User talk:Vecrumba/Archive 4

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ARCHIVED ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

A little bit of advice

Using italics, bold, and underlining in the same paragraph is generally frowned upon. It is considered acceptable to choose one form of emphasis and stick to it, but only if you use it sparingly. Mixing and matching all three is like wearing a plaid shirt with plaid pants. Viriditas (talk) 16:12, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

I only emphasize in plaid when it appears I need to when individuals are missing the point. (I use wikEd precisely because it supports all the nuances of plaid I employ.) Besides, those who have known me longer have come to expect it. Alas, it appears my shortcomings as a fashion plate not only extend to my literary style but are likely to continue. Enjoy the holidays.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:06, 23 December 2009 (UTC)
Understood. I'm glad you took my criticism in stride, as it was meant to be somewhat humorous. As for your "literary style", I find your prose quality to be second to none, and greatly admire it. You're an excellent writer. Viriditas (talk) 03:15, 25 December 2009 (UTC)
Thank you for that. Hopefully you'll find that if you consider what I have to say and why and less on labels others have chosen to stick on my forehead to further their editorial agenda you'll find I'm not here to "push" anything. More generally speaking, as when I was at times "outnumbered" ("consensus"-wise) editing on Transnistria where two paid sock-puppeteering propagandists were involved, it doesn't matter how many of some so-called consensus show up as long as you focus on the editorial position being espoused and deal with the interpretation and presentation of sources: is the source reputable? is it being represented fairly and accurately? :-)  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  15:52, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Mass killings under Communist regimes

I have made a request for clarification about whether Mass killings under Communist regimes and similar articles are included under the EEML topic ban. If you would like to reply, my query is posted at [1]. The Four Deuces (talk) 01:43, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

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Belated Happy New Year!

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Talk/♥фĩłдωəß♥\Work 16:07, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

Your recent edits to EE-related topics

Vecrumba, it has been brought to my attention per e-mail that you have arguably violated your arbitral topic ban from Eastern Europe-related subjects and discussions (WP:EEML#Vecrumba topic banned) by your recent edits at [2], [3] and [4]. I would appreciate any statement that you might want to make about this.  Sandstein  22:31, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

Dear Sandstein:
  1. I corrected a mistake of my own which had Kaupo on the wrong side based on a source which was erroneous. The dawn of the 13th century is far removed from the area of EE geopolitical conflict, and the correction was completely unrelated to anything Russian/Soviet, or indeed Russian contemporary with that time. If this edit is strictly off limits, my sincerest apologies, it did not even cross my mind that a simple fix to my own mistake on an 800-year-old event unrelated to Russian-Baltic relations (of any manner) posed an issue.
  2. I thanked an editor generally perceived to be an antagonist of mine for following up on my question on an article which has clearly been an area of bad blood. Note that I indicated the information would assist (other) editors (as I would not be participating at the article). I do not expect my ban to mandate rude conduct on my part, that is, to forbid expressing thanks to an editor. I have always stated I am glad to engage in good faith with any editor based on a discussion of reputable sources. That includes publicly thanking those editors when they contribute positively regardless of perceptions of "sides." I believe positive public communication and courteous conduct across the alleged battle lines is in keeping with appropriate collegial Wiki-conduct. I should also make it clear that, obviously, I did not consider Pantherskin's answer as baiting me in any way to elicit a response. I strongly feel my public expression of goodwill was not only appropriate but necessary.
  3. Another change had been made to Aspic and I had not noticed that I had not put in the Latvian name for it, which is very similar to Polish. I'm quite flummoxed that someone has complained about this although Russavia did immediately accuse me of gross violation of my topic ban. (Of course, anyone could have contacted you regarding my conduct, I'm not speculating it was Russavia.) When Russavia did accuse me, I did ask in that same thread if this could possibly be a violation. It has/was not been identified as such, so I had considered it closed. Indeed it was suggested, not by myself, to Russavia that it would be better for them to drop the topic. So, again, I'm rather taken aback as this was already publicly discussed and settled.
You will note I've been keeping busy at Soon and Baliunas controversy and Wikipedia:Article Incubator/Comparison between Roman and Han Empires. Controversial topics can always benefit from an editorial perspective based on representing reputable sources in a fair and accurate manner. I hope this suitably addresses your concerns.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  04:33, 6 January 2010 (UTC)
P.S. I detest doing diffs as I associate them with attempts to control content by attacking editors. That said, if you do require diffs to anything I've mentioned, please feel free to ask and I'll insert the appropriate Wiki-links.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  04:41, 6 January 2010 (UTC)
Thank you for your statement. Nonetheless, regardless of their nature or subject, or the reason you had for making them, the edits relate to the topic of Eastern Europe (which is what you are banned from, not just Russia-Baltic relations) and violate your topic ban. I'd appreciate a link to the discussion that you say has taken place regarding the Aspic diff, and I'd like to know whether you intend to continue making similar edits.  Sandstein  06:39, 6 January 2010 (UTC)

(od) Hello Sandstein. I apologize in advance for the bad mood I find myself while doing diffs.

First of all, if an editor has an issue with me, I request they file an enforcement request and not solicit admins off-Wiki to act as their proxy to lodge their complaints. We had Dojarca lobbying Hiberniantears as their proxy, then Offliner lobbying Jehochman as their proxy. I have the utmost respect for your own conduct in this brouhaha, I would prefer not to consider you as acting as proxy on behalf of a combative complainant who wishes to stay out of the limelight and to put the stamp of admin approval on their complaint regarding my conduct. (And I believe you were picked with an agenda in mind based on perceptions of your even-handedness, not to mention the whole Offliner and my Email to you unpleasantness.)

In reviewing past threads, I would also request that when I ask questions of ArbCom that I not be lectured as to appropriate conduct going forward by editors who filed evidence against me which, IMHO, only substantiated their own disruptive conduct in terms of provocative, insulting, and otherwise disruptive edits.

Working backwards:

Regarding Aspic
There's been no response from Arbcom, so, as I indicated, being that a week has passed, I thought it was closed.
Regarding Lia Looveer and my thanks to Pantherskin
I am sure they woulld confirm that we tend to see things more different than alike—nevertheless I respect their editorial POV because it tends to be based on sources which can then be discussed. I considered thanking them off-Wiki, however, that was not plausible as that might lead to discussion of article content off-Wiki which I have taken as being discouraged, so at that point, whether I responded to them at the article talk or on their user talk, it was likely I was going to be accused of violating the ban. If you believe I should be pilloried for an act of good faith, I would hope you nevertheless respect my position on this.
On the article correction. I re-read Carcharoth's helpful response and reverted my correction as I can see where, even though unrelated to the area of conflict, this falls under widely construed.

