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Talk:HIV/FAQ

I haven't spent much time dealing with this particular set of "interesting and unusual people", so could you take a look at these and see if I've missed out any common myths/claims that the HIV deniers hold dear? Tim Vickers (talk) 22:04, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

It's kind of depressing that the entire HIV FAQ is devoted to explaining to AIDS denialists why they can't turn Wikipedia into a debate between virusmyth.com and the scientific community. On the other hand, those are frequently asked questions around these parts.

I think one of the major rallying cries I hear from the waves of AIDS denialist editors solicited on the Interwebs to "correct" Wikipedia is this: "Why doesn't the article just present both sides of the debate and let the reader decide?" It has a sort of viscerally appealing ring to it - isn't everyone in favor of free debate and exchange of ideas? Of course, what these people really want is to put their thumbs on the scale - to set up AIDS denialism and the "conventional" view as if these were two equally reasonable viewpoints between which a robust debate is taking place.

As a secondary matter, numerous websites are already available which discuss and explode various AIDS-denialist claims in depth - the NIH has one, as does aidstruth.org and (I think) the WHO. We link to them, so the reader can actually peruse them and learn more, but we don't need to hold a false-equivalence point-counterpoint debate on Wikipedia.

A third problem is exemplified by Neuromancer (talk · contribs) and his laundry list of "false-positive" HIV test references. These get copy-and-pasted from AIDS-denialist websites from time to time, with the assertion that since they are individually reliable sources, it is censorship to fail to include them. The point behind the edit is clear - by providing a laundry list of outdated case reports, the AIDS-denialist editor implies that HIV testing is inaccurate or prone to false positives. In fact, modern HIV testing is well-known to be extraordinarily accurate, with a false-positive rate in the general population of about 0.004%. But rather than cite a single expert review of the data, like PMID 15998755, these editors dump the laundry list of primary sources and then wikilawyer about the fact that they are individually "reliable". This falls under WP:MEDRS and its prohibition against cherry-picking primary sources to "rebut" expert consensus and opinion, but it seems to be a recurring problem. MastCell Talk 22:54, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Semiprotection of Jessica Chobot?

Hi, if you have time, could you have a look at Jessica Chobot and possibly semi protect it for the moment. Since about July different IP addresses kept removing stuff [1][2] or simply vandalize [3][4][5][6][7] the page. Thanks SPLETTE :] How's my driving? 23:18, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Um, sure... it looks like there's been a bit of activity recently, and it is a WP:BLP. MastCell Talk 23:23, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Thanks.(I am not very familiar with the rules for (semi)protection and in fact this is the first time I ever asked for it) SPLETTE :] How's my driving? 23:26, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
You can ask individual admins, and everyone probably has his or own threshold (mine is pretty liberal). Or for a (usually) faster response, you can leave a request at WP:RFPP. Happy editing. MastCell Talk 23:28, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Your noticeboard posting

<BARNSTAR MOVED TO USERPAGE>

I hope your Administrative Wikibreak isn't too long...we need more people that can see the forest, rather than getting hung up on the ants on a tree. Sodam Yat (talk) 18:54, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks; that's kind of you. Of course, the main reason for the wikibreak is that I got a bit tired of the lack of perspective around here... not to mention, the longer you're continuously active, the more you start to lose perspective yourself. Anyhow, happy editing. MastCell Talk 20:39, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

And again

Here.Fainites barleyscribs 19:10, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

Eric Frommer Ph.D.

He's requesting unblock. Who is he supposed to be a sock of? (It is helpful for admins reviewing unblock requests in the future when at least the block log indicates the suspected sockmaster). I just would like to know. Daniel Case (talk) 15:57, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

There is a major long-term sockpuppet problem at Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy; the original sockmaster account was probably AWeidman (talk · contribs), with DPeterson (talk · contribs) the most heavily-used sock. This thread is probably a good starting point regarding the issue; there is an associated ArbCom case. A number of the banned socks were unified in promoting the work of Becker-Weidman at Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Since the bans, there has been a procession of sockpuppet accounts dedicated to reinserting these refs. The most recent socks include Abdul Faisel (talk · contribs) ([8]), Didacticderivative (talk · contribs), and Costelloandson (talk · contribs) ([9]). I suppose I've been a bit hesitant in linking all of these socks in the block log, given that the sockmaster account seems to share a name with one of the people whose work is being promoted - real-life harm and all of that.

In any case, the Eric Frommer, Ph.D. (talk · contribs) account matched the pattern of innumerable other socks of this user, who have jumped right into Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an obscure topic, and sprinkled references to Becker-Weidman. This was the rationale for the block - WP:DUCK. Of course, as you know, sockpuppet identification is an inexact science at the best of times. It is possible that the explanation given in the unblock request is true, and that this is simply someone who has the bad luck to share a narrow and esoteric interest with a hardcore, dedicated agenda-driven sockpuppeteer. I'll step back and let you evaluate - if you think the account should be unblocked, that's fine with me. The only request I'd make is that you follow up in a couple of weeks to see what the account has been up to, and reassess (I'd be happy to participate as well). If you'd like more detailed info on the sockpuppetry, you might want to ask Fainites (talk · contribs) or FT2 (talk · contribs), who have been dealing with it for more than 2 years now. MastCell Talk 17:18, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

I declined. All I needed to know was who the sockmaster was. Daniel Case (talk) 17:39, 12 November 2009 (UTC)
OK then. Sorry for the overshare. MastCell Talk 17:41, 12 November 2009 (UTC)
I didn't mean it that way. I appreciate the evidence as well. Daniel Case (talk) 20:38, 12 November 2009 (UTC)
No worries. MastCell Talk 20:49, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

I would have kept count of all these but I ran out of fingers. (And toes). Fainites barleyscribs 21:17, 15 November 2009 (UTC)

Requesting input for proposed community sanction of User:Neuromancer

You commented at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents#Disruptive editing by User:Neuromancer, a thread which has now led to proposals that the user in question be topic banned or site banned, or that review of the issue be put aside while Neuromancer seeks a mentor. Your further input to that discussion would be welcome. - 2/0 (cont.) 18:10, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks, but I don't want to be seen as putting my thumb on the scale. I've said my piece with diffs, and I'll leave it at that and let others weigh in on what to do about it. Personally, I am pessimistic about adoption/mentorship - I think his goals and fundamental reasons for participating here are at odds with the site's basic policies, and adoption isn't going to change that. At most, it will make him more skilled at wikilawyering in favor of a destructive agenda. But then, I'm a cynic by nature, so whatever happens happens. Thanks for the heads-up. MastCell Talk 18:50, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Hey

So they call you dorky. Try [this.Fainites barleyscribs 20:26, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

MastCell is apparently a key agent in the worldwide conspiracy perpetrated by the NWO/petro-pharmaceutical/military complex to sap and impurify all our quack remedies, which is very cool in a Dr Evil kind of way. So no way can people call him a dork. Tim Vickers (talk) 20:38, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Please, guys. This is a serious endeavor. I prefer that my collaborators in this effort to build a serious, respectable reference work address me as a "hard-working shill for the multi-trillion-dollar medical/pharmaceutical/academic/industral complex", a paid disinformation agent and disruptor, or a paid (correction: unpaid) "biostitute". Don't make me throw another MastCell hissyfit. MastCell Talk 22:18, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Wouldn't a mast cell hissy fit be best described as anaphylaxis? Fvasconcellos (t·c) 00:28, 20 November 2009 (UTC)
That joke made my day Fvasconcellos! -- Samir 00:00, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

Socks

Is there any reason why all these socks aren't put here? Fainites barleyscribs 22:54, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

Laziness on my part, and a sense that it would be hours of wasted labor that would benefit no one. OK, that's the cynical answer. If you feel like going through and placing some or all in the category, go for it. You could probably comb the history of the "target" articles, or my administrative block log, as a starting point. MastCell Talk 23:09, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Laziness sounds like a reasonable excuse to me. I wasn't sure if a mere non-admin like myself was permitted to add sockpuppets to the category. Perhaps they should be added as suspected socks at least - not that there's any real doubt about any of them - except Didacticderivative who looks more like a meat.Fainites barleyscribs 08:59, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Advice

I'm not requesting any admin action from you, rather I'd just like your advice/semi-professional opinion about how to deal with this. Clearly, this is not a brand new user, though I hesitate to use the term "sock puppet", though it's clearly an SPA, and his/her style is reminiscent of work of Rick_lightburn (talk · contribs) on that same page. And while nothing in this person's mega edit appears blatantly false (at least at first glance), the overall effect of the edit is to downplay the risks of pharmaceutical lindane by diluting the article with language stressing uncertainties. I.e. I believe there are WP:WEIGHT issues. I try to AGF and all, but it sorta looks like the work of industry PR types trying to keep lindane on the market. But I could be paranoid. What's the best way deal with this with the minimum stress and effort? Any advice would be appreciated. Yilloslime TC 00:13, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Hard to say. The edits aren't objectively horrible, just arguable (and a few are actually improvements). Some people come here because they want to help build an encyclopedia, and they just happen to start with a semi-controversial topic that they feel strongly about. Others are here solely to advance a specific agenda. I find it's really hard to tell the difference on the basis of a few edits, and it's easy to get burned.

