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A question for you...

Do you know anything about this guy? You may know him, or at least know of him. Questions have arisen at Talk:Little Richard about his reliability as a source. Can you add anything? Regards, Ghmyrtle (talk) 18:05, 16 April 2013 (UTC)

He sparks a slight memory with me... but I'm struggling to really remember what. I would not know how accurate a biographer he was - but I could say that about many who write about pop music. Most of it seems to be based on hear'say, rumour and gut feeling. That is probably why some Wiki editors think that they can get away with their half baked edits on music articles.
Hee hee Ortolan88 (talk) 22:03, 30 June 2013 (UTC)
I'm not much help really. Just a thought - are there any decent critiques available online regarding either of his biographies ? If so, they might shed more light on his 'accuracy'/'reliability' or otherwise.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 18:53, 16 April 2013 (UTC)
Just thought you might know him, him being in t'same neck o' t'woods as 't were... Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:05, 16 April 2013 (UTC)
Yes it's a decent thought. Mind you, I live 50 miles away from York, so it would have to be a pretty big neck o' t'woods. That reminds me, I must tend to my whippets and pigeons before bedtime.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:19, 16 April 2013 (UTC)

Hi Derek, Derek Here, I've initiated an article for Cyril Kellett. Best Regards. DynamoDegsy (talk) 11:35, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Well done, Degsy. Thank you,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 18:09, 2 May 2013 (UTC)

I notice you have a considerable collection of reference books. What I want to know is do any of them contain any reference to E-Zee Possee, MC Kinky or anything related (songs, etc)?--Launchballer 09:00, 9 May 2013 (UTC)

In short, no. The British Hit Singles & Albums references originated from me, but I do not have anything else. As you are probably aware, neither act was particularly commercially successful. Sorry I can not help further.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:01, 11 May 2013 (UTC)
Okay, thanks anyway. Do they not mention Kinky's toasting of Erasure's Take a Chance on Me?--Launchballer 20:09, 11 May 2013 (UTC)
The same source as above states "Take a Chance on Me" credits MC Kinky. That's all.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:15, 11 May 2013 (UTC)
Thank you. And just one more thing; a large amount of content on E-Zee Possee mentions Kinky, with some of it sourced by that book. What else does it say there?--Launchballer 20:37, 11 May 2013 (UTC)
Interestingly, the British Hit Singles & Albums book does not mention MC Kinky (at all) under the E-Zee Possee heading. Her solo single, "Everybody", was correctly separately listed by the same book as by Kinky. That entry notes her name as Caron Geary, and also states 'See Erasure'. That's it.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:58, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

receive any mention in British Hit Singles & Albums?--Launchballer 10:35, 24 May 2013 (UTC)

The former are listed as Burundi Steiphenson Black and subtitled as (Burundi, drummers and chanters and France, male instrumentalist - orchestral additions by Mike Steiphenson). Chart entry in the week ending 13 November 1971 for "Burundi Black" on Barclays Records (catalogue ref BAR 3). The single stayed in the UK Singles Chart for 14 weeks but peaked at No. 31.
Beautiful People (UK, male instrumental / production group) also had just one chart entry, on Essential Records (ESSX 2037). "If 60's Were 90's" spent one week in the UK Singles Chart, at No. 74, in the week ending 28 May 1994.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 11:01, 24 May 2013 (UTC)
By the way, there's a lot of material on the Burundi Black "controversy" at the article on Bow Wow Wow. Should there be a separate article? Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:35, 24 May 2013 (UTC)
Yes, there probably should be; as long as it is well referenced and does not descend into original research. The subject matter does not interest me though.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 12:35, 24 May 2013 (UTC)
If there is a new article, it should probably be about Michel Bernholc aka "Mike Steiphenson", who sampled the Royal Drummers of Burundi, rather than about a one-off single. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:59, 24 May 2013 (UTC)
Nothing to add for Beautiful People, then. I'll add the Burundi Black data to the article.--Launchballer 14:31, 24 May 2013 (UTC)
The problem with the Burundi Black article is that it's highly incomplete and inaccurate. Joni Mitchell did not sample Burundi Black, for example, she sampled the original Royal Drummers of Burundi recording. I may get round to rewriting it if no-one else gets in first. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:45, 26 May 2013 (UTC)
Yes, there is much more to this Burundi Black thing than meets the untrained eye. However, I will be away at various locations over the next month, spending only short periods at home. Over to you, mate ! - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:58, 26 May 2013 (UTC)

Dear Mr Bullamore, ref the above article - as an original founding member of this band, there are a number of aspects in this article requiring "citations" which I could verify, having "been there", at the time. Q: am I able to do so, and if so, how is this done? You appear to be very experienced and highly rated on WIKI - I would be grateful for any assistance - if possible.

