User:Lar/Essays

Guides, References, and Examples

 * Merging and moving pages It's actually not that hard but following the recipe means it gets done right.
 * MediaWiki User's Guide: Using tables because I just can't remember table syntax.
 * Template talk:Ref How to do footnotes (better example than at footnote, actually as it explains multiple cites).
 * Geolinks code for the map references
 * Infobox Conditionals all kinds of conditionals, using qif and hiddenStructure
 * TestTemplates A big list of Templates for dealing with vandalism.
 * Template messages/General a BIGGER list of templates.
 * Categorization The ins and outs of categories
 * Blank maps maps to mark up (for when TIGER can't do what you need)
 * Welcome templates for when you want something a little different.
 * John Broughton/Editor's Index to Wikipedia A pretty comprehensive guide to various important topics
 * IRC channels Guide to IRC channels
 * Category:Wikipedia image help covers: making better images, seeking permission and loads of other stuff
 * Help:Magic words Magic words (like subst:, msg: etc)...
 * Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Using the bot setting up projects to use mathbot assessment...
 * Example requests for permission Boilerplate letters to send to ask rights holders for license changes or free use, etc.
 * Requests for checkuser/Indicators Checkuser indicator templates.

Tools

 * Tools/Navigation popups The popup page, popups are one of the greatest things since sliced bread
 * User:Titoxd/Flcelloguy's Tool A good tool for evaluating contributions of candidates for things. needs clientside install
 * Wikipedia Signpost/2005-12-26/Wiki tools A shedful of good tools
 * User:Trilobite/Tools Need to enhance my .js with this stuff... a BUNCH of good javascript stuff, like add a purge tab!!! (much already added)
 * WikiProject User scripts cool script stuff that needs looking at
 * Interiot's contribution tree walker (already pointing to me)
 * Interiot's edit counter (has distribution info, looks like based on Kate's tool) (already pointing to me)
 * "wannabe-Kate" counter also by Interiot (already pointing to me), works even if the toolserver copy of the DB is down. Slow and resource intensive, run only if needed.
 * Admin board searcher for searching AN, AN/I, 3RR, and CSN.
 * Bureaucrats' noticeboard/RfA Report RfA report. Here it is embedded:

Misc notes

 * Handy cribsheet

IRC commands

 * to recapture a ghosted nic on IRC "msg nickserv ghost  " (without quotes)
 * to op yourself, you can type "/msg chanserv op # " (without quotes)
 * to kick a user, you type "/kick user" after being opped by yourself or someone else (without quotes)
 * to give an invite exemption:
 * /msg chanserv op # (Op yourself)
 * /mode -I *!*@wikipedia/lar (remove old cloak invite exemption)
 * /mode +I *!*@wikimedia/lar (add new cloak)
 * /mode -o lar (deop yourself if in that channel... make sure you use right nick for who you are at the time)
 * to add a user and give access level
 * /msg chanserv access #channel add name level
 * to self invite
 * /msg chanserv invite #channel
 * to remove a user
 * /msg chanserv access #channel del name
 * to ban a user from a channel (Op yourself first) ... all possible variants
 * /mode #channel +b *!*someone@somecloakingorg/someone
 * /mode #channel +b *!*someon@*.*.*.*
 * /mode #channel +b *!*@somecloakingorg/someone

IRC page with instructions on how to ask for cloak: IRC_cloaks

(see also User:Dmcdevit/IRC_help )

Thought Provoking Essays and Neat Links

 * User:CatherineMunro CatherineMunro is an old hand. Her essay on what participation means to her is thought provoking and very well written. There's something in it for just about every conscientious editor.
 * User:Geogre Geogre and I seem to be on the opposite side of just about everything we've both been involved in. But this is good stuff. The section dealing with how one should vote in AfDs is really well put, and the musings on article quality and why no article is better than an inadequate article seem very apt. I need to remember to reread these every so often.
 * The Wikipedia Creed
 * Academic standards disease this is a counterpoint to the stance I've been taking that experts should be shown deference or at least given the benefit of the doubt by default.
 * User:Vaoverland Just an enjoyable read. Lots of little tidbits on how to be a better Wikipedian and interesting background facts about stuff he's worked on. I hope if I ever get as prolific as he is, that this page is half as good.
 * User:Anthere/Values "For any article you vote to delete, vote one to keep, or improve one which is on the border of being thrown in the bin."
 * Xiong's stats Some fascinating analysis of number of edits/articles/sizes/growths and the correlations among them... not sure what it all means but it seems significant. For some reason. Or it may just be dazzling with numbers.
 * DefendEachOther from MeatballWiki. Don't defend yourself. Let others do it for you, and in turn, defend them if need be.
 * 2005 IBM study on the dynamics of Wikipedia, including article creation/improvement, social interaction, conflict resolution, et. al. with statistics and page history visualisations.
 * blog about the same study.
 * Five Geek Social Fallacies ... very applicable to here, believe it or not.
 * On adminship by Splash from Durin's talk.
 * Admin vitriol formula Take with a grain of salt!!!

More as I find them. but I'm lazy, so feel free to suggest some!

Adminships and stuff

 * my nominees

Articles I am proud of having had a hand in

 * David_B._Steinman
 * Niagara Cantilever Bridge
 * Svinesund Bridge

Articles I created that I'm officially proud of!
Several of my articles have been selected for Did you know? To read more about them, see: User:Lar/DYK

Articles I created that I am not sure I am proud of yet, but for which I have high hopes
(DYK's get their own section, none of these are DYK articles)
 * Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge (made public 21:28, 19 December 2005)
 * Poughkeepsie Bridge (made public 22:30, 19 December 2005)
 * Redridge Steel Dam (made public 01:50, 23 December 2005)
 * Theodore Cooper (made public 23:14, 24 January 2006)

Articles which may never amount to much more than they are now but which are fine for what they are

 * Peach Drop (Atlanta, Georgia) (made public 10:45, 13 December 2005)

Goofs because I can't spell

 * User:Lar/Industrial_Archeology There is a perfectly fine Industrial Archaeology article out there which I missed... think I merged it all in now.

SuperSTUBS I am working on that might be articles some day
Bridges & related

Buildings

People
 * George Gaylord (maybe.. not sure he's notable enough)

Sites
 * User:Lar/Domai.com ... :If Aaron doesn't get to it first!

Images I have uploaded
(Some taken by me, some found, and since I'm using special:contributions, some are just wording/license tweaks on images by others... should I build a gallery? Message me if you care one way or the other)
 * en.wikipedia: special contributions image list page
 * Commons: special contributions image list page