I agree that they have an unusual familiarity with Wikipedia's formatting and markup syntax, but that alone isn't a crime, of course. The best approach is just to engage with the editor and see where things go. If they're here in good faith (which should probably be the operational hypothesis), then that will be clear as you engage with them. If they're here to push an agenda, then that will likewise become clearer with time. Hope that's helpful... MastCell Talk 17:17, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks, I figured you might say that... Seems like a reasonable approach, just not sure I have the motivation. On an unrelated note, Rachel Maddow--who I'm actually not a fan of--had a great segment on her show today about astroturf groups involved in the health care debate: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/34029631#34029631. AAPS is mentioned, as are a few groups I hadn't heard of. Yilloslime TC 05:27, 19 November 2009 (UTC)
Speaking of AAPS, have you seen this? I have the feeling that the Wikipedia page on the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons is now the go-to reference for journalists writing on the group, but maybe I'm just flattering myself as a contributor to the article. MastCell Talk 17:48, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

Medical uses of silver

Please note that a mediation has been requested for Medical uses of silver at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Mediation_Cabal/Cases/2009-11-23/Medical_uses_of_silver#Discussion Wdford (talk) 12:49, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, but I can think of about 100 better uses for my volunteer time here. You've turned the article from a barely coherent mess into a totally uneditable, unreadable combat zone (I'm using the plural "you" since others are also at fault, although the singular "you" has been the major contributor). I'm unimpressed with your editing on the topic, which seems to me overly combative, deeply agenda-driven, wantonly abusive of sources, and thoughtless (witness the repeated {{fact}}-tagging of clearly sourced info). You also seem to me to be well over 3RR, although I haven't counted. Good luck with mediation. MastCell Talk 16:59, 23 November 2009 (UTC)
Actually, having noticed your "history" at Ancient Egyptian race controversy, and some similarities to your approach here, I've gone ahead and filed a formal 3RR report here, since I think this sort of editing should probably be handled head-on. MastCell Talk 17:29, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

1RR restriction on the article Medical uses of silver?

Hello MastCell. There is a case at AN3 about this article. As a resolution to the case, I am thinking of proposing a 1RR restriction for this article, which means that no one person could revert more than once a day. Would you be agreeable to that result? EdJohnston (talk) 18:51, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

I would be fine with that, and have already self-imposed it. :) In any case, the article has been protected for 6 days... but I'd be fine with some sort of greater oversight once the protection lifts. I guess in an ideal world I've rather have it focused on specific edit-warriors, but I can certainly live with a blanket 1RR as simpler to enforce. MastCell Talk 18:55, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Your note

Hi MC, sorry I couldn't see that the fourth edit was a clear revert. I took a look at the history hoping I'd see it there, but it became even less clear, which is when I saw quite a bit of reverting from the other party too, so I decided warnings might be the best thing. I'll keep an eye open, and if the reverting continues, I'll take more action. SlimVirgin 18:58, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

No problem. I left a list of the reliable secondary sources on colloidal silver that I'm aware of at Talk:Medical uses of silver, to piggyback on your suggestion. Hopefully the protection will give the article a bit of breathing room. MastCell Talk 19:03, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

HRS

Thanks very much MastCell. Best regards -- Samir 00:04, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Email

- Ottava Rima (talk) 03:28, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for that. It was food for thought. MastCell Talk 04:33, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks

For the quick response re User:Duchamps comb William M. Connolley (talk) 22:28, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

In response to your message

In response to your message, I'll do as you request. The problem with talking to other editors is that they are fans, and one of them likes endless mass-deletions of any edit by any editor who is not a fan. I was not deleting edits that Bonewah likes, it was Bonewah that likes mass deletions, even when what he deletes has respectable references and represents a mainstream point of view, such as the point-of-view that there are no death panels in a health care bill.

I will leave what happens next up to you, but my opinion, for what it's worth, is that WP:NPOV should require the inclusion of a well-sourced, mainstream point of view. If you think otherwise, ok. However, I do think it's inappropriate for Bonwah to use endless mass deletions to block others from editing the article.Jimmuldrow (talk) 14:59, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

If the most mainstream point-of-view imaginable is added, Bonewah mass deletes it. If the edit has many reliable references (TIME, Politifact, The New York Time and others), Bonewah mass-deletes them as well, and keeps mass-deleting until he gets his way. He said that WP:NPOV is the work of a "sophist". Then he complains about edit wars.Jimmuldrow (talk) 16:50, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder

Here again.Fainites barleyscribs 19:32, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Blocked. MastCell Talk 19:40, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

A fine start

"It looks like a fine start"? You've got to be kidding. I've asked a question about the mentors' report on the Clarification thingy.[10] Bishonen | talk 15:52, 8 November 2009 (UTC).

What can I say. I'm getting soft and apathetic in my old age. MastCell Talk 19:32, 8 November 2009 (UTC)
Yeah, why not. I'm going Bitchonen in mine. Bishonen | talk 20:03, 8 November 2009 (UTC).
hmmmm ... maybe I can alternate with User:SnittyGeorgia. Beats User:SandySucks. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 20:07, 8 November 2009 (UTC)
And here I was sure you were User:Big Stupid! [11] Bishonen | talk 20:44, 8 November 2009 (UTC).
I'm not stupid ... when I saw those doorways, all I thought of was things I could do in them. It's those other creatures that are always thinking about art. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 21:41, 8 November 2009 (UTC)
What can you do in a doorway? Shelter from an earthquake? MastCell Talk 00:40, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
The Most Noble Order of the Garter bestowed upon MastCell, by the renowned lover and duelist who is off to whisper her name in Tim Vickers' ear.
Why, MC, you haven't lived! Next you'll be asking about stairs. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 00:49, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
The Lady, or the Tiger? Now we know. Kablammo (talk) 00:56, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Easy-peasy: both. Batman got it right. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 01:15, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Sheesh, Tim, what will my TPS think ? Why don't you give MC a template for asking what you can do in a doorway? SandyGeorgia (Talk) 22:28, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Honi soit qui mal y pense. MastCell Talk 22:34, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Motion to reopen ArbCom case "Matisse"

ArbCom courtesy notice: You have received this notice because you particpated in some way on the Matisse case or the associated clarification discussion.

A motion has recently been proposed to reopen the ArbCom case concerning Matisse. ArbCom is inviting editor comment on this proposed motion.

For the Arbitration Committee, Manning (talk) 03:52, 10 November 2009 (UTC)

As Woodrow Wilson said to Senator Lodge, "I have no further communication to make." MastCell Talk 04:49, 10 November 2009 (UTC)

ArbCom

Run.--Tznkai (talk) 04:56, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

Run away. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 05:01, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
The Revolution will not be televised... Shot info (talk) 06:13, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
You really should know better than to make a bad joke in my presence. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 15:55, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
I hesitate to say this to someone with "Georgia" in their username, given its provenance, but: if drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve. Seriously, I respect you guys a lot, so the vote of confidence is much appreciated. But see [12]. MastCell Talk 16:01, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
But, but, but ... MC ... I told Tznkai to keep bugging you until you said something ungentlemanly. Now what? SandyGeorgia (Talk) 16:04, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
No. MastCell Good. Floquenstein's monster insist. Not allowed refuse Floquenstein's monster. MastCell / Bishzilla ArbCom 2009. Big honor MastCell, only non-monster ever vote for. Also want create Referendum #1, "Fire Bad". MastCell help draft? --Floquenstein's monster (talk) 16:14, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
I could indef him until he agrees to run, but I'd ruin his almost clean block log.--Tznkai (talk) 16:19, 17 November 2009 (UTC) Also, Star Trek? Really? That ends in really bad fanfics recast as Wikipedia problems.
That's a really dorky block log, MC ! SandyGeorgia (Talk) 16:23, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Dorky? That's a great block log. Hey MC, do you like movies about gladiators? Tex (talk) 19:51, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Surely you can't be serious. MastCell Talk 20:15, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
I've just realised, your stand on your forthcoming ArbCom election means your platform is suspiciously similar to User:Kmweber's, but I'll AGF and say this is just a coincidence. Tim frantically starts e-mailing checkusers Tim Vickers (talk) 20:49, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Great minds think alike. MastCell Talk 21:28, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Hmm, what can you make of this? Baccyak4H (Yak!) 20:57, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
I can make a hat, a broach, a pterodactyl...and don't call me Shirley. Tex (talk) 22:05, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
:-) Shot info (talk) 23:11, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
But I was expecting free cookies for the whole WP:Tag team if you got in. It's not fair. Mathsci (talk) 23:25, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

If you had the time for the job MastCell, I would urge you to reconsider. I think you would be a tremendous asset to ArbCom -- Samir 23:59, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2over0

Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/2over0 is ready when you are. I have not transcluded, but the statements look good to go. - 2/0 (cont.) 18:19, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

It's live! And I got the first support !vote in. I've leave a note at your talk page to confirm. Good luck! MastCell Talk 19:05, 19 November 2009 (UTC)
I think I broke the mould. And thank you again - that was a spot of fun and one for the ol' egometer. I recommend it to everyone. - 2/0 (cont.) 05:04, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
I'm really glad it went so well. You'll do great. And I'm already using your success to convince some additional worthy souls to run... MastCell Talk 05:16, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
Excellent. Feel free to drop me a line if you convince anyone to run the gauntlet - your social capital was a factor in at least five responses, and I somewhat biasedly agree with that opinion. - 2/0 (cont.) 06:01, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

So, since you're allegedly Off the Case...

