User talk:Figureskatingfan/Archive 12

DYK for And Still I Rise
Gatoclass (talk) 08:18, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Talkback
jcc (tea and biscuits) 16:32, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Talkback
jcc (tea and biscuits) 19:56, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

Interested in the recruite program
Hi, I am looking for a mentor to teach me the ropes of articles reviews.

Thank you for helping Markv68 (talk) 09:42, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

Mentoring
Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I've already contacted a couple of other on the short list and no one has contacted me back, you were the first.

So I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong. I'll try again, maybe better luck this time. Does the recruiters interests or specialties have to align with areas I feel I can help with?

Thanks Markv68 (talk) 03:08, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

DRN needs your help!
Hi there. I've noticed it's been a while since you've been active at DRN, and we could really use your help! DRN is going to undergo some changes soon, so it'd really be great if our backlog is cleared before the start of August and we have as many people on board to help with the changes (they include a move to subpages and the creation of a rotating "co-ordinator" role to help manage things day-to-day. Hope to see you soon! Steven Zhang  Help resolve disputes! 11:31, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Torchwood Good Article
Hi, Christine

I was wondering if I could get your opinion on the Torchwood article, is it Good Article worthy? I have done bits and pieces to it over a few months.

Thanks Kelvin 101 (talk) 13:54, 17 July 2013 (UTC)


 * K, it looks like the reason it failed before was that the feedback hadn't been addressed. It looks like you've addressed them now, so I think that you could resubmit it.  I haven't looked at the entire article, but I think that it's pretty close to passing as a GA.  I suspect that the reviewer, whomever it is, would have more feedback for you, but once you've addressed it, the article would pass.  I also recommend, since it's a long article, that you ask for more time than the customary 7 days.  Good luck! Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 16:31, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

GA review for The Sword of Kahless
Nice review! I just left you a brief note about my take on the plot section. I hope it helps. Viriditas (talk) 02:49, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

Delia Matache page needs your help
Hello HD user, and User:Figureskatingfan

I am the director of Shepperton International, I heard you are an excellent user,and I see your article with Ioan Gyuri Pascu, me and Delia Matache managers, a famous Romanian celebrity and singer,probably you know her, need your help ; we need to create a Book:Delia, to review his article, that is create by me, and is incomplete, we want as you do at Ioan Gyuri Pascu, with informations from net, etc. to create albums with Delia, and more important, PLEASE UPLOAD A PHOTO WITH HER, BUT MAKE SURE THIS PHOTO WILL NEVER BE DELETED.

I search for Wikipedia help thousands of times, but they never wanted to help me, I am just a new user who don't find help.

Please,I ,and Delia Matache managers county on you to help us, as you can better; or you or the redactor Wiki.

A nice day, and please give us a response at this please, sorry for interrupting. --Consiliul (talk) 11:46, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

P:S If this is a problem, because is a lot of work in process, we pay this actions with money, depend of you, as we can better — Preceding unsigned comment added by Consiliul (talk • contribs) 11:50, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?
Hello! Your submission of Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and some issues with it may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Hawkeye7 (talk) 02:38, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

Talkback
— AARON • TALK   14:49, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of Music of Sesame Street
The article Music of Sesame Street you nominated as a good article has been placed on hold. The article is close to meeting the good article criteria, but there are some minor changes or clarifications needed to be addressed. If these are fixed within 7 days, the article will pass, otherwise it will fail. See Talk:Music of Sesame Street for things which need to be addressed. Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Calvin999 -- 14:57, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

AB Award!
We are truly lucky to have contributors like you! -- Another Believer ( Talk ) 15:05, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

DYK for Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 20:48, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

Precious again
  Maya Angelou

Thank you for your quality work on Maya Angelou, her background, her works, the themes in her autobiographies, "The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough." - you are an awesome Wikipedian!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:35, 30 July 2012 (UTC) A year ago, you were the 198th recipient of my PumpkinSky Prize, repeated in br'erly style, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:28, 30 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Plaudits richly deserved! Binksternet (talk) 12:30, 30 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Agreed. Hawkeye7 (talk) 20:10, 30 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Ah shucks guys, you're too much! Thanks, I appreciate the kindness. Gerda, what number am I this year? ;) Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 03:54, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I typically give it only once to a person ;) - I enjoyed more poetry recently, and I honour the photographer and the designer (who got it twice and I knew it) by repeating, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:08, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

