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The Signpost: 1 January 2023

Administrators' newsletter – January 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (December 2022).

Administrator changes

added
readded Stephen
removed

Interface administrator changes

removed Nihiltres

Guideline and policy news

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

  • Voting for the Sound Logo has closed and the winner is expected to be announced February to April 2023.
  • Tech tip: You can view information about IP addresses in a centralised location using bullseye which won the Newcomer award in the recent Coolest Tool Awards.

The Signpost: 16 January 2023

Administrators' newsletter – February 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (January 2023).

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

  • The Vector 2022 skin has become the default for desktop users of the English Wikipedia.

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

  • Voting in the 2023 Steward elections will begin on 05 February 2023, 21:00 (UTC) and end on 26 February 2023, 21:00 (UTC). The confirmation process of current stewards is being held in parallel. You can automatically check your eligibility to vote.
  • Voting in the 2023 Community Wishlist Survey will begin on 10 February 2023 and end on 24 February 2023. You can submit, discuss and revise proposals until 6 February 2023.
  • Tech tip: Syntax highlighting is available in both the 2011 and 2017 Wikitext editors. It can help make editing paragraphs with many references or complicated templates easier.

The Signpost: 4 February 2023

X is a chemical element -> X is the chemical element

I see that you are changing the lead of many articles on chemical elements from 'X is a chemical element ...' to 'X is the chemical element ...'. Please stop. This is not an improvement. Your understanding of English may not be good enough to make this type of edits, so please consider focusing your edits on something else than language. Thanks, ☿ Apaugasma (talk ) 17:33, 17 February 2023 (UTC)

@Apaugasma: I understand English perfectly... "Oxygen is the element with the symbol O" makes perfect sense; it is the only element with this symbol/atmoic number, so is better than using "a". --IWI (talk) 17:35, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
Please explain exactly how you think this is not an improvement; some element articles already use "the" for the same reason that I added it. --IWI (talk) 17:36, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
Grammatically both are correct, but idiomatically 'the' is worse here. If you disagree, ask other editors about this on an appropriate talk page (the wp:onus is on you in this case to show that it is an improvement).
Meanwhile, the "improvment" instead of "improvement" in your very user name speaks volumes about your English language skills. It would help everybody if you were more honest about this (I'm not a native speaker either).
Thanks, ☿ Apaugasma (talk ) 17:40, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
@Apaugasma: WP:CONTENTNOTCONTRIBUTOR. And, not that it matters, but I did that on purpose. I am from the United Kingdom, and I am a native speaker of English, please do not accuse me of lying about being a native speaker, that is simply a personal attack. WP:ONUS relates to verifiability but yes, I am aware that I would now need to obtain consensus. --IWI (talk) 17:55, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
In that case, your username is unhelpfully misleading. My apologies for the mass revert, but that's just the obverse side of WP:BOLD I guess. What you changed it to just seems worse to me.
I think it's got something to do with the lead sentence generally establishing what type of thing the subject of the article is, which kind of asks for an indefinite article. What is chlorine? It's a chemical element. What kind of chemical element? Well, it's a chemical element with the symbol x and the atomic number y. Sure it's also the chemical element with that symbol and number (the one and only), but that's not what we're trying to communicate. Anyway, that's my take on it. ☿ Apaugasma (talk ) 18:13, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
@Apaugasma: You don't have to apologise for reverting me; as you said I made a bold change and you disagreed, so reverting (even on numerous articles) is okay. The lead sentence has further context than the initial few words: yes chlorine is "a chemical element", but in this sentence "chlorine is the chemical element with the symbol Cl. No other element has this symbol/atomic number, so the definitive article is appropriate and, in my view, more specific. Maybe a reader isn't aware that different elements cannot have the same atomic number. "The" does not indicate it is the only chemical element in existence, so I can't personally see an issue with switching to it (though both ways are grammatically correct). --IWI (talk) 18:20, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
As a side note, in future it is best to comment on edits a user has done rather than speculating on the user themselves; it's more productive and collaborative. --IWI (talk) 18:22, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
You're right, but please do realize that there are a lot of editors out there with misspelled user names who do believe they're better at English than they really are. I have dealt with so many users of this type that I sometimes forget that there are always exceptions. Anyway, my apologies for that then, I do see how it must be unpleasant for you.
As for the wording of the lead sentences, as I said, to me it's about what we're trying to communicate, which is what the subject is ("a ...") not which one from an already known category ("the ... with ..."). Of course most readers will already know that it is a chemical element, that's not the issue, but we still word things this way simply because it is encyclopedic style. For this reason most lead sentences will contain "is a ...", "was a ...", "is one of ...", etc. I see how with the chemical elements "is the" might have its advantages, but consistency with the encyclopedic style we adhere to elsewhere seems more important to me.
That said, if other users editing articles on chemical element should prefer your proposed style, I will not object at all. Perhaps it's something to propose at WT:CHEMISTRY. ☿ Apaugasma (talk ) 18:47, 17 February 2023 (UTC)
Pardon me for intrusion into the discussion, @ImprovedWikiImprovment, could you please explain to a non-native speaker with the very basic skills (i.e. me) a couple of things:
  1. Why did you use a (saying "I am a native speaker of English...") instead of the? After all, you wrote about a unique person (yourself), or should I say "the unique person"?
  2. You wrote that some articles have the and other have a. Why did you choose to alter "a to the", but not "the to a"?
Tosha Langue (talk) 02:33, 18 February 2023 (UTC)
@Tosha Langue: No problem. So I'm saying that Oxygen is the only element with the symbol O and atomic number 8 (Oxygen is not one of many elements with this number "a element with the symbol", it is "the element with the symbol…". An example in a different article is Sun "the Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System" (because the Sun is the only star in the Solar System); if "a" was used, it wouldn't be clear that there are not other stars. --IWI (talk) 08:49, 18 February 2023 (UTC)
Therefore, the both statements (a and the) have their own semantics.
a-statement expresses that X is a chemical element (among other chemical elements), and it uses to be designated with the symbol X and the number Y.
the-statement expresses that X is the only chemical element with given parameters (symbol X and number Y).
Right? If so, then the later statement treats the notion of chemical element like a logical unit (which the chemical element is not). The first one treats it like an abstract entity (which the chemical element is). Tosha Langue (talk) 17:21, 18 February 2023 (UTC)
Are chemical elements not logical units, specifically definable with mathematics in science (atomic number)? --IWI (talk) 17:24, 18 February 2023 (UTC)
Yes, atoms are logical units, chemical elements are a mere historically defined reflection of the arrangement of matter. Tosha Langue (talk) 17:48, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