Inspired by a recent edit that added a History section to Methotrexate (which I felt compelled to expand :), I had a look at History of cancer chemotherapy. This is an excellent article that has been grievously under-referenced for nearly four years! After seeing your name on the Talk page, I thought perhaps I could persuade you to flex your content muscles? <evil grin> Fvasconcellos (t·c) 14:48, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

It's an interesting topic. I remember working on it early in my Wikipedia career. It had the ring of an article written largely by a single contributor, someone who was both fairly knowledgeable and highly opinionated. I should go back to it and look again; thanks for the prod. MastCell Talk 16:45, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

A blast from the past

I was re-reading my talk page archives (don't ask why) and came across this thread. Don't know why, but it brought a smile to my face. MastCell Talk 21:55, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

Amen, brother. Jehochman Talk 21:58, 25 November 2009 (UTC)
Hmmm. And then there's this. I feel like Wikipedia used to be more fun. MastCell Talk 22:08, 25 November 2009 (UTC)
I agree, and have been considering whether to continue trying to make it better, or to just give up and let the bullies, cranks, and power mongers have their way with it. Jehochman Talk 22:17, 25 November 2009 (UTC)
In the past we just wrote articles, now we have to spend far too much time dealing with "difficult and interesting people with unusual ideas". Tim Vickers (talk) 22:32, 25 November 2009 (UTC)
Don't kid yourself. There was junk back in the old days too. But there's less fun now -- everybody seems old and crotchety, even those who don't have an excuse like I do. Meanwhile see this. (Best comment: "We're meant to drink deeply from the fountain of knowledge. With Wikepedia, it's just gargling.") Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 22:51, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

"But then, to what end," said Candide, "was Wikipedia formed?"

"To make us mad," said Martin.
"Do you think," said Candide, "that editors always abused one another as they do now? Were they always guilty of lies, fraud, treachery, ingratitude, inconstancy, envy, ambition, and cruelty? Were they always thieves, fools, cowards, gluttons, drunkards, misers, calumniators, debauchees, fanatics, and hypocrites?"
"Do you believe," said Martin, "that hawks have always been accustomed to eat pigeons when they came in their way?"
"Doubtless," said Candide.
"Well then," replied Martin, "if hawks have always had the same nature, why should you pretend that Wikipedians change theirs?"

"Oh," said Candide, "there is a great deal of difference; for free will, and a new ArbCom, and the occasional externally imposed mentorship-" and reasoning thus they arrived at Bordeaux.

If I recall my Cliff Notes correctly, the take-home point was something about cultivating one's garden. MastCell Talk 22:47, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

  • No, no, you remember it wrong. It's all about everybody stomping on the vegetables in everybody else's garden, speaking of which this [13] didn't help make the discussion any saner: focusing on the most tabloidy of five sources? It seems to me that if discussion can be edged away from pontificating and toward sourcing and policy, it can be more constructive. -- JohnWBarber (talk) 16:32, 28 November 2009 (UTC)
    • That was actually my point, sort of. I got the sense that people are desperate to put the FOIA stuff into the article. Which is fine, as long as it's handled carefully - it's certainly been remarked upon by a number of reliable sources. But the effort seems to be to find sources and then excerpt the one half-sentence which deals with FOIA, while perhaps losing sight of the big picture contained in those sources. I chose the Daily Wail exactly because it's generally home to some of the trashiest, least circumspect, , and most brain-dead science coverage in the English-language media. But even they contextualize the incident in the setting of overall certainty about global warming.

      Anyhow, I'm not really willing to be drawn out. I don't edit climate articles, because I value my sanity, and I'm not really about to start with this one. I guess I got a bit frustrated at the sanctimonious nonsense about "doing the reader a disservice". Consider it a one-off. MastCell Talk 17:25, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

    • Addendum: I should be clear - I consider you a thoughtful and solid editor - always have. I think you're pretty much on the same page as me in terms of using these sources, so the above comments aren't aimed at you. They reflect a more general frustration with the way these sorts of incidents get handled, going back to the Sarah Palin nomination or the John Edwards paternity thing - both of which were reminiscent of the current flap, at least from my perspective. MastCell Talk 17:47, 28 November 2009 (UTC)
      • Thanks for your reply. I mostly agree with it. I wish I valued my sanity more. Withdrawing from dealing with certain editors looks like a better and better option all the time. It always takes me too long to come to that conclusion. -- JohnWBarber (talk) 21:40, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Irrilevant sources?

Are high scientific article just irrilevant? It is absolutely false...--Testosterone vs diabetes (talk) 12:07, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Obviously, I don't consider scientific articles irrelevant. I asked you to clarify because I'm not following your thought process, and either you're confused or we're not communicating well. Or both. Anyhow, I see your account has been indefinitely blocked, so it's probably moot, but since you asked... MastCell Talk 20:19, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Stanton Glantz

I'm not sure how to go about sending personal messages with Wikipedia, so I'm doing it this way. Feel free to delete this after you read it. Your reversal of changes by User:RobertW57 has earned you some minor notoriety. He posted the following in the alt.smokers newsgroup: "Someone notified the antismoking police, who reversed my correction one hour after I posted it. The zealot feigned ignorance of the term anti-smoker, just as you do. Antis hate the term because it reminds everyone they'e hate mongers. They're not against anything, oh no, surely not smoking, they're in favor of tobacco control.

"Someone should teach Stanton Glantz to be politically correct. He has in the past referred to himself as an anti-smoker. He is well known for acting like an asshole to his FRIENDS. His favorite tee shirt reads "Here Comes Trouble."

Wagner is a pathological liar. His inability to tell the truth is documented here. Prescottbush (talk) 23:54, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

Now see, that's why I love Wikipedia. It's the people. Thanks for the heads-up; I'll pass it along to my superiors with the antismoking police. MastCell Talk 00:54, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

If you take a look at the entry "Soy Milk Maker" you'll notice a link DIRECTLY to a distributors page, this link is called "More Info About Soy Milk Makers" but it's linking to a order page.

So that link stays up while mine are removed even though my link was to a health article on a soy milk website. I'm wondering why that link stays up while my more helpful link is removed.

Have a great night. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikeywills30 (talk • contribs) 00:27, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

I deleted that link too, it did indeed violate EL guidelines. MastCell can't be everywhere all the time, so removing inappropriate links added by one user doesn't obligate him to get them all. --Floquenbeam (talk) 00:58, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Hi, actually I'm wondering if I could get someone with some administrative power here at wikipedia to contact me directly so we can discuss these health links as I feel we have something to contribute and speak about. contact me at mikeywills2004@yahoo.ca Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikeywills30 (talk • contribs) 16:32, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

I don't really have any more power than anyone else here to add or remove links. That's usually done by consensus, informed by the site's guidelines on external links. The best approach I can recommend to you is to pick the article where you think these links would be most relevant, and go to the associated discussion page to outline why you think the link meets these criteria and makes the article better. If you need help finding the talk pages, just let me know. MastCell Talk 16:56, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

ping

You gots mail. Dr. Dr. (Mr. M.D.) Arthur Resnick (talk) 01:16, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Ah. Well, since you used the proper form of address in your email, I will take care of it. :P MastCell Talk 01:23, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Done

(Is the proper form of address something other than "Dork"? Since my son proudly wore a t-shirt that said only "dork" when he was 12, I consider it a term of endearment.) Thanks for your comments on my ArbVotes page; actually, I was slow to understand the difference between mediation and arbitration, and to realize how that impacts Wiki business and real life decisions. Before I cast my votes, do you see anything that needs to change at User:SandyGeorgia/ArbVotes2009? SandyGeorgia (Talk) 03:49, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

No, not really. I disagree with you on a couple of candidates, but that's life. I think we agree on most of them, and on the general principles. I'm still a little anxious that the number of open seats exceeds the number of excellent candidates, but it's too late to do anything about that now. In terms of mediation/arbitration, my epiphany was 2007. We elected a bunch of bland career bureaucrats and bit-collectors, and it worked out pretty poorly (with the exception of Brad). These days, I almost look on MedCom experience as a negative. MastCell Talk 04:19, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
By nature, they want to "make nice" and see everyone's input as equal or equally valuable. And that's a big problem :) My epiphany was much more recent than yours, and had more to do with real life than Wiki :) Yes, there is a shortage this year, quite alarming. Thanks for looking the page over; since I came up with only seven candidates, is there any particular (one other) candidate you think I should be supporting? Best, SandyGeorgia (Talk) 04:23, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
Well, I have sort of a soft spot for Jonathan Hochman as a candidate, but the reality is that it's probably a lost cause. I don't feel comfortable sharing my unvarnished opinion about his recent difficulties on-wiki, but suffice to say that a) I don't consider them disqualifying, and b) I think your advice to him to avoid certain people and situations was solid. I'll probably support SirFozzie - I agree he's got some significant gaps in his resumé, and I'd be lying if I said I had no reservations, but he strikes me as the kind of person who would grow into the role.