Finally, you already informed me you consider all three edits to have violated my topic ban. I do not, but that is not material at this point. That was quite sufficient. And so I find your subsequent inquiry as to "I'd like to know whether you intend to continue making similar edits" both derogatory and insulting as it implies I'm a disruptive asshole intent on pushing the limits of my topic ban. If you did not mean it that way, my apologies that it is the way I take it after the manner in which I have been treated.

Again, in the future, should anyone wish to accuse me of violations of conduct, I expect them to file an enforcement request as themselves and not shield themselves in anonymity. Your indulging such a request only encourages off-Wiki conflict waging in the future. As we are laying ground rules, what I would have expected is for you to respond to the complainant to tell them to file an enforcement request, where you could then respond appropriately. I trust that any future accusations and resolution thereof will be done in the open. Please do not take my response or tone personally, however, the way this accusation regarding my conduct originated and was handled tastes like a continuation of the conflict and not moving forward in good faith.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  01:18, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

I would normally ask users to file enforcement requests instead of e-mailing me, but the user at issue has a legitimate reason for not doing so. Any conflicts you may have had with others, though, are irrelevant to my request for comment, which is only about your own edits. I take it that your correction [5] means that you will not make similar ban-infringing edits in the future, and so no enforcement is required at this time. You are warned, though, that all edits relating to Eastern Europe, not only those relating to Russia-Baltic relations, fall under your ban. This warning is logged on the case page. Please also consider that in the event of any uncertainty about the ban's scope, you should assume that the edit in question is subject to the ban, unless and and until you receive clear advice to the contrary from ArbCom through a request for clarification (Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Clarification); a request in any other forum or advice by anybody else (especially if the answer is not a clear "go ahead") may not be sufficient to prevent an inadvertent violation of the ban. Regards,  Sandstein  06:13, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Hello Sandstein. Perhaps people might consider that Wikipedia editors such as myself might wish to communicate off-Wiki for legitimate reasons as well. As I indicated, I specifically asked about Aspic and received no answer, so I expect that your response here pointing me to clarification means that any such requests for clarification will be addressed in a timely manner; further, that editors who presented against me at EEML evidence will be discouraged from responding on the behalf of ArbCom/admins, such response constituting harassment. Lastly, while I am confident based on past conduct that you personally are objective in all of this regardless of means of contact, I am not at all sanguine regarding the prospects of no anti-"nationalist" anti-"plague" axe-grinding on the part of other admins. I regret my WP:AGF gas tank has run dry. Thanks for your timely response.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:16, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Since I am not authorized to speak for ArbCom, I cannot confirm that any requests for clarification will be addressed in a timely manner or that other editors will be discouraged from doing anything that is not disruptive. Only ArbCom may address such concerns.  Sandstein  14:20, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Noted. If I don't receive a timely response to clarification I'll contact an ArbCom member or Email ArbCom. Best regards, Peters  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:27, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
I would also like to remind you that per WP:EEML#Editors restricted, you are prohibited from commenting on Russavia on any page of Wikipedia, except for purposes of legitimate and necessary dispute resolution. Your comments above, [6], are in violation of this restriction, insofar as they are not necessary to resolve any dispute between you and Russavia. Please do not repeat this as well.  Sandstein  14:31, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Understood. That means that Russavia responding to me on my questions regarding clarifications et al. is to be considered baiting and I need not/should not respond. You did ask ME for clarification. That Russavia's name came up is not my fault, it is theirs for harassing (my perception) me.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:39, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
No, it was you who brought up that username in this thread. Your most recent comments, above, again violate your arbitration restriction from commenting on Russavia, despite my warning immediately above. In enforcement of that restriction, you are blocked for 24 hours. You may appeal this block using the {{unblock}} template, or to WP:AE; use the {{helpme}} template to ask an editor to copy any appeal to that board.  Sandstein  16:01, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
The reference in question was inevitably part of the conversation, being integral to the Aspic thread. I thought we were done. I regret your general tone that I am dealing with my ban in bad faith, also that you felt it necessary to come back and issue an additional warning to which I responded. I did not mention that editor out of thin air regarding something not directly pertinent to your original inquiry or request for clarification thereof.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  17:04, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

Request for unblock

I apologize for my mention of the editor in question above, which prima facie violates my ban. They were part of the clarification requested. I thought we were done. I believe my response stating that responses to myself by editors presenting against me at the EEML case when I am asking ArbCom for clarification constitute a form of unwelcome harrassment is appropriate. I did not request said editor to respond to my query. I have not brought up said editor in on-Wiki dialog except as prompted here. It would have been sufficient for Sandstein to state the three edits violated my ban. I would have apologized and we would have been done. I regret that I found continued harping (my perception) implying I am dealing with my ban in bad faith utterly offensive. That said, I am glad to apologize for any inappropriate conduct particularly as I respect Sandstein and do not wish this to go down the black hole of continued conflict and would like to move on.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  17:04, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

Had I not been told that people accusing me of misconduct have legitimate rights which prevent me from knowing the identity of my accuser did not improve my attitude, and for that I do apologize.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  17:20, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Okay, I trust that you will not continue to make comments regarding that editor, except where directly necessary (as I strongly hope will not be the case) to resolve a dispute between you and he. Your block is lifted. I believe that moving on would be a very good idea. Regards,  Sandstein  17:33, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Thank you. As I've mentioned I am considering appealing my topic ban, however, finding a way to do so without simply recycling the conflict (regardless of my personal views regarding disruption and responsibility thereof), that is, in a way which can be viewed as progress, presents a challenge.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  18:56, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
Note that Sandstein used word "related", which was not in Arbcom ruling. This way you can not edit anything about Lion Feuchtwanger because he visited Moscow and wrote about this, and you can not edit Jack London because he was very popular in Russia. You can not edit Hugo Chávez or Kim Jong-il because they are friends of Putin. You can not edit Cayman Islands because Russian oligarchs keep their money there. You can not edit anything about drug or human trafficking, money laundering, or Middle East affairs, because Easter Block countries were active in this region during Cold War. Even music and art served political goals in the former Soviet Union. Do not even try to edit anything about Swan Lake ballet, because it was on the Russian TV during August Putsch. Everything is related to everything, and you know this well. Just do not waste your time here - this is my advice, and you know that I am your friend. I am not going to waste a lot of my time here as well.Biophys (talk) 03:44, 9 January 2010 (UTC)
There are many other ways to explain the same. There was a play by Evgeny Shvarts about Lancelot who killed the Dragon but became a Dragon himself because killing others makes everyone a Dragon and because power corrupts. No, the play is not about you, me or Sandstein. It's about everyone. Speaking simple language, it's not a pleasure to edit on this site where people treat each other like shit (we treat them and they treat us). The battle comes from the fundamental problem. This site suppose to operate by consensus, which works just fine when all sides know the subject and agree to use good sources. But there could be no consensus between good sources and propaganda sources, just like between the science and pseudoscience. The middle ground (consensus) between big lie and the truth is ... lie (said Bukovsky). We do not want to be involved in lies.Biophys (talk) 16:02, 9 January 2010 (UTC)

