User:Matty.007/Adoption-Fort esc

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Home Talk Barnstars, Food, Kittens... My DYKs My Good Articles Please help get these British people up to GA Guestbook Adoption Homepage Userboxes I've Made Funny Stuff Things I have CSDed Please help out creating these vital pages  


  • checkY Good answer; correctly addresses all points relevant to the question and shows a sound understanding of the issues involved.
  • checkY Nearly a good answer, just something is missing-I will say what
  • ☒N Wrong answer; shows a misunderstanding or wrong answer

You need to get a minimum of 7/10 to move on to the next lesson, if you do not, I will create a new test on that lesson for you to try[edit]

Hi Fort esc, before we begin, I am going to ask you a few questions:

  1. Do you want to be called Fort esc, or do you want me to call you by your first name?
  2. What country are you from (for timings)?
  3. Is there anything you especially want covered?

Thanks, Matty.007 17:11, 8 September 2013 (UTC)

  1. Whatever you prefer
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Not sure really

Fort esc (talk), 8 September 2013

Please choose a name preference, after all, it is nicer to be leaning towards what you want. So, do you want to be called Fort eesc, or by your first name (which I would need to be told). Thanks, Matty.007 17:35, 8 September 2013 (UTC)

OK then, Fort_esc it is (my name is Ashley btw) Fort esc (talk),8 September 2013

Thanks for the reply Fort esc. For the sake of me knowing who posted what, please can you sign your posts with three tildes, ~~~ as this posts only your name. What kind of areas are you going to try and help in Wikipedia: will you create new pages, work behind the scenes on typos, patrol new pages. etc. etc.? Thanks, Matty.007

I've been editing TV pages mainly and i don't plan on creating many pages myself. I use the Watchlist to patrol many pages.. does that count? Fort esc (talk) 19:54, 8 September 2013 (UTC)

That's good. First things coming up... (Thanks for signing your post). Matty.007

Talk page etiquette[edit]

I thought that etiquette in how to get your message across to other editors was quite important, so here is a nice thing which I found whilst looking at someone's talk page to start off with:

QUICK TIP

Indent your posts with colons. Like this:

I like bunnies.
:Me too.
::So we both like bunnies?
:::Yep. Looks that way.
::::Pretty stupid conversaton.
:::::Yep. Did I tell you I'm left handed?
::::::No kidding? Me too. :)

I like kittens.
:Me too.
::So we both like kittens?
Copied from a post by Anna Frodesiak

So, to indent a post, which is what is meant to happen with a new post, you put a colon at the front of your sentence, as seen above (it gets automatically changed into an indent). Remember to sign your talk page posts, with four tildes, that is, four of ~~~~.

  • For a new paragraph, input enter twice, which will initiate a new paragraph.
  • Use * for a bullet point
  • Please don't make long rambling posts on talk pages which are tortuously long to read, instead, make short concise notes
  • Don't SHOUT
  • Use wikilinks where appropriate, sometimes with | piping
  • Put new posts at the bottom of talk pages
  • Make a new heading for new topics, e.g. == Heading ==
  • Don't make personal attacks
  • You can use {{outdent|:::::}} if the discussion gets indented too much, change the colons for the amount that there are, and it will bring the discussion back to the left

Sorry, quite a lot this time, take your time to read over it, and any questions, just ask! Matty.007

Please acknowledge when you have read this. Thanks, Matty.007

OK, read all this.. makes sence and i knew some of it anyway. Fort esc (talk) 20:44, 8 September 2013

I figured that you would probably know most of this, but it is best to go over it, as opposed to making mistakes. I am quite busy in the week, so adoption stuff will go up around once per week. Thanks, Matty.007 18:03, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

That's OK, once a week sounds good.. I'm just curious what type of assignments you will set me? I had a quick look at OscarLake's and found the later tasks very confusing and were covering subjects/topics that are new to me. Although this will depend on what you set me, i think i will struggle to complete the average task!

I'd say i only have a basic knowledge of Wikipedia. The option to choose tasks would be very helpful. I also completed my user page last night, could you have a look and give me some advice?

Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 19:47, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

I think that you're newer now than when I took OscarLake on, and I will try and write things in the simplest terms, and build up. By choosing tasks, do you mean having a few tasks that you can choose from? I set varying assignments, from testing out gadgets, to answering questions, as you likely saw on OscarLake's page. Thanks, Matty.007 19:53, 9 September 2013 (UTC)
Your userpage looks great, you have got a better grip on Babel (I think that's what it's called) than I have; that is, getting the userboxes to stack up.... Bear in mind that for other Wikipedia pages, you can put [[Page name]], and if you want it to read as something other than the page name, use piping, see [[User:Matty.007|my homepage]] comes out as my homepage. I am only suggesting that as you have got single square brackets in your links at the bottom. You also seem to have got a better grasp of how pictures work than I do... One last thing, if you want to change the colour, or copy it to any of your other pages, then copy the text which starts "<div style="background:" to wherever you want the colour; to change colour, use this (the colours are the bits starting in #). Thanks, Matty.007 20:00, 9 September 2013 (UTC)
You seem to be finding your way around well, having got nearly 1000 edits already! Matty.007 20:02, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