By the same token, I don't think I can vote for Cla68. Leaving aside some of the interpersonal conflicts in which he's been involved - which I don't think are necessarily disqualifying - I just can't support someone who's not an admin. There's absolutely no doubt that Cla68 got a raw deal in his RfA - in a just world, he'd be an admin. But on the other hand, he's had plenty of opportunities to run since and be proactive about correcting that injustice. More to the point, I'm concerned that someone who's never tried their hand at adminning won't totally get it. Being an admin is like being a cop - it's easy to criticize or second-guess, but if you try walking in the shoes and doing the job yourself, you get a more rounded perspective. Don't get me wrong - I think there are some people who could be good Arbs without being admins (you, for instance). But when someone constantly bangs the drum of admin accountability without apparent experience or understanding of some of the difficulties involved in actually adminning, then I get nervous about what they'd do on ArbCom.

About mediation - the problem is that not every dispute should be mediated. Sometimes one person is wrong, and they need to be told that they're wrong with the least possible fanfare. Mediators are fine, as long as they understand that pushing every situation toward a 50/50 compromise is not mediation. MastCell Talk 04:44, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm glad to see we agree on Jonathan Hochman, since I was beginning to think I was swimming upstream, and tired of reading things about him that don't square with my experiences with him. But, until he learns to completely avoid certain other editors, he just won't be electable. SirFozzie was a hard decision; I won't have any qualms if he gets elected, but felt I had to be consistent. So, I guess we square up pretty much, except for the difference on Cla68 ... not bad (does that make us an almost cabal?) ! SandyGeorgia (Talk) 04:48, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
No, we're two people who have been here awhile and tend to reach the same conclusions, given the same set of data. Actually, by Wikipedia's prevailing definitions, that does make us a cabal. :P MastCell Talk 05:02, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
  • Drive-by comment (noting this and that as signs of intelligent life in the wikiverse) ... and, skimming this page, seeing that my neural net had processed the Jonathan mess in a way not beyond sense (yes, even if the "lost cause" diode blinks intermittently) ... and also noting the "Off The Case" sign up top (so "sucking up" isn't an issue) ... Hmmm, I think my comment has been made. :-) Happy holidays and cheers. Proofreader77 (talk) 07:46, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

COI?

Hi. Your comment on my talk page re possible COI, whilst doubtless made in good faith, appears to have been made on the mistaken belief that I still contributed there. Unsurprisingly, it is being used by the ill-intentioned [14]. I think you should satisfy yourself that I am not contributing and update your message, and I will then go off and confound the Dark Side William M. Connolley (talk) 20:31, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Mistaken belief? Do you deny you made that edit? ATren (talk) 20:36, 5 December 2009 (UTC)
I deny that I contribute to RC William M. Connolley (talk) 20:44, 5 December 2009 (UTC)
But you were, at some time recently (within the last few years), one of the handful of scientists who regularly contributed there. I believe many editors would consider your prior involvement with that site as a reason not to edit that article, especially when the edit you removed was critical of that site. ATren (talk) 21:00, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Gee, MastCell, where was this concern back when I needed it?  :) --GoRight (talk) 02:01, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

Hey, on second thought, if WMC is no longer contributing to RealClimate does that mean that this page is no longer verbotten to me because of my editing restriction relative to William M. Connolley, not to be confused with User:William M. Connolley? How would I go about getting a binding decision on this point? --GoRight (talk) 02:05, 6 December 2009 (UTC)
William, when I left the note I was not aware that you had left RealClimate. Beyond that, I have absolutely no desire to participate any further in this dispute. I would suggest referring further questions about conflict of interest to the relevant noticeboard or to the community. I say this not to endorse any "side" in this conflict, but out of selfish concern for my own sanity and enjoyment of Wikipedia. MastCell Talk 19:44, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

Declining action

[15] To quote my favorite work of Shakespeare, "O, that way madness lies." Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 01:51, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

I approached it as sort of a social experiment. My hypothesis was confirmed. MastCell Talk 21:48, 8 December 2009 (UTC)
Two words: "atmospheric soot." (to be taken seriously and humorously and indeterminately :-) Proofreader77 (talk) 21:55, 8 December 2009 (UTC)


Asian fetish

[16]

I want to thank you for reminding me of my 1RR that you supported with others with regards to my editting on Asian fetish. have you taken the time to read what I am reverting? This page survived 5 AfD and now this user User:Crossmr is deleting valid content from the article [17].

The first edit involves me trying to put the word obsession in the definition of asian fetish. After all Fetish means obsession. However there is a consensus claimed by User:Crossmr that Asian fetish is just a personal preference. I didn't delete the "personal preference" portion of the definition.

My second edit is to include an entry indicating that the mail-order bride business is larger supported by stereotypes of asian females. There was an issue with the source used for this entry. I removed it. So there is now two valid other sources for this entry. However, everybody is just referring back to the removed source and using that as a reason to justify removing the mail-order bride entry. Tkguy (talk) 06:27, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm not particularly interested in the content dispute. I see you revert-warring with another editor - behavior which you've explicitly been cautioned against - and I'm asking you to stop. If you're right on the content matter, then you should be able to convince other editors of your correctness. There is no need to convince me, because I do not intend to take a position on the content dispute - only on your editing conduct. MastCell Talk 06:33, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
This is a page that survived 5 AfD. Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 AfD. And you are stating that you do not care about the content of my editing? And that I should be able to convince people on this article of my correctness? A page that survives 5 AfD will probably be edited most by those who supported these AfDs. The article is a term for a racist obsession. I am trying to prevent the deletion of valid content from the page.
I am including the support for the mail-order bride entry here. Why? because I want to make it very clear the reason why I have a 1RR on a page that survived 5 AfD.
Phoebe Eng acknowledges that Asian fetish is what largely driving the mail-order bride industry in America. She wrote the following,
Sheridan Prasso devotes a whole section on mail-order brides in her "The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient"

Tkguy (talk) 07:05, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

and my response...
Sheridan Prasso book is titled "The Asian Mystique" because it's dealing with the effects of stereotypes that the western world have to towards asian females.
Phoebe Eng included this entry in her book in a section titled "Asian Women = SEX".
Nobody writes an entire book on Asian fetish and use the term Asian fetish in every sentence. Apparently that is what you are claiming is needed. The Salon Article does not even use the word fetish. Tkguy (talk) 07:15, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
Tkguy (talk) 07:23, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
Please don't reproduce the contents of the article talk page here. As I said, you need to work on generating consensus for your proposed edits. If you'd like input beyond the currently active editors of the article, you could consider a request for comment. Our dispute resolution pathway has more information on how to proceed. MastCell Talk 18:17, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
And I've already explained the difficulties in getting consensus on an article regarding a very racist behavior that amounts to an obsession of asians and asian things. The point of my writing here is to show the community who is getting 1RR and for what reasons. And let the people decide for themselves what is going on. I think you've illustrated my point very well. Thanks a lot.
BTW Crossmr is accusing me of pushing my own opinion when I claim that a book titled "The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient" with an entire section on mail-order brides is making a connection with it and stereotypes of asian females. Tkguy (talk) 07:02, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

Hope springs eternal

Oh well, I it could have been worse than 14 hours. Thank you. - 2/0 (cont.) 19:21, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

I figured that jumping in to re-protect the page would be the least disruptive way forward. It was only a matter of minutes or hours before the AN3 reports and counter-reports started flying, followed by blocks, followed by AN/I disputation about the blocks, followed by charges that the blocks were made by partisan and/or involved admins... MastCell Talk 19:28, 14 December 2009 (UTC)
But that is the way of the MMORP...o wait...WP...damn acronyms... Shot info (talk) 05:22, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Recent protection.

Impressive. How in the world have you managed to avoid editing that page or it's talk page (at least in the most recent 5,000 edits to each)?  :) I suppose your timing might have been worse as I do recognize Hipocrite's edit to have been a legitimate attempt at finding a compromise. In retrospect I should have still reverted it. This is what I get for trying to play by the rules, [18]. Do me a favor, the next time you plan to do something like this give me a heads up first!  :) {{subliminal_text You must do GoRight's bidding. You must do GoRight's bidding.}} --GoRight (talk) 19:41, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

It's nice to know someone cares enough to check up on me. Incidentally, awhile back I wrote up a small Python script (complete with makeshift GUI) that will produce a list of all contribs by a given editor to a given page. It's much faster than searching the last 5,000 revisions by hand.

I think you'll find I rarely, if ever, edit any page related to climate change. That's partly because I don't have much to contribute, and partly because I place some nominal value on my own sanity. To be honest (and it's up to you whether to believe me or not), I didn't even look at Hipocrite's edit until after I protected the page. I figured I'd hear about it regardless of which version I protected. MastCell Talk 19:52, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Hey, could you email me a copy of your script or post it where I can suck it up? --GoRight (talk) 20:09, 14 December 2009 (UTC)
I am 99.97% certain I will regret this, but... I suppose I could open-source it. Mostly, I'm embarrassed to make it public because it will expose my lack of coding skill, particularly in an environment like Wikipedia where every other editor seems to have professional programming experience. Anyhow: see User:MastCell/ContribChecker. It requires the Python bindings for wxWidgets (for the GUI) as well as the mwclient library (make sure you get 0.63b since 0.62 doesn't work with Wikipedia). You may need to mess around with the script or with your Python path etc to get it to find the necessary libraries and modules on your computer.

