Greetings,

Please leave me any comments, criticisms, barnstars, kittens, cookies, or other paraphernalia at the bottom of this page—below the hearts and line as indicated below. If I do not respond promptly, it is because I am away from my computer for any number of reasons, and I will respond to your query as soon as I can. Please be patient, thank you.

I am kind of obsessed with the en dash (–). I find the following key to be a useful guide regarding proper use of the various dashes, hyphens, and minus signs. Each object aesthetically appears to look similar, but serves a different function:

  • The hyphen (-), is used to join multiple words that function together as a single concept, also referred to as a compound word.
  • The en dash (–) or "N dash", is named after the fact that it is approximately as wide as the capitalized letter "N", and is used to represent the words “to” or “through” when specifying a range.
  • The em dash (—) or "M dash", is named after the fact that it is approximately as wide as the capitalized letter "M, is the longest and most versatile dash. It is used to act as a more emphatic comma, semicolon, or colon.
  • The minus sign (−) or "negative sign", is the symbol used to show a negative value. This is not the same—though very close in appearance to—the en dash (–). Seen side-by-side: en dash first followed by the minus sign (– −), the minus sign is slightly higher than the en dash.

Source: https://www.wix.com/wordsmatter/blog/2020/07/hyphen-vs-dashes/

More on the en dash (–) and minus sign (−)...because they are so similar...

edit

To indicate a range of numbers, such as inclusive values, dates, or pages, use the en dash (–) Example: 2015–2017

Instead use a minus sign in instances such as the following example Example: 12 − 3 = 9

Use a minus sign to indicate negative numbers. Example: −79

Use an en dash (–) instead of a hyphen in a compound modifier when:

One element of the modifier is an open compound. Examples Windows 10–compatible products dialog box–type options

Two or more of the elements are made up of hyphenated compounds (a rare occurrence).

Don’t use an en dash to indicate an empty cell in a table.

Don’t use spaces on either side of an en dash.

Exception Surround an en dash with spaces when it's used as a minus sign in an equation or in a time stamp appearing in UI. Examples 12 – 3 = 9 2:15 PM 12/1/16 ‒ 4:45 PM 4/1/16.

In text, don’t use an en dash in a range of times. Use to instead: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. In a schedule or listing, use an en dash with no spaces around it: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM.

Exception In a date range that includes two times and two dates, add spaces around the en dash. Examples 2:15 AM‒4:45 PM 4/1/16 (time range on a single day) 2:15 PM 12/1/17 ‒ 4:45 PM 4/1/18 (range includes both time and date)

Source: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/punctuation/dashes-hyphens/enes


Please leave messages and comments below this line

edit

I regularly delete content on this page below this line. It just makes it easier for me to navigate, find, and respond to stuff. Anything above this section here, I have decided to keep for a longer time frame.


September 2022

edit
 
You have been blocked indefinitely from editing for abusing multiple accounts. Note that multiple accounts are allowed, but not for illegitimate reasons, and any contributions made while evading blocks or bans may be reverted or deleted.
If you think there are good reasons for being unblocked, please read the guide to appealing blocks, then add the following text below the block notice on your talk page: {{unblock|reason=Your reason here ~~~~}}.  GeneralNotability (talk) 01:20, 1 September 2022 (UTC)Reply
 
This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy).

Th78blue (block logactive blocksglobal blockscontribsdeleted contribsfilter logcreation logchange block settingsunblockcheckuser (log))


Request reason:

To Whom It May Concern, let the record show that I do not have multiple accounts. I would not even begin to have the time for one thing. I generally make dozens to hundreds of edits per day, nearly 95–99% of which are on basic and tedious changes including fixing hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes where one has been mistakenly misused in place of another, and working "Notable people" lists on various towns and cities. I also work on fixing date formatting where birth and death date formats are often poorly laid out on lesser known biographical articles and the like. Occasionally, I may wander over to more sensitive subjects as a matter of personal interest, but I do try to always at least remain civil, and do my best to help other editors that I think are doing solid work and that demonstrate they are here "...helping to build the encyclopedia." I also enjoy being a part of the TypoTeam, correcting for basic typos, I would not have the time to even start or manage another account! While I have noted some other editors work—you come to learn of other editors work after making nearly 40,000 edits after all—including the alleged sock/meat puppet Pulpfiction621, and I have sent them WikiLove such as cookies, strawberries and the like, as well as many other editors I am sure, any "puppetry" ends there. Lastly, as a user in good standing, I have never abused my permissions including Rollback, New page reviewer, or Pending changes reviewer, and I fully hope to continue to demonstrate my "un-sockness" to the community at large. Please unblock me, you will not regret it. Th78blue (talk) 16:49, 1 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Decline reason:

My findings concur with those of User:GeneralNotability, I'm afraid. Drmies (talk) 02:37, 7 September 2022 (UTC)Reply


If you want to make any further unblock requests, please read the guide to appealing blocks first, then use the {{unblock}} template again. If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired. Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked.

