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Hello, Ryan Postlethwaite. You have new messages at Justin's talk page. You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{Talkback}} or {{Tb}} template.
Hello, your recent edit does not in itself provide a reason that can be potentially disputed or agreed with, so no consensus can be reached by discussing the reasons for your edit. Your edits to the talk page also provide precious little clues (unless I've missed something).
I've grepped through the archives and the discussion (and consensus on the matter) appears to have moved back and forth numerous times. Admittedly it's a lot of work, and my approach wasn't completely thorough. Am I missing a key discussion that you are aware of? --Kim Bruning (talk) 00:05, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
I wasn't talking about a single discussion - I just remember discussing this numerous times in the past and every time there's generally consensus to keep the confusing username section in. The reason why I reverted was because previous discussion has always kept this in (from what I remember) so 48 hours is no where near long enough to declare consensus on the matter, especially given the few numbers that commented. Ryan Postlethwaite02:00, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
It's a tough one. Part of me thinks that they do no harm, any other website just about would allow them and taking action against them is just biting. I'd have to say though, a bigger part of me thinks a confusing username is a negative for the project. If we allow them, it would mean a relatively large number of usernames wouldn't get blocked - we'd therefore have a lot of confusing usernames out there. For example, we could have the following users; User:asdrytuhh, User:asdghhjjen, User:asdcuetikg, User:asdfvtnbru, User:asdfgentjry, Asdtrnwjqnww, User:asdbnwksmekt, User:asdfkjfmnrk e.t.c. All very different, but very very dificult to tell one from the next. When these usernames show up in histories or logs, you won't really know who's made the edit - many usernames will merge into one because it's just too dificult to tell usernames consisting of random characters apart from one another. I certainly go toward the side that these usernames should be blocked. Ryan Postlethwaite02:31, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
Linus Pauling
Do you have Google Talk? I thought it would be best if we could have instant messaging while working on Pauling. I don't go on IRC so much nowadays, but I'm always on Google Talk. Nishkid64 (talk) 20:09, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
I'm on MSN if that helps? My address is Ryanpostlethwaite hotmail com . There's a book at my university library which I'm going to go and pick up tomorrow which is about Pauling - it should really help as I'm struggling to get refs using google books. Ryan Postlethwaite21:52, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, I picked up two books (Goertzel and Mead & Hager) from my university library. I haven't used MSN in a while, but I just logged in again. I've added you to my list. Nishkid64 (talk) 02:05, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
Thank you for participating in my RfA! It was closed as successful with 74 supporting, 3 opposing, and 1 neutral. I will do my best to live up to the trust that you have placed in me. —Remember the dot18:38, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
How are admins notified of requests for unblocking and editprotected requests? I know one can't watch the category, since that only watches description changes. The WP:COIN has a tag that transcludes a category for editors who have COI's who wish another individual to incorporate info in a page. And we're trying to figure out how those of us active in it, can be notified when a new page is added to the category. MBisanz03:41, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
What is the school usually about. I'm interest on become and admin one day so I can block users, delete pages, and contribs, protect and semi-protect pages. Where in Southern California to attend school? I'm form South Orange County, California.--Freewayguy (Meet) 19:45, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
Hello Freewayguy. I should clarify what the new admin school is - it's simply a few pages to help new admins test their tools so they don't do it on the main pages, we haven't actually got a school. If you are considering becoming an admin, might I suggest admin coaching? You might find that benificial, and the good news is, you can do it safely from your own home ;-) Ryan Postlethwaite22:42, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
Thank you
Thank you for participating in my RfA! It was closed as successful with 58 supporting, 0 opposing, and 2 neutral. I hope to demonstrate that your trust in me is rightly placed and am always open to critiques and suggestions. Cheers. MBisanz04:04, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
Best pic I've seen
Looking bad
I don't have any intention of making you look bad. The pokeratlas user unblock seems completely reasonable. The user has disregarded my editing advice. Misplaced Pages wins and doesn't look like a Nazi.