I don't understand. I made my account in late May, 2012. When did you adopt OscarLake? Yes, sounds good. Some easy tasks please! Fixed the underscore (_) in my name. I know how to use piping and colours (seen it on many pages). Could you (or somebody else) review this page and Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge please? I'm very proud of my work. (Good references are quite hard to find.) Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:35, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

Yes, sorry, my mistake. I misread the year as 2013, as opposed to 2012. I think I adopted OscarLake in early June this year. I figured you may know about piping and colours, but I figured that it is better to make sure. By review, what do you mean? Matty.007 18:23, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
Not sure really, i think i mean something like reviewing good articles but i just wanted somebody to look over my work (like when you submit a new article for review). Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 19:02, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
You mean peer review? I will have a read over at the weekend if I remember, and tell you here or on your talk page what I think could be improved. Thanks, Matty.007 19:07, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
That would be great. The first page is quite large by the way (shouldn't take too long to read). The second isn't as important, i'm concentrating on the larger 'main' page at the moment. Any help would be useful. Also, my userpage picture was taken down by Werieth today because it's a non-free file :( Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 19:32, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
OK, I will do the first page. I have had pictures taken off my userpage before, when I had less knowledge about copyright. I still am not 100% sure about how pictures on WP work, but I know a little. Thanks, Matty.007 16:42, 11 September 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, will you review it now or this weekend? I didn't think putting a picture on my userpage would be a problem; it was taken from a website and originally uploaded on the French article. I had some help to get it onto the English page. Fort_esc (talk) 17:16, 11 September 2013 (UTC)
The image was copyrighted, that is, we uploaded it for the article, but only the article. I will look at the article at the weekend. Thanks, Matty.007 17:32, 11 September 2013 (UTC)

Requested feedback on Fort Boyard (TV series)[edit]

This is instead of this weeks assignment, things I noticed in the article:

  • In intro: "as Les Clés de Fort Boyard, shortened for the second series in 1991": shortened to what? Fort Boyard?
  • A look at the feedback shows that there is a common desire to have a table of winners, and/or participants (although given the number of series, a table of winners is more realistic)
  • "Set and filmed on the real Fort Boyard in France": is there a fake Fort Boyard?
  • 'UK Cast' may need more sources (I appreciate that these may be difficult)
  • Have you considered creating the red link pages of Alain Prévost, Anthony Laborde, Monique d`Angeon, and Yves Marchesseau? If you do, create them with over 1500 characters, and they can be nominated for DYK (if you're interested in DYK, let me know and I'll do something on it)
  • Fort Boyard cast: "due to the return of the tigers" doesn't make any sense to me. Real tigers?
  • The table in the "List of national presenters" section is completely empty
  • In 'Figures': "Here are the numbers (French version included)" numbers worldwide? UK and France figures? Figures being viewers, contestants, episodes...

(Note for me: down to 'Phase 1') I didn't realise how big the article was, and I was quite busy. I got nearly halfway through the article, and will do the rest next weekend. Thanks, Matty.007 17:07, 15 September 2013 (UTC)

OK, i will answer those questions. Have you ever watched the show?
  1. Yes
  2. The format the UK versions had was one-team (members of the pubic) playing in each episode. Only a few teams in the UK version failed to win any money. (Read the rest of the page to know why) Celebrity charity specials were also filmed, mentioned already.
  3. This page has a list of most contestants (age, where they are from, jobs, picture of the team and amount won) but isn't complete. Also has some info on the foriegn versions but most still isn't completed. Working progress i think.
  4. I will removed the word "real". Not a fake fort or show i'm aware of. I think the editor meant the fort was real and it's not a game show filmed in a television studio. The Crystal Maze wasn't a real place, that was filmed in a studio. (Although the fort is technically a large outdoor television studio since 1989)
  5. The whole page is mostly sourced via the External links.
  6. No, not really because there's not much information about the actors (outside the show) online. I wouldn't want to copy huge chunks off a website. Only Alain has a wikipedia page (in French). He is a notable part of the show and is quite famous in France.
  7. Yes. In the UK kids duel version, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge, the tigers are not present on the fort for safety reasons (obviously). Tigers and children don't mix!
  8. What device are you using? It's a collapsible box so open it. Four in total on the page.
  9. Number of episodes filmed each year in all versions. Should i add more text to explain it better? Maybe change section title to "Statistics" etc.?
Would these sites be good references (if required). Both are dedicaed to the UK version/s, lots of info on both pages here and here. Not been updated in several years though. (Second link is an archived page)

Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:23, 15 September 2013 (UTC)