 
This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy).

Th78blue (block logactive blocksglobal blockscontribsdeleted contribsfilter logcreation logchange block settingsunblockcheckuser (log))


Request reason:

As has been previously documented, I have an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, and so I organize things on my page for ease of viewing since it is my talk page after all. As for any other editor/s, I cannot speak for them. Regarding the "overwhelming overlap", I did some digging myself to see what kind of overlap in question might exist, and I find that between Pulpfiction162 and myself, there was around ~400 edits of overlap I believe. Wow, that sure seems like a lot I suppose, but factor in that I have made 39,464 edits to date and you are looking at less than ~1%. Is that a lot? I really do not know at that point, but seems like not a lot to me. Certainly not "overwhelming"? In addition, I also add dozens if not hundreds of images to wikimedia. This is a project that has helped me to manage stress and given me purpose in life. I like updating breakfast cereal images and adding new ones where not present, and I even spend my own money on new cereals that I may only take images of for a single bowl specifically for this purpose, probably pretty wasteful, but some have such high sugar content that I cannot risk it either for the blood sugar adverse surges. I have three boxes of new cereals lined up at present and are ready to go with the images and the edit updates immediately pending an unblock. I only edit for myself and have read the full guide to appealing blocks, I think when taken on the whole, my edits are unquestionably a net positive for this fine project, and singularly unconnected to any other account. I believe these and other reasons to be sufficient, and to be good reasons, for a deeper look and a final appeal to please unblock me so I can get back to my favorite past time after a long and stressful day. Sometimes this encyclopedia induces some stress of its own! As many of you more experienced editors may agree, but as you will likely also agree, it has always been worth it to me, and I value your time invested in reading my appeal application and in considering what I have contributed and fully plan to continue to contribute if ultimately unblocked. Thank you very much. Th78blue (talk) 04:09, 7 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Decline reason:

Procedural decline only. This unblock request has been open for more than two weeks but has not proven sufficient for any reviewing administrator to take action. You are welcome to request a new block review if you substantially reword your request. To be unblocked, you must convince the reviewing administrator(s) that

  • the block is not necessary to prevent damage or disruption to Wikipedia, or
  • the block is no longer necessary because you
    1. understand what you have been blocked for,
    2. will not continue to cause damage or disruption, and
    3. will make useful contributions instead.

Please read the guide to appealing blocks for more information. signed, Rosguill talk 22:35, 29 December 2022 (UTC)Reply


If you want to make any further unblock requests, please read the guide to appealing blocks first, then use the {{unblock}} template again. If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired. Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked.

@Drmies:, what do you think? (Sorry for disturbing.) This unblock request has been up for nearly two months, and do you still agree with GeneralNotability on this sock block? It's been days and months since this happened, but I hope you brain functions well and rewind to the time when this user was blocked. ;) Sarrail (talk) 01:37, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
Sarrail, I hope you understand what I meant when I wrote what I wrote. There is only one way out, and that's by acknowledging that we found what we found. I don't understand this stuff about cereal boxes, it's a waste of my time, and if Th78blue wants to accomplish anything I think they know what they should do. Thank you, Drmies (talk) 01:41, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
I'm sorry about the time-wasting, I hope you get it back. Cheers, Sarrail (talk) 01:44, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
Is it automatically guessed that the user with more edits is the sock master (if in fact, this is a sock at all seems doubtful)? Are those the only factors involved? More edits, must be the sock master, fewer edits, the puppet? Also, would you mind explaining what you mean by this? "and if Th78blue wants to accomplish anything I think they know what they should do". Please and thank you. Riverbend21 (talk) 09:58, 31 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
Sometimes no. There are some users that have been blocked, only to go unnoticed. See WP:GOODHAND accounts. Sarrail (talk) 18:15, 1 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
I was wondering about the evidence in this case as well. Between the two editors, they've made about 50,000 edits...I don't see how they would have time to sock. I trust our Checkusers but often sockmasters are given a definite time block, not indefinite while the sockpuppets are indefinitely blocked. Does that depend on whether or not they are truthful? Liz Read! Talk! 03:20, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
That also goes along with me. Different pronouns, this account with nearly 40,000 edits...IMO, uncertainty lingers. I've known Th78blue for quite a time while reverting vandalism. I just don't understand how they were blocked. However, per Drmies' comment, we just need to leave it the way it is unless someone changes their mind. Sarrail (talk) 12:19, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
Since others are weighing in here, I might as well add my piece. I have no clue what degree the technical evidence was conclusive, so I can't reasonably speak at that. Logistically, if these two accounts are the same person, that would be somewhat difficult to pull off. I found there was at least one day (28 March 2022) where both were editing at the exact same time doing two different activities ([1][2]). That certainly does not rule out meatpuppetry (nor does it entirely rule out sockpuppetry either), but I'm not seeing the purpose if it was that. –MJLTalk 21:56, 1 November 2022 (UTC)Reply