Like many articles, there is a lot of "tosh" written by 3rd parties - balanced accuracy, without self interest, must surely be more acceptable to the principal of Wikipedia. many thanks JC "Junior Campbell (talk) 11:22, 26 May 2013 (UTC)"

Hello, Mr. Campbell. It is good to hear from you, and I hope you are well. Your query does prompt a series of issues. I am not certain of your involvement in Wikipedia, so forgive me if "I try to tell grandma how to suck eggs". Firstly, Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia which has a number of guidelines, particularly relating to editing, which are broadly covered under Five pillars. Many inexperienced editors (including myself, back in the day) assume that the broad invitation that "anyone can edit" also allows complete freedom of expression. However, the guidelines quoted under verifiability relating to Wikipedia state that "Its content is determined by previously published information rather than the beliefs or experiences of its editors. Even if you're sure something is true, it must be verifiable before you can add it. When reliable sources disagree, present what the various sources say, give each side its due weight, and maintain a neutral point of view". Which brings us on to neutral point of view, which is a fundamental principle, and carries a sub-section stating "avoid stating opinions as facts. Usually, articles will contain information about the significant opinions that have been expressed about their subjects. However, these opinions should not be stated in Wikipedia's voice. Rather, they should be attributed in the text to particular sources, or where justified, described as widespread views, etc. For example, an article should not state that "genocide is an evil action", but it may state that "genocide has been described by John X as the epitome of human evil."
I appreciate, only too fully, that there are many third parties who write "tosh" about popular music. It is almost de rigeur. However, identifying reliable sources gives some advice as to what is a reliable source, more specifically outlined at WP:PSTS. Whilst appreciating your direct involvement in the band, and thus 'inside knowledge of the facts', I am afraid generally Wikipedia does not allow such 'opinion' within its broad guidelines - see original research. In fact, on the contrary, there is an inherent problem with editors potentially being too close to the article's subject matter, which is outlined at conflict of interest. There are some suggestions relating to this, under the best practices for editors with close associations section.
In short, although it may appear anything but, these are the fundamental parameters under which all Wikipedia editors are expected to operate.
I do fully understand you are attempting to make good faith edits. However, if you would take some advice from me; "...eminently successful Decca producer Dick Rowe, unfairly renowned for rejecting The Beatles..." is not a neutral point of view. In addition, Dick Rowe does have his own Wikipedia article, where such 'information' should be placed. The matter is also covered under the The Beatles' Decca audition article. In general terms, trespassing too far from the article's own subject matter is potentially moving towards a coatrack.
Sorry if this has swamped you with information. I would be the first to actively encourage folks to edit Wikipedia. However, all need to appreciate the ground rules that are in place (Wikipedia's I hasten to add, not mine) and act accordingly. For those who do not, however innocently, they may find that their time and effort is wasted as many other editors will delete stuff without warning.
If I can assist further, then you know where I am. Best wishes,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:53, 26 May 2013 (UTC) Many thanks ..... Understood, loud and clear!! best left alone - Think I'll leave it to the "toshers"!! Best wishes "Junior Campbell (talk) 19:00, 26 May 2013 (UTC)"

Hi

Everything fine with you these days? :) When you got the time pleaase check out the refs at the The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) article. Thanks.--BabbaQ (talk) 15:19, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

Yes I am very well, thank you. I am spending more time away from home now that the County Championship season is in full swing. However, I am aware that cricket is not widely followed in Scandanavia. However, I have given the article on The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) a quick polish. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 21:06, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

is currently undergoing an AfD, and well, it's an article I wrote. Needless to say, I want it kept. Is there anything in British Hit Singles & Albums which mentions Rooney at all?--Launchballer 23:55, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

No, I can not find any reference to him. I am not sure why the publication would. A couple of songwriting / production credits on very minor, or not at all, UK hits would not garner much footage in the UK.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:55, 9 June 2013 (UTC)

Hi Derek. Thanks for your note. Yes, the page is on my watch list, and I think your additions were/are much needed by the article!

I am not sure how complete this list can ever be ... - I'm confident that, (independent of whether it can be or can't be), the article never will be complete. How much of a problem do you think this is?

I am also wary of it growing like topsy, with some editors potentially adding people at will. - Yes indeed! Personally, I think that is the much bigger problem and, as yet, I haven't a clue how to solve it. In this age of conversations frequently talking in billions, "Over 1,000 statuettes have been awarded" does not sound like all that many, but the truth of the matter is that a Wikipedia list of that sort of length is unwieldy, uses lots of bandwidth, and is very sluggish to use. So, "we" don't necessarily want the list to be complete!!! Any bright ideas are more than welcome!

and a well done for creating the list in the first place. - Thanks, but I do wonder if I created a monster.

Best wishes from Blighty. - Good heavens. With the Americanisation of the media, you don't hear that word much these days. (Nor, for that matter, many of the good old Australian words and expressions. e.g. Wikipedia thinks "Stone the Crows were a blues-rock band formed in Glasgow in late 1969." Wiktionary does a little better, but not much! As for Stone the Crow, well, I think it's best if we don't go there.)

Best wishes from the antipodes, Pdfpdf (talk) 14:27, 28 June 2013 (UTC)