I missed the show button on the table, sorry. In response to the references, the first is a privately updated site, done by one person, see here. The second says it's a mirror of the same page. Using external links as sources will need proper referencing, with [1]s, as opposed to listing them in the external links (I think that's right). The feedback page didn't link properly above, so here it is. Thanks, Matty.007 17:49, 16 September 2013 (UTC)
I'm really sorry, but for reasons in 'real life', I will not be on Wikipedia so much for the next week or so. Apologies, Matty.007 16:15, 25 September 2013 (UTC)
Oh OK, i hope everything is ok :) Is there anything i could be doing while your away (assignments exc.)? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 17:51, 25 September 2013 (UTC)
Nothing serious, thankfully. You could, if you create articles (which I have seen that you don't really) then you could nominate them for DYK, a way of boosting views by the article going in the 'Did you know' section in the main page. I quite enjoy doing it, but it is about what you enjoy on WP, but can depend on if you create articles. Otherwise, just explore new parts of the Wiki. Thanks, Matty.007 19:19, 25 September 2013 (UTC)
Do you have any objection with me leaving off adoption for a short while (up to a few weeks) whilst I focus on getting a project I am working on to Featured List? Thanks, Matty.007 17:11, 4 October 2013 (UTC)
Not really. Do you need any help? (helping could be like an assignment?) Fort_esc (talk) 17:21, 4 October 2013 (UTC)
Well, if you want to help, it's at User:Matty.007/sandbox/List of currencies in Europe, there's also some stuff on the talk page, but one of those things would involve another column. What I am doing at the minute is adding in the information, and moving things into the correct column. Also, as it will hopefully be a FL, it will need sources on everything. However, it could be an optional task to get a feel for lists, which I suspect you have already mastered, but feel free to help whenever, or not at all. Thanks, Matty.007 18:00, 4 October 2013 (UTC)
Do you have any objection to having a dabble in other areas to what you're used to? Thanks, Matty.007 18:18, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
No, not at all. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 19:37, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
Is new page patrolling OK (and do you know anything about it)? Thanks, Matty.007 19:34, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
Yeah that's fine. Not sure, is it like a watchlist but for new pages? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 19:49, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
It's where pages get tagged if they have issues; or given a tick if they're OK. I have just about ceased editing for today, so will put it up in the next couple of days. Thanks, Matty.007 20:17, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
OK, cool. I do like tidying up messy pages.. fixing tables, adding infoboxes and/or refs, for example. So is that my first assignment? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:45, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

New page patrol[edit]

You have already found the new pages feed (one of them, they have different layouts) which I prefer, but I think that there is one/two other pages. What happens in the new page patrol is where pages are tagged if they have issues (the banners, e.g. 'Not English' tag here here), or tagged for Speedy deletion/AFD/PRODed or PRODed for being a BLP with no references. Sorry for the list of types of deletion, but it is necessary for new page patrol.

With the new pages feed, there are some articles with a red '!' in a circle on the left, which means they are unreviewed. If you click on one, it opens in a new tab, and see the bar below. It will usually be on the top right, but can be bottom left. The small 'x' at the top has been replaced with an arrow, which when clicked closes the bar (don't do this, annoying to try and re-open). The 'i' is metadata, which isn't really needed for patrol, just a summary of notable times in the page (as far as I can gather). The heart sends wikilove, e.g. food/drink/kittens/barnstars for the quality of the page. The tick marks the page as reviewed, if there are no issues. The tag sign is to add tags to the article for issues (don't do what I originally did and overtag articles). The bin is for deleting for whatever reason. The fast forward button is to go onto the next page in the queue of new pages.

Important points to remember:

  • Don't bit newbies
  • Don't CSD it if unsure
  • If article may be improved, don't CSD it straight away
  • Feel free to talk to the user who created the page
  • (If it has over 1500 bytes of readable prose, it can be nominated for DYK)
  • Feel free to have a look at Wikipedia:New pages patrol

Sorry if the set up above is unclear.

Assignment 1[edit]

Review five articles, and link them. This includes adding tags, but not deleting, as I cannot see deleted pages. If you are unsure about anything, either ask or leave it alone. Good luck. (Feel free to do more than 5 if you enjoy it, but the more you do the more chance there is for something to go wrong.) Matty.007 09:33, 28 October 2013 (UTC)