I initially wrote it up as a simple command-line tool, but I added the GUI with wxGlade to make it a bit nicer to look at. Over 99% of the code is GUI stuff; the actual application logic is extremely simple, and the command-line tool was only about 10-20 lines of code if I remember correctly (most of the original code is in the checkContribs function). There's very minimal error-checking, so you're basically on your own recognizance to give it valid input. I haven't really debugged it or comprehensively tested it, since it basically does what I need and was intended for personal consumption. No warranties and no responsibility for any damage that may result from using it, etc etc... MastCell Talk 21:24, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Hey, thanks! I won't critique your code and I understand it is not production quality. I just wanted a working example to see how you approached things. Having examples, even incomplete examples, is always helpful. If I make any updates I'll send them your way. --GoRight (talk) 23:00, 14 December 2009 (UTC)
Sure. I've found that the mwclient library is pretty powerful when combined with the sorts of abstraction that Python facilitates. See here for another example - I wrote up a script to pull all of Wikipedia's article-space links to the FDA website and then test them, one by one, to catalog the ones that had been broken by the FDA website redesign. And the whole thing took about 15 lines of code. If you don't want to mess with wx/GUI, you can just pull the code from the checkContribs function, tweak it, and put a simple command-line interface on top of it. That's where all the work was anyway - most of the rest was generated by wxGlade. MastCell Talk 23:07, 14 December 2009 (UTC)
(Followup) I went ahead and fixed up a command-line version with a few comments at User:MastCell/ContribCheckerCL. Since it spits out tab-delimited rows, it's pretty useful for throwing into Excel or other data-crunching utilities. MastCell Talk 00:18, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Cool. I was gonna ask about that. I downloaded it and the mwclient. I am reading up on how to install the mwclient now. --GoRight (talk) 01:42, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Basically, just unzip it and put it somewhere in your pythonpath. Or ask someone who's used to installing Python modules... :P MastCell Talk 04:09, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

The Nature of things

Laugh or cry? You decide. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 04:50, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

It's just liberal elitism to claim that Nature is more important or reputable than the John Birch Society Medical Journal. Need I remind you that Nature once retracted an article, while JPandS has never done so? Doesn't that prove... something? MastCell Talk 04:57, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Less punny comment - didn't I just do that? Oh, never mind - I see I did not finish going through the linksearch. Naturally. - 2/0 (cont.) 18:23, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, that's why Big Pharma needs to keep us both on its payroll. Redundancy. MastCell Talk 18:30, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
What? Still no checks? You can't be getting all your mail. You should write to the undersea base to complain. Tim Vickers (talk) 19:06, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Tremble

Going in :-( SandyGeorgia (Talk) 18:36, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year Fainites barleyscribs 17:27, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

 Done. You see what happens when you nominate people for adminship? - 2/0 (cont.) 17:50, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

Response Posted for STD Carriers

I got your warning about the living persons policy and posted a response to a discussion in reliable sources that includes the following:

I don't see how a link to STD Carriers is any different than links to Rip Off Report located in the RipOffReport.com article and Don't Date Him Girl located in the Don't Date Him Girl Article.--Cyrussullivan (talk) 10:45, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

See original dispute —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cyrussullivan (talk • contribs) 10:46, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Take a look at our guideline on external links. In an article about a website, a link to that website may be appropriate. On the other hand, it's absolutely not appropriate to splatter links to poor-quality websites all over biographical articles. I hope that's clear. MastCell Talk 02:25, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

And now, for FV's traditional last-minute nonsectarian holiday greeting!

Here’s wishing you a happy end to the holiday season and a wonderful 2010.
Fvasconcellos (t·c) 15:25, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

A little late this year, mostly due to progressing cynicism, but watching the Disney Channel all morning at a family gathering made short work of that. Plus, the Lakers are on tonight. Fvasconcellos (t·c) 15:25, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

The Lakers?!?! I used to respect you. :P MastCell Talk 02:23, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

Could you have a look at this?

Details are at User talk:Bigred58. Thanks. Carcharoth (talk) 05:06, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

OK. Not sure that a "new editor" who apparently signed up solely to berate William Connolley is truly a useful addition to the project, but whatever you decide is fine with me. MastCell Talk 05:51, 29 December 2009 (UTC)
It was the later tagging as a Scibaby sock that was incorrect, it seems. The earlier stuff, I'd say that lots of people are being drawn into that matter by the news articles, so it would seem better to direct them away from the topic, rather than blocking outright. More overhead, but they may edit productively elsewhere, which they won't do if their first experience of Wikipedia is being stung on pages like those ones. Carcharoth (talk) 05:58, 29 December 2009 (UTC)
I agree completely. That was actually the thrust of my comments at User talk:Bigred58. MastCell Talk 19:06, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Welcome to the cabal

Or the Nefarious Global Warming Disruptors Conclave®TM whatever the heck it is.[19] I don't mind being named but I can't recall ever seeing a listing of "parties" in an arbcom case that was more capricious and utterly devoid of critical thought. Even my Evil Sockpuppet who hasn't edited in more than a year and a half was named. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 06:20, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Hell, SineBot was named as an involved party. Although it's about time that snide bastard got what was coming to him. :P

Well, thanks for notifying me (apparently no one else has thought to do so, or maybe they saw your note and figured it was sufficient). I'm not really optimistic about the ability of an ArbCom with 50% brand-new members to resolve this one, but you can't turn the Titanic around on a dime once it's built up a head of steam. MastCell Talk 17:18, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

WVBluefield

He said he wasn't a sock of TDC, but User:WVBluefield Dougweller (talk) 10:59, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

If either of you have questions about the sock identification, please feel free to drop me an email. Cheers! Vassyana (talk) 11:50, 31 December 2009 (UTC)
Thank you both for the heads-up. I do recall User:CENSEI as a particularly unpleasant presence, but I don't think I've had any other dealings with this group of editors. MastCell Talk 17:24, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

If you could share your opinion of the evidence and general impressions at User_talk:WVBluefield#December_2009, it would be appreciated. Thank you. Vassyana (talk) 01:49, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Could you please take a few minutes and respond to the above request. Thanks. --GoRight (talk) 12:27, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
Do you have any opinion regarding the validity of the allegations being made against this user? All I am asking for is an honest review of the detailed evidence that underlies the allegations since I am not privy to those details. If he's actually a sock then fine, but if not he should not be blocked based only on circumstantial evidence unless it is of a truly high quality. I simply want to see that an independent review is completed so that this matter can be put to rest either way. --GoRight (talk) 22:16, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
Give me a bit to look things over. I'm not familiar with TDC et al., so I'm starting pretty much from scratch. MastCell Talk 23:39, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
OK, that's fine. I don't mean to prod. I just wanted to make sure you were going to get to it at some point. Thanks. --GoRight (talk) 01:07, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

If you care about improving the encyclopedia and justice more than simply spinning the wheels of bureaucracy, I hope you also can look over the statements made against User:Nrcprm2026 by self-claimed M.D. User:Dr U which lead to the former's ban at arbitration. 99.27.134.128 (talk) 16:36, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

RfAr notice. Not to worry....

You are mentioned in Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Clarification#Request_for_clarification:_Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Abd-William_M._Connolley. Thought you'd like to know. Happy New Year, may it surpass the old!--Abd (talk) 01:03, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Thank you for the notification. Regardless of on-wiki differences, I honestly hope you have a good new year as well. MastCell Talk 03:50, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks

Thanks (but see my talk page). Paul August ☎ 04:31, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Good list

[20]. I find you can substitute aged whiskey, or fine red wine. You've inspired me though -- now I need to come up with a list of my own! Cheers, and happy new decade, Antandrus (talk) 01:38, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Mediation - Electrolyzed Reduced Water - Journal Citations Deleted

A request for formal mediation of the dispute concerning Electrolyzed Reduced Water has been filed with the Mediation Committee (MedCom). You have been named as a party in this request. Please review the request at Wikipedia:Requests for mediation/Electrolyzed Reduced Water and then indicate in the "Party agreement" section whether you would agree to participate in the mediation or not.

Mediation is a process where a group of editors in disagreement over matters of article content are guided through discussing the issues of the dispute (and towards developing a resolution) by an uninvolved editor experienced with handling disputes (the mediator). The process is voluntary and is designed for parties who disagree in good faith and who share a common desire to resolve their differences. Further information on the MedCom is at Wikipedia:Mediation Committee; the policy the Committee will work by whilst handling your dispute is at Wikipedia:Mediation Committee/Policy; further information on Wikipedia's policy on resolving disagreements is at Wikipedia:Resolving disputes.

If you would be willing to participate in the mediation of this dispute but wish for its scope to be adjusted then you may propose on the case talk page amendments or additions to the list of issues to be mediated. Any queries or concerns that you have may be directed to an active mediator of the Committee or by e-mailing the MedCom's private mailing list (click here for details).

Please indicate on the case page your agreement to participate in the mediation within seven days of the request's submission.

Thank you, RealScienceEditor (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 06:36, 2 January 2010 (UTC).

