Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 16:06, 1 March 2007

User talk:Essjay/Top User:Essjay/Talk TOC

Congrats

Congratulations on the promotion to Arbitrator. You will make a great addition to the Committee. Geo. Talk to me 01:48, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Thank you very much! Essjay (Talk) 23:39, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Peeing

Hello Essjay. What do you think of moving User:Essjay/Never pee in the sandbox to Meta? It describes a tendency that is common on many wikis, not just on the English Misplaced Pages. A copy with {{mirrored}} could be left here, to benefit from the shortcut. —{admin} Pathoschild 02:53:47, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

You're welcome to copy it over if you like, but I'd really rather keep the version in my userspace, and here's why: When something's in your userspace, you maintain control over it, so it never ends up saying something you didn't intend it to. I've seen it happen, at least a couple of times, that someone writes something (either in their userspace and it's moved to the projectspace, or directly in the projectspace) and it is later changed to the point that it no longer matches thier original intent, yet, because they started it, and in many cases, have the greatest number of contributions to it, they are identified as the "primary author." I'd rather make sure that any essay's I'm identified as primary author of stay safely where I can make sure they say what I intended them to. Essjay (Talk) 23:44, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Per Thatcher131's request, I have created this section for you

I wonder if you have looked at the facts in this case of mine: Misplaced Pages:Requests_for_arbitration#Statement_by_User:GordonWatts

I'm not the only one who thinks I have a case. Since I last posted, many new people have posted in my support!

Besides having over 4,500 edits with no major discipline or major problems, I now note that Thatcher131 suggested that: "I think a rebuttal to the votes of the arbitrators is a reasonable addition, but can you do something about the rest? If your main concern is that there was insufficient agreeement to constitute consensus, a link to the discussion and a brief recap should be sufficient; I would normally expect the arbitrators to follow significant links and verify them as part of their determination. Thatcher131 13:32, 27 February 2007 (UTC)"

I hope you do as Thatcher suggests and follow the links! I know I have posted a lot, but several statements by other editors were well-over 500 words, so please indulge me if I go a little over too: I'm being falsely accused!

To grant Thatcher's request, I have created a new section for you:

• 1.4.3.2 Rebuttal to the votes of the Arbitrators
  • 1.4.3.2.1 -No Consensus existed to support Guy's admin action-
  • 1.4.3.2.2 -These editors support my claims of innocence-
  • 1.4.3.2.3 -These editors desire ArbCom intervention-

If you mess up, it isn't my fault: I've done my part, and I have little to add to the somewhat lengthy ArbCom page in my matter.

--GordonWatts 06:40, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Statements on RFAR are for showing us that there is a case to be heard. They are not for making every last point of your case; if they were, we would have no need of evidence pages. Your statement passed 2300 words at one point; we don't need 2300 words worth of why we should open a case. Chosing to end with "If you mess up, it isn't my fault" doesn't particularly encourage me to believe that the community was wrong in their actions. Essjay (Talk) 23:48, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Could you remove my RfA?

I could possibly do that myself, but since I found no guidelines on removing a RfA just wanted to be careful and not create a 'mess'. The reasons are firstly, it doesn't seem to have any chance to succeed and secondly, I don't like the way pro and contra develop. Wandalstouring 11:38, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Essjay, hope you don't mind but to avoid opposes continuing before you could deal with this I explained to Wandalstouring that if he was sure he should withdraw on the RfA page. He did so, I then closed and delisted the RfA: Misplaced Pages:Requests for adminship/Wandalstouring. I know non-crat RfA closes are under some discussion at the moment but it seemed an uncontroversial matter. WjBscribe 12:30, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

If he withdrew, then there is really nothing controversial about it; had you made the decision to end it, that would have been controversial, but just cleaning up after a candidate withdrawal isn't, so nothing to worry about. Essjay (Talk) 23:49, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