OK, i'm struggling with this. I did one artictle, Dark Doctor (via the New Pages Feed), but the sidebox wasen't there so it won't count? I closed it the day before, when you posted the assignment. Help! Fort_esc (talk) 19:32, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
Hmm. The page curation page says "This Curation Toolbar is available to editors for any page (other than pages they themselves created) listed in the New Pages Feed. From that feed, click on any page title (or the "Review" button) to view that page, along with its Curation Toolbar, which appears as a gray vertical bar near the right edge of your browser window", so I don't know why it didn't work. It may have been because it had already been AfDed, and it may have been one of the few articles where the bar is (for whatever reason) at the very bottom left (i.e. scroll to bottom) of the page. Would you mind seeing if it is on another page please? Thanks, Matty.007 19:40, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
For me, it is at the very bottom left, scrolling down. Thanks, Matty.007 19:41, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
OK, got it back and now know where to find it - the Toolbox. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:12, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
Good. Are you OK to do this task now? (As a small note: in 'Useful links' on your userpage, you link to 'My watchlist page'; this links to the user clicking it's watchlist. Just thought you may want to know.)Thanks, Matty.007 20:29, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
I think so, doesn't look as difficult as i first thought! Noted, will take it away (don't need it there anyway). Working on my userpage.. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:48, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
Good. (Sorry to be annoying, but I thought you may want to know.) Thanks, Matty.007 20:54, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
OK, so i've done the following pages: Broken Hive Records, Lagarda Street, Joe Slater (actor), Damaan Valley, Virtual Riot and Our Place (foundation) I quite enjoyed doing that.. Also i created a new page yesterday - LA Productions. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 16:57, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
They are all good. The only thing I would say is that although they all had references, a few relied on one ref, so perhaps the one-source tag, or the ref improve tag. Otherwise that was good. Don't forget, if you have doubts, either ask, or just leave the article well alone. The article you created looks like a good first writing; are you planning on expanding it? Thanks, Matty.007 17:15, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
OK thanks for the tip. I'm not sure yet, i styled it upon 12 Yard and other similar pages. What should i be adding? Extra tag work: Tricked (TV series), Lancashire Football Clubs Have i passed the assignment? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 17:50, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
Yes, you passed, well done. The Tricked tag was good, with the Lancashire Football one I think it also needed a tag about the missing lead (I added the tag). With your article, I would say that the prose needs expanding, possibly with a few more references. However, I try and create bigger articles as I try to get them to DYK. Also, you have a bare reference (which I fixed with ProveIt GT). If you wanted to get it to DYK level, it would need to be about 1300 characters longer (excluding bullet points), by the 5 November. However, that would likely be a challenge. The prose needs referencing, as does the list (I think), either individually or with a list of things they were involved in. I had a look for references, and found the Liverpool Echo, the Liverpool Daily Post, a BBC Press Release, TV Wise, Liverpool Daily Post (again), and IMDb, and all this only on Google page 5. What I am trying to say is that I think the article needs some more prose; but feel free to ignore/take your time over this. (Several sources are about Moving On.) Thanks, and good luck, Matty.007 18:14, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
(Sorry to be a pain) I found a fair few sources about Colin McKeown, which may lead you to create an article/input a 'Founder' section, 1, 2, 3, 4 (probably the best, from The Guardian), 5, 6, 7, and more. Matty.007 18:20, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
Also some unsourced stuff here, which you may want to try and find sources for then use. Are you planning to create Colin_McKeown's article? Thanks, Matty.007 18:22, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
Fort_esc: are you going to write an article for Colin McKeown? Thanks, Matty.007 14:33, 9 November 2013 (UTC)
Probably not, but i might change my mind in the future. (Sorry about the late reply) Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 14:04, 10 November 2013 (UTC)
Are you interested in doing a lesson on DYK, or is it something you probably won't come into contact with so much? Thanks, Matty.007 20:22, 28 November 2013 (UTC)
Same as the previous reply, but feel free to explain DYK if you want (seen it on the main page). What's my next assignment? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 20:37, 28 November 2013 (UTC)
It sort of follows on from page patrol; but is a kind of specialist area, so it is best if I know whether you want to have a go or not (if you do, that would be your next assignment. Thanks, Matty.007 18:58, 29 November 2013 (UTC)
OK might aswell have a go.. see no point breaking the assignment layout. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 11:59, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

DYK[edit]

OK, this is more of a specialist area, but it is good to know about content development, i.e. how to expand articles, how to write them, and how to identify articles of a good quality. The rules at DYK are numerous, and listed here and here. I would advise having a look at those before doing anything at DYK, but I shall attempt to summarise the main elements of the rules:

  • Any article can be nominated within 5 days of mainspace creation, so long as it is over 1500 characters of readable prose (I use [[User:Dr pda/prosesize.js|this for character counting}
  • Any newly listed GA can be nominated within 5 days of listing (provided it hasn't been in DYK before) so long as it is over 1500 characters of readable prose
  • Any article which has had the number of prose characters expanded fivefold can be nominated within 5 days so long as it is over 1500 characters of readable prose
  • Any unsourced BLP which has had the prose expanded twofold and is newly sourced can be nominated within 5 days so long as it is over 1500 characters of readable prose
  • A rule of thumb is at least one source per paragraph, but more if possible
  • The hook (i.e. the "... that interesting fact") needs to have a source directly after where it is stated in the article
  • Everything stated in the hook must be stated and referenced in the article
  • Hooks should be neutral point of view (i.e. don't make mistakes such as I did here, especially with BLPs)
  • After you have five 'credits' (i.e. five articles have been on the main page after nomination by you) you need to begin reviewing one nomination per every article you nominate (this is called QPQ)
  • In the hook, the article being nominated must be bolded and linked
  • If you want to use an image, make sure it is fair use
  • No redlinks in the hook
  • No bare URLs

When you want to nominate articles, go to Template talk:Did you know. Scroll down to the box which says 'YOUR ARTICLE TITLE', and after reading the yellow steps, input the nomination title and you should see this (go into the edit mode so that you can see what it actually looks like):

{{subst:NewDYKnomination | article = Article title in plain text; no [[ ]] | article2 = | status = new or expanded or BLP expanded or mainspace or GA | hook = ... that ....? | author = Article creator or expander, in plain text; no ~~~~ or [[ ]] | author2 = | image = | caption = | comment = | reviewed = If you reviewed another article before listing this DYK nomination, put it here. Otherwise leave this line alone; it will blank when saved. }}

  • Article: where the name of the article being nominated goes, do not link it
  • Article2: for if there are multiple articles being nominated
  • Status: delete all but the relevant one
  • Hook: where you write the part that goes on the main page, start writing after the ?
  • Author: again, no linking, just the creator's name
  • Author2: for if there are multiple main authors
  • Image: where the 'File:Image' part goes if you want a picture used (note: the image must be used in the article
  • Caption: only fill this in if there is an image, write a description of the picture
  • Comment: if you, as the nominator, have anything to say about the nomination
  • Reviewed: where QPQ goes if necessary