Since Bellwether BC is making a stink, I put the question up in ANI. I chose ANI because now it seems to be more urgent with BC being so mad about it. If BC is so mad, he/she should see some other admins. who are really Nazis as far as blocking. Archtransit (talk) 18:24, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
Award
Egg Award-To Ryan for mentoring effort and preparing administrator lessons. May he not have too much egg on his face. From Archtransit, 18 February 2008
Hm. Ryan, your mentee is in my soup: User talk:TenOfAllTrades#Block. He seems to be accusing me of being on an anti-American/anti-gambling crusade. Lest there be any further confusion, I understand him to be barred from using any of his admin buttons until given explicit permission from you and/or Riana to do so. I would strongly urge you to restrict him from declaring a 'consensus' in any discussion, given his interpretation of his recent AN thread.
I'm very likely to block him if he steps outside those bounds. I've stuck up for him before, but frankly I find very little reason to trust his judgement in the future. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:06, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
Incidentally, he's digging himself a very deep hole with edits like this. I'd be inclined to sharply warn an editor with a clean history that that type of attack is unacceptable and might draw a block. Coupled with Arch's history (recent and older) and his rather POINTy report on AN/I where he attacks Bellwether and Friday as 'bitey', 'disruptive', and 'trolling', he's skating on astonishingly thin ice, and it is only my respect for you and Riana that's keeping him unblocked right now. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:05, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
Hi TOAT. I'm concerned about this sort of thing because it doe honestly make me think that he doesn't have a clue - I'm in dialogue with him now where I'm bringing up these issues with him, he can't talk to editors like he has been, when to be honest - he's wrong. Hopefully we won't have to resort to blocks with this one - I'm going to suggest he stays out of meta discussion completely for a while. Ryan Postlethwaite21:18, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
Sorry Ryan; I'm afraid I've been letting him get under my skin a bit, and I shouldn't be so testy with you. I wish you the best of luck with this, but I admit to holding out very little expectation of success. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:23, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
TenOfAllTrades has wrongly accused me of "He seems to be accusing me of being on an anti-American/anti-gambling crusade." This is not true. Ten was merely asked why he thought User:thepokeratlas should be blocked or re-blocked. Ten has not said why. The only difference between the ANI and listing the user's name (which was an oversight on my part) was that the user seems to be American and pro-gambling. I just asked if this or the word "poker" would make him change his decision or if such information would make a material difference in the discussion.
Therefore, Ten's belief that he is being called anti-American or anti-gambling is incorrect.
One difficulty in resolving this matter is that it increasing looks like a personal grudge against me and not based on my actions. The reason I think this is that there is little evidence that the unblock was bad, except that some people are opposed to unblocking on principle. It would look a little less of a grudge if Ten or someone pointed out what was wrong.
For example, if someone said "the policy doesn't require blocking but in practice we always block that kind of name", then it could be an example to learn. If someone says "when an administrator blocks someone, we never unblock them unless the user has an airtight case and the administrator is clearly abusive; even if there is only a weak explanation by the administrator, this is sufficient" then I would follow this (and likely try to convince others that such practice is not good for Misplaced Pages).
You can be of assistance in mentorship. You could e-mail me and say "look Archtransit, we have some customs in WP that we don't ....." This unblock of thepokeratlas was an attempt to follow policy. Look at the big picture. Was Misplaced Pages harmed? Did thepokeratlas destroy articles? No. Did thepokeratlas try to advertise thepokeratlas.com? No, but I educated him on WP policy. Is thepokeratlas so angry that he/she wants to attack WP? I don't think so. Incorporate this incident into our lesson and it will help. Archtransit (talk) 00:22, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Hey Maximillion. The reason why we have Special:Unwatchedpages only open to admins is because it's open to a serious ammount of abuse - even for a short period of time, a page could be subjected to seriously bad editing, especially BLP violations. Given the problems with rollback, I wouldn't suggest adding a new usergoup for this. It would be good however if somehow we could reduce the page to next to nothing, and then open it up - the problem now is that we just have too many pages on it. Ryan Postlethwaite05:06, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
I just wanted to say...