Language matters

With regard to someone we are not allowed to talk about and his favorite slogan "Preved, Medved!", do you know the etymology of Russian word "Medved'" (the bear)? Literal translation from old Russian means "someone who knows how to find honey". He was called this way (that is indirectly) because calling this dangerous animal directly was believed to attract the animal to the caller. So, let's not do it.Biophys (talk) 04:32, 9 January 2010 (UTC)

Da, tovarishch! :-)  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  15:28, 9 January 2010 (UTC)

Blocked

A week ago, you were briefly blocked for commenting on Russavia in violation of Wikipedia:EEML#Editors_restricted. After undertaking not to do the it again, you were unblocked. I find this edit of yours disappointing given the above discussion, it is a flagrant violation. WP:AE is not dispute resolution (nor were you directly involved in the issue)

Given the unproductive heat in the topic area, and battleground behavior of both sides, the arbcom imposed rules will be strictly enforced until that subsides. Unfortunately, I have thus felt it necessary to reinstate the 24 hour block. Please stay well clear of that editor in the future. henrik•talk 15:00, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

Only on WP is an act of good faith, that is, agreeing that my antagonist is a valuable contributor and should be allowed to do so in areas of expertise OUTSIDE THE DIRECT AREA OF CONFLICT a blockable offense. Really, is the point to punish me and to disaffirm the possibility of editors perceived to be antagonistic to each other acknowledging other's positive contributions to eventually (as I am topic banned) re-engage in the area of conflict in a more positive manner? Unfortunately I took "commenting on Russavia" as meaning a continuation of the gutter sniping that has been going on (that is, criticism). And my edit in no way interacted with Russavia.
   I'm not appealing the ban as it's been made quite clear that on-Wiki seeds of good faith which do not involve my contributing to articles or discussion of content thereof covered by my ban and which do not involve directly interacting with or criticising my alleged editoral antagonists are discouraged.
   Please let me know if it would have violated my ban to make the communication cited in private to ArbCom. I have not communicated privately because that can be (and I believe is guaranteed to be, should any whiff of it emerge) accused of being a cladestine act with ulterior self-serving motives on my part. I wish to plant seeds of good faith where possible while not violating my ban. Editing Tomato is not that. Please describe to me what are acceptable actions in that light and I will gladly commit to those. Thank you.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  15:47, 15 January 2010 (UTC)
Had you not taken the route of damning with faint praise ("As Russavia recognizes their egregious behavior [...]", which is not something that I would consider the optimal way to reach reconciliation) or just had the discussion above, I wouldn't have felt it necessary to do anything but leave a reminder asking you to please play by the rules imposed. And that, while good faith outreach is appreciated, it may be a bit premature, so please respect it for the time being. henrik•talk 16:17, 15 January 2010 (UTC)
Please do not take my comment there as backhanded criticism. It was absolutely not meant as "damning," I believe there's a genuine realization a major line was crossed—and that such recognition represents major progress which deserves appropriate recognition. I can't represent progress without noting where we started from, and I wouldn't be supporting relaxation of the ban unless I felt there was real and substantial progress. That is, why would I be "damning" someone at the same time I'm supporting a major easing of their topic ban. THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER!
   I regret that you took this as me gutter sniping. Consider that "damning" is your personal prejudice convicting me of what you interpreted as the intent of my response as opposed to taking what my communication stated and intended at face value.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  17:59, 15 January 2010 (UTC)
Given the conversation above with Sandstein, I believe you could reasonably have predicted this result, even if your intent was conciliatory. Posting a message which had room for misinterpretation did not improve matters.
Look, I hope this is just a small bumb in the road, to be forgotten before long. Just play by the rules, and you can hopefully get the topic ban repealed before long too. henrik•talk 21:40, 15 January 2010 (UTC)
And no, I don't believe that a single private note to arbcom or an admin acting as an WP:AE-patroller; saying something in the style of that you've previously had disagreements with the user, were forbidden from interacting or commenting directly, but nevertheless supported a loosening of restriction would have been a violation of the restriction. henrik•talk 21:54, 15 January 2010 (UTC)
Thanks for that. I'll consider updating my statement (and perhaps remove specific reference to a certain editor), hopefully that will not be taken as re-violating my ban. You do realize the system is broken in that you are telling me that good faith has to go underground.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  04:31, 16 January 2010 (UTC)
Yeah, given the previous troubles, the irony is not lost upon me. But don't make a habit out of emailing people about that editor, I meant the part about a single message. Or better yet, remove the pages he frequents from your watchlist, forget about him and enjoy the calm and quiet of working in some non-controversial area. Think of it as a vacation. henrik•talk 09:00, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

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WP:NODRAMA/2

Just a quick reminder that the Second Great Wikipedia Dramaout has begun. Please log any work you do at Wikipedia:The Great Wikipedia Dramaout/2nd/Log. Good luck! --Jayron32 01:56, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

ArbCom case amendment request

[7]

Thank you for your help

You have earned this 1956 Hungarian Revolution Barnstar! (I will understand if you are unable to comment further...) István (talk) 05:30, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Merely temporary. :-) Nagyon köszönöm!  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  05:47, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

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Talk:Soon and Baliunas controversy

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Sockpuppet investigation

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Your e-mail

I got your (quite hostile) mail, I also don't have the faintest idea what it is about. Best, MLauba (talk) 12:14, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Talkback

Hello, Vecrumba. You have new messages at MLauba's talk page.
Message added 12:21, 10 April 2010 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{Talkback}} or {{Tb}} template.

MLauba (talk) 12:21, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

EEML whitewash: warning

No, the point is not closed.