WikiCup 2013 July newsletter
We're halfway through this year's penultimate round, and the competition is moving along well. Pool A's currently leads overall, while Pool B's  is second. Both leaders are WikiCup veterans, and both have already scored over 600 points this month. If the round were to end today,, with 274 points, would be the lowest-scoring participant to make it through. This indicates that participants will need a score comparable to last year's (573, the highest ever) to qualify for the final. The high scores this year are a testament both to the quality of participants and to the increased focus on significant content (eligible for bonus points) in this year's competition. So far this round, both Sasata and have made up over half of their score through bonus points, with, for example, high importance FA koala earning Sasata a total of 440 points (from a multiplier of 4.4) and high-importance GA sea earning Cwmhiraeth a total of 216 points (from a multiplier of 7.2). Other articles on important topics submitted this round include a featured article on the Norman conquest of England by, and good articles on Nobel laureate in literature Henryk Sienkiewicz, Nobel laureate in physics Hans Bethe, and the noted Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū. These articles are by, and Sturmvogel_66 respectively.

Other than that, there is not much to report! If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. If you want to help out with the WikiCup, please do your bit to reduce the review backlogs! Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 23:47, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

DYK RfC

 * As a listed GA participant, you are invited to contribute to a formal Request for Comment on the question of whether Good Articles should be eligible to appear in the Did You Know? slot in future. Please see the proposal on its subpage here, or on the main DYK talk page. To add the discussion to your watchlist, click this link. Thank you in advance. Gilderien Chat&#124;Contributions 03:07, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

DYK for I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry)
Orlady (talk) 08:03, 2 August 2013 (UTC)

Good Article Recruitment Notice
{||}

And Still I Rise
Hi Christine. Is there any way you can locate and add a link on the talk page to the A-class review for the above GA nom? I would do it myself but I have no idea where to look. Thanks. -- Diannaa (talk) 15:04, 3 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I wasn't aware that there needed to be a formal review for articles to gain A-status. I went and changed it to B-status. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 15:55, 3 August 2013 (UTC)
 * A-class is actually considered to fall somewhere between GA and FA, and yes, it does require an independent review. Thanks for your help. -- Diannaa (talk) 16:16, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

DYK for The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
Alex Shih(talk) 08:03, 4 August 2013 (UTC)

Question re Database Reports
Hi. I am trying to learn more about the inner workings of Wikipedia & stumbled onto this page []. Can you tell me what it is about? It was confusing to me. Thanks!--BuzyBody (talk) 15:19, 5 August 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm not a good resource for this kind of thing, since I'm not an administrator and have no desire to be. I suggest that you ask someone who has either posted to the talk page, or an admin.  To be honest, I've purposely avoided this, since it's not something I'm interested at all.  Sorry for not being more helpful.  Good luck! Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 16:25, 6 August 2013 (UTC)

The new face of DRN:
Recently the Dispute Resolution Noticeboard underwent some changes in how it operates. Part of the change involved a new list of volunteers with a bit of information about the people behind the names.

You are listed as a volunteer at DRN currently, to update your profile is simple, just click here. Thanks, Cabe  6403  (Talk•Sign) 17:11, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of And Still I Rise
Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know I am glad to be reviewing the article And Still I Rise you nominated for GA-status according to the criteria. This process may take up to 7 days. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have during this period. Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Khazar2 -- 18:38, 7 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Awesome, yippee, thanks! ;) Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 18:55, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of And Still I Rise
The article And Still I Rise you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:And Still I Rise for comments about the article. Well done! Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Khazar2 -- 01:48, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

FA
Sorry for the delay, I was having a break from wiki. Did your article pass? What was it again?♦ Dr. ☠ Blofeld  14:07, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
 * What?! ;) No, not yet, and it's been languishing there for, like, forever, and I don't know why.  If you could go over to Featured article candidates/A Song Flung Up to Heaven/archive1 and take a look, that would be very helpful.  Thanks. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 16:17, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?
Hello, I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know I am glad to be reviewing the article Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? you nominated for GA-status according to the criteria. This process may take up to 7 days. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have during this period. Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Dr. Blofeld -- 14:18, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Only a few points for you to address at Talk:Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?/GA1.♦ Dr. ☠ Blofeld  21:42, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?
The article Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? for comments about the article. Well done! Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Dr. Blofeld -- 18:31, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