Hello again. Yes, I do not think the ongoing incompleteness of the list, in itself, is much of a problem; but it does the leave the door ajar for other names to be added without much effort. Perhaps one way to try to make that less likely, is for each entry to have an in-line citation. That way, if another editor sees that each musician's name is duly referenced, they may de deterred from simply adding more names without citing a source. Equally by adding editing notes such as <-- Only add names here if the person has their own article -- anything else will be removed --> and <-- Please order alphabetically according to last name, unless the person is mostly known by a stage name, in which case, use the first "name" (e.g., Howlin' Wolf should go under "H", not "W"...he is not Mr. Wolf! :)....). For bands, ignore "The" in the alphabetical placement, and go by the "first name" (e.g., The James Cotton Band goes under "J") --> and, most pertinently <-- All entries made without a reliable reference source will be removed without notice -->.
In case you are not aware, for the editing notes described above, the line will need to start with an exclamation mark (!) after the first <, to ensure it remains as a editing guide, and not part of the main article's wording.
Having said that, it does mean that a lot more work will be needed on the article, to include as many in-line citations as possible. Perhaps we could work jointly on this, if you think it is a good proposition. Lastly, assuming you added most of the names on the current list, and to satisfy my curiosity, where did you get the names from, and could that be used as a reference ?
P.S. I am old enough to remember Stone the Crows, but have never heard anyone around me ever utter that phrase as an exclamation. Although, I have heard plenty of others used !!
Best wishes from dear old Blighty,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 14:23, 29 June 2013 (UTC)
(Brief almost-to-the-point-of-rudeness reply. Better reply later - it's 01:40am)
Perhaps one way ... - Agreed.
Equally by adding editing notes ... - Excellent idea!
Having said that, it does mean that a lot more work will be needed on the article - Yeah well. "C'est la vie."
Perhaps we could work jointly on this - Why not! (Another good idea.)
where did you get the names from - Ummmm. Somewhere that google pointed me. I'll try to find it again.
Cheers, Pdfpdf (talk) 16:21, 29 June 2013 (UTC)
Well, I've made a start by adding the editing notices and a set of references. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:30, 29 June 2013 (UTC)
I've been thinking. (Yes, I know - very dangerous.)
1) We've both expressed our concern about the list becoming huge. Even with the expressed restrictions, the list is still going to be big ...
2) where did you get the names from - Clearly, my memory is not improving with age. Just to make sure I didn't lose track of the references, and that having them turn into [dead link] would not cause a problem, I copied them and their contents to the bottom of the List of Ivor Novello Award winners page!
3) It's the awards we are requiring references for - not the people. To make the table easier to maintain, I've added an extra column to the table ("Notes") where we can put the references, and anything else we might want to, and it won't impact on the other columns of the table.
(And that's the limit of my thinking ablility.) Cheers, Pdfpdf (talk) 09:52, 30 June 2013 (UTC)

How do you think we are doing? (I have my own opinion - I'm interested to hear yours.) Pdfpdf (talk) 13:37, 1 July 2013 (UTC)

Overall, I think the article is moving nicely in the right direction. Certainly, its current layout seems ideal. I also think that the present priority is getting as many in-line citations in place as soon as possible - otherwise the 'editing note' that states "All entries made without a reliable reference source will be removed without notice" looks a little hollow. I am away from home several times in the next few weeks, but I will do what I can as time allows. Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:29, 1 July 2013 (UTC)
Like three Dobermans on a lawyer, (and/or 10,000 lawyers on the bottom of the ocean), I think that's "a good start". I now think it's somebody else's turn - particularly given that the Ashes are currently so very entertaining. Never-the-less, don't hesitate to "rattle my cage" should you feel the need, (or want the company / moral support). Cheers, Pdfpdf (talk) 13:30, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
Yes I have no criticism of you at all - you have done a very fine job on the article, and it would be good if other editors took their turn. I too am very interested in the Ashes series, plus I regularly go to watch Yorkshire County Cricket Club throughout the English summer, so my time on Wikipedia is currently somewhat limited. However, I will return to the article as time allows. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:35, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

Cricket & Oz

(Unrelated) I've been entertained to hear Geoffrey Boycott on the radio recently - a genuine grumpy old man (but then, at 73, wouldn't you be?) Is he the ONLY Yorkshire-man they let use a microphone these days? Pdfpdf (talk) 13:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
Well, you will presumably have also heard Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special (radio). A former Yorkshire player and England captain of course, although he was born in Lancashire, so I suppose that does not count. Most Yorkshire folk can't hold a microphone - I should know ! Rather like the old expression: Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred, strong i' th' arm, and weak i' th' head.
Actually, somewhat related, my wife and I are travelling Down Under this winter to watch three Ashes Test Matches - can't wait !
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 14:31, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Which three? Or of more interest to me, which three locations, and on which dates?

For a less public forum, please reply to ... (Damn! Can't put my finger on it!! Oh well, I'll find it in the next 24 hrs!)
It would be fun to catch up with you both, and we Ozzies are renown for our hospitality to visitors. (Or at least, we think we are!) Cheers, Pdfpdf (talk) 14:57, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

It's the third, fourth and fifth Tests at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney respectively. If I am reading our itinerary correctly, we arrive at Perth on 12 December 2013 and stay for 10 nights. Arrive Melbourne on 22 December for nine nights. Arrive Sydney on 31 December for eight nights. We then travel up to Airlie Beach with fellow UK friends for nine nights, then a bit further up the Great Barrier Reef coastline, before flying home (via Cairns) from Brisbane on 23 January 2014. My e-mail address is on my user page, if we need to get deeper. Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 15:22, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
Do I assume our paths will not cross Down Under this winter (our winter, that is) ?
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 12:43, 6 August 2013 (UTC)
Not necessarily.
Normally I'd make a sales pitch for what you're missing out on by not visiting South Australia (perhaps I should do so anyway), but you seem to have a great itinerary. (Though why you'd want to spend 4 extra nights in Melbourne is well beyond the comprehension of any Australian not from Melbourne. Particularly given that it includes Xmas ... Maybe you have friends in Melbourne?) Seeing the 5th Test in Sydney in the new year sounds like a good idea - maybe I'll get off my bum and investigate the options! (Watch this space.) Pdfpdf (talk) 14:48, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Ashes

Grumble. (Still, I must admit that it has been entertaining ... ) Pdfpdf (talk) 11:53, 6 August 2013 (UTC)