The EEML case was judged by ArbCom to be an unacceptable example of offiste coordination to push a partisan POV and canvass on related issues. This was the official finding.

Has the case been vacated? No. Has it been amended so that you were exempted of its findings? No. Last time I checked (a few moments ago), you were still under an admonishment for your participation with the list, and under a topic ban.

The evidence you presented does not matter unless you appeal, and neither I nor anyone on this site has any responsibility to check your viewpoint before mentioning a high profile arbcom case. I'm shocked that you would attempt to silence persons you never interacted with but who never called you out personally in the manner you did.

So let me be perfectly clear. Mentioning the EEML in the context I did is a perfect example of the kind of offsite canvassing from a team of people with the same POV what a community deadminship should be immune against.

And let me even drive another point home. While you may not agree with the ArbCom ruling that adminished you, your venue to express that is the BASC, or request an amendment to the case. Should I ever find you again trying to intimidate, threaten, bully or harass any user here over the mere mention of the EEML case in a context that is, until the case is vacated, exactly in line with ArbCom's finding, I will block you for harassment. Your interaction with me, in this specific context, both by e-mail and on my talk page, is completely over the top and out of line. Consider that an official, and only, warning. MLauba (talk) 21:26, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

You invoked EEML, I contacted you off-Wiki to express my concern and alarm in private--yourself, myself, and EEML having never crossed--and you have made this into a public circus accusing *****me***** of attacking you? We were done on your talk page as far as I was concerned and now you plant a diatribe on my talk page threatening me?
   Consider I was contacting you in good faith over genuine concerns.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  00:15, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Poeticbent

Poeticbent knows all to well what his offense was, and if not it reaffirms my point that mentorship would be one way out of the hole he dug himself. If this would be the first canvassing offense I would have taken my time to write a nicer notice, but as he is a repeat-offender who does not show any signs of being willing to improve... Anyway, I understand where you are coming from but believe it or not I think over a beer Poeticbent and I could easily resolve our differences. Pantherskin (talk) 05:22, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Seems like the latter would be the better initial approach, no? WP:ALPHABETSOUP lecturing is not the way.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  00:18, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Richard Tylman (4th nomination)

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Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Russavia-Biophys/Evidence

Ignoring the question of whether or not you should be actively participating there, your evidence is by my count a few hundred words over the 1000 word limit. Please shorten it, or a clerk will do so for you. ~ Amory (u • t • c) 04:14, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

I'll see what I can do to reduce to shorthand, it's mainly showing all the dates and times without which the sequence of diffs loses its meaning. I can't stay away when someone who has no interest in enabling me to contribute to WP pretends (my opinion) that they are working to exonerate me of their suspicions of my wrongdoings. That I am mentioned at all should be evidence enough.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:00, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
You could move this to the Analysis of evidence, which it is, instead. Colchicum (talk) 14:30, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
I cut it down, if it's still too large I'll take up your suggestion. Unfortunately, the whole point is that the analysis IS the evidence as it proves intentional and gross misrepresentation of Biophys' activities to paint him out to be the villain.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:36, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
On second thought, that was a good idea as it allowed me to focus my evidence on what's going on without having people's eyes glaze over. I did a quick cut and past into Word of the redone section and am now showing 607 words total.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  15:19, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
Thank you so much for providing the evidence! Please remember two things. 1. Never ever mention R. Talk about me and others. Otherwise, this may be interpreted as your topic ban violation. 2. Section "Evidence" exists to present the evidence itself, that is the diffs. Section "Analysis of Evidence" exist to provide your and other's interpretetions (analysis) of the evidence. You did this in an opposite way. Best wishes, Biophys (talk) 18:36, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
Hello, Biophys. Had you actually done a 3RR I would have chided you mightily (!). I entered my review of diffs with no preconceptions. While I've presented backwards, if you will, the evidence is my summary (in your case) of a classic example of diffs grouped and picked to convict you of behavior which you were in no manner guilty of—in fact, all I saw was a pattern of yourself attempting to maintain balance while moving toward a more pro-Russia POV-ish presentation without unreasonably hampering objectivity (e.g., replace "conspiracy" theory for "evidence").
  Since I only have 1,000 words for evidence, the current structure will have to do. While I am banned from engaging Russavia, it is unless necessary. As I've indicated, I would not be participating had Russavia not (a) named me by name and (b) indicated he had "all but cleared" me of wrongdoing, both of which indicated to me that I had been a target of his latest witch-hunt. (So you should thank him for inspiring me to waste a day of my time on yet another arbitration when I had finally gotten back to working on new materials for my own Baltic heritage web sites.)  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  20:39, 12 May 2010 (UTC)
I see. That was brave. I am not sure if you ever read "In the underground one can meet only rats" by Pyotr Grigorenko. Highly recommended.Biophys (talk) 21:39, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

Re: reply at Jimbo

You're right here about "condoned by Jimbo (a regular victim of rudeness)". I think he's too soft and not tough enough and that sets the examples for every one else across the whole site and ultimately it results in people being rude and aggressive and no one being willing to do anything about it because the founder doesn't care or think its that important. I gave the links out before on Jimbo's page but here's one person who should have been blocked indef. That whole block log is a joke. So he continues today making personal attacks, rude and aggressive comments ([8],[9]) and he's allowed to roam free - all because the founder isn't tough enough. In addition to that of course other users ([10]) and so on. In trying to tolerate dissident voices as you said, we're now in a situation where other editors have to take in abuse from trolls who are well aware of the power they command here. --Matt57 (talk•contribs) 03:06, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

IMHO, it's a ballet of pretend tolerance that stinks from the top as Jimbo tolerates abusive comments and even personally unblocks Giano. Promoting diversity of backgrounds and opinions does not mean tolerating a diversity of proper and improper behavior. Some snippets from the circus better known as WP:EEML:
No one can "take" power. Power is created only when individuals cede their own power to someone else.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:01, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
As long as Giano has Jimbo to abuse and to unblock him, the ballet will continue. Since Giano = Teflon® (as we are well aware, possible only through the enabling acts of others—including Jimbo) the only way to break that cycle is to for Jimbo to self-de-sysop.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  14:15, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

Blocked

With your "evidence" section on Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Russavia-Biophys/Evidence, you have rather blatantly breached both your no-interactions ban with regard to Russavia, and your topic ban on commenting on process discussions relating to Eastner Europen topics (both according to WP:EEML). Even in light of the relatively permissive attitude regarding these bans expressed the other day by Shell Kinney [11], I can see nothing that would allow you to launch such a general attack there. For all I can see, Russavia did nothing here that created a dispute with you. Nor were your comments directed at solving any such dispute between you and him. Instead, they were an out-and-out attack on his whole presence and activities in this project, and extremely inflammatory.