Assignment 2[edit]

This week, using some kind of character prose counter, find an article from here which qualifies and ask the author, fill out the relevant nomination page, or write your own article which qualifies and nominate it. Please link here to it, so that I can have a look, and in the comment section then say that it is your first nomination (if you think something isn't quite right). Thanks, Matty.007 12:24, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

There will not be anything new for a little while whilst I standardise the adoption course. If you want to see my progress, go to here. Thanks, Matty.007 20:40, 2 December 2013 (UTC)
OK i think i'll pass on DYK at the moment, just reading the rules is confusing me! (Not really interested in working on DYK tbh) I've joined the Eurovision project so i might concentrate on that for a while. Thanks for the adoption link, Fort_esc (talk) 15:54, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
No problem; this is just to give you an overview. Did you see what I said about the course above? Thanks, Matty.007 17:06, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
Yes and i've had a look, its very good. Do all adopters follow the same course? There's a chance i might pass! Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 18:45, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
No, it's up to the adopter to decide what they want to teach, and to write the lessons. Thanks, Matty.007 19:17, 6 December 2013 (UTC)

Sock puppetry on Wikipedia[edit]

Sock puppetry is whereby alternate accounts are created by an editor which do not follow the following requirements (listed here:

  • Security, i.e. for use on computers where it is plausible that log on information may be unsafe, usually require clear statement that it is an alternate account, and who of
  • Privacy, if someone you know knows your on wiki identity, and you are editing an article which is controversial with them
  • Maintenance, self explanatory, require clear statement that it is an alternate account, and who of
  • Testing, training, editors may have accounts which are not autoconfirmed, or have few edits to demonstrate things. Can require statement of alternate account
  • Bots, self explanatory. Read up about them and speak to an expert before making one though
  • Doppelgänger, to prevent impersonation. Mine is Matty007, partially as that is my IRC nickname, also because it is very similar to my username
  • New accounts, if you want to start all over again for reasons of security (i.e. compromised account) or for a clean start. If you do this, bear in mind "It is strongly recommended that you inform the Arbitration Committee (in strictest confidence if you wish) of the existence of previous accounts before standing for adminship or functionary positions. Failure to do so is likely to be considered deceptive."
  • Humour. Self explanatory

Most of the above will require a statement that it is an alternative account, and who of. The likelihood is that it is not for one of the above purposes, or fails, where necessary, to recognise whose account it is, it may be blocked. (If you want a list of what alternate accounts are not for, see here.) Bear in mind that there is currently nothing against editing whilst logged out, but it can be a bit of a grey area. Meatpuppetry is similar to sockpuppetry, it refers to when editors bring on new editors who have similar views. If you suspect someone of sockpuppetry or meatpuppetry, do not directly accuse them, these are serious allegations. Read this first, and think carefully before making any allegations. No assignment this week, I am beginning to favour end of topic tests... Thanks, and have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Matty.007 14:08, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

Please tell me when you have read this. Thanks, Matty.007 19:26, 21 December 2013 (UTC)
Yeah i scanned over this when you posted. Merry Christmas to you too, thanks Fort_esc (talk) 21:37, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

Harassment, threats, and personal attacks[edit]

This is pretty simple: don't commit any of the above. I will give a little detail about each heading though, so that you can be wary:

Harassment[edit]

Usually to make target feel threatened/intimidated; potentially to try and get your way. Described as repeated offensive beahviour. Can take various forms:

  • Wikihounding, or just hounding: following an editor, and joining random discussions in which they are involved
  • Posting personal information, or outing: posting any personal information of another editor that is not already on site, posted by them: do not search up users whose username is their real life name, and use their off wiki views against them, in a "would you seriously believe someone who likes Communism"; seriously, you do not want this or this to happen to you
  • Restoring false warnings on pages
  • Threats

If you are being harassed, you need to not act rashly, do not retaliate in a tit for tat action, you could be blocked for it. If it is serious, contact The Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) or the Volunteer Response Team in an email, in strict confidence. Before taking any kind of action, read up on the harassment page; this is not an allegation to be taken lightly.

Legal threats[edit]

If you make legal threats, or even legal action, you will be blocked until the matter is resolved. However, you may make reports of legal issues such as copyright violation, BLP issues, and so on. Before making legal threats, try and resolve it at the Dispute resolution noticeboard. If legal threats are made against you, tell an administrator or Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents. If you think legal threats are being made against you, read Wikipedia:No legal threats first, this is not an allegation to be taken lightly.

Personal attacks[edit]

No matter what the situation, do not make any kind of personal insult to another editor, make statements on content by all means, but do not degrade the editor.

Edit warring and civility[edit]

Do not merely revert other users contributions because you don't like them, discuss the issue with them on a talk page, the talk page of the disputed subject if you can. If you do repeatedly revert edits which are possibly beneficial (reverting vandalism and removal of sourced information is almost always OK), you can be blocked or banned (nice summary of difference between bans and blocks here). There is a set line, called a bright-line rule, which deals with this, called the Three Revert Rule (3RR). It states that:

"An editor must not perform more than three reverts on a single page—whether involving the same or different material—within a 24-hour period. An edit or a series of consecutive edits that undoes other editors' actions—whether in whole or in part—counts as a revert. Violations of the rule normally attract blocks of at least 24 hours. Any appearance of gaming the system by reverting a fourth time just outside the 24-hour slot is likely to be treated as an edit-warring violation."