@Apaugasma: Yes I may bring it up there at a later point. Best regards, --IWI (talk) 18:50, 17 February 2023 (UTC)

The Signpost: 20 February 2023

TheWikiWizard - February 2023

Hey, ImprovedWikiImprovment! Here is the February 2023 issue for the TheWikiWizard!

Humor

  • Have you finished raking up those leaves from fall?
  • Are you making your list yet for next Christmas? Only 10ish more months to go! It's never too early ;-)

Wiki(P/M)edia News

  • Wikipedia (EN) has a new look! Remember, if you prefer the old look and are logged in, you can go to preferences to change back to the old vector skin!
  • WMF (Wikimedia Foundation) is going to update it's terms of use, you can find out more here
  • There is a planned test that will take place with the servers, and it may affect your ability to make changes for a period of time, more information can be found here
  • We've got some new RFA's (Requests for Adminship) on EN Wikipedia that took place since the last issue!

Editor's Notes

  • Happy 2023! This is the first issue of the year!
  • If you ever want to help out with TWW please let us know! Please note TWW issues may be delayed, but we haven't forgotten about TWW!
Like this Issue? Got Feedback? Spot a mistake? Discuss this issue here

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See you next time. We hope you have a great 2023! --つがる Talk to つがる:) 🍁 01:10, 25 February 2023 (UTC)
This issue was delivered to you by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) at 01:17, 25 February 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – March 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (February 2023).

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

Arbitration

Miscellaneous

  • The 2023 appointees for the Ombuds commission are AGK, Ameisenigel, Bennylin, Daniuu, Emufarmers, Faendalimas, JJMC89, MdsShakil, Minorax and Renvoy as regular members and Zabe as advisory members.
  • Following the 2023 Steward Elections, the following editors have been appointed as stewards: Mykola7, Superpes15, and Xaosflux.
  • The Terms of Use update cycle has started, which includes a [p]roposal for better addressing undisclosed paid editing. Feedback is being accepted until 24 April 2023.

The Signpost: 9 March 2023

The Signpost: 20 March 2023

The Signpost: 03 April 2023

Administrators' newsletter – April 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2023).

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

Arbitration


The Signpost: 26 April 2023

Administrators' newsletter – May 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • A request for comment about removing administrative privileges in specified situations is open for feedback.

Technical news

Arbitration

Miscellaneous


The Signpost: 8 May 2023

The Signpost: 22 May 2023

TheWikiWizard - May 2023

Hey, ImprovedWikiImprovment! Here is the May 2023 edition for the TheWikiWizard!