I cannot imagine how you could seriously have believed such a posting was legitimate for an editor in your situation. Since the EEML case you have had several blocks for breaching your topic bans. In light of these prior incidents, and the severity of the attack, I have blocked you for three weeks.

I do not expect this block to be overturned except by a formal decision of the committee. Fut.Perf. ☼ 15:52, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

Fine, my evidence stands. No one asked Russavia to indicate I was exonerated of anything. Had I not been mentioned, I would have not participated. Once again, the attacked party is made to suffer and told they are not permitted to defend themselves against continuing innuendo.
I remind you that I have been blocked prior for (a) innoccuous changes and (b) for interacting positively with my opposition, not to criticize. You may wish to check on that.
"In my situation?" Please, show me the gross disruption I have caused and history of unfounded attacks I have launched against opposing editors. Gross misrepresentation of actions of another editor, as a pattern of activity, merits attention as to the general conduct of that editor.
Lastly, I want to point out that all you are doing is rewarding Russavia for baiting me. You will note my primary solution was to simply ban Russavia from instituting formal actions against editors whom he regards as his, and official-Russia's, editorial opposition. If it were an "attack" as you contend, I would have only lobbied for a permanent ban. Unlike Russavia, I do not go around controlling content by lobbying to ban editors.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  16:25, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
P.S. Please document what, about my evidence constitutes a personal attack against Russavia. If I'm going to consider responding to your block, I need specific points raised to which I can agree or which I can dispute.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  18:38, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
P.P.S. And perhaps you should look into the possibility that the mounds of evidence against Biophys are actually being presented by proxy having been prepared by banned Offliner. I didn't create the WP:BATTLEGROUND, and I am tired of being treated like I'm responsible for it.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  19:56, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
Peters, I can not describe how greatly I appreciate your friendship and help. But let's face the facts. We waste our time here. Do we enjoy it? Do we make others happy? Do we want to be in the same boat with Russavia and Vlad? I became a worse person after editing here. Not sure about you, but I am leaving this hell. I wish you and Martin all the best.Biophys (talk) 01:26, 14 May 2010 (UTC)
Yes, per the above section, the fish stinks from the head. Unfortunately, when WP is the #1 result on search engines, it is the target for propaganda-pushing abuse—even editors paid to represent Russian interests, as confirmed regarding Transnistria. And if there is one such area, there are more. One has to ask, for example, why editors who have stepped over the line pushing the Russian versions of events as "NPOV" insist that blocking them FORCES THEM TO SOCK-PUPPET (!). I fear that the gross incivility that is tolerated starting at the very top and may have poisoned WP beyond repair.
It is long overdue for editors of good faith retake WP from the escalating thuggery.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  13:42, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

(od) Let's check the sequence of events:

  • Case Opened on 05:04, 6 April 2010 (UTC)
  • Russavia indicates he "all but clears" 22:09 Vecrumba, 5 May 2010 (UTC)
  • After some consideration, I post my first response 16:31, 8 May 2010 (UTC)

This demonstrates:

  1. I have not gone away, I do monitor WP activities. I took some time to consider whether I should continue to put up with attacks and innuendo—to insure I was not simply lashing out in umbrage—and ultimately decided to respond.
  2. I had no intention of participating at Russavia-Biophys as I had not been personally mentioned at these proceedings. Moreover, nearly an entire month had passed of my watching them without comment from myself, proving that abstaining from these proceedings was not an "issue";
  3. it was only after yet another personal besmirching of myself by Russavia, not the first by name since my EEML topic bad took effect, that I elected to participate after due consideration.

My block is inappropriate. There was no reason for Russavia to all but clear me except to introduce innuendo against me, given his rush to report me for any and all of infractions of my topic ban, his prior calling me out in person elsewhere subsequent to my EEML topic ban, and the lack of any admonishment to Russavia to cease providing his personal portrayals of EEML activities and love of the phrase "web brigadier." I am completely within my rights, and without violating the terms of my topic ban, to respond fully.  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  22:33, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

Good bye

Thank you and all others for friendship. Please do not worry about me. Remember that I have a lot to gain in real life by not editing here. Once again, please be realistic. I "must be punished for making too much noise", exactly as Ellol said. Russavia and his supporters are power brokers for years to come. Good bye.Biophys (talk) 15:59, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

The Military history WikiProject Newsletter : LI (May 2010)

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SAS copy edit

What I was trying to put across is that they were; originally called L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade in an attempt at deception. As the suggestion was that there was supposed to be other detachments A,B,C.... L . does that make sense ? --Jim Sweeney (talk) 19:33, 9 June 2010 (UTC) copied to GA talk --Jim Sweeney (talk) 19:35, 9 June 2010 (UTC)

Got it, thanks, I think that needs to be explicit. :-)  PЄTЄRS VЄСRUМВА ►talk  19:35, 9 June 2010 (UTC)
Yes THANKS for the Copy edit. --Jim Sweeney (talk) 20:17, 9 June 2010 (UTC)
Much appreciated --Jim Sweeney (talk) 05
19, 10 June 2010 (UTC)

Thank for the copy edit please accept this.

Copy Editor's Barnstar
I award you this Copy Editor's Barnstar for insisting on clear, comprehensible, and grammatically correct articles. —Jim Sweeney (talk) 07:51, 12 June 2010 (UTC)
Why thank you! :-) Pēters PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 02:22, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

Reviewer granted

You have been granted the 'reviewer' userright, allowing you to to review other users' edits on certain flagged pages. Pending changes, also known as flagged protection, will be commencing a a two-month trial at approximately 23:00, 2010 June 15 (UTC).

Reviewers can review edits made by users who are not autoconfirmed to articles placed under flagged protection. Flagged protection is applied to only a small number of articles, similarly to how semi-protection is applied but in a more controlled way for the trial.

When reviewing, edits should be accepted if they are not obvious vandalism or BLP violations, and not clearly problematic in light of the reason given for protection (see Wikipedia:Reviewing process). More detailed documentation and guidelines can be found here.