GA review of Miguel "El Gringo" Villarreal
Christine, I noticed that you posted both on the Talk:Miguel "El Gringo" Villarreal/GA1‎ review page and to ComputerJA's page that you were closing the review as unsuccessful, yet you haven't completed the actual close by replacing the "GA nominee" template on the article's talk page with the "FailedGA" template. If you were planning to wait a bit to do it, my apologies for interfering. I did try to fix the review page transclusion on the talk page, but apparently the subsections are not appearing for a different reason than an odd character before the first one, so it stops after the chart with review icons on it, and doesn't show your individual comments or those by Eric Corbett. BlueMoonset (talk) 18:55, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

An award!
If barnstars and brash things like this aren't your thing, let me know, it's just a heads up for all the hard work you've put into these Angelou FAs anyway...♦ Dr. Blofeld  21:33, 16 August 2013 (UTC)
 * No I like barnstars. I think that in a perfect world, everyone should get credit for their hard work.  Since this isn't a perfect world, not even in WP, I support the practice wherever and whenever it pops up.  Thanks, and thanks for the assistance.  I may ask for more soon! ;) Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 21:55, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

WP:FOUR RFC
There are two WP:RFCs at WP:FOUR. The first is to conflate issues so as to keep people from expressing meaningful opinions. The second, by me, is claimed to be less than neutral by proponents of the first. Please look at the second one, which I think is much better.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 06:27, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

WP:FOUR RFC
There are two WP:RFCs at WP:FOUR. The first is to conflate issues so as to keep people from expressing meaningful opinions. The second, by me, is claimed to be less than neutral by proponents of the first. Please look at the second one, which I think is much better.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 06:27, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

FA Thanks
Thanks for your editorial contributions to Tommy Amaker, which has recently become a WP:FA.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 14:31, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

DYK for Elmo's World
Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 00:02, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry)
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry) you nominated for GA-status according to the criteria. This process may take up to 7 days. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have during this period. Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Dr. Blofeld -- 08:07, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free media (File:300px-Lesser2.jpg)
Thanks for uploading File:300px-Lesser2.jpg. The media description page currently specifies that it is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, it is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the media was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that will be useful. However, please note that media for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'file' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "File" from the dropdown box. Note that all non-free media not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. Werieth (talk) 15:18, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free media (File:Mauricesendak.jpg)
Thanks for uploading File:Mauricesendak.jpg. The media description page currently specifies that it is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, it is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the media was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that will be useful. However, please note that media for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'file' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "File" from the dropdown box. Note that all non-free media not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. Werieth (talk) 23:18, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

WikiCup 2013 August newsletter
This year's final is upon us. Our final eight, in order of last round's score, are:
 * , a WikiCup newcomer who has contributed on topics of military history and physics, including a number of high-importance topics. Good articles have made up the bulk of his points, but he has also scored a great deal of bonus points. He has the second highest score overall so far, with more than 3000 points accumulated.
 * , another WikiCup veteran who reached the finals in 2012, 2011 and 2010. He writes on a variety of topics including botany, mycology and astronomy, and has claimed the highest or joint highest number of featured articles every round so far this year. He has the third highest score overall, with just under 3000 points accumulated.
 * , 2012 WikiCup champion, who writes mostly on marine biology. She has also contributed to high-importance topics, seeing huge numbers of bonus points for high-importance featured and good articles. Previous rounds have seen her scoring the most bonus points, with scoring spread across did you knows, good articles and featured articles.
 * , a WikiCup veteran who finished in second place in 2012, and competed as early as 2009. He writes articles on biology, especially mycology, and has scored highly for a number of collaborations at featured article candidates.
 * , the winner of the 2010 competition. His contributions mostly concern Naval history, and he has scored a very large number of points for good articles and good article reviews in every round. He is the highest scorer overall this year, with over 3500 points in total.
 * , who is competing in the WikiCup for the second time, though this will be her first time in the final. A regular at FAC, she is mostly interested in British medieval history, and has scored very highly for some top-importance featured articles on the topic.
 * , a finalist in 2012 and 2011. He writes on a broad variety of topics, with many of this year's points coming from good articles about Star Trek. Good articles make up the bulk of his points, and he had the most good articles back in round 2; he was also the highest scorer for DYK in rounds 1 and 2.
 * 1) has previously been involved with the WikiCup, but hasn't participated for a number of years. He scores mostly from restoration work leading to featured picture credits, but has also done some article writing and reviewing.