You may want to take that link down

Just a heads up -- there's an old link on your user page that says, "I was mentioned several times in an article about Misplaced Pages in The New Yorker." You may want to take it down now. The editor of The New Yorker appendeded a note to the article that says you're a liar. 68.89.128.115 15:37, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

The comment above appears to be by Daniel Brandt. His motivations aside, you should probably be made aware that there's a discussion about this going on at User talk:Jimbo Wales#The New Yorker quotes you (also triggered by Mr. Brandt). I have a great deal of respect for your work on Wikipeda, Essjay, and I think it's important that you respond to this matter. Did you misrepresent yourself on your user page and/or to the New Yorker reporter? Can you explain this? If this was a simple error of judgment, you would do well to acknowledge it.

Respectfully yours, —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 22:50, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I have; there was a considerable discussion right here on this page, triggered by Mr. Brandt and his Misplaced Pages Review cronies, and I made myself quite clear on the subject. I consider the matter closed, and see no reason to repeat myself every few weeks when someone else finds out about it "for the first time." Jimmy has made his support for me known, the people who actually know me have made thier support known, and that is good enough for me. Essjay (Talk) 23:51, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I only just found the previous discussions in your archives. I now understand the reasons behind your "disinformation". That said, given the New Yorker's correction of its story, it is likely that more people will be discovering this in the near future, and to a newcomer's eye it doesn't look good. It is also an unfortunate truth that the New Yorker correction will damage the reputation of Misplaced Pages, unless it is answered clearly and forcefully. (Remember the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?) The New Yorker correction doesn't provide any context for the apparent misrepresentation. I think it's important for the sake of Misplaced Pages that you provide that context, preferably somewhere more easily accessible than your archives. This goes beyond your own reputation and affects that of Misplaced Pages as a whole. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 00:05, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

It's not my place to make a public statement on this; anything I say at this point is going to be repeatable in the press, so the best thing for me is to say nothing at all. Wikimedia has it's own press team, and Wikia has a PR firm; when I receive communications relating to the press, I refer them to the appropriate press division (in this case, Wikia's PR firm made my response to The New Yorker). At this point, my role is to say "No comment." Essjay (Talk) 00:30, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

It is getting more media attention for some reason. Freakonomics Blog Killerdark 00:35, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

No comment. :) Essjay (Talk) 00:37, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Essjay, to be honest, I find your lack of transparency on this troubling. Why can't you post on a subpage an essay or statement that summarizes your position as to why you gave one identity to a journalists who you (I assume) corresponded with personally, instead of having us hunt through the edit history and archives to divine what the situation is. Also, I think to shrug it off on Misplaced Pages's press team and Wikia's PR is disingenuous -- Misplaced Pages is a community made of its members who act on their own accord. If there is an issue with the actions or edits of an individual, the individual is responsible. That's how Misplaced Pages can maintain safe harbor as a forum and why Seigenthaler and Fuzzy Zoeller have to look for the individuals in question, and not the Wikimedia Foundation office. Putting the burden of your (NPOV: discrepancy | POV: deception) on the backs of the Misplaced Pages press team I think is unfair to the rest of your peers, to put it mildly. (I had to take a 30 second timeout to prevent writing something I would regret.) -- Fuzheado | Talk 03:19, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Anything I say now is likely to be repeated in the press. The press teams are trained in making statements that should be repeated in the press; I am not. It is best for Misplaced Pages that I not say something about this that then is repeated all over the world, making the situation far worse. I'm afraid I have to stick to "No comment." Essjay (Talk) 03:51, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Essjay, you're probably being advised by the PR folks not to comment, but I hope that you and they can craft a reply early tomorrow (Thursday). This story is only going to spread, and with the current information at large it will reflect badly on you, Misplaced Pages, and Jimbo. A story in the press which includes your account of events is better for you and for Misplaced Pages than a story which presents only the New Yorker's correction, or even the information that can be gleaned from your archives. Also, I have to agree with Fuzheado — you have already presented yourself to the press as a representative of Misplaced Pages. It's not fair to your fellow Wikipedians to back out now. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 05:47, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Essjay & Josh, It's hit Metafilter, so the volume of inquiries is going to skyrocket. And you're way behind the curve in formulating a response. If you've got stuff in archive to represent your position, get in front of this, and post linkage. At this point you're in Damage Control, and listening to the PR Flacks whenever they get back to you isn't going to do YOUR reputation any good. Mikelieman 11:50, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