If you do not want this userright, you may ask any administrator to remove it for you at any time. –xenotalk 13:33, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Race and intelligence

Vecrumba,

I just wanted to let you know that I've replied to you here, in case you hadn't noticed. I'd appreciate knowing what you have to say in response to my comment there. --Captain Occam (talk) 23:05, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

Comments entered, I would advocate prudence given the tone at the arbitration. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 00:37, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
I've replied again there. I'd appreciate your advice about what the best way is to proceed at this point. --Captain Occam (talk) 02:04, 19 June 2010 (UTC)
I decided not to leave the project. Surprisingly, you are still commenting on arbitrations... Read this: "Хочу официально заявить о взломе моего email аккаунта в период между 15-16 мая 2010 года" and so on. [12]. Email thefts are more and more popular in this place.Biophys (talk) 15:53, 20 June 2010 (UTC)
Consideration of stolen correspondence in WP administrative procedures will stop only when Email theft is recognized for what it is (theft) and not an opportunity for Wiki-drama. As for arbitrations, even Cauliflower is subject to Wiki-drama, at least R&I is a topic of long-standing interest. Conflict is the Wikipedia way, might as well just get used to it. I'm glad you've decided not to leave! PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 16:11, 20 June 2010 (UTC)
Yes, it is. Poor Grandmaster. [13]. Not related to the race, but may be to intelligence. No one can learn from mistakes made by others.Biophys (talk) 03:15, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

DO

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Sad news

As some of you know, I've been dealing with my mom's declining health for the last two years, including caring for her at home for more than a year before we weren't able to cope with the demands. I'm sad to bear the news she passed away early this morning, she was 98. What had she seen in her lifetime? Running to see the first plane land in the Spilve fields outside Riga, seeing the first man on the moon. Two world wars: war, freedom, war, half a century of subjugation—she was lucky to be warned not to go home while her family was deported to Siberia, those surviving returning home, but not to their homes, after 15 to 20 years—then, miraculously, freedom once more and reuniting with her family. It's fitting she passed away today, on the Fourth of July, a day on which we celebrate and honor the freedom and opportunities we all enjoy in her adopted country—freedoms which were lost to her beloved homeland for half a century. This will always now be a day of sadness for myself, but also of deep and abiding thanks.

I'll be responding to personal Emails as I have time available; however, I expect to be on Wikibreak for several weeks. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 19:50, 4 July 2010 (UTC)

Pēters, I had occasion elsewhere in Wikispace to see you mention that your mother had just died, and I want to express my condolences. My scholarly activity in real life was constrained by my father being paralyzed for years before he died at age 78, so I have some sense of what you have been dealing with. May I offer friendly advice? You and I can each honor our parents by cherishing the most important values they taught us while remembering to be dispassionate even about issues that our families have been passionate about because of their personal life experiences. You have a lot to share here, and I'm eager to learn from you as we all continue to learn from the other Wikipedians. -- WeijiBaikeBianji (talk) 17:10, 13 July 2010 (UTC)

My sincerest thanks for your kind and supportive words. The vast majority of individuals I have come to know on WP are no different from ourselves. A passion for any topic is a force to be harnessed to (a) learn about it as much as possible and (b) contribute to WP based always on a fair and accurate representation of reputable sources—should one wish to share one's passion with a wider audience and interact with those of similar interests. It's only when you start researching and writing about a topic that you learn what it is you don't know—it is when our long-held beliefs are challenged, not confirmed, that we know we are on the right path. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 18:40, 13 July 2010 (UTC)
I just saw this Peters, and I came here to express my condolences, however late they may be. Viriditas (talk) 22:07, 27 July 2010 (UTC)

The Military history WikiProject Newsletter : LII (June 2010)



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WP:Articles_for_deletion/Mass_killings_under_Communist_regimes_(3rd_nomination)#Mass_killings_under_Communist_regimes exists

neutral notification Collect (talk) 12:45, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Thank you, unfortunately I'm not currently in a position to contribute. (!) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 02:00, 15 July 2010 (UTC)

ANI diffs

I didn't think I needed to annotate the ANI cases for 2009. But CoM was blocked for those edits. TheThankful (talk · contribs) was a returning sockpuppet of a banned user. A.K.Nole and Quotient group are related accounts: members of ArbCom are aware of that and have ensured that there is no longer an issue of wikistalking. Benson Verazzano (talk · contribs) was the sock of a banned user. Npovshark was probably a sockpuppet account according to other editors, but just disappeared. Mathsci (talk) 22:35, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

In general, I think WP would be served better in general with more discussion and less arbitrations, enforcements, an all. That said, I have no tolerance for editors who use sock-puppets to press their case, valid or not. If you have reliable sources on your side, fairly and accurately represented, nothing else is needed. Whatever conflicts I may have found myself a part of on WP, there's not any content I've ever written or advocated that was of my personal opinion or synthesis—or from less than the best sources available.
   Whatever my personal feelings are on a topic, I've learned to put those aside on articles. What is more challenging is to put aside feelings after run-ins with another editor. Fortunately, I find that denouncing editors (even if valid) uses too much energy and breeds bad blood, it's easier just to stick to sources and content and leave the policing to others, and generally speaking I'm able to stick to that.
   (I'd lay off the self-congratulations on your editing though, that comes off as condescending, if not contemptuous. Let others congratulate you.) Best, PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 01:43, 15 July 2010 (UTC)
I should add that I've seen there is a strong correlation between math/programming skills and musicianship. On reflection, what I perceive in some of your style (others have been less kind) is seeing the whole universe (from your perspective) and being constantly challenged to distill it to maddeningly limited linear narrative. Using mental blinders to limit your focus can often make composing the narrative less "complicated." The best narrative reduces the complex to the simple. If you distill something into what ultimately makes complete sense only to you, you've lost your audience. For what it's worth. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 01:52, 15 July 2010 (UTC)
Well, per your most recent innuendo and derogatory commentary that there is now an EEML conspiracy against you, sorry I attempted any advice or attempt at dialog. You need to take some time away from the R&I conflict to stop viewing everything as conflict. Take it from someone who recognizes the symptoms. When you're ready to be less self-involved I'll be available for more cordial relations. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 18:26, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Arbitration motion regarding Eastern European mailing list

Following a motion at Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Amendment:

Remedy 20 of Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Eastern European mailing list ("Miacek topic banned") is lifted.