"Zach Weissmueller" listed at Redirects for discussion

edit

  An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Zach Weissmueller and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 September 14#Zach Weissmueller until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. signed, Rosguill talk 17:15, 14 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

The Schmo moved to draftspace

edit

An article you recently created, The Schmo, is not suitable as written to remain published. It needs more citations from reliable, independent sources. (?) Information that can't be referenced should be removed (verifiability is of central importance on Wikipedia). I've moved your draft to draftspace (with a prefix of "Draft:" before the article title) where you can incubate the article with minimal disruption. When you feel the article meets Wikipedia's general notability guideline and thus is ready for mainspace, please click on the "Submit your draft for review!" button at the top of the page. Onel5969 TT me 13:22, 21 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

October 2022 New Pages Patrol backlog drive

edit
New Page Patrol | October 2022 backlog drive
 
  • On 1 October, a one-month backlog drive for New Page Patrol will begin.
  • Barnstars will be awarded based on the number of articles patrolled and for maintaining a streak throughout the drive.
  • Barnstars will also be awarded for re-reviewing articles.
  • Redirect patrolling is not part of the drive.
  • Sign up here!
You're receiving this message because you are a new page patroller. To opt-out of future mailings, please remove yourself here.

(t · c) buidhe 21:17, 23 September 2022 (UTC)Reply

Your draft article, Draft:Hakenkreuz

edit
 

Hello, Th78blue. It has been over six months since you last edited the Articles for Creation submission or Draft page you started, "Hakenkreuz".

In accordance with our policy that Wikipedia is not for the indefinite hosting of material deemed unsuitable for the encyclopedia mainspace, the draft has been deleted. If you plan on working on it further and you wish to retrieve it, you can request its undeletion. An administrator will, in most cases, restore the submission so you can continue to work on it.

Thanks for your submission to Wikipedia, and happy editing. Liz Read! Talk! 04:15, 4 October 2022 (UTC)Reply

Alex Gladstein moved to draftspace

edit

An article you recently created, Alex Gladstein, is not suitable as written to remain published. It needs more citations from reliable, independent sources. (?) Information that can't be referenced should be removed (verifiability is of central importance on Wikipedia). I've moved your draft to draftspace (with a prefix of "Draft:" before the article title) where you can incubate the article with minimal disruption. When you feel the article meets Wikipedia's general notability guideline and thus is ready for mainspace, please click on the "Submit your draft for review!" button at the top of the page. Onel5969 TT me 14:17, 9 October 2022 (UTC)Reply

Speedy deletion nomination of Jeremy Kauffman

edit
 

If this is the first article that you have created, you may want to read the guide to writing your first article.

You may want to consider using the Article Wizard to help you create articles.

