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My background
When I discovered Wikipedia I was immediately enthusiastic. The possibilities of the project for growth, for visibility, for quality, and for its contributors the possibility of just having fun, for any intellectual person who likes to write and happens to have some extra time, were enormous; indeed it was one of the first places I had ever found on the Internet that didn't feel like another few electronic acres of wasteland. I'm still writing. It's usually a pleasure, at least the writing and editing aspects of the project. Some may think I'm nuts for spending so much time writing an encyclopedia, but I tell you it's exciting to see one's articles shoot to the top of Google rankings shortly after their creation. Not only do I find it exciting, but I increasingly find it to be my duty, as someone having a specific expertise, to put accurate, readable, and well-sourced information into that top Google position.
I have always been fascinated with history and the interactions of people and places and ideas; I love figuring things out Long ago I learned to recognize that glazed-over look of people who have listened politely for a moment too long, so now I have thankfully discovered Wikipedia. I am here because it gives me an outlet for everything I learned in school, and still love. Here I can share, and if other people can make use of what I write, that makes me happy.
Occasionally you might catch me writing about the history, geography, literature, and a few other things,
My credentials and experience are real and verifiable, to those with a need to know, although at this time I prefer to edit anonymously.
And I write about
I have mainly focused on writing articles because I love it, I know a bit about it, and when I joined Wikipedia, no one else bothered with it.
my interests: Classics, literature, history, military history, religious traditions, European and eastern philosophy. I read a lot, especially English literature, as well as a lot of stuff in translation. While I'm fairly knowledgeable on topics such as Shakespeare, the existentialist writers, Swift, Greek tragedy, epic poetry, and European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian history, I don't usually contribute to articles on those topics; I don't feel my knowledge rises above the high amateur into the "sufficiently expert". There are other writers here who are better, and who know more than I do, and for now I'm going to leave it there. I would politely ask others to at least consider the depth of their knowledge before tackling detailed subjects around which their own experience is limited; but then who am I to tell other people what to do? Do as you will, says Rabelais, but prepare to be reverted (not by me, necessarily, but by someone who actually has studied the topic). This is an encyclopedia, not a trivia site.
My contribs
My boxes
This user has been editing Wikipedia for more than ten years.
Fill out the classical music area in general, and Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque in particular, since the early music area was quite undeveloped when I started.
Starve the trolls.
Put the readers of our encyclopedia first. All of us need to acquire the humility to realize that we, the editors, are secondary to them. It's not about us.
Model the integrity and decency I want to see from others. As I am highly imperfect, this isn't easy, but I do intend to try. On those occasions I want to urge other people to be civil, collegial, respectful, and kind, I do not want to be a hypocrite.
Stay positive. Laboring in the shadows, unacknowledged, is hard after a while.
Always acknowledge the good work of others. I'm only a tiny part of the whole.
Contribute even more content. Avoid the typical burnout curve of ceasing to contribute to articles, increasing edits to policy talk pages, noticeboards, RFCs, Arbcom cases, and so forth: these symptoms precede Wiki death. See number 59 for the analogy with stars on the main sequence. While it may be impossible to avoid, if one is aware of the inevitable, it may be possible to postpone. I have a specialized skill, and I'm not done contributing in my area of expertise yet. Not even close.
Create free content only. That includes public domain and GFDL.
Acquire the knack of page formatting, so I can update this page without borking it. Thanks and gratitude to Phaedriel for the page design.
O my soul, aspire not to eternal life But rather exhaust the limits of the possible.
Pindar, Odes (Pythian III)
Look round at the courses of the stars, as if thou wert going along with them; and constantly consider the changes of the elements into one another; for such thoughts purge away the filth of life on earth.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7:47
Courage is the price life extracts for granting us peace.
Amelia Earhart
The cultivated person's first duty is to always be prepared to rewrite the encyclopedia.
Umberto Eco, "The Force of Falsity"
All the work I do on Renaissance and early Baroque music is dedicated to the memory of Professor Seamus O'Reilly.
Accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu, Atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.
Cookie, bah. You can haz cake! A Well-Wisher, 20:37, 29 October 2011 (UTC).