On behalf of the Arbitration Committee, NW (Talk) 00:15, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Discuss this

Re: Request to modify Remedy 11A) at Eastern European mailing list

Thank you for the notification. Good luck, --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk 17:00, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

I think even just a partial change to permit positive interaction excluding topic banned areas would be a positive step in the right direction. Otherwise all the old polarizations will just continue to simmer away. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 18:20, 22 July 2010 (UTC)
"Positive interaction" is in the eye of the beholder and subject to interpretation. What matters here is prior mutual consent. Martintg, for one, obviously doesn't want such interaction forced on him, positive or not, and I may easily understand him. Of course Wikipedia would be better off without any restrictions of this sort as well as without WP:CIV, much misused at the expense of content policies, but such is life, and as long as the behavioral policies stay interaction bans make perfect sense. Colchicum (talk) 19:51, 22 July 2010 (UTC)
I think there are two categories, one where one can comment positively on an editor in the third person, another which involves personal interaction. I think it is worthwhile to promote the former so that when it does come time for the latter—and that can be by mutual consent—that can stand a better chance of moving past prior conflicts. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 20:56, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Question for you

Vecrumba, I wanted to let you know that I’ve asked you a question here that I’d appreciate you responding to. I’m very interested to know whether the one editor involved in the race and intelligence article whom you regard as “grossly unwelcoming” is the same editor that the majority of other participants in this article feel the same way about. I suspect that it is; and if so, I think it demonstrates something significant that a relative newcomer to the article has reached the same conclusion about this as people who’ve been involved in it for several months. --Captain Occam (talk) 09:12, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

I'm too old to waste time on being spiteful or vindictive, but I can see where such behaviors might begin to have a certain allure. I had to go back this morning to remove tacked-on pointless (or perhaps they were pointed) observations at some comments I posted at R&I talk. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 14:38, 27 July 2010 (UTC)

Re

I saw a heated discussion at Arb pages and decided not to comment there. But it was an excellent question by MastCell. A "tendentious, agenda-driven editing" can be also in support of majority views. And it can be based on reliable secondary sources. But it matters if an editor in question makes reverts, even if only one revert per day. If he does reverts, his opponents will collect the diffs with reverts, present them to Arbcom, and the editor may receive any sanctions, from admonishment to a site ban. But if he does not revert and remains civil, his "tendentious, agenda-driven editing" is only a "content dispute", and he will not receive any sanctions (assuming that the editor knows the rules, such as not making bad faith assumptions, and better not debating anything at all). Therefore, this funny essay by Deacon gives the worst imaginable advice.Biophys (talk) 23:21, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Deacon's essay is good reading (!). As I said at the arbitration, if EE followed the sourcing rules some are suggesting for R&I, there would be no need for including Soviet versions of history. It's the first time I've seen an article where sources are simply discarded without even being discussed. (And certainly what exchanges do happen do not pass for "discussion.") I've seen "dismiss the source" elsewhere, but at R&I it's an art form. Whether or not a source is ultimately reliable (upholding the initial dismissal) is not the question; it's the process that is broken despite protestations of adhering to the highest possible process standards. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 23:57, 29 July 2010 (UTC)
Sure. But I think we should stay away of arbitration pages and conflicts in general. Let's not be involved in wikidrama. Besides, this is waste of time and nerves. This is bad for health. Do not you think? Biophys (talk) 00:11, 30 July 2010 (UTC)
I ordered an interesting book to read and intend to read it. I've said all I can say at the arbitration, at this point it's just feeding on itself as such things inevitably do. Unfortunately, it seems that any topic of current personal intellectual interest I've looked at is a bed of conflict (!). So I expect I'll catch up on some reading on R&I so it's not all time wasted, get some Baltic/EE sources up on my web site, and otherwise focus on a productive summer! I also expect to make it to Latvia later this year, which will be good for the soul as well. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 00:17, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

race

Well, it is a quote I am bound to like personally. It sounds pretty much like anthropological orthodoxy, not just fifty years ago but, if anything, moreso today. Who actually said it? Who is Tumin? Is the source relevant for the article? Slrubenstein | Talk 15:12, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

Well, in his day, Sherry Washburn was one of the world's leading physical anthropologists (up there with Lewis Leakey) but his specializaton I think was primatology, not genetics. But definitely a leading scholar, he pretty much headed the Berkeley anthropology department at the time. Slrubenstein | Talk 15:26, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

I rather thought you'd appreciate the quote. (!) The work (published by B'nai B'rith) is a compendium of questions related to race and intelligence which Tumin asked a series of scientists: Henry Dyer (educational testing), Silvan Tomkins (psychology), Ralph Turner (sociology), and Sherwood Washburn (anthropology), with Tumin's summary for each question. I should (other window, done) fix attribution of the quote to Sherwood. To your question, whether R&I or (perhaps better for) History of..., it would seem to me that the anthropological view, being less interested in explaining the latest numbers, offers a useful perspective. One of the key works "behind" the questions was Audrey Shuey's "The testing of Negro intelligence" (1958), along with later ones of similar ilk. What is of particular interest is that (bold is Tumin's): "The four scientists are in substantial agreement that the claims advanced by [Audrey] Shuey, [Carleton] Putnam and [Henry] Garrett (and later by [Wesley Critz] George) cannot be supported by any substantial scientific evidence." (They all made the racial inferiority claim.) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 15:49, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

Well, that certainly does sound relevant. Also, perhaps for the article on race. I have argued there that in academe, the discipline (viewed as a natural science and not just as a social science) that specializes in human beings is anthropology, so the Race article should privilege the views of anthropologists. I still believe this, but somewhere in the top half or top third - where the history of the idea is presented, and different views (taxonomic, essentialist, lineage etc.) are summarized, it might also be useful to summarize Tumin since he is explicitly seeking to represent diverse sciences - obviously in this regard the differences among them are as important as the similarities (not because one discipline is better than another, but because - I presume) the differences reveal something about each discipline. Do you have confidence in the method by which Tumin selected his sources? I know in 1963 Washburn was among the tops in anthropology, are the other scholars equally notable in their fields? Were they being asked to give their own opinion, or speak for their discipline? Slrubenstein | Talk 16:15, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