Tee hee. I suspect you will have more agony to come before they fly home. My wife and I passed within half a mile of Old Trafford on Wednesday last week, just one day before the Third Test started. We were chugging along on our friend's narrowboat. The boat looks pretty similar to the one in the picture, at the top right of the Wiki article. We had been to an England Legends v Australia Legends cricket match at Grappenhall the day before. The Aussie side included Jeff Thomson, Ian Harvey, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Daniel Christian (and less probably, Wasim Akram and Adam Hollioake) amongst others. Your old men beat our old timers, so you might like to take some comfort from that.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 12:43, 6 August 2013 (UTC)
Agony? No, not really. Many emotions, (some of them positive!), but not that one.
Got a friend in Reading with a canal boat - sounds like fun.
so you might like to take some comfort from that. - No. Just envy!! Pdfpdf (talk) 14:48, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

This article needs a good clean-up, so I'm giving it a quick once-over. A question about his birth year. The article originally said 1942 — as does his own website — and it was changed to 1941 here. But, a lot of "reliable sources" like Allmusic give 1940, and it seems to me that's more likely. It's accepted that brother Peter was born on 10 December 1941, and Clive on 21 Jan 1944. So, it seems implausible (at best!) that Richard / Eden was born in March 1941, less than nine months before Peter. I'll go with 29 March 1940, unless you can convince me otherwise! (My Ancestry subscription doesn't help, as it doesn't have records for India.) Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:01, 8 July 2013 (UTC)

1940 looks good to me. Back in the day (late 2008) when I spent some time on this article, I think I took the birth year of 1942 from the The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits. Which, I have slowly discovered during the intervening passage of time, has proved to be more reliant on 'stage birth dates', rather than actual ones. No objection then from me - I agree the article includes some rather dodgy opinion and fancruft, such as "Like many of his teen idol peers, Kane sought to stave off chart oblivion by hitching a ride onto the beat boom bandwagon, teaming with a group with real Liverpool pedigree - Fontana labelmates Earl Preston and the TT's". Also "However, he was arguably the last British solo star to succeed before the arrival of the Beatles" seems a little ambiguous, and was subject to a challenge three years ago on the article's talk page. Oh - you and me back then, I have just noted. Over to you - I am away for a couple of days now.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 10:31, 8 July 2013 (UTC)
OK - see what you think. I've taken out some of the more marginally relevant fluff. I'm staying indoors - there's a huge ball of flame in the sky (don't know what it is, haven't seen anything like it for years), so I'm staying out of its way! Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:45, 8 July 2013 (UTC)
Yes, that looks much better to me. Still unsure about the seemingly unsourced " Like many of his teen idol peers, Kane sought to stave off chart oblivion by hitching a ride onto the beat boom bandwagon, teaming with a group with real Liverpool pedigree - Fontana labelmates Earl Preston and the TT's." What did the TT's stand for - terrible tremens ? I too have been caught out by climate change. My wife and I have just spent two days at Stamford Bridge, (that's here, not there) watching cricket (that's this, not that). Scorchio! yesterday and I thought, my goodness, so this is summer. Today it was overcast and the temperature was down by around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. I was wrapped up like Nanook of the North. The disguise was handy though, as I managed to avoid the fate of Tostig Godwinson in the ensuing skirmish. One problem - walrus for tea !
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 21:31, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
Hmm... I did think about deleting the Merseybeat connection, and probably should have done. Tempest Tornadoes, apparently. Notable? Possibly not. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:46, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
Don't think so - another one of those 'didn't quite make it' Merseybeat outfits. Although, things are looking up - ice cream for dessert.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 22:02, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

What does "British Hit Singles & Albums" have about them? (Draft article: User:Launchballer/Backyard Dog.)--Launchballer 09:53, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

It states Backyard Dog - UK male vocal / production group: 7 July 2001: "Baddest Ruffest" (re-entry): East West Records (EW 233CD): No. 15 : six weeks in chart.
Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:17, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

Mason Ruffner, birth name, birth year, and minor biographical details

First off, my credentials: My name is Roger Ruffner and I am the adopted younger brother of "Mason" Ruffner. Our parents were George and Ruth Ruffner (deceased)

I was born in 1960 and was adopted on my 3rd birthday by the Ruffners.

Edwin Ray Ruffner was their only biological son who was 16 when I was adopted, which makes him 13 years older than I. 1960 minus 13 years makes "Mason"s birth year at least 1947, but with overlap could have been 1948.

He was born in the Mason/Effingham area of Illinois. The reason for the "or" ("/") is it was a city/County issue.

For further proof of this time line, "Mason" set a field and track records for long distance track for Effingham approximatly 1960-1962

He left home approx 1 year (more like 8 months really) after my adoption, and left for California (the music scene).

While he was there the Ruffner family moved to the Fort Worth area of Texas. I was about 6 years of age before "Mason" returned to his parent's home in Smithfield, Texas.

There is a WHOLE LOT MORE BIOGRAPHICAL info that I have available, than what is printed anywhere. None of it involving much of anything pleasant.

What other so called "journalists" have written concerning the previous acoounts of "Mason"s early biography, are completely incorrect. This is my meager attempt at correcting some of that.