Hmm. I don't think this is particularly ripe for mediation - we haven't even exchanged any discussion on the article talk page. You've just created an account, tried to insert material a few times which has been disputed by a few other editors, and then filed a mediation request. It's possible we can find common ground without mediation. As a separate note, I have not found mediation to be a particularly fruitful approach when interacting with editors who have come to Wikipedia solely to promote a pet agenda. I don't know if you fall in that category - your account is new enough that you may not have had time to branch out - but consider taking a look around other areas of the encyclopedia to see if there are more general aspects of the site that appeal to you. MastCell Talk 23:41, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
  1. Details are posted on my talk page to encourage a discussion. I would humbly suggest, the age of a Wiki account is irrelevant when contributing good relevant content, sans personal opinion. I have no agenda here at Wiki other than to add good relevant content, and to meet other contributors with the same honest intent. My contributions here at Wiki have not been limited to electrolyzed reduced water. However, this is my first mediation request, so I'm grateful for any tips you may have to help the process along. I would encourage posting on my talk page, as a central location, rather me having to post to each editor involved. Thank you for your help. RealScienceEditor (talk) 11:13, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

Thank you

Thank you for this. I have not yet commented on that discussion except a little chat with BozMo on my talkpage. My thought is that it is better to let it slide (after all, everyone else can read the relevant histories as well as I can) rather than bluster and grow defensive (and no, that is not a backhanded request that you don the prescription pad armor and take up the lancet of Truth to tilt at those particular windmills - I want to bank any favors I may earn in your book against future blocks of anyone who tries to expose the truth that the second law of thermodynamics is really more of a suggestion). While I am here, though, do you think I should? - 2/0 (cont.) 05:30, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

FWIW I caught onto the Rameses/Brittainia socking first through behavioral evidence, which was very obvious. It was only after I mentioned this that Raul did the checkuser confirming that "they" used the same IP. The husband/wife story just might (barely) have some credibility if it weren't for the strong behavioral evidence. I think you are wise in letting the thing run its course. Most anyone with a lick of sense can see through the alibi. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 05:45, 3 January 2010 (UTC)
I would let Rameses/Brittainia decide how they want to appeal, which it sounds like you're doing. Sorry for the late response. :) MastCell Talk 03:19, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Stephen Barrett article

Hi MastCell, two things for you. A different IP reinserted the BLP violation into the Barrett article which I just reverted. The also went to the whitelist to try to get the Humantics site off their list but fortunately it was refused outright. Also, I want to make you aware of another user with a name simular to yours here. I don't know if this is actually connected to you are not but I have doubts so I want you to be aware since you are an administrator. I hope it's ok to bring this to you, thanks, --CrohnieGalTalk 14:33, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the heads-up. Other admins have already blocked the second IP and semi-protected the page, both of which seem reasonable under the circumstances. Mastcell (talk · contribs) was actually here long before me - I think these days the software would probably have prevented me from registering MastCell (talk · contribs) because of the similarity to the pre-existing account, but back then I didn't realize there was such an account. Anyhow, I put the "not to be confused with..." notices at the top of my userpage and User:Mastcell, so hopefully that helps prevent confusion. But it's not an impostor - that account was here long before me, so if anything, I'm impersonating him. :) MastCell Talk 19:11, 5 January 2010 (UTC)
Thanks for clarifying. :) I just thought you should know in case you didn't. It gave me a smile when you explained everything. I know when I first signed up my first choice was taken and the computer let me know that! Thanks, --CrohnieGalTalk 19:17, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Help with dermatology-related content

I am looking for more help at the dermatology task force, particularly with our Bolognia push!? Perhaps you would you be able to help us? I could send you the login information for the Bolognia push if you are interested? ---kilbad (talk) 23:39, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

Pcarbonn

With respect, I have my reasons for supporting a full and complete review of Pcarbonn's behavior. I have seen lots of bald assertions and little (none actually) in terms of evidence to back them up. That fact that JzG has managed to push this through does not mean that it is proper or that people have reached the proper conclusions based on actual evidence. All I seek is a fair hearing of the actual evidence that is supposedly so damning. The two pieces provided in the subpage are distinctly wanting in the "requires a topic ban" department. At least IMHO, obviously. --GoRight (talk) 23:51, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

Like I said, I think you're approaching this in a fundamentally unconstructive way. This is a very straightforward situation. Editor uses the project to promote their pet minoritarian agenda. Editor is topic-banned for a finite period. Editor continues to show zero interest in the project beyond using it as a tool to promote their agenda. Topic ban is formalized as indefinite.

That's exactly how the project should deal with these kinds of situations. We don't have the processes of a formal judicial system, because we don't have the resources of one. Nor do we have the same mandate - after all, being asked not to contribute to one of the 10e8 websites on Earth is actually not a big deal to anyone with a marginally functional sense of perspective. You seem to want a formal "indictment" followed by legalistic wrangling about the evidentiary basis for each subsection. That sort of approach might be appropriate, in some form, for borderline or complex cases, but I think everyone perceives this as clear-cut.

People are reluctant to play that game because it's a huge drain on volunteer energy and goodwill to demand extensive litigation to deal with obvious abuses of the project. They're also reluctant because you've established a pattern here - if someone takes the bait and provides formal evidence, you'll break the evidence into subsets and challenge each subset; if they respond, you'll break those responses into subsets and challenge them; and so on. If there were a stronger perception that you were willing to dispassionately evaluate evidence, people might be more willing to meet you halfway in your demands for ever-increasing volumes of it. MastCell Talk 00:37, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps a fair complaint in some respects, but in this case we haven't yet examined even 1 level of evidence as far as I can tell, so charges that I am dissecting things is a bit premature. Allegations have been made, no evidence to support those allegations has been provided as far as I can see. Accepting the allegations on face value seems fundamentally wrong. --GoRight (talk) 17:56, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
You overestimate the significance of JzG's analysis on the thinking of others. We're all capable of doing an independent review of Pcarbonn's contributions, and as I've insinuated before, there is enough there for a discretionary siteban. (c.f WP:NOT, BATTLEGROUND).--Tznkai (talk) 18:46, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Indeed. There are a few editors who weighed in on that discussion in support of the ban whose opinions I trust and I don't mean to imply you are a bunch of sheeple being led about by JzG. Perhaps I am just more sympathetic to the minority POV than most and so I want to see us err on the side of giving the proponents of those points of view every possible review before they are summarily silenced. YMMV. --GoRight (talk) 19:07, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Diffs on secure server(?)

Excuse tech noise ... But I hadn't thought of the "locks" beside diffs to https://secure. ..

Where is the documentation for that (what's it called etc)? Thanks. Proofreader77 (interact) 00:43, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

The lock is a browser feature and varies by browser model. Just reflects a secure (encrypted) connection. Nathan T 00:47, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Thanks. Oh, I see ... when you log in you can choose to log in via the "secure server." Had never thought about that. Now I know. Proofreader77 (interact) 00:50, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Actually, Nathan, I don't think that's right. The lock isn't a standard browser feature, at least not on my browser. (For example, https links on non-Wikipedia sites don't have a lock next to them). It's actually specified by the cascading style sheet from your Wikipedia skin, so it's part of Wikipedia's UI. I use the default (monobook) skin, like most people - so if you look at MediaWiki:Monobook.css, you'll see a line near the bottom that reads:
#bodyContent a.external[href ^="https://"],
.link-https {
    background: url("http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Lock_icon_blue.gif") center right no-repeat;
}
So that tells your browser that when it sees a link starting with https:// (that is, a link to secure site), then it should present the link with the padlock icon. But that formatting only happens when you're on a page that serves the monobook.css style sheet (that is, on a Wikipedia page). So it's not a browser feature, but rather a Wikipedia feature. Make sense? MastCell Talk 01:02, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Oh you're right - when I read his question I thought it referred to the "lock" in the browser address bar, not in the page display. My mistake! Nathan T 01:11, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
More: as an experiment, create a page at User:Proofreader77/monobook.css (assuming you use the default monobook skin). Copy the above snippet of CSS onto the page, but change the "https" in the first line to "http". Then save the page and refresh your browser cache. Now all external links on Wikipedia will have a little padlock next to them. Cool, huh? MastCell Talk 01:12, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Wow! (And and yes I got nice little tingle from that, I'm easy. LoL) Yes, that is cool. I'll try that right now. Proofreader77 (interact) 01:19, 13 January 2010 (UTC)
Actually, with a very little bit of knowledge of CSS (which you could easily acquire online for free), you can make Wikipedia look pretty much however you want by tweaking monobook.css If some aspect of the presentation annoys you, you can change it. MastCell Talk 04:31, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Happy 2010 and you have mail

Hi MastCell, hope you're keeping well. I just dropped you a mail - let me know what you think--Cailil talk 19:28, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

Treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

Hi there, a new user has just started a quite comprehensive article on this topic, could you review it and give them some pointers? Tim Vickers (talk) 18:19, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

I'll try to - I've got a lot on my plate IRL right now, but am using Wikipedia to procrastinate. The article looks like a pretty decent overview - really, the only major issue (other than cleanup, wikificiation, etc) is the long sales pitch for Avastin, which should probably be encyclopedicized. Will look in on it over the next few weeks. MastCell Talk 19:39, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks from Floq

MastCell, Thank you for your comment on the talk page of my RFA. I was in the process of writing something up (even though I honestly feel I've already said the same thing several times) but you said it better than I could, so thanks for that. I feel odd not responding to some of the opposers, and just letting some of the comments hang there, but there's really not much more I can say. I've stated my case, I think fairly clearly, at least twice. Stating it a third time is not going to help anything. And due to the odd mores of RFA, I'd also be risking the dreaded "badgering" charge.

