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10 year anniversary

Anyone interested in getting Wikipedia to FA status and then to be todays featured article for the 10 year anniversary on Jan 15, 2011? There is not much time, but I think if a bunch of good editors work hard for this, we could make it happen. Even if it is not the Wikipedia artile, we should find some other relevant article for the anniversary. Remember (talk) 18:22, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Raul has already made it clear that this is one of the few articles which will never be TFA; besides, we have a long-standing policy of never having self-referential articles on the main page (it's why Wikipedia Review was unceremoniously yanked out of DYK when it once crept in). – iridescent 19:08, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Not even for the 10 year anniversary. I feel like that is the one day that it would make sense to be on the main page. Oh well. Raul, is this still your view? Remember (talk) 19:12, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia as a TFA, no. I think it would confuse everyone. We do definitely need something special for the day, though. I'll have a look... wackywace 19:27, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

There is no time. Realistically, an article of that scope is going to take weeks to rewrite and polish, then there's the review process, and I would anticipate an insane FAC.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:58, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Oh well, I tried. Remember (talk) 21:00, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Other ideas

So I did some poking around to try and figure out if there were any other appropriate currently existing FA for the 10 year anniversay. Unfortunately, everything I came up with has its downsides. Here is what I found. Remember (talk) 15:00, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Truthiness - This seems like a nice way to honor the 10 year anniversary and shows that we don't take ourselves too seriously. Unfortunately, already been on the main page once, but I think this would merit an exception.

Encyclopædia Britannica - Already a FA, but it has been on the main page before. That was back in 2007 so maybe an exception can be made in this case. Not sure if it would be seen as insulting to Britinica though.

The Guardian of Education - well, the name is nice, but it really doesn't have anything to do with wikipedia or encyclopedias, but as I said, I like the name. It also has already been on the main page.

Anekantavada - philosophical idea that the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, and that no single point of view is the complete truth. But has already been on the main page.

The Age of Reason - again, I like the name of the title, but it has already been featured on the main page.

Philosophy of mind - somewhat related but also already been on the main page.

Thoughts? Remember (talk) 15:00, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Every single one of the examples you give has already been TFA, and is thus ineligible; we never run any item in any section of the main page twice, and this certainly isn't an important enough event to warrant making an exception; aside from a few hundred people involved in Wikipedia itself, nobody in the broader world will either know or care about this anniversary. (Which in any case, is rather tenuous; Wikipedia budded gradually from Bomis, and didn't have a "start date" as such. If any date has a claim to be the 10th anniversary, it's March 9, 2000—when Nupedia went live—and the anniversary of that has already passed.) – iridescent 20:17, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia was formally launched January 15, 2001. A little under a month until that date. What was Raul's objection to use of Wikipedia as the TFA? Regards, SunCreator ^(talk) 20:37, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Iridescent, obviously you and I are of different opinions. It appears to me that you think that the ten year anniversary of the official launch date is a not very important event and therefore doesn't deserve a special recognition in any real way on the main page, whereas I feel that it is an important event for wikipedia and we should try to celebrate it in a nice fun way by recognizing some FA that is related to the project in some way on the main page. I doubt there is anything we can do to bridge this gap, but I assume if someone was to come up with a FA that had not been shown on the main page before, you would not have an objection, correct? I too would prefer to have an FA that has not been on the main page before that has some relevance to this project, but I am not sure that is going to be possible. If that is the case, I would prefer to do something notable for wikipedia rather than just have a random video game character honored on that day. Remember (talk) 22:24, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Where is it written that TFAs can never repeat? I honestly couldn't find it. DC T•C 04:27, 21 December 2010 (UTC)

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen it in writing either. I know featured pictures can be featured on the main page multiple times. If we're discussing articles that have already been TFAs, I'll suggest The Million Dollar Homepage and PowerBook 100 as ideas. wackywace 16:56, 21 December 2010 (UTC)

It is under "Adding Requests" over on the project page, first sentence.--Wehwalt (talk) 01:01, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

Any ideas at all?

so does anyone have any other ideas for the 10 year anniversary? Unless we break a rule and feature an article twice, there are no other ideas. Remember (talk) 02:13, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

I suggest running the best article on the most important subject we can find, just to demonstrate what Wikipedia can do.--Wehwalt (talk) 02:47, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

ok. Any suggestions on what that would be? Remember (talk) 03:02, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

I don't want to make a suggestion. But surely people could go through the listings and see what they think is the most important subject of a FA which has not yet TFA'd.--Wehwalt (talk) 03:05, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

Looking at new promotions, what about Speed of light? Nice basic concept, well written or it wouldn't be there and sorta symbolic in a way ...--Wehwalt (talk) 18:04, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

Other ideas to run for the anniversary that have varying degrees of symbolism or innuendo about Wikipedia/information/encyclopedia: Wonder Stories, Sweet Track, Bring Us Together, Definition of a planet, or Press Gang. None of these have anything to do with Wikipedia at all, the titles just seemed thought provoking. --SkotyWA^T_C 03:23, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

My suggestion is that we run 10 current FAs that have already been on the main page, chosen to highlight the range of WP: history, geography, science, biography, music, popular culture etc. Code can be used to produce a random display from the 10 (as was done with the Obama-McCain 2TFA day), and the TFA box can have an extra sentence saying what's going on today. I know this breaks two "rules" (no repeats, only 1 TFA per day) but the 10th anniversary seems a good time to IAR. Bencherlite^Talk 17:28, 4 January 2011 (UTC)

I think that's a great idea! I'll have a look through WP:FA to find some important articles, but I think, if this is what we are going to do, Earth is definitely one I'd like to see included. wackywace 18:42, 4 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, perhaps that should be cleared with Raul, who may have views on the question. Most likely does, in fact.--Wehwalt (talk) 18:51, 4 January 2011 (UTC)

I like this idea a lot, but I agree with Wehwalt that we need to check with Raul to see what he is comfortable with doing. Remember (talk) 21:05, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Putting together an altogether different main page for a day or two is an interesting idea. I suggest removing everything but the featured content (keep TFP, TFA; remove: ITN, DYK, OTD, sister projects, languages).

