Archives

Index -index- As of January 16, 2003 September – December 2005 January 2006 January – February 2006 February 2006 February 2006, cont. March 2006 April 2006 - late May 2006 May 24 - July 2006 July 2006 - August 2006 August 2006 Most of September 2006 Late September 2006 - Early November 2006 Most of November 2006 Late November 2006 - December 8, 2006 December 9, 2006 - Mid January 2007 From December 22, 2006 blanking Mid January 2007 - Mid February 2007 Mid February 2007- Feb 25, 2007 From March 2, 2007 blanking March 2-5, 2007 March 5-11, 2007 March 11 - April 3, 2007 April 2 - May 2, 2007 May 3 - June 7, 2007 June 9 - July 4, 2007 July 13 - August 17, 2007 August 17 - September 11, 2007 September 14 - October 7, 2007 October 28 - December 1, 2007 December 2 - December 16, 2007 December 15 - January 4, 2008 January 4 - January 30, 2008 January 30 - February 28, 2008 February 28 - March 11, 2008 March 9 - April 18, 2008 April 18 - May 30, 2008 May 30 - July 27, 2008 July 26 - October 4, 2008 October 4 - November 12, 2008 November 10 - December 10, 2008 December 5 - December 25, 2008 December 25 - January 16, 2009 January 15 - January 27, 2009 January 26 - February 10, 2009 February 8 - March 18, 2009 March 18 - May 6, 2009 May 5 - June 9, 2009 June 10 - July 11, 2009 July 12 - August 29, 2009

This page has archives. Sections older than 2 days may be automatically archived by Lowercase sigmabot III.

[1] is unacceptable piling on surely. Kittybrewster ☎ 14:37, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, dear Sir KB, if you've got issues with my civility in a thread which isn't about you, why not come and talk to me instead of running to teacher? However, you appear to have missed the irony of my post, which was directed at Bishonen, who can certainly take it.--Scott Mac (Doc) 10:11, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It seemed to be directed at wikiuser100. Kittybrewster ☎ 10:21, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Then probably best if you'd asked me first, since you evidently didn't understand the exchange.--Scott Mac (Doc) 11:29, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I read your assertion. I think I understood it very well. You don't always reply to enquiries. Kittybrewster ☎ 15:25, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This has just got removed by being a personal attack, when actually there is no evidence to support this and was actually just questioning your policy that everybody has the right to edit this website, when surely it would be better if the editors were contained to a strict few. So this is not a personal attack, so i've put it back, as i see no reason for it to get taken down in the first place and i want User: Jimbo Wales to answer, not one of his minions

In Great Britain, GCSE coursework has been stopped, because the government was worried students were getting the incorrect information, because it usually came from this website. Several students have used it as a reference point and got a poorer grade then they were expected to This has led to the government stopping coursework, which could have a dreadful effect on many students who struggle under exam conditions. Are you pleased that your website has ruined their future. Kind regards and please respond soon. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 16:06, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

Firstly, whilst your original message may not have been a personal attack, refering to every other editor on this website as one of Jimbo's "minions" is hardly the best way of starting a conversation in the hope of getting a respectful reply. In terms of your concern, Wikipedia is no different in this regard to Encyclopedia Brittanica or any other traditional paper enyclopedia; if a student from a previous generation simply copied an entry from an encyclopedia they would be marked down and rightly so. An encyclopedia is a starting point to find detail on a subject - students should use it as a tool and seek information from the references the encyclopedia has relied on - the primary or secondary sources. If children are not being educated on how to correctly use information tools that is not, in the nicest possible way, a failing of Wikipedia. Pedro :  Chat  16:26, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Coursework is being stopped FYI. Just it is being reformed :) Computerjoe's talk 16:45, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

But why is saying 'minion' a bad way to start a conversation with Jimbo Wales, seeing as he can't be one of the 'minion' i was talking about. Also my concern is that student aren't directly copying this, but rather using it as a source and getting incorrect information and don't have the time to check all the sources,as they have short time limit. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 16:35, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

Then they use the sources directly. If they have time to read through WP they have time to read through the sources. Just because they don't know the difference between an encyclopedia and primary sources doesn't mean this is worse than any other resource. -- Mentifisto 16:40, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Every single Wikipedia article contains a prominent link to this page. You might want to read it. We try to be accurate, but with 6,832,590 articles, we're not going to be perfect. For what it's worth, our accuracy figures are roughly on a par with Encyclopedia Britannica's. – iridescent 16:42, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

First of all, can i get an answer from user:jimbo wales only please. Secondly all the information is on Wikipedia, false or otherwise and not all of it is on the sources. And i do appreciate that this website makes some mistakes, but that is surely why there should be only a small and trusted number of editors. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 16:47, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