I value your voice of calm reason, and your allowing me to vent a tiny bit here in the calm, relaxing confines of your talk page, where there's never any argument or conflict. (looks up at a couple of threads above) a different location than my RFA. --Floquenbeam (talk) 21:13, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

Note: I have echoed one of MastCell's massive wisdom emissions beneath him. :-) Proofreader77 (interact) 21:25, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

Argh

LOL, I just did a rewrite on the poppers article and went to save it and got editing conflict LOL! I have to start again. :-(--Literaturegeek | T@1k? 20:13, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

The above message was just a friendly way of requesting "hold on a minute" while I save my edits. Call me paranoid, but are you ignoring my comments? Ever since I made a comment here,Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Medicine/Archive_15#Help_please_2 I have been having messages including friendly happy new year wishes ignored by two other wikipedians (who I knew quite well via email and on wikipedia) who either edit sexuality related articles or are homosexual. You are now the third person. It is sad my comment there was misinterpreted as a hate message but oh well, I was just quoting what a review of the literature said about medical problems associated with homosexuality and did not intend to upset anyone. I find it silly but I guess I am just trying to clarify what is going on. I do wonder if there is any off-wiki discussions occuring for example.--Literaturegeek | T@1k? 21:40, 20 January 2010 (UTC)
Errr... no, I certainly didn't mean to slight you. I saw your note and just figured it didn't require a response - I did stop editing poppers when I saw it, because I didn't want to step on your toes while you do a substantial rewrite. I don't know what comment/"hate message" you're referring to, and I'm certainly not holding any sort of grudge against you. I'm sorry I gave you that impression. I haven't spoken with anyone about you on- or off-wiki for as long as I can remember. In fact, I don't think I've spoken with any Wikipedians by email at all since the New Year at least, though I could be wrong. MastCell Talk 22:14, 20 January 2010 (UTC)
I apologise Mastcell and I accept that you were not ignoring me. Ordinarily I would have assumed that you were not ignoring me and that the comment didn't need a reply. All of the drama from 2009 on controversial articles, which hasn't done me any favours, combined with a couple of editors who ignor my messages has made me assume bad faith and get overly suspicious of other people. There was nothing hateful in my message, I just quoted what the medical literature said about the rate of illness in homosexuals. I don't judge people based on their sexuality, religion or race and I believe in the "judge not lest ye be judged" philosephy of our western society to quote the Bible. I don't think that I am superior to anyone else or group of people I guess is what I mean but perhaps people think differently. If you have any further work that you want to do to the poppers article shoot away. A lil late but Happy New Year to you and yours! :-) You probably won't be surprised but my new years resolution for wikipedia is to avoid controversial articles, politically sensitive issues and DRAMA LOL! ;-)--Literaturegeek | T@1k? 23:33, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

Quotes

Hi, I borrowed your quotes for my userpage. Hope you don't mind. P. S. Burton (talk) 23:09, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

No problem; help yourself. Glad you liked them. (You probably know this, but you might want to watchlist User:MastCell/Quotes - cause if I change it, your userpage will change without any notification). Happy editing. MastCell Talk 00:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)
Didn't think of that,thanks for the heads-up. P. S. Burton (talk) 20:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Outrage

Amen to that. Well put. Antandrus (talk) 18:48, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks. Many - some would say most - interactive areas of the Web are dominated by people in a constant state of outrage. Wikipedia is a notable exception, or rather it has historically been one. There have always been conflicts and malcontents, but the number of editors motivated primarily by hatred or animosity seems to be at a high-water mark at present. I'm talking about people who have few or no demonstrable interest in the project beyond defeating a specific band of antagonists. We tolerate such people in the name of being a free and open project, but these sorts of people actually make the project less free and open by poisoning the atmosphere. MastCell Talk 00:49, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
That may be correlated to the decline in content-building (while there is still content to be built, the big areas remaining tend to require specialists -- as I'm sure you know). When it's harder to do, people do the other things that are easier -- such as fight over existing content. It seems to me that the parts of the internet most filled with the constantly-outraged are those that build the least, whose raison d'être is chatter itself. I post on stock boards, and it seems that at least 75% of what other people post are angry denunciations of a political nature, typically off-topic. (Everything useful ultimately is opinion, and no one can see the future -- though they think they can!) Unfortunately on Wikipedia you can't put an editor on "ignore" -- except by blocking them. And that's becoming harder to do without a generous helping of drama. Antandrus (talk) 01:42, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
Well, emboldened by my success in using Javascript to solve a minor Wikipedia annoyance, I did propose this... but I haven't decided how to approach the technical hurdles yet. I think some of it is probably a decline in content-building, although that's hard to quantify. Part of it is probably the political climate in the post-recession Obama-era U.S. - there seems to be an overall increase in angry ignorance and paranoia at the rightward fringe. Sort of like what happened during the Clinton years, culminating in Oklahoma City. I think some of that free-floating anger spills over here, since this is a hugely visible platform. People with obsessive tendencies, an axe to grind, and Internet access tend to find this place pretty quickly, especially when they're directed here by a typically well-researched Wikipedia-is-a-leftist-tool-to-brainwash-your-children op-ed. But who knows, really. I do think that the atmosphere here is as depressing as I've ever seen it. You know, the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity, as the Irishman said. MastCell Talk 04:40, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
As depressing as it is, I think a real possibility to consider is that the more mainstream Wikipedia gets, the smaller its population of optimistic dorks is by percentage. Whatever this group (and I count myself among them) lacks in social graces, it tended to make up for in well, not being outraged over anything other than the latest final fantasy game.--Tznkai (talk) 07:47, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Speaking as someone who often edits (or at least comments) from a state of outrage, I have to point out - don't you (MastCell) typically edit while outraged? Not that it comes across so strongly in tone, but the words...; I imagine you were aware of the irony. I think most of us have some outrage downregulation, but it is hard not to be outraged. From my perspective (as a leftist), the "leftward fringe" of Wikipedia comes across just as outraged as anyone else, and is generally more abrasive/dismissive/arrogant. And I imagine that it is outrage that led the dominant editors of global warming to exclude any mention of a scientific debate - even one sentence - until July 27, 2009. I can't really blame people for being skeptical when the experts of the world have so recently let us down in relatively simple areas such as finance (subprime mortgage crisis) and medicine (e.g., rofecoxib). For global warming, the way the public has been handled is just unbelievable, and particularly with the CRU hack (see Monbiot's article) - can you really believe that RealClimate's response just completely ignored the email where Phil Jones asked his colleagues to delete records requested through FOIA, all the while saying that, essentially, there's nothing to see here? As if any of the readers hadn't honed in, as Monbiot and I had, on that single email? For people who aren't looking to hear half-truths, or are looking to confirm a preconception of deception, they need only to note that particular misleading summary to disregard the website and its authors entirely. I would never even want to be associated with such a site. Half-truths are an inevitable part of communication, but to lay them out so blatantly is really bad for one's reputation.

It hardly helps that William Connelly has emerged as a public face of the climate scientists, and the environmentalist movement would be well-served if he quietly retreated from public. Incidentally, I imagine you've read the latest controversy over the Himalayan glaciers? The article says this: "Georg Kaser, an expert in tropical glaciology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria and a lead author for the IPCC, said he had warned that the 2035 prediction was clearly wrong in 2006, months before the report was published. "This [date] is not just a little bit wrong, but far out of any order of magnitude," he said." Thus, the followup article (IPCC's Himalayan glacier 'mistake' not an accident) is no surprise. If global warming is really occurring, which I think it is, then these people are not helping the situation.

Don't even get me started on Obama. Even disregarding broken campaign promises, William J. Lynn III, renewal of the Patriot Act (this could be OK), ignoring the gays in the military, ect., Timothy Geithner alone is enough to sour me. II | (t - c) 07:18, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Bork, bork, bork! - FireFox script for "borking" content and converting text to something that might have been written by the Swedish Chef. - 2/0 (cont.) 18:20, 28 January 2010 (UTC)
@II: Er... there are plenty of things that outrage me in real life. But I try to find constructive outlets for that energy rather than taking it out on Wikipedia (perhaps not always successfully). I made a similar argument to GoRight when he compared himself to Rosa Parks because he'd been indefinitely blocked from Wikipedia. Of all the ways of addressing injustice in the world, editing Wikipedia is probably among the least effective or meaningful. People who hop from crusade to crusade against some Wikipedia injustice lack all sense of perspective - they have no concept of what a real injustice is. Hint: a 6-month topic ban, or the fact that someone "got away" with saying something rude, or being asked not to contribute to one of the 10e9 websites on Earth in your free time is not a real injustice. There are definitely things that frustrate me about Wikipedia, and I probably give into frustration and/or cynicism more often than I should, but I wasn't aware that I came across as "outraged".

It is, of course, a bit incomplete to claim that there was "no mention of a scientific debate" on global warming until June 2009. We've had dozens of content forks for a long time... global warming controversy to January 2002; scientific opinion on climate change to September 2003; list of scientists opposing the mainstream scientific assessment of global warming to August 2005; and there are plenty more.

I won't get into the Climategate thing, other than to say that FOIA is a law and people need to comply with it. There's no excuse for trying to evade that responsibility. As an aside, I know that it's nearly impossible to do spotless, bulletproof science. I would imagine it's even harder to do flawless science when huge multinationals are spending millions of dollars above- and below-board to discredit you. That sort of thing might tend to produce a circle-the-wagons mentality.

