his gay lover

Brad Lidge lives with his gay lover and Ted Kennedy, not his gay lover, Ted Kennedy. Don't put words in my mouth.

It just made sense to me, however I would be careful about using such verbiage as "[D]on't put words into my mouth", when part of the topic in question deals with male homosexuality, as you are inviting crass comments. Just some advice from an elder.

• Harriet Ellan Miers

I am not aware of having removed any info. from Miers' site except perhaps for some wikilinked years which are essentially meaningless, i.e. so and so graduated from college in 1970, which I probably would have changed to so and so graduated from college in 1970. Otherwise I only corrected some syntax and spelling.

It was actually a paragraph that was removed from the beginning of the article about her nomination -- it may have been inadvertent -- I put it back the way it was. Also, many editors do tend to link most years, so it's probably better just to leave them. Thanks, User:Bcorr 23:30, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Definitely it was inadvertent; I cannot imagine or recall ever having removed an entire paragraph. IF I did so, please forgive me.

No problem :-) User:Bcorr 23:38, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Unblock Request: User:65.49.212.17

Please unblock and reblock this IP. I blocked them 15 mins ago, but, of course, the user can still edit their talk page. I blocked the IP for 24 hours. Your 3 hour block will override mine. Thanks. -- Psy guy Talk 23:05, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem. Thanks for the unblock. I appreciate it. -- Psy guy Talk 23:08, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Yeah. Even if you are blocked, you can edit your userspace and the talk page of the admin who blocked you. This is so that the user can ask to be unblock if they have a legitimate reason. This guy/gal should get burned out pretty soon. -- Psy guy Talk 23:19, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Polyglot?

Where did you learn to speak fluent German, French, Spanish and Russian?? Just curious.

I must be honest -- if you check the codes you'll see I'm not fluent. But my degree is in Russian, I took four years of Latin in high school, a bit of French too, and the German and Spanish I picked up along the way. Cheers, User:Bcorr 00:59, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Signature

I am really not sure what to say. I think there is a bug in the system because my signature was doing the very same thing a few weeks ago. It just kept playing with it and finally got it too work. For comparison here is my signature as copied from my Prefs: [[User:Psy guy|Psy guy]] <sup>[[User_talk:Psy_guy|Talk]]</sup>

Sorry I can't be more help. -- Psy guy Talk 23:42, 10 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks -- I'll mess around with it a bit more and see what I can do.... User:Bcorr 01:00, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Regarding your sig, try checking the box that says "Raw signature", then add [[ to the beginning and ]] to the end, and paste all the foreign letters and symbols into the preferences box instead of using the ascii codes for them. — FREAK OF NURxTURE ( TALK) 11:46, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
ASCII codes shouldn't be a problem, but improperly formatted HTML (eg. unmatched <font> tags) will be, ever since HTML Tidy was turned off about a month ago. Alphax  τ ε χ 12:38, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
..::ooo000OOHHHHHHHH! And I was so close, but just didn't quite get how to use the raw sig (I was thinking for some silly reason that I had to use full URLs). Mille grazie, amici! -- BCorr| Брайен 13:41, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• A little help...

Hi Brian, Not to get too lengthy - I noticed you reverted the Dickinson College page, for changes that 24.74.14.75 made.

I run a few local sites which I posted on Wiki, before I really understood that they should NOT have been posted. I also removed false information - posted by 24.74.14.75 (specifically regarding gocarlisle.com - which is NOT the official Carlisle Borough website - it is carlislepa.org)

I originally posted from 208.22.58.254, now I have an account: Iwanowicz

My problem is that 24.74.14.75 has put my name and phone number in the history urging people to call about adult spam links - which I never added. This seems to be in retaliation for removing this persons gocarlisle.com link.

Is there a way that you get my name & number off these history pages? This is false and can really hurt my personal and professional reputation.

Thanks in advance Brian. I appreciate the effort that the admin do for this site. I intend to update this site more appropriately in the future.