We say goodbye to eight great participants who did not qualify for the final:, , , , , , ,. Having made it to this stage is still an excellent achievement, and you can leave with your heads held high. We hope to see you all again next year. Signups are now open for the 2014 WikiCup, which will begin on 1 January. All Wikipedians, whatever their interest or level of experience, are warmly invited to participate in next year's competition.

This last month has seen some incredible contributions; for instance, Cwmhiraeth's Starfish and Ealdgyth's Battle of Hastings—two highly important, highly viewed pages—made it to featured article status. It would be all too easy to focus solely on these stunning achievements at the expense of those participants working in lower-scoring areas, when in fact all WikiCup participants are doing excellent work. A mention of everything done is impossible, but here are a few: Last round saw the completion of several good topics (on the 1958, 1959 and 1962 Atlantic hurricane seasons) to which 12george1 had contributed. Calvin999 saw "S&M" (song), on which he has been working for several years, through to featured article status on its tenth try. Figureskatingfan continued towards her goal of a broad featured/good topic on Maya Angelou, with two featured and four good articles. ThaddeusB contributed significantly to over 20 articles which appeared on the main page's "in the news" section. Adam Cuerden continued to restore a large number of historical images, resulting in over a dozen FP credits this round alone. The WikiCup is not just about top-importance featured articles, and the work of all of these users is worthy of commendation.

Finally, the usual notices: If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. If you want to help out with the WikiCup, please do your bit to reduce the review backlogs! Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 06:00, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

2007-08 Arsenal GAN
Hi Christine, your mentor jcc has directed me to the review comments for 2007–08 Arsenal F.C. season. I've had a go copyediting parts where I think clarity is needed for the average reader, so was wondering if you could perhaps have another look? Lemonade51 (talk) 15:15, 30 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes, some more critique would be very helpful, cheers! Lemonade51 (talk) 19:21, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry)
The article I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry) you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:I Shall Not Be Moved (poetry) for comments about the article. Well done! Message delivered by GA bot, on behalf of Dr. Blofeld -- 20:37, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

WikiProject Report
The WikiProject Report would like to focus on WikiProject Good Articles for a Signpost article. This is an excellent opportunity to draw attention to your efforts and attract new members to the project. Would you be willing to participate in an interview? If so, here are the questions for the interview. Just add your response below each question and feel free to skip any questions that you don't feel comfortable answering. Multiple editors will have an opportunity to respond to the interview questions, so be sure to sign your answers. If you know anyone else who would like to participate in the interview, please share this with them. Hope you have a great day! -buffbills7701 14:21, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Aalborg
Hi Christine, any chance that you can GA review this one for me? I'll post my comments on your current FAC later on today, sorry for the delay.♦ Dr. Blofeld  13:07, 5 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Yah sure, it may not be until tonight or possibly tomorrow, though. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 18:40, 5 September 2013 (UTC)


 * Just thought I would drop you a line to let you know I've been through virtually the whole article again looking mainly at prose issues and some of the sources. I see others have been doing a lot more on the referencing too. Until you make some more specific suggestions, I don't think I can do much more for now. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly on this. Good to be working with someone who has such a positive approach.--Ipigott (talk) 08:45, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

Yes, I think we're ready for your review now, in your own time of course!♦ Dr. Blofeld  11:10, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for September 9
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A barnstar for you!
Ah, thanks Hawk! Yah I'm bummed out about it, too. Ah well, there's always next year. It was a good experience nonetheless; I think I learned some things that will get me farther next time, and being in the Wikicup motivated me to fill some important goals for myself. It was a valuable experience. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 13:32, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

2012–13 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
Because of your active involvement in Featured article candidates/Juwan Howard/archive5 and Featured article candidates/Tommy Amaker/archive1, I thought you might be interested in commenting at Featured article candidates/2012–13 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team/archive1.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 00:21, 15 September 2013 (UTC)
 * I just read your WP:POST comments about how much you have learned about basketball. Just letting you know that there is more to learn.--TonyTheTiger (T / C / WP:FOUR / WP:CHICAGO / WP:WAWARD) 04:10, 21 September 2013 (UTC)