Humor

  • Now is the time to start writing those Christmas cards and do the Christmas shopping! Come December, you can sit back and edit Wikipedia! ;)
  • When it snows in December/Winter, stock up the snow in your freezer, so when it gets hot you can do a snowball fight in the summer!

Wiki(P/M)edia News

  • A conversation with trustees event took place on the 18th of May. You can read more details on the event here!
  • On the English Wikipedia some RFAs which took place the past few months. You can see the full details at the RFA main page.
  • There is a event (Conference) that is taking place in city of Belgrade. More details on the event can be found by clicking on the link!

Editor's Notes

  • I apologies for the delay in the issues, however I can guarantee you that I am always thinking of TWW and haven't forgotten about it :) School's so busy!
  • If you want to help out TWW, let me know!
Like this Issue? Got Feedback? Spot a mistake? Discuss this issue here

To change your subscription, or to subscribe click Here.

  • Please note: Sometimes the system may deliver the issue twice for you, but I only send it once. I'm not sure what the issue is so I apologize for this.
Hope you enjoyed this issue! --つがる Talk to つがる:) 🍁 00:23, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

The Signpost: 5 June 2023

Administrators' newsletter – June 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (May 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • Following an RfC, editors indefinitely site-banned by community consensus will now have all rights, including sysop, removed.
  • As a part of the Wikimedia Foundation's IP Masking project, a new policy has been created that governs the access to temporary account IP addresses. An associated FAQ has been created and individual communities can increase the requirements to view temporary account IP addresses.

Technical news

  • Bot operators and tool maintainers should schedule time in the coming months to test and update their tools for the effects of IP masking. IP masking will not be deployed to any content wiki until at least October 2023 and is unlikely to be deployed to the English Wikipedia until some time in 2024.

Arbitration

  • The arbitration case World War II and the history of Jews in Poland has been closed. The topic area of Polish history during World War II (1933-1945) and the history of Jews in Poland is subject to a "reliable source consensus-required" contentious topic restriction.

Miscellaneous


The Signpost: 19 June 2023

Administrators' newsletter – July 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (June 2023).

Administrator changes

added Novem Linguae
removed

Bureaucrat changes

removed MBisanz

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

Arbitration

  • Two arbitration cases are currently open. Proposed decisions are expected 5 July 2023 for the Scottywong case and 9 July 2023 for the AlisonW case.

The Signpost: 3 July 2023

The Signpost: 17 July 2023

The Signpost: 1 August 2023

Administrators' newsletter – August 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2023).

Administrator changes

added Firefangledfeathers
removed

Interface administrator changes

added Novem Linguae

Technical news

Arbitration


The Signpost: 15 August 2023

Addition of Shire county to UK place infoboxes

Hi @ImprovedWikiImprovment. Couple of the changes you've recently made to West Midland settlements popped up on my watchlist. Get what you've added, however the Shire county definition isn't consistent with the Cambridge Dictionary definition here: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/shire-county nor does it accord with material in Wikipedia Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England (although there's a citation needed tag for that). Before going ahead with more such changes, it might be a good idea to seek other editors' opinion on whether these additions are 'justified'. I'm gonna raise this on the Talk page of WP:UKGEO. Rupples (talk) 14:38, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

@Rupples: I will stop now that I’ve seen this, but I am entitled to be bold and not require consensus until challenged, which seems to be the current situation. --IWI (talk) 17:25, 22 August 2023 (UTC)
Quite right. Personally, finding the additions informative. Carry on if there's no objection. Cheers. Rupples (talk) 17:33, 22 August 2023 (UTC)
@Rupples: I’ll keep watch to see if anyone objects. Thanks, --IWI (talk) 17:39, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

The Signpost: 31 August 2023

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • Following an RfC, TFAs will be automatically semi-protected the day before it is on the main page and through the day after.
  • A discussion at WP:VPP about revision deletion and oversight for dead names found that [s]ysops can choose to use revdel if, in their view, it's the right tool for this situation, and they need not default to oversight. But oversight could well be right where there's a particularly high risk to the person. Use your judgment.

Technical news

Arbitration

  • The SmallCat dispute case has closed. As part of the final decision, editors participating in XfD have been reminded to be careful about forming local consensus which may or may not reflect the broader community consensus. Regular closers of XfD forums were also encouraged to note when broader community discussion, or changes to policies and guidelines, would be helpful.

Miscellaneous

  • Tech tip: The "Browse history interactively" banner shown at the top of Special:Diff can be used to easily look through a history, assemble composite diffs, or find out what archive something wound up in.