A tag has been placed on Jeremy Kauffman, requesting that it be deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under two or more of the criteria for speedy deletion, by which pages can be deleted at any time, without discussion. If the page meets any of these strictly-defined criteria, then it may soon be deleted by an administrator. The reasons it has been tagged are:

If you think this page should not be deleted for this reason, you may contest the nomination by visiting the page and clicking the button labelled "Contest this speedy deletion". This will give you the opportunity to explain why you believe the page should not be deleted. However, be aware that once a page is tagged for speedy deletion, it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag from the page yourself, but do not hesitate to add information in line with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. If the page is deleted, and you wish to retrieve the deleted material for future reference or improvement, then please contact the deleting administrator, or if you have already done so, you can place a request here. David Gerard (talk) 18:42, 16 October 2022 (UTC)Reply

New Page Patrol newsletter October 2022

edit

Hello Th78blue,

 

Much has happened since the last newsletter over two months ago. The open letter finished with 444 signatures. The letter was sent to several dozen people at the WMF, and we have heard that it is being discussed but there has been no official reply. A related article appears in the current issue of The Signpost. If you haven't seen it, you should, including the readers' comment section.

Awards: Barnstars were given for the past several years (thanks to MPGuy2824), and we are now all caught up. The 2021 cup went to John B123 for leading with 26,525 article reviews during 2021. To encourage moderate activity, a new "Iron" level barnstar is awarded annually for reviewing 360 articles ("one-a-day"), and 100 reviews earns the "Standard" NPP barnstar. About 90 reviewers received barnstars for each of the years 2018 to 2021 (including the new awards that were given retroactively). All awards issued for every year are listed on the Awards page. Check out the new Hall of Fame also.

Software news: Novem Linguae and MPGuy2824 have connected with WMF developers who can review and approve patches, so they have been able to fix some bugs, and make other improvements to the Page Curation software. You can see everything that has been fixed recently here. The reviewer report has also been improved.

 
NPP backlog May – October 15, 2022

Suggestions:

  • There is much enthusiasm over the low backlog, but remember that the "quality and depth of patrolling are more important than speed".
  • Reminder: an article should not be tagged for any kind of deletion for a minimum of 15 minutes after creation and it is often appropriate to wait an hour or more. (from the NPP tutorial)
  • Reviewers should focus their effort where it can do the most good, reviewing articles. Other clean-up tasks that don't require advanced permissions can be left to other editors that routinely improve articles in these ways (creating Talk Pages, specifying projects and ratings, adding categories, etc.) Let's rely on others when it makes the most sense. On the other hand, if you enjoy doing these tasks while reviewing and it keeps you engaged with NPP (or are guiding a newcomer), then by all means continue.
  • This user script puts a link to the feed in your top toolbar.

Backlog:

 

Saving the best for last: From a July low of 8,500, the backlog climbed back to 11,000 in August and then reversed in September dropping to below 6,000 and continued falling with the October backlog drive to under 1,000, a level not seen in over four years. Keep in mind that there are 2,000 new articles every week, so the number of reviews is far higher than the backlog reduction. To keep the backlog under a thousand, we have to keep reviewing at about half the recent rate!

Reminders
  • Newsletter feedback - please take this short poll about the newsletter.
  • If you're interested in instant messaging and chat rooms, please join us on the New Page Patrol Discord, where you can ask for help and live chat with other patrollers.
  • Please add the project discussion page to your watchlist.
  • If you are no longer very active on Wikipedia or you no longer wish to be a reviewer, please ask any admin to remove you from the group. If you want the tools back again, just ask at PERM.
  • To opt out of future mailings, please remove yourself here.

New Pages Patrol newsletter January 2023

edit

Hello Th78blue,

 
New Page Review queue December 2022
Backlog

The October drive reduced the backlog from 9,700 to an amazing 0! Congratulations to WaddlesJP13 who led with 2084 points. See this page for further details. The queue is steadily rising again and is approaching 2,000. It would be great if <2,000 were the “new normal”. Please continue to help out even if it's only for a few or even one patrol a day.

2022 Awards
 

Onel5969 won the 2022 cup for 28,302 article reviews last year - that's an average of nearly 80/day. There was one Gold Award (5000+ reviews), 11 Silver (2000+), 28 Iron (360+) and 39 more for the 100+ barnstar. Rosguill led again for the 4th year by clearing 49,294 redirects. For the full details see the Awards page and the Hall of Fame. Congratulations everyone!

Minimum deletion time: The previous WP:NPP guideline was to wait 15 minutes before tagging for deletion (including draftification and WP:BLAR). Due to complaints, a consensus decided to raise the time to 1 hour. To illustrate this, very new pages in the feed are now highlighted in red. (As always, this is not applicable to attack pages, copyvios, vandalism, etc.)