This includes talk pages and project pages, but usually excludes your own userspace. If the 3RR is violated, revert your reverts which went over, and this may be taken into account. 3RR doesn't apply to reverting your own edits, your own userspace (within Wikipedia:User pages), banned users' edits, obvious vandalism, content that obviously violates Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria, illegal content under US law, and sometimes Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons violations, this is controversial so you are best asking someone before passing 3RR fixing a BLP.

Civility is a major part of Wikipedia, as a collaborative project having good relations between participants is vital. Civility is basically being polite, with concise and clear arguments, not ignoring where others stand, don't be rude, assume good faith... This can be summed up as 'don't be rude, be polite and welcoming to all'. (This includes edit summaries.) Remember: apologising is not a sign of weakness, it is merely regretting an action. Sorry for the delay between lessons; I am in the CUP, so may be a little sporadic for a bit. Thanks, Matty.007 19:11, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Please acknowledge when read. Thanks, Matty.007 19:22, 28 January 2014 (UTC)
Done, can you teach me how to update/upload maps? For example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Boyard_States_play.svg (which needs updating) Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 21:22, 28 January 2014 (UTC)
I don't upload many pictures, but I will ask around and try and find out. By the way, have you seen the view stats for The Taste? Over 12,000! Thanks, Matty.007 18:57, 29 January 2014 (UTC)
From what I've gathered, you can edit it on your computer, on photoshop or somesuch, or you can request an upload here. Thanks, Matty.007 17:57, 2 February 2014 (UTC)
Ah. There was a helpful answer which I think should help. Thanks, Matty.007 17:13, 3 February 2014 (UTC)
Thanks for doing that. Downloading Inkscape now.. Fort_esc (talk) 18:09, 3 February 2014 (UTC)
That's OK, I'm afraid that images aren't so much my thing so you may want to just ask straight off on the help chat or at the Teahouse. Thanks, Matty.007 18:21, 3 February 2014 (UTC)
Fort_esc: before I continue, I have some questions: I know I have been intermittant with lessons, and I apologise for that. Do you want to continue with me on adoption? If not, that's it on questions. If you do want to continue, do you want to wrap things up ASAP, with a brief cover of other major things, or go in depth? All the best, Matty.007 19:26, 27 February 2014 (UTC)
Don't worry about it.. I'm not sure there is anything else i want to learn at the moment. A cover lesson sounds like a good idea. I'd like to stay as your adoptee. Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 19:42, 27 February 2014 (UTC)
OK, something that will end the course, or a cover that is not the end? Thanks, Matty.007 19:51, 27 February 2014 (UTC)
A cover that is not the end, thanks Fort_esc (talk) 19:54, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

Completion of key policies and guidelines[edit]

OK, here is my whistle-stop tour of the major policies and guidelines you should be aware of:

  • WP:COI: Conflict of Interest; be very careful editing pages with which you have personal involvement, such as working for the subject
  • WP:MOS: Manual of Style; there is a large list of style guidelines, but basically, be aware if the article is in American, British, or other English; you may want a glance at this but it is quite long
  • WP:BITE: Please do not bite the newcomers; quite similar to AGF, but says to be particularly welcoming to newbies
  • WP:NPOV: No point of view; do not skew language to either promote or depromote (is that a word?) people; but also bear in mind that if there are 99 people saying a film is good, and one saying it isn't, the length of the good things mentioned in the article will be longer
  • WP:BLP: Biographies of living people; this is very difficult and can get experienced editors tied up in knots. If you are unsure if an article is suitable, submit it at WP:AFC (Articles for Creation). Make sure all BLPs you create have sources
  • WP:BOLD: be bold; don't be afraid to be reverted. However, never post unsourced content on BLPs that could be seen as defamatory, this can lead to major issues (I've had some issues with this)

Basically, use common sense, but if you are not sure about something, then ask. What else do you want to cover? Deletion; article writing, gadgets... Thanks, Matty.007 15:11, 1 March 2014 (UTC)

Article writing please Fort_esc (talk) 16:50, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
New articles or adding to existing articles? Thanks, Matty.007 14:34, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
Both? Fort_esc (talk) 15:16, 9 March 2014 (UTC)

Content writing[edit]

OK, before this lesson begins, I would advise you to turn on ProveIt GT, or a similar reference tool. You can access ProveIt through Preferences, Gadgets, and check the box. Thanks, Matty.007 19:03, 22 March 2014 (UTC)