Tom Iwanowicz

Hi Tom -- I'm leaving left a message with the info you left me and a link to 24.74.14.75's edits for someone who can actually help you -- Brion Vibber -- he's a Wikipedia programmer and has direct access to the database. You might also drop him a note and check in. Please let me know if I can be of any additional help. BCorr| Брайен 13:57, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thank You Brian, Tom

HBCUs

Hey Bcorr, could you take a look at HBCU outreach program and see if you can sign on. Thanks. - JCarriker 14:02, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

OK -- I've signed on, but I can't predict how long my activity spurt will last.... BCorr| Брайен 22:48, 11 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Removing other people's comments

That's really not the sort of behaviour I'd expect from someone with your credentials. The request for an image on the Baja California Rat Snake page was entirely legitimate and, even if you disagree, contribute to the discussion instead of blanking someone's comment. Ben-w 17:11, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi Ben,
Thanks for your note. As you noted, normally I don't go around doing that, but the user in question has been "gumming up the works" with endless such requests -- often on stubs and substubs that s/he has just created -- after a number of people have pleaded with the user to stop and after the Wikipedia:Mentorship Committee has been offering help and guidance. I've been trying to be careful about not being overzealous and taking care not to remove legitimate requests. I'd have restored it but I see that you've already taken care of it. I will try to be even more careful in the future. (crossposted to Ben-w's talk page)
Thanks again, BCorr| Брайен 18:43, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Fair enough. That does happen; I have a couple of troublemakers that I watch for (see endless changes to Montgomery Burns and Mark Wingett). If you flag the change, though, it would help me avoid misunderstanding. Ben-w 19:10, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Kyoto and Boston

Hi Bcorr,

Although I feel that a photo of a city's sister can enhance the article about the city, I'll respect your wish and won't add the picture of Kyoto to the Boston article again. Fg2 20:52, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks —– I appreciate it BCorr| Брайен 21:22, 13 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• About the Chinese Wikipedia

Sorry, but I thought all wikis with more than 50,000 pages deserved a place around the globe.

Thanks

I'm afraid that the English-language Wikipedia article is not the place to register your complaint. You could have update the number in the list in the article without the commentary. I would suggest leaving a message at w:zh:Talk:维基百科. Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 22:38, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• sorry for the TM thing

Sorry, I edited your welcome letter... I meant to edit someone's page who the letter appeared on! peace, Sethie 19:06, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem :-) BCorr| Брайен

Ummm the article could use some help. The guy whose comments I took out, you took out and another user took out, are just being reverted back by him. I started a rfc user conduct: http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/149.152.216.49&action=edit

Any help would be appreciated Sethie 20:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I'll do what I can to rein them in....
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 22:39, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• You suck

I left you a christmas gift in the Talk:Fidel_Castro discussion. Enjoy :)

Feliz Navidad, mi guzanitillo BCorr| Брайен 22:44, 14 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Wtf is guzanitillo?
Es el pequeño guzanito -- como ud. BCorr| Брайен 16:43, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• A content question...about objectivists

Hi Jimbo -- I have a content question for you! An anon IP has been editing occasionally over the last few months -- removing the [[Category:Objectivists]] from various articles, including Alan Greenspan and Clarence Thomas. Here are their contribs: Special:Contributions/68.7.212.152. Whenever you get a chance, it would be great if you could check a few diffs and let me know if these are OK or not.

P.S. I'm totally psyched that Wikimania is going to be here in Boston!

Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 01:00, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I don't know of any reason to think that Clarence Thomas is an Objectivist or would consider himself one or is considered such by any reputable sources. (I believe I have read that he has at some point said that he was influenced by Ayn Rand, but Hilary Clinton has said similar if I remember correctly, so this doesn't exactly make someone an Objectivist.) To my knowledge, Alan Greenspan likely still considers himself and Objectivist. In some ways this can be a contentious question among some people, like most questions of identity. I suppose our answer to the question "Is X a Y?" depends on exactly how we are defining the term 'Y'. Is an "Objectivist" someone who agrees with all the philosophy of Ayn Rand? With most of it? With the essentials? Someone strongly influenced by her work? There's the additional problem that the term 'objectivist' applies in other contexts. It's a content issue, and so of course anything I say or think about it is just one more editor with some knowledge of that subject area.-- Jimbo Wales 12:06, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thanks for the info -- I appreciate the quick reply. I'll try to work with this person and avoid reversion en masse. BCorr| Брайен 13:48, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Updating

Thank you for the note. I understand this may be controversial, and my intent is not to start a fight or be offensive. However, the new facts are no more controversial than the previous edit. I have not given an opinion on the case, and have stated only facts that cite to specific sources. What opinion people form based on the information is entirely up to them. Many facts are controversial, that does not mean they should be unavailable or not discussed.