New draftify script: In response to feedback from AFC, the The Move to Draft script now provides a choice of set messages that also link the creator to a new, friendly explanation page. The script also warns reviewers if the creator is probably still developing the article. The former script is no longer maintained. Please edit your edit your common.js or vector.js file from User:Evad37/MoveToDraft.js to User:MPGuy2824/MoveToDraft.js

Redirects: Some of our redirect reviewers have reduced their activity and the backlog is up to 9,000+ (two months deep). If you are interested in this distinctly different task and need any help, see this guide, this checklist, and spend some time at WP:RFD.

Discussions with the WMF The PageTriage open letter signed by 444 users is bearing fruit. The Growth Team has assigned some software engineers to work on PageTriage, the software that powers the NewPagesFeed and the Page Curation toolbar. WMF has submitted dozens of patches in the last few weeks to modernize PageTriage's code, which will make it easier to write patches in the future. This work is helpful but is not very visible to the end user. For patches visible to the end user, volunteers such as Novem Linguae and MPGuy2824 have been writing patches for bug reports and feature requests. The Growth Team also had a video conference with the NPP coordinators to discuss revamping the landing pages that new users see.

Reminders
  • Newsletter feedback - please take this short poll about the newsletter.
  • There is live chat with patrollers on the New Page Patrol Discord.
  • Please add the project discussion page to your watchlist.
  • If you no longer wish to be a reviewer, please ask any admin to remove you from the group. If you want the tools back again, just ask at PERM.
  • To opt out of future mailings, please remove yourself here.

Concern regarding Draft:The Schmo

edit

  Hello, Th78blue. This is a bot-delivered message letting you know that Draft:The Schmo, a page you created, has not been edited in at least 5 months. Drafts that have not been edited for six months may be deleted, so if you wish to retain the page, please edit it again or request that it be moved to your userspace.

If the page has already been deleted, you can request it be undeleted so you can continue working on it.

Thank you for your submission to Wikipedia. FireflyBot (talk) 14:01, 21 February 2023 (UTC)Reply

Concern regarding Draft:Alex Gladstein

edit

  Hello, Th78blue. This is a bot-delivered message letting you know that Draft:Alex Gladstein, a page you created, has not been edited in at least 5 months. Drafts that have not been edited for six months may be deleted, so if you wish to retain the page, please edit it again or request that it be moved to your userspace.

If the page has already been deleted, you can request it be undeleted so you can continue working on it.

Thank you for your submission to Wikipedia. FireflyBot (talk) 15:01, 11 March 2023 (UTC)Reply

Your draft article, Draft:The Schmo

edit
 

Hello, Th78blue. It has been over six months since you last edited the Articles for Creation submission or draft page you started, "The Schmo".

In accordance with our policy that Wikipedia is not for the indefinite hosting of material deemed unsuitable for the encyclopedia mainspace, the draft has been nominated for deletion. If you plan on working on it further, or editing it to address the issues raised if it was declined, simply edit the submission and remove the {{db-afc}}, {{db-draft}}, or {{db-g13}} code.

If your submission has already been deleted by the time you get there, and you wish to retrieve it, you can request its undeletion by following the instructions at this link. An administrator will, in most cases, restore the submission so you can continue to work on it.

Thank you for your submission to Wikipedia! Hey man im josh (talk) 14:33, 21 March 2023 (UTC)Reply

Your access to AWB may be temporarily removed

edit

Hello Th78blue! This message is to inform you that due to editing inactivity, your access to AutoWikiBrowser may be temporarily removed. If you do not resume editing within the next week, your username will be removed from the CheckPage. This is purely for routine maintenance and is not indicative of wrongdoing on your part. You may regain access at any time by simply requesting it at WP:PERM/AWB. Thank you! MusikBot II talk 17:22, 12 September 2023 (UTC)Reply

Nomination of Goldback for deletion

edit
 
A discussion is taking place as to whether the article Goldback is suitable for inclusion in Wikipedia according to Wikipedia's policies and guidelines or whether it should be deleted.

The article will be discussed at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Goldback until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. The nomination will explain the policies and guidelines which are of concern. The discussion focuses on high-quality evidence and our policies and guidelines.

Users may edit the article during the discussion, including to improve the article to address concerns raised in the discussion. However, do not remove the article-for-deletion notice from the top of the article until the discussion has finished.

Warrenᚋᚐᚊᚔ 22:10, 9 December 2023 (UTC)Reply