Good Article Recruiter Request
Hi, I saw your name on List of Good Article Review Recruiters. Are you still available to help teach people how to review articles nominated for Good Article status? If so, I'm interested in reviewing IBM Watson and would appreciate a mentor to help me through my first GA review. DElliott (talk) 12:36, 15 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Sure, no problem. Did you want to go through the formal process, or just have me observe you?  Either way is fine with me. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:45, 17 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Great, thanks! I could create a sandbox on my user page and go through it there before I post it into the formal review page? That might help us catch any mistakes I make. DElliott (talk) 10:32, 17 September 2013 (UTC)
 * No, just start the review on the official page, so we can reduce the queue, which is always long, you know. I'll create a page through the nomination centre and we'll communicate there.  Just inform the nominator that we're using the article for this purpose, that it may take a little longer to complete the review than normal, and that it's essentially being reviewed by two people.  I've found that most editors are fine with this, since the more feedback the better and their ultimate goal is improving articles they care enough to put through the GAC process.  Let me know if you need assistance with starting the review. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 13:30, 17 September 2013 (UTC)

I know you've refused, but still thought...
...that I should ask you if you were interested in running for the RfA. Best regards. Wifione  Message 19:40, 17 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Boy, Wifione, you're like a dog with a bone... ;) I'm more open to considering it, but now isn't a very good time.  But I'll seriously think about it, along with a better time to put myself through that again.  Thanks for thinking of me. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 03:58, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

"Some" and "thanks to"
Hello, and thank you for your good work on the Aalborg article. You make some excellent points, e.g. about the use of "fine" (where not supported by a source). Thanks to your commentary so far, the article has improved. However, there are two points on which I take issue with you. As your user page suggests that you frequently do copyediting, perhaps it's a good idea to speak up.

First, you're puzzled by the use of "some", which you suggest is a Briticism. Merriam-webster.com is surely American, or anyway at least as American as it is British. It tells us that one meaning/use of some (adverb) is (after markup-stripping):


 * about 

and further:


 * When some is used to modify a number, it is almost always a round number  but because some is slightly more emphatic than about or approximately it is occasionally used with a more exact number in an intensive function .

So it goes into some detail here -- yet doesn't mention that the usage is British.

Secondly, "thanks to"; on


 * Thanks to its site at the narrowest point on the Limfjord, the Aalborg area attracted settlements as far back as the Iron Age and had a thriving Viking community until around the year 1000.

you say:


 * Although it's not technically incorrect to start a sentence with a conjunctive phrase, it's not suggested in encyclopedic writing.

The Wikipedia article on Conjunction (grammar) is the kind of mess that's typical of Wikipedia articles about grammar. Better just to ignore it. Conjunction is (with coordinator) one of two terms for a word that conjoins (coordinates) as equals. (I can cite The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language [CGEL] for this if you wish.) Conjunctions/coordinators are and, but, or, and peripherally yet, and possibly one or two others I can't immediately think of. I don't think that "conjunction" is used by anyone to describe either a phrase starting "Thanks to [noun phrase (NP)]" or its head; if there's a claim that it does, I'd like to see this backed up by CGEL or a comparable recent reference grammar (one that is written by linguists, not some "language maven"; and one that reflects recent linguistics research).

No, thanks is here a preposition. Like a number of other prepositions, it takes a preposition phrase (PP) headed by a particular preposition as its complement (cf due to, owing to, because of), thereby forming another PP. One piece of evidence that "thanks to [NP]" is a PP is that it functions idiomatically as a complement of the verb be but not (or only tenuously) as a complement of other verbs: "The success is thanks to you" is fine, just as "The clock's on the fridge" and "It's after midnight" are fine; "The success became thanks to you" doesn't work (even though its meaning is pretty clear).

If you're not convinced that "thanks to [NP]" is a PP, I hope that we can at least agree that it parallels "according to [NP]" and so forth.

If I interpret this page correctly, the article Love the Way You Lie is the most recent successful FA candidate. (It's certainly one of the most recent.) It's a long article that goes into what seems to me tedious detail over a song that doesn't happen to be of any interest to me. But my lack of interest is by the way: presumably the prose has satisfied people who concern themselves with such matters. And, so recently after its promotion, the article has five sentences that start "According to [NP]".