If there was a small and 'trusted' number of editors WP wouldn't have 1/4 of the articles it has, and wouldn't be as well-known, thus invalidating the idea in the first place. -- Mentifisto 16:53, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but it would be more trusted and probably a lot more accurate. i think we can all agree though that Wikipedia is too easy to edit. You don't even need to log in. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 16:57, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

That's the main idea behind it y'know. Personally I honestly don't think it would be more accurate because I'd more likely not trust a small cabal of users just editing an encyclopedia (like Brittanica, which is also commercial and may have such ambitions not necessarily for the sake of knowledge) who may have personal motivations than a load of users each taking care of their articles like in a round table. -- Mentifisto 17:06, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, my first post has certainly inflamed a lot of comment, but not from the person i want. I'm starting to wonder if he still logs on to this site. You may not trust a small number of editors, but with everybody allowed to edit, Wikipedia has gained such a terrible reputation that i believe it is one of the main reasons why coursework has been stopped in the UK. Surely its time for a policy change and only Jimbo Wales can answer that properly, so that is why i want a response from him.

If Wikipedia had such a terrible reputation, we wouldn't be one of the most highly-viewed websites on the Internet. –Juliancolton ^{Tropical Cyclone} 17:17, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) Firstly, you said that "not all of it is on the sources", if you see information that's not from the sources cited please remove it or flag is as un-sourced per WP:V and WP:CITE. Wikipedia is not a place for original research (including Synthesis) and should contain no non-obvious un-sourced information. Secondly, yes Jimbo still logs in, give him a chance, I'm sure he doesn't spend his entire day refreshing his talk page ;). Thirdly, the community usually dictates policy, not Jimbo. -- M2Ys4U ^(talk) 17:19, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What i mean by that comment is that the information is in the sources, it is just stretched out over many different ones, and it is extremely difficult to search through all of them, because as you know, sometimes there can be over a hundred sources in just one article. Also, if the community dictates policy, does Jimbo actually have any power anymore. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 17:26, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

Please don't sidetrack this into a conversation about "Jimbo's Power" - I assume you are here at this talk page with a concern about children's education and not Jimbo Wales and his involvement on Wikipedia. Pedro :  Chat  17:42, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You're right and i'm just patiently waiting for a response. (17:45, 23 February 2009 (UTC))

Jimbo shouldn't have to reply to people who have got both their facts and reasoning wrong. That's what his 'minions' are for. So...the newspaper article you provided as evidence on your talk page does not mention Wikipedia anywhere, and anyway the point made in it was that the internet was making it too easy to cheat, not that the information was wrong. Hadrian89 (talk) 18:00, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have given my reasons as to why examiners think students are cheating, in one of my earlier message's. Please read through them more carefully. I also think that we'll let Jimbo be the judge of wherever he responds to a question or not. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 18:30, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

This discussion is continued at BH900's talk page. Hadrian89 (talk) 18:42, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm still waiting for a response though from jimmy wales. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 18:52, 23 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

It seems Jimbo Wales is logged on, or has been so in the past, but its clear he's too scared to answer me. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 19:19, 25 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

Or perhaps, on the other hand, he feels no need to discuss the issue you raise; it's his talk page, and his prerogative to discuss issues or ignore trolls, and your comment is unworthy. --Rodhullandemu 19:24, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Seconded. Hadrian89 (talk) 19:26, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why has everybody on Wikipedia got so scared of a simple question. You no longer even giving reasons, as you know that I have outsmarted you. I'm sorry for the arrogance, but I have. If Jimbo Wales, unlike you lot, has an intelligent response to my original question, then I invite him to reply, but it seems to anybody who just stumbled across the talk page, he's too afraid. One of the Top Hundred People of the Year? Don't make me laugh. (Beinghuman900 (talk) 19:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC))[reply]

I am sorry, sir, but I did not see a coherent question in anything that you wrote. Perhaps you could try again, possibly with some links. You seem to be claiming something factual about education in the UK, and some causal connection to Wikipedia, and that I have somehow singlehandedly ruined the future of children. I haven't the least clue what you mean, and would be most satisfied if you could englighten me.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 22:31, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Whilst the quality of an argument is technically unaffected by the personality of the proponent, you might nonetheless be interested to know, Jimbo, that Beinghuman900 has been given a short block for disruptive edits. I also hope that, now BH900 has the reply he was so keen to get, we might all get on with some constructive editing. Hadrian89 (talk) 22:47, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) I've given this editor 31 hours respite from the apparent struggle of trying to make sense here, WP:AGF notwithstanding, and on his talk page, to try and assimilate our principal values here. Optimistically, he will understand the mission we have, and become part of it. But thus far, his only contributions seem to have been pointed polemic, despite cogent advice from experienced editors. Pessimistically, he won't see this, and will go away feeling wounded; but personally, I wouldn't have a problem with that if he had actually made an effort to understand our goals, and it's all too easy to get the impression that he feels victimised by some poorly-sourced, and simplistically-reported decision regarding education in the United Kingdom. Tough. --Rodhullandemu 22:51, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Jimmy Wales. You can't know me, I'm just an wikipedian that discovered your userpage. Well, the english wikipedia adopted the fair use, a law in the United States that anyone can show an image without comercial uses, or distributing it (I think, obviously, you knew that). The Portuguese Wikipedia didn't adopted this. There was a voting and, for a difference of 8 persons, the fair use was not adopted. I know you cannot do anything, but I just wanna your opinion about that, because there's persons who don't want to adopt the fair use that say: "The fair use would remove the concept of 'free' in the Wikipedia." What do you think? Is this correct?