Done. Fort_esc (talk) 19:14, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
OK. I don't want to sound like I'm insulting your intelligence here, but as I didn't fully at first, do you understand how it works? Thanks, Matty.007 19:58, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
Yeah i think so, its just a reference creator? I've seen it used recently and will definately start using this myself, thanks. (I haven't tried it out yet..) Fort_esc (talk) 20:15, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
Yes. That wasn't the lesson, just a bit before which helps a bit. Thanks, Matty.007 20:19, 22 March 2014 (UTC)
Assignment soon? Thanks, Fort_esc (talk) 17:59, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
Yes, sorry. I will do the next lesson this weekend. Thanks, Matty.007 19:35, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
Here are tips for article writing:
  • Try and leave references as often as you can, at the end of each sentence if possible. If you have s sentence like this: "Matty.007 edits Wikipedia, and his adoptee is Fort esc", whereby clause 1 is backed up by ref 1 and clause 2 by ref 2, source them at the comma
    • Sourcing at each sentence means that if anything is later added into the middle of a paragraph from a different source, it is all still correctly sourced
  • Make sure you fill out ProveIt correctly, bear in mind there are different formats on it for web, books, etc.
  • Fill in as much of each reference as you can
  • Don't capitalise compass points (east, north, etc.)
  • Infoboxes are generally useful (if you are searching for them, they are 'Template:Infobox Criminal', or whatever it is you are looking for
  • I presume you know about this, but primary sources should only back up facts
  • Don't use peacock terms, at least put them in quotes from a prominent figure in the field
  • No original research
  • Articles don't often need 'The' as the first word in the title, such as The Battle of Dryfe Sands, which should have been Battle of Dryfe Sands
  • Try and have a lead (unless the article is very short) which sums up the article, and sections in the article (otherwise it is hard to navigate for readers)
  • Don't have paragraph upon paragraph of non-linked words, use wikilinks
  • For long (>40 word) quotes, use blockquotes
  • Don't forget to add categories

For further information on how to write decent articles, see 'The perfect article'. I may put down more points as I think of them. Thanks, Matty.007 20:17, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Assignment 3[edit]

Your task for this time is to find something which interests you, and make a short article about it. Thanks, Matty.007 20:18, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

I propose creating an article called "Radio 2 Eurovision", which is a digital pop-up station on air during this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Good idea? Fort_esc (talk) 14:17, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
I can't see any external refs talking about it in any detail, except the BBC who are hosting it. Matty.007 15:39, 30 March 2014 (UTC)
I know it's not so much your style, but what about Murray Buchan? There is a fair bit of info around, being a British Paralympian. Thanks, Matty.007 13:47, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
Excellent idea, i'm looking into this now and will probably start it in my sandbox today. Surprised he doesn't have an article already! Thanks for the help, Fort esc (talk) 14:17, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
Made a start in my sandbox and Matty, Buchan is a Olympian. Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 15:37, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
Ugh, sorry, I knew that really! I have written a fair few articles on Paralympians and Olympians (Winter) of GB, and have written Paralympics instead of Olympics, and vice versa, a few times.

The draft:

  • First impressions is that it looks good, well reffed with an infobox
  • I don't know if you looked, but I normally check Commons for pictures (none here)
  • No categories in userspace drafts
  • Usually with British Olympians and Paralympians, there is a fair bit of info so you could, if you wanted, flesh out the lead, and write a bit more of a body ('Personal life', 'Careeer', subheading 'Olympics' etc.)

Otherwise, very good! Thanks, Matty.007 17:02, 5 April 2014 (UTC)

Yeah i forgot about hiding the categories and i looked at his team mate James Machon article which you created. Should i submit the draft for review or just go ahead and create the article now? Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 17:42, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
I would advise expanding first, but there is no issue with moving it straight into article space (don't make my mistake of copy/pasting). Are you planning on further expansion? Thanks, Matty.007 18:07, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
OK i thought so, will probably expand on it over the next few days (but feel free to add more if you want). Thanks in advance, Fort esc (talk) 18:31, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
I'll probably give it a few days and see where it's at. Thanks, Matty.007 18:46, 5 April 2014 (UTC)
Fort esc: when mainspacing an article (i.e. moving it from sandbox to main space, aka article space), you don't copy the sandbox into the red link, you use the 'Move Page' function, the 'Move' button is on the top right, by the WP search bar under a little arrow down. For full instructions, see Wikipedia:Moving a page. Thanks, Matty.007 16:55, 20 April 2014 (UTC)
I expanded the article a bit, and nominated it for DYK here. Thanks, Matty.007 18:15, 20 April 2014 (UTC)
Oh i didn't realise i did that, sorry. I've used the 'Move' button to rename pages in the past. Thanks for the link, Fort esc (talk) 09:11, 22 April 2014 (UTC)

Assignment 4[edit]

For the next task, pick any article on Wikipedia which is at a reasonable standard (not GA or FA) that you are reasonably enthusiastic about, and put it here. Thanks, Matty.007 13:27, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
Children of the Universe? Fort esc (talk) 14:28, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
Interesting choice! If I tell you that the next task is to get an article to GA class after another lesson, do you want to stick with the article? Thanks, Matty.007 14:34, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
Yes probably.. i was going to pick Molly herself. Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 14:39, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
OK, I'll give you a lesson on the GA criteria in the next few days, and you can pick either (or another article entirely if it takes your fancy). Thanks, Matty.007 14:44, 27 April 2014 (UTC)
Weirdly i've been working to get COTU, if possible, to the same standard as "Believe in Me" (which is GA class). Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 14:57, 27 April 2014 (UTC)

GA walkthrough[edit]