RogerRuffner (talk) 19:50, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Hello Roger, and thanks for taking the time to write to me. Firstly, Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia which has a number of guidelines, particularly relating to editing, which are broadly covered under Five pillars. Many inexperienced editors (including myself, back in the day) assume that the broad invitation that "anyone can edit" also allows complete freedom of expression. However, the guidelines quoted under verifiability relating to Wikipedia state that "Its content is determined by previously published information rather than the beliefs or experiences of its editors. Even if you're sure something is true, it must be verifiable before you can add it. When reliable sources disagree, present what the various sources say, give each side its due weight, and maintain a neutral point of view".
I appreciate, only too fully, that there are many third parties who write "tosh" about popular music. It is almost de rigeur. However, identifying reliable sources gives some advice as to what is a reliable source, more specifically outlined at WP:PSTS. Whilst appreciating your family connection to the subject of the article, and thus 'inside knowledge of the facts', I am afraid generally Wikipedia does not allow such 'opinion' within its broad guidelines - see original research. In fact, on the contrary, there is an inherent problem with editors potentially being too close to the article's subject matter, which is outlined at conflict of interest. There are some suggestions relating to this, under the best practices for editors with close associations section.
In short, these are the fundamental parameters under which all Wikipedia editors are expected to operate. Equally it is important to try to find reliable third party sources, which provide verifiability for the birth date and name.
Sorry if this has swamped you with information. I would be the first to actively encourage folks to edit Wikipedia. However, all need to appreciate the ground rules that are in place (Wikipedia's I hasten to add, not mine) and act accordingly. For those who do not, however innocently, they may find that their time and effort is wasted as many other editors will delete unreferenced stuff without warning.
If I can assist further, then you know where I am. Best wishes,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:47, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
I reverted to the second edit ever made on that article, which was by Derek R Bullamore; I did so because it is unacceptable to keep unsourced information in that article that contradicts the sourced material in it, or to keep any unsourced material in it. That is a WP:BLP (biography of a living person) article, and the birth date, place of birth, other personal details should be especially sourced...and with one or more WP:Reliable sources. If the violation of WP:BLP keeps up at that article, it would be good to take that matter to the WP:BLP noticeboard. Flyer22 (talk) 15:35, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

Photo misidentified as being of Texas Johnny Brown

That is William Hollis, keyboardist for Texas Johnny Brown's Quality Blues Band in the photo (Texas Johnny Brown 2008.jpg). I was at Johnny's funeral with Mr. Hollis. Thank you for creating the article. Figmillenium (talk) 18:49, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

No problem. I will take your word, for who it is in the photo. Other editors may not - as you have already witnessed !
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:04, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

Hi Derek! Ron Thompson and I really appreciate you creating a page for him here. However, there are numerous errors and Ron would really like to update the page with the correct information. I do hope this will not be a problem for you--and again, thank you!

Jackie McCort Business manager for Ron Thompson jackie@rtblues.vom — Preceding unsigned comment added by JackieMcCort (talkcontribs) 02:26, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Hello Jackie, and thanks for taking the time to write to me, and extending your thanks to me for creating the article. Firstly, Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia which has a number of guidelines, particularly relating to editing, which are broadly covered under Five pillars. Many inexperienced editors (including myself, back in the day) assume that the broad invitation that "anyone can edit" also allows complete freedom of expression. However, the guidelines quoted under verifiability state that "Its content is determined by previously published information rather than the beliefs or experiences of its editors. Even if you're sure something is true, it must be verifiable before you can add it. When reliable sources disagree, present what the various sources say, give each side its due weight, and maintain a neutral point of view".
Identifying reliable sources gives some advice as to what is a reliable source, more specifically outlined at WP:PSTS. Whilst appreciating your connection to the subject of the article, and thus 'inside knowledge of the facts', I am afraid generally Wikipedia does not allow such 'opinion' within its broad guidelines - see original research. In fact, on the contrary, there is an inherent problem with editors potentially being too close to the article's subject matter, which is outlined at conflict of interest. There are some suggestions relating to this, under the best practices for editors with close associations section.
In short, these are the fundamental parameters under which all Wikipedia editors are expected to operate. Equally it is important to try to find reliable third party sources, which provide verifiability for any proposed changes to the article's wording. In addition, it is expected that editors will not use Wikipedia as a vehicle to promote or advertise - see WP:Promotion.
I would be the first to actively encourage folks to edit Wikipedia. However, all need to appreciate the ground rules that are in place (Wikipedia's I hasten to add, not mine) and act accordingly. For those who do not, however innocently, they may find that their time and effort is wasted as many other editors will delete unreferenced stuff without warning.
If I can be of any further help, then you know how to contact me. Best wishes,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 09:29, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Dancing Girls (Song)

Hi Derek, Thanks for making the improvements to the citations on my article on Nik Kershaw's Dancing Girls. However, may I ask why you removed the track listings for the various 12" releases. I would have thought that this was pertinent information on the release of the single (especially given that you have retained the track listing for the 7" version), and the information was fully cited - it all came from http://it.kershaw.net/records.php?link=complete&&var=2&&pag=2, which was cited against the top paragraph. So what was the problem? Metabelis (talk) 01:27, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

Hello Metabelis. I was under the impression that Wikipedia guidelines, in this regard, were somewhat dismissive about covering all the various formats of a single etc. WP:Song puts me straight, and I apologise unreservedly to you. Perhaps the information could be better expressed, or more easily readable, using a format such as is used for Fuck the Millennium, 4 Minutes (Madonna song) or Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). I might also ask whether the cited source passes WP:PSTS. Either way, sackcloth and ashes for me.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 21:54, 5 August 2013 (UTC)

Henry Butler entry - better now?