This is a real disgrace. I hope you understand how you are shitting all over the thousands of people who have made real effort to turn Misplaced Pages into a credible source of information and not a place for freaks like you to enact their misguided fantasies. It's a sad, sad day for Misplaced Pages and all it stood for... And no, MichaelBillington, it doesn't matter how many times you revert it -- that's the sad reality and you cannot change it by simply erasing it from Misplaced Pages, you know.--131.246.137.16 12:31, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

This is just comical. "...repeated all over the world." My, we do think highly of ourselves don't we? Like any of this actually matters. Who's the troll now? Lying troll even. I'm laughing heartily that this made slashdot as an actual "news" story. Pfft. Singingjim (talk • contribs) 13:56, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

Monobook

Thanx, I'm using your MonoMonobook, but I don't want sysop etc tabs on it. how do I get rid of them. Also, I want to change text colour how do I do that? thanx a bunch Essjay, lovin your work... --Andrew Marsden 17:54, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

You are looking for User:Essjay/user/monobook.js. Also see my version, based heavily on Essjay's. Prodego 21:08, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Archiving

Hi Essjay - I'd appreciate if you could re-enable the talk page archiving - hopefully the problems will be largely cleared up very soon, and i've got a temporary phone line for internet until then :). Thanks, Martinp23 22:35, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

 Done Essjay (Talk) 23:52, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Please

Hello, could you please read this: I do not belong in the Arbcom, I hope you understand and remove me from it. Thanks.Azerbaijani 23:12, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

The Committee has had this type of requests a number of times, and our response is this: If you have not been part of the dispute, then you won't be part of the remedies. Being listed as a party in an Arbitration case doesn't automatically mean you're going to be sanctioned. If you haven't done anything, then you have nothing to be concerned about. Essjay (Talk) 23:55, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

OTRS

Hi Essjay, I hope you are still doing well. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I have been waiting in m:OTRS/volunteering since January 7. Could you expiate the process for me, I know you are a good person to contact for just about anything :-). My thanks if you can help me, Prodego 23:44, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Hmmmm; I'm really not active with OTRS anymore, and I don't have the ability to add anyone. I'll poke around to see who the active OTRS admins are and let you know. Essjay (Talk) 00:02, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm told that Bastique and Jredmond are the ones you seek. Essjay (Talk) 00:43, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, Prodego 02:00, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

WP:CHU

Can you take a look at this page, because since you have left, no usernames have been changed (as far as I can tell).

Regards,

 ~Steptrip 01:00, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, there is controversy regarding that page at this time, and I have elected not to be active there until the controversy is over. Essjay (Talk) 01:06, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Thank you for letting me know.  ~Steptrip 01:13, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

New Errors, New Error Page

Hi... I'm not sure why but I am guessing you might have an answer to my question: For the first time ever, starting today, I have started seeing a new error page, from time to time, when trying to edit. My guess is that the error page is new and/or something has changed with respect to the servers. Please do not think I am complaining; I am genuinely curious and wondering if you know anything about it. If not, do you know the best user to ask about it. Katalaveno_C 01:46, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Is it the "Misplaced Pages (or Wikimedia) is experiencing an error" page? I get it every once in a while, but usually a click of the back button and a resubmission solves it. If that is the one, and it's just intermittent, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's a different one, let me know what it says, and I'll poke around and see if I can find anything out. Essjay (Talk) 01:48, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, clicking the back button and resubmitting works for me, too. It's a Misplaced Pages error page (it has error in about 25 of different languages on the top of the page). The thing that caught my eye, however, was that... I started editing four months ago, and now, over 2000 edits later, I had never got this error page... until today. Maybe I was just lucky? Again, just curious... In any event, thanks for your response. Katalaveno_C 04:12, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