  1. Clear up any tags, check for language issues which would require a serious copyedit, and do random copyvio checks by googling a sentence of the article (beware of pages that copy info from Wikipedia)
  2. Spelling and grammer are right (check talk page for which type of English, American, British, Canadian...)
  3. Conforms to MOS on "lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation": basically format page correctly in a neutral manner
  4. Reference all that you can, make sure there are no dead links, and you give page numbers
  5. No original research
  6. Cover all main aspects (with COTU, you are comparing with a similar song, which is a good thing to do)
  7. No waffling off topic (synopsis sections typically are the most over-long sections)
  8. Cover all angles, but remain neutral
  9. No edit wars, or bias
  10. Pictures are used when possible, but are tagged correctly

When the article meets all the requirements, put {{subst:GAN|subtopic=}} on the page, with the subtopic a relevant one listed at the instructions page. GA nominations can take a while (but bear in mind that nominating a few at once will invariably result in them all being reviewed at the same time). Try and keep on good terms with the reviewer, but ask questions if you don't understand anything. Any questions? Thanks, Matty.007 18:05, 4 May 2014 (UTC)

Please say when you have read this. Thanks, Matty.007 12:53, 11 May 2014 (UTC)
Done Fort esc (talk) 13:10, 11 May 2014 (UTC)
OK. Here's what to do now: go through this table and put 'yes' where you think the article does this, no where it doesn't, and leave it where you're not sure. Matty.007 14:37, 24 May 2014 (UTC)
Fort esc? Thanks, Matty.007 18:28, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
OK, had a go at doing the table but not sure it's all correct. Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 18:45, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Rate Attribute Review Comment
1. Well-written:
1a. the prose is clear, concise, and understandable to an appropriately broad audience; spelling and grammar are correct.
1b. it complies with the Manual of Style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation.
2. Verifiable with no original research:
2a. it contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline.
2b. reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose).
2c. it contains no original research.
3. Broad in its coverage:
3a. it addresses the main aspects of the topic.
3b. it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).
4. Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each.
5. Stable: it does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute.
6. Illustrated, if possible, by media such as images, video, or audio:
6a. media are tagged with their copyright statuses, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content.
6b. media are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.
7. Overall assessment.

Primary comments: Fort esc: no hurry, but please list things which you think the article should do better/improve. (I put one to get going.) Thanks, Matty.007 18:50, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

  1. Lead expansion, migrate source into article
  2. Anything on composition?
  3. Bit more in 'critical reception'
  4. Content in 'Eurovision Song Contest 2014'
  5. Possible subheading 'Reaction to the Eurovision results'
  6. 'Performances and promotion'?
  7. 'Credits and personnel'?
  8. 'Awards' with subheading 'Eurovision Song Contest Radio Awards 2014', using [1]
  9. Consistant referencing: dates such as '28/04/2014' should be '28 April 2014'
I have no idea what things i should be listing tbh.. Help! Fort esc (talk) 19:05, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Sorry, I chucked you in the deep end there. I'll post some things that need doing tomorrow. Thanks, Matty.007 20:18, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Filled in above things that, just looking at Believe in Me (Bonnie Tyler song) for comparison I believe the article needs. Do you want help working on them? Thanks, Matty.007 18:46, 30 May 2014 (UTC)
Yes if you could, thanks. Fort esc (talk) 19:21, 30 May 2014 (UTC)
Made some changes yesterday. Struggling to find info for number 7 (nothing here [2]) Any idea where i should be looking? Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 17:31, 3 July 2014 (UTC)
If you can't find it, it's probably not out there. Have you finished making changes, or do you want some more time? Thanks, Matty.007 15:35, 6 July 2014 (UTC)
Yes, i'm finished for the time being (haven't started the compostition section yet). Maybe you could start it? Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 21:29, 7 July 2014 (UTC)
Matty.007? Fort esc (talk) 20:54, 11 July 2014 (UTC)
Sorry, been off wiki recently. Will have a look today or tomorrow. Thanks, Matty.007 10:42, 12 July 2014 (UTC)
Composition[edit]

Try and write a section with this title: mention the writer and how, I found a few sources by googling 'Children of the Universe writing': [3] (blog), [4], [5] (RS?), try and find interviews. If you put in what you think to the section (take your time, there's no rush) then ping me here and I'll have a look at it. Thanks, Matty.007 13:03, 1 June 2014 (UTC)

Fort esc? Thanks, Matty.007 16:19, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
Oh sorry i've forgotten about doing this.. i thought somebody else from the Eurovision project would improve the article sometime after the contest. I will have a go at it over the next few days, maybe starting tonight. Esctoday (and eurovoix) are very reliable sources, only second to an official Eurovision website. You have a new adoptee? Thanks, Fort esc (talk) 17:07, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
No problem, I do the same sometimes. Yes, Schoolskater (Andy). Thanks, Matty.007 17:12, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
Fort esc: I have written the section, which may want some expansion if there's anything out there. Thanks, Matty.007 17:23, 12 July 2014 (UTC)

Hi Fort esc, I am very sorry to tell you that I am likely to retire from Wikipedia in the next few days (I will put a more detailed explanation on my talk page). Thank you very much for being a great adoptee, I very much hope you continue with Wikipedia. I will continue to edit sporadically, though nothing near daily-if you wish me to continue posting lessons I can try. I may return in a few months, but I am currently not expecting to. All the best, Matty.007 07:37, 4 August 2014 (UTC)