The Signpost: 16 September 2023

TheWikiWizard - September 2023

Hello, ImprovedWikiImprovment! Here is the September 2023 for the TheWikiWizard!

Wiki(p/m)edia News

  • On the EN Wikipedia, there were 4 successful RFAs between the period of July and September! Congrats to the candidates! Also on Simple English Wikipedia, they had 1 successful RFA in August!
  • For those wondering why you were unable to edit for a period of time on 20th September, there was a server testing going on. You can follow the link to read more. We will always inform you here if one of these kinds of tests is going to take place, or has taken place. You can also head on over to the Meta Wiki main page, information on these kinds of tests will always be displayed there.
  • Did you know you that Wikimedia Commons has monthly photo challenges? You can check out more here!
  • The USA has viewed Wikipedia 4 Billion times in August!
  • The Talysh Wikipedia was recently created!

Humor

  • It's almost fall again! (or is it already?) Don't fall on fallen leaves!
  • One moment it's raining, the next its too hot. Welcome to fall!

Editor's Notes

  • Quite a bit has happened since our last issue! Thanks for your patience during our gap of inactivity between issues!
  • Thank you for reading TWW!
Like this Issue? Got Feedback? Spot a mistake? Discuss this issue here

To change your subscription, or to subscribe click Here.

See you again in the next issue! --つがる Talk to つがる:) 🍁 15:54, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

This issue was sent to you by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) at 15:56, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

The Signpost: 3 October 2023

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2023).

Guideline and policy news

  • An RfC is open regarding amending the paid-contribution disclosure policy to add the following text: Any administrator soliciting clients for paid Wikipedia-related consulting or advising services not covered by other paid-contribution rules must disclose all clients on their userpage.

Technical news

  • Administrators can now choose to add the user's user page to their watchlist when changing the usergroups for a user. This works both via Special:UserRights and via the API. (T272294)

Arbitration

Miscellaneous


The Signpost: 23 October 2023

The Signpost: 6 November 2023

Administrators' newsletter – November 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (October 2023).

Administrator changes

added 0xDeadbeef
readded Tamzin
removed Dennis Brown

Interface administrator changes

added Pppery
removed

Guideline and policy news

Technical news

Arbitration

  • Eligible editors are invited to self-nominate themselves from 12 November 2023 until 21 November 2023 to stand in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections.
  • Xaosflux, RoySmith and Cyberpower678 have been appointed to the Electoral Commission for the 2023 Arbitration Committee Elections. BusterD is the reserve commissioner.
  • Following a motion, the contentious topic designation of Prem Rawat has been struck. Actions previously taken using this contentious topic designation are still in force.
  • Following several motions, multiple topic areas are no longer designated as a contentious topic. These contentious topic designations were from the Editor conduct in e-cigs articles, Liancourt Rocks, Longevity, Medicine, September 11 conspiracy theories, and Shakespeare authorship question cases.
  • Following a motion, remedies 3.1 (All related articles under 1RR whenever the dispute over naming is concerned), 6 (Stalemate resolution) and 30 (Administrative supervision) of the Macedonia 2 case have been rescinded.
  • Following a motion, remedy 6 (One-revert rule) of the The Troubles case has been amended.
  • An arbitration case named Industrial agriculture has been opened. Evidence submissions in this case close 8 November.

Miscellaneous


The Signpost: 20 November 2023

ArbCom 2023 Elections voter message

Hello! Voting in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on Monday, 11 December 2023. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.

The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.

If you wish to participate in the 2023 election, please review the candidates and submit your choices on the voting page. If you no longer wish to receive these messages, you may add {{NoACEMM}} to your user talk page. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 00:49, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

Happy Birthday!

The Signpost: 4 December 2023

Administrators' newsletter – December 2023

News and updates for administrators from the past month (November 2023).

Guideline and policy news

Arbitration

  • Following a motion, the Extended Confirmed Restriction has been amended, removing the allowance for non-extended-confirmed editors to post constructive comments on the "Talk:" namespace. Now, non-extended-confirmed editors may use the "Talk:" namespace solely to make edit requests related to articles within the topic area, provided that their actions are not disruptive.
  • The Arbitration Committee has announced a call for Checkusers and Oversighters, stating that it will currently be accepting applications for CheckUser and/or Oversight permissions at any point in the year.
  • Eligible users are invited to vote on candidates for the Arbitration Committee until 23:59 December 11, 2023 (UTC). Candidate statements can be seen here.

The Signpost: 24 December 2023