"You kind of have to read the whole thing." That said, Tumin:
  • asks the obvious questions
  • quotes an excerpt from joint statement at UNESCO conference in Paris (on race and intelligence), notably, anthropologists don't include mental characteristics in classifictions, et al.
  • mentions recent works bringing up the notion of inequality: Shuey and works quoting hers
  • four scientists at the top of their professions were asked to read Shuey and Putnam ("Race and Reason") and to respond to a series of 11 questions about them.
those four described as (quoting)
  • Dr. Henry C. Dyer, Vice President, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J., one of the country's foremost authorities on intelligence and ability testing;
  • Professor Silvan S. Tomkins, Professor of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., one of the country's leading specialists in personality testing;
  • Professor Ralph H. Turner, Chairman of the Department of Sociology, University of California at Los Angeles, and a noted expert on social and cultural patterns in the Negro population; and
  • Professor Sherwood L. Washburn, formerly President of the American Anthropological Association and Chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley, one of the world's most distinguished anthropologists.
So, a bit of both, as they provide personal answers but also from the perspective of their disciplines. They are not described as, nor do they presume to be, official representatives of their disciplines—but their credentials are clear. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 16:44, 3 August 2010 (UTC)
FYI, Tumin quotes this portion of the 1950 UNESCO statement (point 9.)
Whatever classification the anthropologist makes of man, he never includes mental characteristics as part of those classifications. It is now generally recognised that intelligence tests do not in themselves enable us to differentiate safely between what is due to innate capacity and what is the result of environmental influences, training and education. Wherever it has been possible to make allowances for differences in environmental opportunities, the tests have shown essential similarity in mental characters among all human groups. In short, given similar degrees of cultural opportunity to realize their potentialities, the average achievement of the members of each ethnic group is about the same.
Hope this helps. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 16:54, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

A tidbit on significance, some part of this is reprinted in Hubert Humphrey's "School Desegregation: Documents and Commentaries." Neither this or Humphrey's is available online. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 20:34, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

Well, you have convinced me that this is a relevant and reliable source for the articles on Race and race and intelligence. It is just a matter of contextualizing it (when it was written, and why) and figuring out where exactly it belongs in each article. I wouldn't give it as much weight as professional association statements, but I think that you could combine quotes from this source with presentations of professional asociation statements effectively i.e. any specific example from this book helps illustrates the relationship between the particular (individual views) and the general (collective statements). Slrubenstein | Talk 10:28, 4 August 2010 (UTC)
I tracked down a copy of Humphrey's text (to buy, not borrow—the NYPL is not terribly convenient to work these days) and expect that to show up in a week or so. I would offer Humphrey as an unimpeachable source in regard to intelligent political discourse—it will be interesting to see what HHH cites in support of what public policy. I'd add that Tumin's summary of responses to each question presented is quite cogent, it's unfortunate it's not easier to share it. I'm a bit full up at the moment with some drop-dead deadlines but might find time later next week to scan it. Whether or not we actively use sources which are reliable but a bit off the beaten path in actual content, they are valuable to find and to discuss. Clearly, hashing and re-hashing the same compendium of well-worn and well-known tomes has not yielded consensus. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 13:43, 4 August 2010 (UTC)

The Military history WikiProject Newsletter : LIII (July 2010)



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This has been an automated delivery by BrownBot (talk) 22:06, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Noloop

Thanks. If you have time perhaps you can comment on the talk page, sections on proposal to close/proposed topic ban.

I really believe bigotry is a real problem at Wikipedia and not just a "personal attack." Apparently a few other people agree with me, but not many. I was hoping with my reply to Noloop's complaint against me that I could open up a serious conversation about whether bigotry is a problem, how one might recognize bigotry (as opposed to another valid point of view among editors). I wouldn't even mind if the discussion ended up largely going against me, if at least there were a thoughtful discussion of the concept. But it seems like there is no space or not enough editors who even wish to talk about it ... Slrubenstein | Talk 10:05, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

The lure of being "open" and of being the top search engine result makes Wikipedia the target of choice for the self-promoters, hate-mongers, and extremists. The quest for discussion at the center is lost in the din as even the thoughtful resort to shouting just to be heard.
   The rush to judge at face value (using the word) those who would defend the integrity of WP against the true guilty (those deserving of the word) is an indictment of everyone who eagerly chimes in to chide you for using a "bad" word while being too [expletive deleted]ing lazy to go read the article talk page and looking at other editor's comments and the diffs to see if the word applies. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 13:29, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

Reflections

I think you waste too much time on discussions of human races. That's much ado about nothing. To race or not to race?. BTW, last dissident on ruwiki has been indefinitely blocked [14]. Why? Because he talked too much [15]. Otherwise he was very patriotic, wrote about Russian Orthodox Church, and even reverted my edits on a few occasions.Biophys (talk) 13:16, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

You're probably right, but I can't let my debating skills go rusty, now can I? :-) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 13:29, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
Any skills are great, but we are not here to debate, even though that guy gave me an amusing barnstar for "the passion to dispute". It means I was really on the wrong track. This particular environment is better suited for cold shoulder or even cold turkey.Biophys (talk) 15:43, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
Personally I'd favor a cold beer and zakuski. :-) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 22:36, 25 August 2010 (UTC)
Then you must be very careful. Do you have some exercise? Biophys (talk) 00:44, 26 August 2010 (UTC)
Sadly, yes and not enough. I am slowly getting work done around the house again (not exactly exercise but better than sitting at the computer) and as the weather cools I'll be alternating taking the train out to work with driving (and walking at least one way to/from the station, about 35 minutes at a good clip). Mass transit, unfortunately, changes my daily commuting time from two 1/2 hours to four+ hours. (!) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 01:50, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

request for clarification (R/I)

I have made a request for clarification which mentions you. Please find the request here: [16]. aprock (talk) 19:15, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

Protection.

I'm sorry, I'm not sure why I did that. I've actually fully unprotected for now: with any luck after four days the IP has lost interest, and if not, it's only one user in any case, doesn't seem to be changing IP addresses or anything, so just revert. Let me know if that's acceptable. Cheers, · Andonic Contact 05:19, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Circus now closed

Whack!

...for testing the limits of your interaction ban. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 00:50, 30 August 2010 (UTC)

An unusual start to rauhan kaudelle. PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 02:39, 30 August 2010 (UTC)

Did you mean . . .

Hi Vecrumba, did you mean kvetching in this edit summary? If so, please note the spelling. Bongomatic 20:51, 30 August 2010 (UTC)

Typo, cheap $14.99 keyboard! There's no way to fix typos in edit summaries, unfortunately. My sincere thanks for your defense of proper Yiddish, I do actually hear a lot of folks use "vetch" without the "k". (!) Aside from still recalling Sedir prayers from my youth with Jewish friends, there's a whole lot of Yiddish in there—I did grow up in Brooklyn, after all. :-) PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 21:54, 30 August 2010 (UTC)
Apologies for the presumption! Bongomatic 22:57, 30 August 2010 (UTC)
Not at all! PЄTЄRS J VЄСRUМВА ►TALK 01:31, 31 August 2010 (UTC)
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