User talk:Redverton

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Again, welcome! – Lionel ^(talk) 08:20, 27 August 2011 (UTC)

Re: Cathy Giessel

The reference to a maiden name in that fashion is typical for biography articles on Wikipedia, though in many instances other formats are used to present it in the article; for example, starting off the first sentence past the lead with "She was born Yadda Yadda Yadda in Blowhardville, Wyoming". I've been adding DOBs to various articles from that same source, since they're lacking elsewhere. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe former senator Ralph Seekins championed changes to election laws a few years ago, and part of the changes was that candidates no longer had to publicly disclose their DOB like they did before. I could have sworn I've seen other published references that make it appear as if Giessel fudges her age publicly, making it appear that she was born in 1954 or 1955. Also, I have photos from the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee hearings held in Fairbanks in September, but I've been slack when it comes to Commons uploads in general lately. I'm leaving for Arizona soon and wanted to get some other things out of the way.RadioKAOS (talk) 19:45, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Looking over the DOB policy, it would appear to be in line with the reasoning (at least on the surface) in the change of law. My personal belief is that practical, common sense matters sometimes trumps policy pedantry (i.e. WP:IAR), which may not necessarily make me popular with some in the Wikipedia community. That court database is widely used on the Internet any time someone files to campaign for public office, and often for far more nefarious purposes than simply learning a DOB. For example, learning about criminal convictions, divorces, etc., which any bozo with at least a few blog or Twitter followers can then use to launch a campaign issue. This could possibly even lead to "reliable sources" picking up on it, though that's not likely in Alaska due to the major media feeding off of access to certain individuals in positions of power. My main issue would be that it smacks of historical revisionism of sorts when DOBs are widely known and/or published for 80 to 90 percent of sitting legislators, not to mention most if not all former legislators (which includes a significant number of living people, possibly numbering into the hundreds in the case of the Alaska Legislature), yet a few who came along in recent years get to be exempted from this. Perhaps the BLP noticeboard may offer some guidance here. I think that the statement contained in the DOB policy as to complaints from the subject would be the best approach, were it come to that. That way, an admin can alter the revision visibility of the article if so necessary.RadioKAOS (talk) 20:43, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Actually, I recall we went through this fairly recently with Tammie Wilson. Namely, a synthesis of sources points to her DOB, which she otherwise appears careful not to widely disclose. The overall problem appears to be that a number of newer legislators are lax in releasing biographical information through the usual channels (including their pages on the legislature's official website), and that no one is really asking for them to do so, including the media. Progress on Wilson's article stalled somewhat because properly sourcing it would require digging up years worth of stories published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, which requires either going through microfilm at the library or dealing with the NewsBank pay wall.RadioKAOS (talk) 21:34, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

As for my text comments, SSDI turns up one Gerald J. Bohms, January 8, 1924 – January 8, 2002. An online archive search of the Daily News-Miner confirms that, as found in the June 10, 2002 issue:

Gerald J. Bohms Longtime Fairbanksan Gerald "Jerry" Johnson Bohms died on his 78th birthday, Jan. 8, 2002, at Providence Medical Center in Anchorage.

So in response to what I meant by that comment, I take it you really meant that he arrived in Alaska in the late 1940s. For him to "move to Alaska in his late forties" (presuming this was in referring to his age at the time) would be contradictory to Cathy being born in Alaska in the early or mid 1950s.RadioKAOS (talk) 21:49, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, I don't see any problem. Whether this creates a precedent for any other similar edits is another matter, but I'll suppose we'll figure that out when it comes to that.RadioKAOS (talk) 22:31, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Feltham and Heston

Morning Redverton

I know you mean(t) well but it is hideously bad taste to launch a by-election article when an MP has only just passed away. We don't know when the election will be, if there is going to be one this year or not. The man has only just died, remember, there's not going to be an election for months yet, certainly not in 2011. I have redirected your article and the 2012 article for reasons of accuracy and of taste doktorb _words^deeds 10:09, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