Hi Derek: Thanks for flagging the Henry Butler entry as needing improvement. I came across it this weekend, and spent some time trying to get it into better shape. I'll await your call as to whether it's now strong enough that the "needs improvement" tag can be taken down. If it's still short of standards, let me know if specific additions would be of value. Thanks GCA10 (talk) 06:15, 28 July 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, that's much better. I gave the article a 'bit of a polish' and removed the tag. Well done. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 19:25, 5 August 2013 (UTC)

British rock

Just been reading an interesting article in Record Collector. Do you know anything about Joey Castell ("authentic-sounding rockabilly"), Lyn Cornell, Terry Wayne, Neville Taylor ("one of the few black rock'n'roll singers performing in England"), Janice Peters ("one of the most dynamic female rock'n'roll records ever sung with a British voice", and pretty damn good say I), Dean Webb ("such good records..."), Bobby Angelo, Dean Shannon....  ? Ghmyrtle (talk) 15:59, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay in replying - I've been away at cricket, as usual ! The only name that really jumps out at me is Lyn Cornell. She has a mention in both The Pearls and The Vernons Girls articles. She is perhaps notable enough for an article of her own, but I'm not sure there is much information on her that is not covered in the aforementioned. I can tell you that Bobby Angelo and the Tuxedos peaked at No. 30 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961, with "Baby Sittin'" (HMV POP 892). Janice Peters does ring a bell, but for what else I'm not sure. Otherwise, as far as I know, I think they are another collection of 'didn't quite make its'. Does this help ?
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 18:58, 5 August 2013 (UTC)
That's pretty much as I thought, though I'd love to find out more about Janice Peters - born in Liverpool, apparently. Anyway, another gap filled here... Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:25, 13 August 2013 (UTC)
Hell, I vaguely remember the Master Singers - one trick ponies though they were. Have you had a search around for Janice Peters; such as [1], [2] ? Either way, I'm fairly sure she does not pass the old notability stakes. On a separate note, I picked up a new brum-brum yesterday. If you see a flash of blue zooming past, it will either be one of these [3] or one of these [4].
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 14:06, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

Your edits

Hi Derek, I think your edits to Deaths in 2013 like these ones are fine. One particular editor fails or refuses to ever include the reference title, so some of us use the Reflinks bot to fix it. Reflinks sometimes adds extra information like the newspaper name and the words "bot generated title". I refuse to clean up any further when someone else is causing the problem, but that's just me. Most contributors realise the source format is URL + reference title + language icon if appropriate, but others just don't (or won't) get it. Regards, WWGB (talk) 01:37, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. I too fail to understand the very small minority of regular editors of the page, who regularly fail to follow a relatively easy format. Still, nothing's perfect. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 09:17, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Tag removal

Aren't you supposed to fix issues before removing tags related to them? Toddst1 (talk) 14:48, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

Yes... and your point is ? - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 14:50, 19 August 2013 (UTC)
Perhaps you should have either left the tags or remove at least the rotten link. Toddst1 (talk) 18:12, 19 August 2013 (UTC)
Maybe. Although Wikipedia:Reflinks specifies (regarding dead links), "DO NOT DELETE: CiteWeb or the Wayback Machine can be used to relocated dead link, Checklinks is designed to handle this.". Damned if you do, and damned if you don't - that's Wikipedia all over. I much prefer ignore all rules.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 18:30, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

Greetings and... thanks

Greetings Derek R Bullamore. Just popped in – what with one thing and another, it keeps slipping my mind – to thank you for all that linkrot you've been fixing lately. BTW, don't let 'em get to you! Cheers! --Technopat (talk) 10:50, 5 September 2013 (UTC)

Hello, Technopat. Good to hear from you. Many thanks for your kind words - it means a lot to me. Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 10:59, 5 September 2013 (UTC)
I would like to follow that up with a huge thank you for completing bare urls. It is such a valuable contribution. Be proud of it. - Shiftchange (talk) 11:37, 13 October 2013 (UTC)
Thank you. - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:03, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Some baklava for you!

Thanks for using ref links to do some clean up on a article I edited recently! Cheers! KeithbobTalk 19:43, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

2012 in India

The linkrot tool runs a long time on 2012 in India but never finishes. Do you have any way to accomplish the needed changes?--DThomsen8 (talk) 12:44, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

I hope that your difficulty - which I can not understand - is now resolved. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 15:22, 28 September 2013 (UTC)

666!

As one of a highly select international group, you are hereby invited to join me in celebrating my 666! (Let the games begin!) Pdfpdf (talk) 11:17, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

Tony Waddington (songwriter)

Morning, Derek. I decided not to revert the removal of the birth year this time around because, firstly, it's a WP:BLP matter after all (however petty it seems), and, secondly, my only remaining source (now he's removed the year from his own site) was a primary source. So, I decided not to pursue it. Anyone needing to find his birth year can track it down fairly easily. User:Chelsey oneill is his PA, by the way - [[5]]. Regards, Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:52, 4 October 2013 (UTC)

OK - fair enough. I do wonder how will it will take for another editor to post the same information though. Keep well.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 11:01, 4 October 2013 (UTC)
I see they've removed it again. Shame that Discogs isn't reliable for things like that. Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:33, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
Yes - it seems more than petty to me. There again, the issue hardly makes the world go round, does it ? Remember : "People, take my advice, If you love someone, Don'’t think twice" !!! I hope you are well. I notice you are still getting DYK credits - after all you said about the procedure too. Best wishes as ever,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:21, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
Nothing to do with me, guv - I didn't know it had even been put forward! Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:39, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Great work