Please, message me back in my talk page in the Portuguese Wikipedia (clicking here).

Raafael (talk) 22:15, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Since Jimbo hasn't posted lately, I'll post an earlier reply from him about fair use (I assume his position hasn't changed) – "Yes, I think most of those should be deleted. Take a look at Elvis for some great examples. Iconic album covers? I would grudgingly say OK. Concert pictures? No way. That's ridiculous. There must be millions of these out there in people's photo albums. We should be asking the public for help in finding them." – iridescent 22:30, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

We're about to hit 100 featured sounds on English Wikipedia. Is there any chance of getting a press release to announce this milestone, and to encourage participation in finding more? Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 22:42, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

100 'featured sounds' doesn't really sound all that great. Prodego ^talk 23:15, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if we want sounds on Wikipedia - somethinng Wikipedia could do well, but traditional encyclopedias cannot - we need to encourage people to contribute sounds. A press release would go a long way towards making it clear that Wikipedia wants more of these, and potentially result in the release of parts of commercial recordings or the like under a free licence to encourage people to seek out the rest. Given that there has, as yet, been no foundation support for sounds - they aren't even mentioned, as I recall, in the press releases about the increase in upload size, or any other commentary on that line, which have concentrated solely on pictures and video - hell, there's not even been a site message, I think 100 sounds shows excellent initiative from all involved. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 23:39, 23 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why are there different wikipedias for different languages? It makes more sense to have a single Wikipedia translated/translateable into multiple languages, that way there is not a large English-language wikipedia and smaller Spanish-language wikipedia for example, and new articles and changes to existing articles in one language could then translate to all other languages. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.124.176.176 (talk) 06:51, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Um, well, the other Wikipedias are free to translate articles, bt there are only a certain number of multi-lingual people. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 07:05, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I just wanted to point out that not only the other Wikipedias are free to translate articles, but we are also free to (and even encouraged to) translate articles from other Wikipedias, since they often have much better and more articles on local subjects. In the end, all Wikipedias could become nearly identical, but we currently lack the manpower to do so. Fram (talk) 07:28, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No doubt Wikipedias in other languages have fine articles. However, the great majority of other-language articles on subjects I'm contemplating writing up here are obviously very poor, if they exist at all. As for the minority that are not obviously very poor, the great majority have little or no sourcing: for all I know, they could be recycled press releases, "OR", or mere invention. Also, among what I happen to see of what are announced here as translations from other-language WP articles, most have little or no sourcing. On occasion I've pointed this out in the talk page, and a typical response is a huffy one from the translator, who (perhaps reasonably) thinks I should show appreciation for the translation work. All in all most translation work seems garbage-in, garbage-out. Am I too harsh? -- Hoary (talk) 01:27, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The problem with such a multilingual Wikipedia would be all the stuff that happens outside of the main namespace. Discussion about articles, discussion about policies, deletion debates, user conduct complaints, etc., etc., all need to take place in one language in order to be practical (we can't have people doing real-time translations everywhere, there wouldn't be enough volunteers for that, by far). If you have a multilingual Wikipedia with monolingual discussions, then people that don't speak the discussion language (presumably English) would be second-class members of the community, able only to serve as translators of non-English articles into other non-English languages (and only then if they speak more than one language well enough). --Tango (talk) 20:22, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't posted at this talk page before, but....it would mean a lot to me, Mr. Wales, if you would comment (pro or con) at this RFC. IMO, the RFC touches on a core issue at Wikipedia, namely censorship. I hope you can drop by. Thanks.Ferrylodge (talk) 16:15, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for dropping by. I've responded there.Ferrylodge (talk) 17:41, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but I see neither a contrib by Jimmy on the talk page you linked to, nor do I see a contrib by Jimmy at all today. Are you perhaps confusing contributions, Ferrylodge? KillerChihuahua^?!? 18:11, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I was addressing "Shoemaker's Holiday." If "Jimbo Wales" would please comment at the RFC too, that would be much appreciated. My apologies if I got the two mixed up.Ferrylodge (talk) 18:19, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for inviting me, but I prefer not to comment directly on that discussion. In general, I will simply restate the obvious: imagery in articles is often one of the most attractive points for POV-pushing of all kinds, for a couple of reasons. (1) Images can have a strong emotional impact, thus making implicitly a point that would not be possible to make in the text. (2) Images are often "either/or" with no easy way to work for consensus. My own perspective is that many of our articles have needlessly graphic photos inserted either by POV-pushers or by people who are borderline trolling... seeing what they can get away with.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 19:52, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Jimbo, you've just used the term "graphic photos", but the image under consideration is not a photo, and it is not vivid; in fact it has been toned down as much as humanly possible, right?