I do get your reasoning on the grounds of taste. However, whilst I get it I must disagree - we're an encyclopaedia: we update information dispassionately, and by-election pages in the past have been set up just as quickly before and left to stand. In anycase, taste is no criteria for reversion. But, in anycase, I do agree in retrospect that it's wrong to set it up since we don't know for sure what year it will be. So, as you've inferred, best wait till we know the year for certain. So, in a half-way thank you because I don't like being called tasteless when I'm only trying to update the encylopedia in the same way others have before (!), thank you for your reversion. Redverton (talk) 10:18, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Hey, yeah, maybe I was a bit strong. Sorry about that, consider that struck off :) I know people rush to start the articles but I have grown to dislike that knee-jerk reaction over the years because from the start of the article to the election being called, it's technically WP:CRYSTAL and for the most part, nothing is going to happen to update the article anyway. We should either wait for the funeral, or wait for enough hints about the date, and then start editing.−

I like working on by-election articles and will be happy to help out anything about candidates etc, but it's all best done once the initial period has passed. I look forward to working with you :) doktorb _words^deeds 10:24, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

No need to strike off anything - I do completely appreciate everything you've said. I only got annoyed because others have created such pages before and I imagine not got called tasteless, but in retrospect one must question whether that precedent itself is tasteless itself as you've inferred. So, in a roundabout way, I'll be more careful in creating such articles again. :) And thank you for offering to share the workload when the real updating begins: I'll be extremely happy to do that and look forward to editing the article at the appropriate time. Perhaps such work can really begin once a date is announced? Redverton (talk) 10:35, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

This is the thing with Wiki - the consensus has always been "Start an article straight away". I can accept doing that if an MP resigns. If an MP dies, we're pouring over the by-election article before the poor sap's been buried. I would obviously wait for the wider project to have their view but I would say the 2012 article can be "opened" after the funeral and once we start to get sources for candidate selection, dates etc. By the way I have updated the List of UK by-elections article but only a quick line of news, not a direct link to either 2011 or 2012 re-directs. doktorb _words^deeds 10:41, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Fair dos. I'll keep an eye out for news on such things and let you know if I spot any. Redverton (talk) 10:57, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Hey. Thanks for the note. I'm a card carrying Liberal Democrat but as long as I don't turn every LibDem candidate's name purple and font size 200, I get away with any conflict of interest accusations ;) :). If you are stepping away from the article, fair do's, hope I can meet you somewhere else in the Wikipedia world for other editing assistance. Take a look at constituency articles where election results are missing, that's always a field in need of digging. Speak soon doktorb _words^deeds 18:17, 24 November 2011 (UTC)

Thanks

Thank you for taking the time to write that note, it is appreciated. 86.176.108.87 (talk) 12:46, 24 November 2011 (UTC)

You're very welcome, thank you for your response. :) Redverton (talk) 17:35, 24 November 2011 (UTC)

Max Maxfield

Excellent job on that article. I'd like to suggest that you nominate it for WP:DYK. It would mean recognition for your work on the Main Page. But don't delay if you're interested--the submission deadline is rapidly approaching. – Lionel ^(talk) 09:39, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I'll take you up on it! Much appreciated. Redverton (talk) 16:56, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

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DYK for Max Maxfield

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

DYK for Bob Nicholas

Orlady (talk) 20:48, 30 December 2011 (UTC)

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Dennis Williams

Hi there, when you move a page you need to go through WhatLinksHere and change the links, especially look for things like templates as they can change a lot of pages very quickly. Cheers Mattlore (talk) 07:03, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Thank you for the note, I'll set about doing that. Take care. Redverton (talk) 14:38, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Steve Hogan

Hello! Your submission of Steve Hogan at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Maile66 (talk) 22:19, 29 July 2012 (UTC) Maile66 (talk) 22:19, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Disregard this. I realize this nomination is fine. Maile66 (talk) 22:24, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Excellent, thank you. Redverton (talk) 23:46, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Dennis P. Williams

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:03, 1 August 2012 (UTC)