RfA

Hi Essjay, if you're still around, can you close Georgewilliamherbert's RfA? I'd close it as a clear success, but I did vote in it. I don't really consider that a conflict considering my comments, but I'd prefer if someone else closed it. Thanks - Taxman 03:27, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I've closed it; for some reason, I thought it was closing tomorrow morning. Essjay (Talk) 03:49, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. Yeah, I'll never get thoroughly used to UTC. - Taxman 03:55, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I use a neat little to-do list that sends me an instant message when tasks are due, and it makes it really easy to catch things quickly; I've been adding RFAs to it lately, but I think in converting from UTC to local time, I completely messed that one up. Essjay (Talk) 04:02, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

FYI, I caught that in your congrats message, you'd inadvertently linked to the candidates earlier RfA rather than the current one; I mention it only to remind, in case there's another 2nd nomination closing anytime soon. Regards, Newyorkbrad 04:04, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Oh, yes, thanks; I use the PAGENAMEE magic word for that (so the log links work too). Since the person knows where the RFA was, I could probably just delink that. Essjay (Talk) 04:06, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

But of course

this explains everything . Thatcher131 07:17, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Ah, so it does! Essjay (Talk) 14:05, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Talk:Josette Sheeran Shiner

• Is there a way to set up one of your bots to archive the talk page at Talk:Josette Sheeran Shiner ?? Thank you for your time. Smee 13:06, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

Sure, as long as there is consensus to do so; just propose it on the talk page, get agreement for it, and settle on how old posts should be before being archived, what the archive scheme should be, and how big the archives should get in KB before the next one is created. Essjay (Talk) 14:06, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I have copied this and posed those points on the article's talk page... Smee 14:26, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

OK, Let's Get This Straight...

Speaking as a top award-winning particle physicist, race car driver, neurosurgeon, and rock star, I have a few questions... You're 24 now, and you where at one time an account manager with a Fortune 20 company? For How long? Let's just say a year for the sake of argument. But before that, you where a paralegal for five years? I'm just trying to do the math on this. You became a paralegal at 18 or 19? So, you must have started school for this licensed trade at what? 16? Ok...—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 131.22.200.64 (talk) 13:59, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

This was indeed discussed in IRC when this first broke, and a few questions floated around about your current story. While I have nothing to say about this whole mess, I do hope that you at least issue a statement about this matter (not the age, the whole professor thing), in the interests of the Wiki. Cheers. – Chacor 14:05, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I am 24, I worked for the company for 5 or 6 months, and left it to work for Wikia. I started as a paralegal at 18, and didn't study for it at all; it's not a licensed trade in Kentucky, you merely have to be under the supervision of a licensed attorney. SCR 3.130(5.3) I worked directly for attorneys for three years, and went freelance after that. Essjay (Talk) 14:11, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

:-/

Greetings... I'm sorry but I must take this back: edit 65682140 -- I feel a bit cheated, lying to wikipedians to get ahead is one thing... but lying to the media... that's another. You have irreparably destroyed trust in the[REDACTED] administration, shame on you. Mineralè 14:24, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

That's funny! 131.22.200.64 15:16, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I knew it

Always knew you were lying scum, with your backing up certain users on a certain medical article to enforce status-quo cultural POV in contradiction to medical fact and human rights. You're scum, and you're the reason why this is my first[REDACTED] edit in 6 months. You disgust me.