I really wish you would reconsider participating in the RFC. If you go there, and conclude that I am a troll and POV-pusher, then so be it. Political censorship is an important issue, and it's happening now, IMO.

In that article, only the very slightest information has been allowed describing what is aborted in a typical abortion. No significant text, no image, no nothing. All that is allowed is information about how harmless it is (no fetal pain, no breast cancer, no mental health problems, et cetera). Wikipedia is not the place for propaganda, right?Ferrylodge (talk) 20:13, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I am sympathetic to the possibilites of propaganda in either direction here. Yet, I still decline to get directly involved in this one. There seem to be no particularly urgent "constitutional" or "foundational" issues. It's a matter of finding out (while assuming good faith) why people object, and seeing if there is a way forward with compromise.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 22:07, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, thanks for thinking it over. It's a very impressive project that you've started, but what a gargantuan potential for abuse. Cheers.Ferrylodge (talk) 22:15, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps an uninvolved adminstrator should consider if User:Ferrylodge editing any page (including talk pages) in any way related to Abortion or Pregnancy is in any way helpful to an encyclopedia. Admins should note that the ArbCom has stated that "Ferrylodge is subject to an editing restriction indefinitely. Any uninvolved administrator may ban Ferrylodge from any article which relates to pregnancy or abortion, interpreted broadly, which they disrupt by inappropriate editing." Just a thought - is this "appropriate editing" of a talk page? Hipocrite (talk) 22:14, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There was a request to restrict me in talk space, eleven months ago, but ArbCom rejected that request. Perhaps you would kindly click on that link, Hipocrite? And isn't it odd that one so often finds political blacklisting and censorship hand in hand?Ferrylodge (talk) 22:21, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Mr Wales

I respectfully request that you permanently block my IP address.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours sincerely

Ingvar Heter Esq. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ingvar Heter (talk • contribs) 20:26, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

By general rule, we don't indefinitely block IP addresses from editing, or block accounts for no reason. Perhaps you'd like to take a Wikibreak or exercise your right to vanish?. ←Signed:→Mr. E. Sánchez ^{Get to know me!} / _{Talk to me!}←at≈:→ 20:40, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have compressed several images in Wikipedia and have contact several developers about replacing the current ones, but have yet to receive a reply. Below are several of the images I have compressed:

I would like to request that the current images be replaced with the ones above. The savings are moderate, but amount to several kilobytes. The title "Wikipedia" at www.wikipedia.org has been crushed by about 5kb. I don't know how much the savings(in terms of bandwidth) will be, for I haven't found the appropriate statistics, but I do believe they should be noticeable(and if not, at least the page will load faster ^.^). For the current discussion, please see Wikipedia:Village_pump_(technical)#Smaller Wikipedia Logo files. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or comments you have on this. Thank you in advance.Smallman12q (talk) 00:03, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Edit 1: I would also like to request to know how many times the front page is cached a day?Smallman12q (talk) 23:29, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Probably better to talk to Brion Vibber, rather than me.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 01:06, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

First of all I would like to establish that this is not a personal attack or a vandalism secondly I doubt that Mr. Wales will answer me so any of the good editors who patrol this page are free to answer and last of all I respect the right to express oneself as being one of the most fundamental rights. Dear Mr. Wales I know myself and many others would appreciate if you changed the "founded" to "co-founded with Larry Sanger" because this is the right thing to do and because another human beings deseveres appreciation for this great project and you have so nicley mentioned Angela Beesley Starling as the other co-founder of wikia. This is your change to make to be civil one of the pillars of wikipedia. (I would appreciate if this wasn't deleted) by some editor who believes it constitutes as vandalism.211.30.14.161 (talk) 11:06, 25 February 2009 (UTC) Interesting —Preceding unsigned comment added by 211.30.14.161 (talk) 11:20, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your comment. I do not agree, and decline to falsify history. For the record, I think that in general, Larry is given insufficient credit for his competent work as the editor-in-chief of the Wikipedia project.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 17:39, 25 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I see, well that is your opinion. By the way I'm little starstruck I can't believe the Jimmy Wales answered my querry211.30.14.161 (talk) 04:19, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Eh, I'm just some guy on the internet, typing in my pajamas like everybody else.--Jimbo Wales (talk) 05:28, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]