Hi Derek, have to congratulate you on consistently filling out refs. Quick question, do you not favour scalable 30em, instead of a fixed number of columns? Widefox; talk 14:29, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Hello, Widefox. Thank you for your kind comments. On the subject of the {Reflist} sizing, I tend to use it singular up to around 20 references, x2 for around 20 to 40 references, and then on a 30em setting otherwise. It is somewhat arbitary anyway, partly dependent on the size of the references. Hardly an exact science, and I guess there is a Wiki guideline somewhere for its usage. I can never be bothered to track these things down, as they often tend to contradict themselves. I hope this helps. Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 15:10, 13 October 2013 (UTC)
Thanks for the full reply. I can understand that and agree, I tend to use 30em unless there's only a handfull of items, skipping the x2 as it's not scaleable. I assume refs buildup, and the scalability helps across the variety of screen sizes. I don't know a guideline either, although there's a template doc. Anyhow, the reason I probe is you've done good work after I've set 30em and tagged linkrot on a few articles only to find it set to x2, e.g. Integrated gasification combined cycle. Can I persuade you to skip the x2? Maybe an 'auto' setting would help us standardise? Widefox; talk 11:18, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
To be honest, it was done more for aesthetics than necessity. Anyhow, it matters little to me, so I'll try to remember to skip the 2x format from now onwards. On a wider scale, and I mean no disrespect to you at all, I wish more editors would spend time using {Reflinks} to 'correct' bare URLs, rather than simply tagging articles that have the problem. Sometimes it is as quick to correct the issue, as it is to edit in a tag. Just a thought - no offence meant. Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 12:21, 16 October 2013 (UTC)

Active NFL Head Coach Career Super Bowl History

Thank you for fixing the references. I have never made an article before so I am not sure what else needs to be added to the page. But I feel sure it needs something. Zdawg1029 (talk) 23:56, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

I am no expert on this subject, although the lede should start with the articles's tile ie. Active NFL Head Coach Career Super Bowl history. In itself, the title appears to be a bit 'clunky' to me, and I think the capitalization is overdone. Is this terminology something that NFL followers would readily understand ? I very vaguely follow gird iron, but on a global, encyclopedic scale, is this article rather too parochial ? Either way, you have seemingly made a decent first effort (for all I can understand it), so well done.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 00:23, 14 October 2013 (UTC)
I agree the title is kind of long, but I wanted to make it specific, mainly because there are other pages having to do with head coaches in the NFL, I wanted to make it clear exactly what this one was. There is the "List of NFL Head Coaches" page and "List of Super Bowl Winning Head Coaches" page also (completely different content though), I went over it with some other editors, and we couldn't come up with anything shorter that would clearly explain what it was. NFL followers would be able to understand it though. Thanks for the help!
What does "parochial" mean? I looked it up and couldn't figure out what you were trying to say.Zdawg1029 (talk) 02:45, 14 October 2013 (UTC)
Fair enough - I will bow to your expertise. My somewhat obtuse usage of the word parochial - meaning "narrow in outlook or scope" - was perhaps ill thought out, although might someone post a {Overly detailed} tag on the article ? Anyhow, that will not be me. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 16:17, 14 October 2013 (UTC)
Do you know how to add the info boxes at the bottom of a page? Not the category, the thing where it lists things someone is apart of. Like at the bottom of this page where it has the 7 different info boxes.Zdawg1029 (talk) 17:23, 14 October 2013 (UTC)
Put simply, you insert {Washington Redskins coach navbox}, or whatever. The infobox needs a double {{ }} either side for it to show up correctly. Does this help ?
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 17:38, 14 October 2013 (UTC)

I got it, thanks96.244.52.197 (talk) 16:27, 15 October 2013 (UTC)

Level 42

No problems - I'm glad I'm not the only editor who appreciates on-sight removal of unreferenced and/or speculative material from articles. It's just a shame that there's so much of it out there in the first place! GiantSnowman 16:20, 15 October 2013 (UTC)

Hi, could you please take a look at the refs for Elisa Lindström when you got the time. Thank you.--BabbaQ (talk) 11:12, 19 October 2013 (UTC)

 Done - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:19, 19 October 2013 (UTC)

Thanks!

Thanks for the barnstar! I was editing Carr's hometown in Arkansas and noticed him. Cheers! Richard Apple (talk) 20:09, 19 October 2013 (UTC)

Jerome J. Workman, Jr.

We're this close to finishing off Category:Articles needing link rot cleanup from December 2011. :-) Only one left now is Jerome J. Workman, Jr., and it's an absolute minefield. I put it to one side, as it still has so much cleanup left to do, but you're making good progress - thanks! Ruby Murray 15:42, 22 October 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I am a little unsure how good my edits have been. However, it is better than it was and I have removed the {Cleanup-link rot} tag accordingly. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 15:50, 22 October 2013 (UTC)

The silly season?

Just received an email from a friend in the I-O-M telling me that he has tickets to the tennis finals in Melbourne in Jan/Feb 2013, and saying he could be in Adelaide in January. It looks like the incentive for me to "go east in January" is increasing! Are your plans the same as you last advised? Cheers, Pdfpdf (talk) 10:52, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Yes, they have not changed. - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 10:58, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
Your plans: we arrive at Perth on 12 December 2013 and stay for 10 nights. Arrive Melbourne on 22 December for nine nights. Arrive Sydney on 31 December for eight nights.
His plans: Out on the 3rd jan back beginning of Feb. We fly to Perth and will spend some days there, then hoped to fly to Adelaide to see you if we can, then take Great Ocean Road to Melbourne for Tennis from 19th Jan.. We have tickets for the finals and semi finals.
My daughter's wedding is (in Adelaide) on 16 December. Starting to look like very early Jan in Sydney; early Jan in Adelaide. (Yes, Melbourne isn't my favourite place ... ) Pdfpdf (talk) 11:16, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Nate Ravits Reference Removal

Good day -- I just removed a reference you filled in because it pointed to a random fantasy baseball league, not the league mentioned in the article. I don't think it is a huge deal but did want to give you a heads-up. Thank you for filling it in, I would not have caught it otherwise. Lettik (talk) 20:11, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

OK - no problem - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 20:13, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

A cheeseburger for you!

