User:Neiltonks

I've been editing Wikipedia since 2008. I use the site a lot for reference purposes and my edits are a way of giving something back to the project. I admit to not being a particularly prolific editor, not having a lot of time to devote to it, but I hope to contribute in some small way to the overall success of the encyclopaedia.

Wikipedia Interests

 * I try to improve articles about topics I'm familiar with such as UK railways, payroll, nature and anything to do with the Lake District and Peak District.


 * I'm a pending changes reviewer. There's often a backlog of these changes awaiting review, and I help out when I can.


 * Badly-written English is one of my pet hates, so I'm often found copyediting articles to fix problems such as poor spelling or grammar. If I find bad English in any article I read, I try to fix it. I also actively undertake copy-editing of articles which are flagged as requiring this.


 * Because I believe Wikipedia is a hugely valuable resource, I dislike people who reduce its value by vandalizing it. I revert vandalism whenever I see it, often with the help of Twinkle.


 * I'm found hanging around the AFD pages on occasion. In my contributions there I try to be objective, since many of the contributors have strong personal views on the articles under discussion and an unbiased view can sometimes be helpful.


 * I believe short descriptions are helpful, and actively add them to articles in my areas of interest.


 * I'm a self-confessed WikiGnome! I don't currently have long periods of time to devote to the project so I tend to undertake small maintenance tasks (reviewing pending changes, reverting vandals, generating short descriptions etc.), as those are things I can spend a short period of time on productively.

Editing Philosophy
I believe strongly that my edits have no more validity than those of any other editor. If someone has a different view to mine, that's fine (so long as there's a source to support it where appropriate). This means, for instance, I'll never get involved in edit wars unless obvious vandalism is involved (life is way too short).

I believe that consensus and co-operation will usually produce a better result than conflict. For that reason, I'll never take offence if consensus in a discussion goes against me.

If you disagree with an edit I make, please talk to me about it rather than just reverting. I won't bite!