I even talked to jimbo about these, i warned him about you and some others. This source is crap. 12.226.103.252 14:44, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Looking for a good writer with web knowledge in Louisville, KY

Hello Essjay,

I noticed an article referring to you (http://slashdot.org/articles/07/03/01/1313251.shtml). What most caught my eye was that you were a) a caring person, b) facile with the web and with wikipedia, c) articulate and d) in Louisville, KY (where I am).

I am involved in project that requires a good writer with encyclopedic range.

www.implicity.org/tour1.htm

www.childrenofthecode.org

I am planning on distilling the essence of over 100 interviews, over 3000 paper page equivalents, into a book. I need someone to help me write it who has an interest that spans 3500 years of history, an understanding of the web, and most importantly a deep care for humanity as a whole.

Credentials are less important than the quality of production.

Perhaps this won't interest you. Perhaps you know someone else that it might?

I wish you all the best in weathering whatever storms may come at Misplaced Pages...

Be you well,

David Boulton davidaboulton@gmail.com

Slashdot

Misplaced Pages:Administrators'_noticeboard#Slashdot_again - you made the front page. Well done. Just as a precaution, I've protected the three pages they linked directly to, as you don't seem to be around - I figure if you want them to remain unprotected (can't think why, but stull) you can do so when you get back on. Proto ► 15:22, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

My response

I would like to clear up an oversight on my part. I was, until this morning, under the impression that in my initial post on this subject (in response to a question from Dev920 made some weeks ago) I had made an apology for anyone who felt they were hurt by my decision to use misinformation. In speaking to various different people, including Jimbo, I did make it known that I was sorry that anyone felt hurt by my actions, and I believed I had done so in my initial statement. On re-reading that, I find I did not; it was a rather lengthy statement I had been thinking about for some time, and I seem to have left out a rather critical element of it. So, I rectify that now, with further apologies that it was not included originally, as I pointed people back to that statement in the belief it was complete.

I *am* sorry if anyone in the Misplaced Pages community has been hurt by my decision to use disinformation to protect myself. I'm not sorry that I protected myself; I believed, and continue to believe, that I was right to protect myself, in light of the problems encountered on the internet in these trying times. I have spoken to all of my close friends here about this, and have heard resoundingly that they understand my position, and they support me. Jimbo and many others in Misplaced Pages's hierarchy have made thier support known as well. I'm also sorry the New Yorker chose to print what they did about me; there seems to be a belief that I knew they were going to print it, and that is not the case. I spoke with Stacy Shiff for over eight hours; in that time, she asked me about a variety of subjects related to Misplaced Pages and I have her much to write on. (Those who know me will know I am rarely ever brief in my comments.) That she chose to focus on two rather trivial reverts to Justin Timberlake and what my userpage said came as a complete surprise to me; it was, quite honestly, my impression that it was well known that I was not who I claimed to be, and that in the absence of any confirmation, no respectible publication would print it. I did not have an advance copy of the article, and indeed, didn't even get the complimentary print copy that others were given when it was published; I asked Stacy to send it to the Foundation for thier use instead. Further, she made several offers to compensate me for my time, and my response was that if she truly felt the need to do so, she should donate to the Foundation instead.

For two years, I have poured my life into making this site a better place. That many people feel hurt by my decision pains me greatly, and to them I am genuinely sorry. To the stalkers, the trolls, and the vandals, I am not sorry; they are abusive, hateful people, and they have done far worse things than those whole of the Wikipeida Community, myself included, have ever thought about doing. Now, I am going back to what I have always done: Making Misplaced Pages a better place. (In the immediate present, I'm going to bed, as I've been up for quite a long time.) Tonight, I will be back to my normal routine: Blocking vandals, closing RFAs, tending to the mailing lists, etc. I have no intention of going anywhere, because to do so would be to let the vandals, trolls, and stalkers win.

I have no doubt that others will continue to debate this matter; I have no intention to say anything further, as I have made my statement complete. If anyone needs me, look where the work of keeping the encyclopedia running is being done, and you'll probably find me there. Essjay (Talk) 16:06, 1 March 2007 (UTC)