Thanks for the cleanup at Percy Flowers!! KeithbobTalk 18:58, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

Any chance of slowing down just slightly?

I and every other editor at AfC are no doubt very grateful for your diligence in filling in bare url source details. But any chance you could slow down just a little bit to give us the opportunity to do basic clean up of the article after moving it to main space? This is the second time in 2 days I've had an edit conflict, unfortunately. All the best! Sionk (talk) 17:48, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Sorry about that - obviously one is unaware that a potential edit conflict is happening. It has happened to me many times over the past seven years, and it is frustrating at times. At least I've been reprimanded for being too efficient - that's a first ! Cheers,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 18:32, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

You're just great

Hey, fellow, you've just done to N.E.P. what I was going to do, namely reformatting the references, but hadn't had enough time those days. Your job is perfect, thank you SOOOO much and greetings from St. Petersburg! Phyloneer (talk) 23:27, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

Thank you - and greetings back from the East Riding of Yorkshire. Na sdarovie,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 00:11, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

Regarding A Tally of Types submission fixes

Just a quick thank you note for the fixes in the notes section, which I completely overlooked :-\

Best regards,

John Christian Stoddart 190.75.126.8 (talk) 16:20, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

Fast response

Pleased to see how quickly you cleaned up the URL refs at Freemasonry in Asia after I tagged the article. However, note that link rot doesn't get resolved when the only change is to add a title or "publisher" to a domain-name-for-sale URL like http://www.hanyang-masons.org/ or http://www.japan-freemasons.org/ . Just saying... --Orlady (talk) 17:47, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

UK TV

Thanks for your helpful edits. Do your musical interests include 60s British psychedelia? I have memories of a music TV program screened in Australia maybe 1968. Two certainties were its opening theme - You Keep Me Hanging On by Vanilla Fudge to artwork by Martin Sharp. I can find no mention in my Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music or on the 'net. Unfortunately the title escapes me. Can you help? Doug butler (talk) 23:13, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

So, you are asking an Englishman about an American psychedelic rock band's track, being used as the theme to an obscure Australian TV programme ? Well frankly, I have not got a clue as to the programme's name. Even [1] which is usually a mine of useful, or is that useless, information draws a blank. The only Aussie telly I am even vaguely aware of included Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan !
  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 1030. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
Sorry,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 23:43, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
Thanks Derek. Sorry; I omitted the important fact that it was a British program. Doug butler (talk) 14:09, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
It's stumped me as well. You could try asking at WP:RD/E - someone might know, but not me I'm afraid. In the meantime, this is excellent! Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:29, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
By the way, Derek, have you used Allmusic.com much recently? They've changed their site in a way which makes it almost impossible to use - pages won't load properly, etc. etc. If you haven't used it recently, be warned! Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:10, 5 November 2013 (UTC)
Hello Guy. Yes, I have used Allmusic since it changed its format, and have found it to be much slower than before. However I have not, to date, found that any page that I have used has not loaded properly. The search facility has been OK to me thus far. Has your beard got caught in the works ?! I have noticed that, owing to a couple of changes in recent years, many early Wiki citations using Allmusic tend to send the viewer in the general direction of the subject matter, rather than the specific page eg. biography, discography, awards etc.
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:37, 5 November 2013 (UTC)
I've posted a question on their help desk, and will see if they reply. Regards, Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:58, 5 November 2013 (UTC) PS: Re Pete Drummond, the info on their site almost completely contradicts the bio information on other sites, and seems wrong - so I've just ignored it!

Ever vigilant

It's always good to see you on duty.
Keep up the good work, Derek. Varlaam
99.247.1.157 (talk) 13:07, 7 November 2013 (UTC)

Thank you. Encouragement is always much appreciated. Best wishes,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 13:40, 7 November 2013 (UTC)

Hi

When you got the time please check out the refs on Regina Lund and Valter Skarsgård. Much appreciated.--BabbaQ (talk) 15:26, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

Both  Done - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 16:23, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

Your reflinks technique is much better than what I am able to do. For example you added to Thiru Aadanoor Temple references after I ran reflinks. I have read the documentation, but I didn't learn much. Any advice? --DThomsen8 (talk) 23:10, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the compliment. At times, the Reflinks automatic process needs a bit of manual intervention, to try to help things along. There is no mystery to it, perhaps just perseverance and eventually experience. To give you one example, if reflinks states it can not 'find the link', try clicking on that referenced link to see if it does exist, and is actually viable. In short, try a bit of computerised DIY.
On a separate note, I have read various, and varied Wiki pieces of documentation, guidelines and so forth, and invariably came out the other side more confused than enlightened. Practice, dear boy,... as my old school master used to say. Regards,
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 23:49, 10 November 2013 (UTC)
I take your advice "In short, try a bit of computerised DIY" to mean you do some research, and add references by hand, without automated help, if it does exist, and flag it if it does not exist. --DThomsen8 (talk) 14:25, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
Yes, that about sums it up. Remember Reflinks does not pick up pdf files, for instance, so these need manual intervention (if they exist).
Derek R Bullamore (talk) 14:35, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
Note how I delete the reflinks tag with "Not so! because the so-called references are not inline citations." --DThomsen8 (talk) 15:55, 11 November 2013 (UTC)
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