I'd send you cookies or kittens or whatever those templates are I see on people's userpages, to send to folks who are having a bad day; but I'm not in a Hallmark-card kind of mood anyway. Listen: You and Riana really tried to do a good thing, and I'm sure you're getting a fair amount of crap (or at least "told you so"s)--but I just wanted to say, thank you for trying. People can say what they want and quote acronyms til they're blue, but the sad fact is, WP:ABF is way more commonly-observed than WP:AGF--and you two clearly AGF'ed WAY beyond the call of duty. I saw the length of one of those subpages you were working on with him--that's a lot of time, and I'm sure you have one of those wacky non-Misplaced Pages things I keep hearing about....what's it called again? Oh yeah: a "life".
Short form (nearly impossible for me): You tried, and you were right to try; try not to let this make you TOO bitter, even though you'd have to be nearly superhuman not to feel a LITTLE bit jaded after all this. Keep your head up--your effort, at the very least, was appreciated. Gladys J Cortez04:03, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Seconded. None of this was your fault. If anybody tries to rub your nose in it, you have my permission to tell them to FOAD (though you're probably too nice a guy for that). Raymond Arritt (talk) 04:08, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Thank you guys, it means a lot coming from two respected users, but I do share some of the blame for this – there were clearly very serious concerns raised even without the sock evidence and I should probably have stayed out of it and let the RfC run its course. I didn’t expect this. Obviously my prides been hit now, but it’s not the be all and end all – I’ll bounce back and I’ll take this as a learning curve. Thanks again – I appreciate the comments. Ryan Postlethwaite04:18, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, me too, Ryan. Yourself an Riana did a super job in trying to work with the guy and giving him every fair chance. Not your fault at all and just about everyone was carried along with this. You both did your utmost here - Alison04:25, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Cheers Alison, it's much appreciated - I guess assuming good faith is better than assuming bad faith. Thanks a lot for your efforts with doing the CU investigations, this wouldn't have been uncovered without your time and efforts. Ryan Postlethwaite04:37, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Quite agree with all of the above, Ryan and Riana. And I hope one of the lessons you will take with you is that the community stands behind your trying so hard with Archtransit. I have no doubt that you'd do it again for another editor or admin who needs a helping hand. (Okay, maybe not tomorrow...but in due time) --Risker (talk) 04:38, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Thanks Risker, it means a lot especially considering me and you haven’t always seen eye to eye on some issues, but please be aware, I always respect your opinion because a lot of thought goes into it. I will most probably offer to mentor people in the future – it’s (unfortunately!?) in my nature, but as I said above, it’s a learning curve for me and I’ll take it into account when helping people in the future. Ryan Postlethwaite04:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Chin up, old bean. You did a damn fine job in your attempt to mentor Archtransit, in the best traditions of Misplaced Pages community-building. Few (none?) of the rest of us noticed the socking; there's no shame in your not catching it either. I promise you that not all mentees will turn out to be abusive sockpuppeteers! Cheers, TenOfAllTrades(talk) 04:42, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Wow, what can I say? You took a lot of crap from Arch and yet I still tried to defend him (although by the end, my patience was wearing thin). Thanks buddy and as always, if you have any concerns, by all means contact me – by email, IRC or on my talk – I respect my fellow wikipedians opinions, especially ones who do so much for the project. Ryan Postlethwaite04:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Chin up. You went above and beyond what any normal person should be expected to do. You're a really good admin/Wikipedian/person, and I'm sure you'll keep doing well. You and Riana assumed so much good faith it spilled out of my computer screen, and I really commend you for that. I also made a special lolcat for this, enjoy. (every bad situation can be solved by a lolcat.) Keilana| 04:45, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
Haha!! I love it! I guess it’s always good to bring humour into these things – we’d all get depressed otherwise. Like many of the above, I respect you a lot here, and your words are much appreciated here. On a side note, keep doing things as you have been – I know you get a lot of rubbish from SPA’s and socks, but all of us know you do a fantastic job. Ryan Postlethwaite04:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
