User:Kovar

Stuff about me:
I finally figured out the short form. I'd long thought it was that I was Kipling's The Elephants Child, although that didn't seem quite right. Then I did a search for the quotation that most often came to mind, "Run and find out." It's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, not the Disney one, Kipling. He is 'eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity' which is perhaps the best description of a web-wanderer I've even come across. Unfortunately as every web-wanderer knows that means you start one place and then it's three hours later and you're someplace else.

Worth knowing:
 * I start working on Wikipedia then get distracted for months. A particular problem with this is that I don't check my watch lists.
 * I try very, very hard to be objective which includes first noticing where I'm biased.
 * Articles that aren't objective really annoy me.
 * I have a magpie brain.
 * My list of interests was written a long time ago, just scribbling to be filled out later.
 * A lot of projects are left off because they kept propagating and things I want to be involved in is always changing.

Interests:

At one time this page included a long list of interests and skills. Now perhaps the projects give an idea, except that they leave out a great deal because I never take on a project unless I know a lot about the subject. In any event there's survey design; beta-testing almost anything; convention planning and running; a bit about marketing; I hang out on the edge of the book biz; a great deal of involvement in the World Science Fiction Society, especially the Hugos; editing, obviously; noticing odd things, such as the way a book is designed, without even realizing it; general research when someone gets me started on something and whatever catches my eye. Opening a bottle of wine reminded me of a problem with cork trees which had me. . . once I get interested in something I start collecting data.

Things I'm working on and upcoming projects:
I never will keep this up to date! It's mostly notes to myself. But 'to myself' just added a new project.


 * Edits have a link to talk pages. Useful on the one hand, because people can comment there about things you've done. Not useful on the other hand since there's nothing about me, the person they're writing to. Should I move this there? Should I cite this there as something to look at?


 * A recent article gave a parenthetical comment explaining that the US public school system means publicly funded, something only needed for Brits. I think it clutters up the article but had never thought about the different meanings. Perhaps finding a reference explaining the difference?


 * The St. J's page is marked as missing citations


 * Harlan Ellison: the bias in the section concerning the LA Hugos has been tidied up but check what has happened since.


 * Check the "Arthur Pendragon" page to see if it's been rewritten. On the other hand I'm tired of getting into it w/ the person who wrote the article who's with Pendragon


 * Terry Goodkind entry: there's always been controversy about his opinion of genre and there's an interview in which he says "I do not write fantasy" from the same year as an interview in which he says he does.  This will require careful work.


 * There's a reference on the Washington Science Fiction Society entry that I need to add (Okay, what was it? This is actually important)


 * Turn Laura Anne Gilman's entry into an actual article.


 * Old Earth Books. Someone else has now started this but I really should get that one done, especially since it shouldn't take very long.
 * WFC. For that one I'm going to need to track down people who were there at the beginning which is going to take some time, when I get around to actually doing it.


 * LARP, as above. I was there at the beginning of that one but need written references.


 * Check for updates and make if needed on the Capclave/WSFA entry. Long since picked up by other people.


 * Now and then look at Conversion disorder.


 * Make list of pages I've fiddled with (Ha!).


 * Keep adding to reference section of useful Wikipedia editing links. It was started because I was working on mediating a conflict but it might be useful to have one place with a list of editing pages.

Clearly I haven't kept up with these! I did just add to the Ellison talk page, though.

Most recent update: Kovar (talk) 23:13, 28 December 2014 (UTC)

Notes of Wikipedia links
Edit warring

Conflict of interest

Disruptive editing

No personal attacks

Neutral point of view

Sock puppetry

Kovar (talk) 01:13, 2 December 2009