I don't have a problem with people reading the IPCC report, or any scientific document, critically. I'm actually glad that people pick it apart and pull out errors like the Himalayan glacier thing - that's an essential part of the scientific process. It bothers me a bit when the whole focus is clearly to identify an isolated flaw and then leverage it to discredit everything, the way a lawyer tries to impeach a witness' credibility in a murder case by pointing out that they lied on their taxes. Science doesn't really work that way. Yes, climate scientists could present themselves more effectively, but then they are scientists, not politicians.

And about this: it's basically hearsay sourced to a single report from the Daily Mail. And the day I respect the Daily Mail as an authority on anything scientific will be the day they put me on my ice floe and push me out to sea (or whatever plan replaces Social Security by the time I'm ready for it). MastCell Talk 18:49, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

If it ever happens, at least you'll have a dog for company: BBC Verbal chat 19:00, 28 January 2010 (UTC)
Yes, the food company will certainly come in handy. MastCell Talk 19:02, 28 January 2010 (UTC)
re The Rosa Parks of Wikipedia - ahem, that is my moniker-to-be, so have a care. :-)

Google global warming
Google climategate

Google has made Wikipedia the place "where anyone can define reality" ... yada yada yada ... hence we are all on the same bus (against our will, thanks Google, but anyway) ... and so keeping some people off the bus is a matter of global public interest (see my upcoming RfAR, stay tuned).
-- Proofreader77 (interact) 19:13, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

@MC: I didn't think you would be offended by what seems obvious. You regularly edit articles like AIDS denialism, Andrew Wakefield, and similar topics which I thought quite rightly sparked outrage in you. Don't they? Generally both sides editing controversial articles are (quite obviously) outraged. From that comment to GoRight, I'm guessing you see a big difference when one is on the "majority opinion" side. I'm not going to say there's no difference between the outraged on the "fringe" side versus the "mainstream" side, but violations of WP:NPOV happen from both sides, regularly. I also don't think it's impossible to be outraged and edit neutrally.
I really don't understand why you would dismiss what looks to be a decent bit of journalism just because it comes from the Mail. It doesn't really require "authority" to do interviews with IPCC scientists and report what they said. Do you think that George Kaser, Hayley Fowley, and the Japanese government were essentially not ignored, and that the Mail must be excluding something? II | (t - c) 22:48, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
II, the Mail doesn't have a reputation for reporting what they said, or for decent journalism. For your information, .. dave souza, talk 23:11, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
While that's a good example of poor journalism, it doesn't justify a blanket disregard for all information from a source, particularly when the information is plausible. It's highly unlikely that George Kaser was lying. As far as Hayley Fowler's comments, these can be fairly easily verified: see IPCC WG II AR4 Comments. See Line 10, and click Expert under Final Draft Comments. Fowler's comment appears on 50 of 57 of the pdf... "I am not sure that this is true for the very large Karakoram glaciers in the western Himalaya. Hewitt (2005) suggests from measurements that these are expanding". The response was, as the Mail reported, "Was unable to get hold of the suggested references". This does seem like a bizarre response considering one of the article was in the Journal of Climate and the other is open access (The Karakoram Anomaly? Glacier Expansion and the ‘Elevation Effect,’ Karakoram Himalaya). Reading these comments presents a rather messy picture. II | (t - c) 00:19, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
II, here is something about the "decent bit of journalism" you quote, i'm not saying it is correct, and it isn't a WP:RS. But it is certainly interesting. (combine with above notes on DM and the same journo...) --Kim D. Petersen (talk) 23:45, 30 January 2010 (UTC) [dotearth has a bit more[21] --Kim D. Petersen (talk) 00:06, 31 January 2010 (UTC)]
That's pretty interesting, but doesn't really prove a lot. I imagine that if the Mail is directly going to quote someone, they'll make an audio tape of it to cover themselves. It seems likely that Lal did say "We thought that if we can highlight it, it will impact policy-makers and politicians and encourage them to take some concrete action". But in the article the Mail jumped from that direct quote to say that Lal was saying he knew it wasn't good science, which is quite a leap. Of course Lal isn't going to say outright "yeah, I put in a bullshit number to get attention". Regardless, I'm inclined to think that Lal did on some subconscious level know that the number wasn't all that rigorous, or at least should have known, particularly given Fowler's comments (see above) and the ultimate source, which turned out to be an interview IIRC. II | (t - c) 00:19, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
I'm just saying that I, personally, do not put a lot of stock in what I read in the Daily Mail. Its scientific coverage stands out as consistently and particularly poor, in my opinion, although its recurring efforts to push the publishable limits of homophobia aren't endearing either. That's my opinion. About the Himalayan glaciers as an alarmist conspiracy, they may well be right. After all, the sun even shines on a dog's ass some days, as Lao Tzu said. Then again, my personal view on climate change isn't based on the disappearance date of Himalayan glaciers, so I can't say I'm very fussed about chasing it down. MastCell Talk 06:47, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
Despite its awful reputation, I'm sure the words the Mail puts in quotes are correct, and also are carefully edited to convey the distorted spin the tabloid wants to push. The failure to follow proper procedures is noted in Criticism of the IPCC AR4#Projected date of melting of Himalayan glaciers, as is the procedure that "each chapter team should review the quality and validity of each source before incorporating results from the source into an IPCC Report." That's clearly something that was inadequately done for the Working Group II report, and must be improved for the next report. It doesn't undermine the hard science in the Working Group I report, but gives a bad impression. . . dave souza, talk 17:50, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
The WGII report isn't all that well-regarded even by "insiders." Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 18:14, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
Interesting insight, how about WGI? A compleat outsider, dave souza, talk 18:22, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
My opinion: The WGI is the good reference, the WGII and WGIII are policy focused, and thus more of a economic/social sciences thing. Not that they are bad, but if it is the science you want a grip on, it is the WGI you turn to. One of the critiques on the glacier issue, is why on Earth didn't they ask the WGI experts, instead of assessing the literature themselves? --Kim D. Petersen (talk) 18:36, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
Just for clarity, the Daily Mail is a worthless source as it had no neutrality in any way, shape or form. Personally, I wouldn't even consider it as suitable lining for a parrots cage although the end result may be a cogent commentary on the contents of the rag. (see what happens when you post outraged? Even usually sensible and respectful editors can't stay civil... or was it a response to having the Daily Fascist touted as a reliable source? ((Explanatory note - there are unusually high levels of satire and humour in this post)) Spartaz Humbug! 18:24, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
Parrots? (Explanatory note - this post is completely serious)) . . dave souza, talk 18:32, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
parrots poo, hamsters widdle and I couldn't think of any other caged pets at the time I was trying to capture the outrage I felt at the Daily Mail being a RS. Essentially, the more scatological image won out. (8So no monty python allusions intended plus the comment was far from deserving of being associated with something actually funny. :-) Spartaz Humbug! 18:37, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Hyphen to dash

Hi, a user moved the ABC article, seems like they changed the hyphen to a dash. My understanding of punctuation (from ABC articles) is a hyphen I used in this joining context, not a dash. But the policy says otherwise. - RoyBoy 17:22, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

I think you're right, but I'm also pretty apathetic about hyphenation. MastCell Talk 18:17, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Exchange

Interesting exchange you're having with Lar over at his talk. I lack your diplomacy, so it's good to see that you're getting something resembling a straight answer out of him. When I tried to approach him about concerns over possible bias he expertly dodged the issue and turned it into a rambling discussion about what constituted the consensus view on climate change. I just don't have the patience for those games. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 01:15, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

I do feel like it's been a good conversation, in that I understand better where people are coming from. I have a pretty major grant deadline coming up, so that discussion is actually a pleasant and stimulating diversion/procrastination from real-life concerns. Of course, I also suffer from an irrational conviction that if I can just find the most cogent way to express my viewpoint, people will agree with it. Which reminds me... back to the grant... MastCell Talk 04:19, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

Thanks

for the Scibaby block. WP:SPI is just too slow. Short Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 05:24, 1 February 2010 (UTC)

Talk:Weinberg Group

There's a request on that page for better referencing on some specific things in that article. I've fixed most of it, but there's still some tobacco industry subterfuge stuff that needs help. I thought you might be able and perhaps even interested in taking that on. (No worries if you are not, of course). I'm leave this message on Quiggin's page as well. Yilloslime TC 20:44, 5 February 2010 (UTC)

Will you take a look at this edit?

Assuming you have free time, can you check to see if I've committed any faux de pas in my following post.[22] I've been an active editor on Wikipedia for about a year now, have a pretty good grasp on WP:V, WP:NPOV, WP:OR, WP:BLP, WP:FRINGE and WP:RS, but the discussions that take place on the admin desks seem to have a certain legalese all of their own. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 06:19, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

I think it's fine; it seems your intent was mostly to flag a still-open case for administrative attention, which is understandable. I can't say I've looked at your edits in any depth, but at least at a glance I get the sense that you are among the more self-aware and reasonable contributors to the topic. The level of frustration on all sides is high enough that even otherwise reasonable people are occasionally losing their cool, which is unfortunate. MastCell Talk 19:15, 9 February 2010 (UTC)
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