The semantics may be inappropriate in this or that example, but grammatically I see nothing whatever inappropriate about starting a sentence with "Thanks to [NP]", just as there's nothing wrong with starting "According to [NP]".

Again, I do appreciate all the hard work you're doing on this article, and hope that my comments above go down well and in no way discourage your continuing attention. -- Hoary (talk) 10:17, 20 September 2013 (UTC)


 * Hoary, I appreciate this discussion, and that you brought it here. Of course you're right about "thanks to" being a prepositional phrase.  I don't claim to be an expert on grammar, so I thank you for correcting me in this instance.  I think that this is a matter of preference, style, and interpretation.  Of course, using PP is not grammatically incorrect, but I'm of the opinion that the writing we do here in WP needs to be simple, and using PP isn't.  I'm sure that others will disagree.  This is a GAC, so I won't push the issue, and will leave the debate to be addressed in FAC, if you bring it there and if the reviewers there choose to address it.


 * Regarding "some": I will bow to your expertise; as I said, I wasn't sure about it. I continue to insist, however, that you overuse it in the article, and recommend that you vary it some.  (Ha-ha, pun not intended, at least not at first.) ;)


 * Again, thanks; I love learning about stuff like this, and I've always appreciated other editors spending the time to ensure that I learn it, especially when it comes to grammar. Good luck; I'll go work on the GAC now. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:56, 21 September 2013 (UTC)

Good Article review training
Hi,

I'd like to get trained to review good articles, would you be available to teach me? Biggs Pliff (talk) 19:25, 21 September 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm a little busy, but if you're patient with things going a little slowly, I'm happy to mentor you. Should I go ahead and start a page for us, then? Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:00, 24 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Works for me, thanks! Biggs Pliff (talk) 13:08, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

Sincerest apologies
Rather than adding to the already lengthy GAN discussion on Alborg, I just thought it would be appropriate for me to express my most sincere apologies to you for any remarks of mine which you found insulting. I think this is the very first time in the seven years I have been involved in Wikipedia that I have inadvertently caused anyone to feel insulted. Most of my professional life has been devoted to encouraging people (especially women) to become more involved in developing cultural contributions on the internet. Here, for some reason, I seem to have had the opposite effect. Maybe the reason some of my remarks came over as they did was the result of my connectivity difficulties over the past few days. My current connection is not working as it should and is to be replaced next week. That was why I was not able to deal with all the valid issues you raised point by point which pushed me into summarizing at the end. Making use of my wife's iPhone, I have now gone back through the whole thing point by point and have tried to follow up on your suggestions as far as I can. Please forgive me for my impatience. Feel free to take as much time as you need to address issues related to the rest of the article. After your recent explanations, I have read with interest a number of the FA articles in which you have been involved. You are doing a great job at Wikipedia and you certainly don't need old hands like me to come along and question your command of the English language. I do sincerely hope we can continue to work together in the future. Enjoy your weekend!--Ipigott (talk) 21:15, 21 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Ipigott, I appreciate your note. I recognize that I was feeling a little touchy the past few days, due to some slights in other organizations I'm involved in, so I was probably insulted more than I would have otherwise.  I sympthasize with your connectivity issues; that's never fun.  You're doing some good work, too, which is really the point, right?  I love that Wikipedia challenges me to be a better writer and editor, and I've received tons of help over the years from different editors who have been patient with me as I've learned and improved.  It's my hope that I can pass that along to others, and that despite what too often the case in other areas of the internet, I hope that WP can continue to be a collaborate atmosphere where we're all striving to improve articles and make information more free and more accessible.  I hope we can work well together in the future as well.  Good luck, and hope you're having a good weekend, too. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 22:18, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Ipigott, I just read your comments on the article's talk page, so instead of mucking up things over there, I'll respond here again. If I had read your responses over there before I read your note here, my response would've been a little different.  First off, I am not your "dear" and calling me that is patronizing.  That's all I will say about that, because I've spent way too much time dealing with this sort of thing instead of spending time on our real mission.  Instead, I will go work on the review now. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 22:44, 22 September 2013 (UTC)