Some ideas for selecting TFAs with some unusual features: Spoken articles [1], geographic coordinates [2], may even bring out a feature topic [3], Night of the Living Dead and link to the full film, FAs about or featuring a Featured Pictures, commentary about getting FA [4], collaborative effort [5]. — Dispenser 22:40, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Putting the best featured topic on the main page is actually a great idea... it'll highlight Wikipedia's strengths. Ed ^{[talk] [majestic titan]} 22:51, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

You know, what we could do on the 10th anniversary is omit a featured articles altogether and instead leave a message talking about the featured article process, its beginning, the highlights over the years, etc, and conclude the short blurb by leaving a link to the featured article category and to the former featured articles category to invite people to look at what we have done in the last 10 years. For an image to be used in such a blurb, we could find one of those speech balloons or put a photo of Wikipe-tan up. In this manner, we can include all featured articles over the years - including those that once held the FA-class assessment but no longer do - which would provide a richer look at what we have had up over the years. As a side note, we could do in theory do the same thing for all the sections save for possibly the current events section. Submitted for consideration, TomStar81 (Talk) 23:04, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

I like the idea but wonder if time would be too short to draft a FA-quality-looking essay like that. There would have to be a peage for the reader to go to behind the blurb.--Wehwalt (talk) 23:12, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

How about a letter from Raul (and Sandy?) about the most unusual featured articles? It would be good for the public to hear from someone other than Jimbo. The reason I harp on odd features is that most of our readers 1) come to our site through Google, 2) unaware that we are user driven community, and 3) unaware that there are tasks beside editing and writing. — Dispenser 07:30, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

No Wikipe-tan, period. Raul wouldn't go for it, I wouldn't, and our user base would probably revolt. :p Wehwalt, wasn't there a Featured Content Dispatch on the history of the FA process a little bit ago? Why don't we pull that out, add the necessary updates, and see if that would work? Ed ^{[talk] [majestic titan]} 09:25, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

Here's the dispatch. --SkotyWA^T_C 16:54, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

How about something like this (obviously with five different articles, not all the same)? wackywace 17:59, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

The discussion here is very interesting, but I'd like a wider range of opinions. I've started a thread at Talk:Main_Page#10th_Anniversary_FA. Raul654 (talk) 17:21, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Welcome to use...

I am not too familiar with the nomination process, and I realize there are special events coming up that should be recognized with appropriate TFAs, but I saw a request for TFA suggestions recently on the Main Page talk page so I'm simply offering use of the only FA article I have generated to date: Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. If format submission is required, I could find time for it soon. Nothing particularly special or noteworthy about the article as far as dates are concerned, but if you need suggestions I am offering one! :) --Another Believer _(Talk) 17:39, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

You have to submit it on the project page. Is there a specific date you'd like to see it run on? I would be happy to work up a blurb for you, that you could cut and paste and use for your nomination.--Wehwalt (talk) 03:06, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the follow up! No specific date request. I will take a closer look at the nomination process. --Another Believer _(Talk) 08:03, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

Everyone should install User:Anomie/linkclassifier.js

Hi all. Just dropping by to suggest that editors install the above script to their Monobook/Vector skin as appropriate. What is does is to highlight links to redirect pages, pages that are up for deletion and disambiguation pages by changing the colour of the displayed links from the standard blue. The last one is most useful, it identifies where a link does not go to the intended target and should be fixed before going up on the Main Page. I've sometimes caught these appearing on the main page and had to submit corrections at WP:ERRORS, this will help shortcut the process. I will be suggesting this to all editors involved in the FA and Main Page content processes. Regards. Zunaid 08:10, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Australia Day...

Now what do we have that's not been on the main page that's undeniably aussie....Silverchair, Powderfinger.... Telopea speciosissima...any banksia (there are several) .....any of the currawongs,· Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, · Cockatoo · Willie Wagtail · Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo ...Raul, if you're watching, just choose something Aussie. I have no idea waht looks most aussie to an O/S editor...Casliber (talk · contribs) 13:45, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

I don't know if I agree there should be an article themed to a country on the national day ... every year, every English-speaking country. BTW, I'm hoping Raul will save 1975 Australian constitutional crisis for the funeral of whichever one of Whitlam or Fraser goes first.--Wehwalt (talk) 14:04, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Hmm, or maybe get King-Byng Affair up to FA and pressure Raul into another dual TFA on the anniversary of the signing of the Statute of Westminster.  :) Resolute 02:38, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

• If it must be, nothing social political or ethnic. Invasion Day is a politicised statement in Australia. But wiki oughtn't commemorate nationality anyway. Fifelfoo_m (talk) 01:44, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

None of the bio articles are political...could try to have something more topical for next year. Casliber (talk · contribs) 02:50, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

• if it absolutely must be Australian themed, which I obviously contest, physical geography, flaura or fauna would be preferable. Fifelfoo_m (talk) 03:02, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

• it doesnt absolutely must be anything, but typically 4th July has a US theme. Cas just asked if Raul would pick a topic that has an Australian theme but because of the nature of the topics the ones mentioned dont have any date related claims to get the opportunity to request main page, some of those article Cas highlightd where promted over two years ago. Wikipedia relies solely on vlunteers I see nothing wrong in anyone requesting dates which are nationally significant having an article which is relevant to the country whether its 14th March, 4th July, 26th January. Gnangarra 03:23, 15 January 2011 (UTC)