You're welcome, User:69.208.80.115. Thanks for your kind reply about the edits you made to Terri Schiavo. I would note that, in the past, this article has been highly contentious, and that you could initiate a broader conflict without ever intending to. Just my attempt at some friendly advice. BCorr| Брайен 14:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply


• TM page

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your help with the TM vandal!!!

ughh!

And, I am confused why you removed the NPOV tag. It was up before the vandal... both Lumiere and I agree the article is not NPOV.

On other pages, I have witnessed that such a tag is never taken down by an individual, always consenus is reached before it is taken down.

Please help me understand your choice! peace Sethie 17:26, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi Sethie -- I'm sorry my explanation on the talk page wasn't clear. I didn't remove it because I've made some sort of "official determination." I just hoped that: 1) not having to deal with the endless "comments" would make differences easier to discuss; and 2) that you and Lumiere could come to enough agreement that it's not necessary to have that big, ugly pink box at the top of the article. I certainly won't argue with either of you if you replace it. I would ask, however, that you two go to Wikipedia:Request for comment and get some other opinions and some additional editors' voices into the discussion.
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 21:05, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Heya-
Yeah- I have a RfC up and running, one of the things I complained about was people removing the NPOV tag without consensus! :)
No problem, I guess for me, until Lumiere and I are both satisfied (each from our own perspective) I would like it to be clear that hey- this article is not currently considered neutral. My other hope is in drawing attention and comments to it via the "ugly box."
Sethie 21:11, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply
No problem -- BCorr| Брайен 22:26, 15 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Jimmy Wales

Perhaps Jimmy Wales considers himself to be an Objectivist, although I don't really see any kind of support for that. I KNOW that Greenspan is not an Objectivist (though he used to be). Two leading Objectivists (Leonard Peikoff and Harry Binswanger) have stated that Greenspan has advocated ideas contrary to Objectivism, and this is the consensus among Objectivists. User:68.7.212.152.

Well, could you please leave some explanations or citations on the relevant articles' discussion pages when making such changes? Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 20:09, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Thanks

Thanks, BCorr, for watching over my user page. Opus33 17:22, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem! I'm simply happy to be of use. BCorr| Брайен 20:06, 18 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Slandering

If you accuse people of slandering, I kindly ask you to stop making false accusations against other people and apoloigize for what you have done. User:Mesons

Dear Mesons, thank you for your not. I am not falsely accusing users of slander. If I were I would of course apologize. Sincerely, BCorr| Брайен 01:09, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Pock Suppet

Hi Brian. I hadn't initially noticed what was going on at Transcendental meditation - I caught and banned Pock Suppet as a sockpuppet of "Wikipedia is Communism" not nreasonably because he replaced Wikipedia with a redirect to Communism! Then there's the anon who put obscenities on Yoweri Museveni, whom I banned for a week but someone else only banned for 24 hours, so we'll have to see which one sticks... -- Arwel ( talk) 15:29, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Ah yes...the merry-go-round never seems to stop! BCorr| Брайен 15:34, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Re: Maoririder

