Talk:Abbott Handerson Thayer

Behrens on Thayer's bipolar disorder and other matters
Much of this article is cited the old way, with citations at the end of the article rather than little numbers all the way through. However much people don't like this any more (myself included), it is a valid method. A cited paper by Behrens does discuss the bipolar disorder (the paper is free on the web) so I've added a little number to point to the citation. It would be a good thing for the rest of the article to be processed the same way, when anyone is having a bout of insomnia. Chiswick Chap (talk) 14:01, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * This content is deemed controversial and has been challenged by the family of Thayer through correspondence with OTRS. Can you provide a link to the "free paper" online or pull-out the content from the book that reflects the article content? Please note that it is also advisable to provide a citation directly following this content, rather than resort to providing an inline citation at the end of the paragraph in this regard. Best regards, Cindy  ( talk ) 03:30, 6 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Oh I see. The paper is at Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 27 February 2009 vol. 364  no. 1516  497-501 and the Royal Society has indeed chosen to provide the full text for free. This is about as reliable a source as could be imagined. I have added inline citations, containing the original quote by Behrens, and have put both the Behrens 2009 and the Meryman 1999 full text links into the article. Chiswick Chap (talk) 07:17, 6 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Thayer's behavior, and his written descriptions of it, have been well chronicled. Meryman's accounts and Anderson's publication of 1982 include a great deal more detail of eccentric behavior, including Thayer's complex attitudes toward women; more of this can be added to the article, as it offers elaboration on his personality and the ways in which these complexities informed his work. The conclusion that he was bipolar may be recent, but considering Thayer's self-descriptions it shouldn't be much of a surprise. JNW (talk) 12:31, 6 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks to both of you. At this point, I think the family's concern has been appropriately addressed in line with policy. Best regards, Cindy  ( talk ) 22:17, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

Categories must be justified by cited text
Categories must be justified by cited text. We can't have uncited claims. A man is not a member of his wife's family, or vice versa, it makes no sense, so even if his wife was a Beach, a) he was not, and b) even if he somehow was, we would still need written evidence first. In short, the category is simply wrong and inappropriate. Chiswick Chap (talk) 20:16, 14 October 2023 (UTC)