Thanks for the info; I'll see what I can do. Flcelloguy ( A note?) 17:33, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem. A lot of people have tried to assume good faith, but... BCorr| Брайен 17:35, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply
His behavior has been extremely erratic and problematic as of late, but I think an indefinite block is too long unless we get a lot more input. What do you say we shorten the block to a few days and then open up a discussion at WP:AN/I? android 79 18:20, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Hi Android. Well, to be honest, I'm rather skeptical about this user ever being serious, and find his behavior bears serious resemblance to a certain small being that shall remain unnamed. Personally I don't see much evidence that he's ever really tried to contribute usefully in good conscience, although I know that the holidays seem to being out the worst in some people and vandalism is high this time of year (though, conversely, people who appear this time of year sometimes appear just to make trouble as an outlet for negativity, etc.).
However, even assuming good faith, I think that at least a month or two is warranted -- not as punishment, but because in my experience a time out (which is the purpose, IMHO) is generally only effective if it's in proportion to the insistence of the behavior. And Maoririder is one insistent user. I fear that he'll be happy to wait a few days and then come back with a vengeance -- and the fact that he's still doing "drive-bys" leaving messages about "n***az" and calling me a "redneck" tells me that he's not angry, but he's trying to provoke a reaction.
So that's where I am. At this point I'd support (and carry out) reducing the block to expire no sooner than 31 January 2006, which would give him time to cool off and truly reflect on his actions if it's motivated by misunderstanding and anger rather than maliciousness and a desire to provoke reactions in others. Otherwise, I won't reblock him if someone else unblocks, but I wouldn't support it (not that my support is necessary, by any means). And I'm happy to open up the discussion for more input, but would suggest a good set of links that give a representative sample of his behavior are easily accessible for those who are asked to weigh in.
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 18:40, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Yeah, I agree with pretty much everything you said. That long of a block might yet be too long – maybe just give him time to cool off over the holidays – but this is something to be discussed by a larger group of admins. If you'd like to pull together a summary with diffs of his recent behavior that led to this block and post a note to ANI, please do so if you have the time; otherwise let me know and I will. (I won't until later this evening.) android 79 19:25, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
If you could go ahead and pull that together that would be great -- I should really stop checking my watchlist every 30 minutes and get some other work done for a while ;-). I'd be happy to add to your list if you'd like, and I also think that User:Lucky 6.9 has a better grasp of the whole situation than I do. Thanks again, BCorr| Брайен 19:33, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Another P.S.: User:169.244.143.115 ( contribs) is pretty clearly the same person, IMHO. Not only are they both from Maine, but they both started making legal threats within minutes of each other, and they both spent days adding {{reqimage}} tags to random articles (look back where theirs is the last edit). When this IP was blocked they started going on in a purposefully confusing manner about how they were going to sue "the other person" using the IP when it was clearly them all along. In addition, this IP uses a different, but also characteristic style to try to appear different from Maoririder, but the template adding and edited articles give them away. Part of my skepticism stems from this. Many thanks, BCorr| Брайен 19:44, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Bcorr, have you been following the recent discussion on this on the MedCom list? Anyways, I think reducing the block down to one week would be more appropriate, and if the behavior persists or if he starts again, apply a longer block (two weeks) and keep on doing this until he either gets the point or he's indefinitely blocked. I'm willing to continue my attempts at mediation with him here. Thoughts? Thanks! Flcelloguy ( A note?) 20:47, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
recent discussion on this on the MedCom list – link, please? :-) android 79 20:51, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
I have been following it, and tried not to get involved while the mentorship was active, but since it seemed to have stalled out and Maoririder had continued his behavior, I felt it ws OK to do a bit of cleanup and later some warning. It would help if others would clean up after him (i.e., deleting sub-stubs and talk pages that consist of things like "{{reqimage}}{{cleanup}}{{uc}}pleeeeese add picture here. this needs it bad. pleese mentor meeee! Lucky you said to mentor me but i got to get help. my bad." But I understand that that wouldn't be you since you've been trying to mentor him, Flcelloguy. So I'm open to your approach.
Also, the archives are available only to mediators who are on the mailing list -- sorry, Android79.
And BTW, he's following this whole exchange closely, watching the watchers I suppose: see [ this diff].
Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 21:43, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Thanks for the reply. I'll email you in a minute. Flcelloguy ( A note?) 22:30, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply
I'm going to let Flcelloguy take it from here; no ANI post needed at this point. android 79 21:56, 20 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Thank you very much sir

Thank you for reverting my talk page back to normal! American Patriot 1776 20:12, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

You're welcome -- glad to be of help doing a little cleanup here and there! BCorr| Брайен 20:39, 19 December 2005 (UTC) reply

R&I

Hi. Regarding your comments on the R&I page I must have been confused by the fact that you continued a conversation started by User:Invsblmn. I was certain that I talked the to the same editor all the time. The original question by him/her was unsigned, which may explain my error, but I should have paid more attention to your signature. If I have used a tone of voice that offended you (by implying that your knowledge of this area was less than it was) then I am deeply sorry. Arbor 06:19, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks for the note, Arbor. I appreciate your understanding, since I oculdn't figure out why you had taken what seemed to be a condescending tone with me. No harm done. I still probably should stay away from that article. My first conflict with another user, RK, was over his insistence on putting in as proven fact that Ashkenazic Jews were the most intelligent people in the world and Blacks were the least. So I'm sorry that I got huffy -- and I look forward to harmonious editing with you in the future. BCorr| Брайен 13:54, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Picture Copyright

Thanks for the tip, I'll sort it out A.S.A.P. Nabs 16:06, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

No problem -- I'm happy to help! BCorr| Брайен 16:38, 21 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Personally I dont care what you dont like...

Personally I dont care what you dont like you are being a baby over this. stop reverting its not your article to say you dont like this and that its the communities and if you will not stop i have get help if i have to. This is a Warning.

This is your last warning. The next time you vandalize a page, you will be blocked from editing Wikipedia.

(unsigned addition by User:XGustaX)

I'm trying to be polite, but my advice still stands. Also, how did you learn about {{subst:}} within your first hour after creating an account? Thanks, BCorr| Брайен 04:05, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply
Okay now i see you are starting to get others in the community a bit"pissed" if i should say and telling people that i am new ive been part of wikipedia for a long time now. I am not new and you have no right to tell people to ingore me. after ive told you many nice times to talk to me instead of reverting. since you have already been warned the second time now if you countine to post about me or vandalize you can count on being blocked. thanks (unsigned addition by User:XGustaX)
This is your last warning. You will be blocked from editing Wikipedia the next time you vandalize a page. (a variant suitable for blanking vandalism) You have been repeatedly vandalize pages throughtout wikipedia as I can see if you do this again you WILL be blocked. (unsigned addition by User:XGustaX as User:24.60.161.63)
Well, XGustaX, I have now studied your history more carefully and see I was wrong about one thing: you have been making POV and possibly racialist edits about Central and Latin America for a few days. It's clear that you have been trying to add your POV — that Costa Ricans are "European" not mestizo, that "los indios y los ticos" had no influence on Costa Rican culture, etc. — and have ignored all warning to stop. You have been blocked for a relatively short time, but if you persist in your behavior, you will be blocked again, and for longer.
Saludos, BCorr| Брайен 13:45, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

• Race and ethnicity

You are cordially invited to participate in a discussion of race and ethnicity at Wikipedia. Please jump in as soon as possible. - JCarriker 05:31, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks! And thanks for getting this discussion started — it's sorely needed. BCorr| Брайен 13:47, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

User:XGustaX

I've received a complaint from this user about your blocking him. I saw in the block log that you blocked him for multiple instances of vandalism and threats to block other users. Could you please help me out and provide some specific examples I can evaluate instead of going through this user's entire edit history? - Mgm| (talk) 22:38, 22 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Hi MacGyverMagic -- I'm packing to go away for the holidays (and probably won't be editing much) but I'll leave a few diffs on your talk page, and he threatened to block me above, but I believe that there was at least one other user he did that to. Also, I think I just blocked them for 31 hours, so it will be up soon. Thanks for checking in. BCorr| Брайен 02:32, 23 December 2005 (UTC) reply

I´m not a celebrity, and I´m amused that someone considers me that for my stand on abortion. I hope someone take my user nick out of that list while it´s time. (lol) I could list almost all the popes, if I wanted, or all the great christian writers in that list. The ideal will be really o abolish that category. Martin Luther King according to Cardinal O´Connor, was really a pro-life supporter, as much embarassing it is for many people. This site, and others, say that, and as he was a real christian, I don´t find that so difficult to believe. But to avoid polemics, his name probably should be left out of the list.

www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/sherringford.htm

• XGustaX

I've given this one another chance and unblocked him. It sounded more like a content dispute that led to a fit of anger. If this leads to any problems that need action, please contact me. - Mgm| (talk) 11:23, 26 December 2005 (UTC) reply

Thanks Bcorr about the user XgustaX, whom was "forcing" his map on the article Hispanophone and others articles. His map is showing some exagerations (Brazil, USA and Alaska as big spanish speaker, they are just 10%), I have neutralised the map and I'm open to other point of view but he just restaure his map without any discussion. Then he said me than he want to block me. So thanks for your work, I asked to the community to say me the way to improve my map :] Yug (talk) 21:16, 26 December 2005 (UTC) reply

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