User talk:Hog Farm/Archive 16

Just about done
I think this says it all. Hog Farm Talk 23:22, 4 July 2023 (UTC)


 * Just catching up on-wiki after a trip. I'm sorry to see the TFA debacle you had for Battle of Helena. I happened to be traveling when lung cancer was at TFA, and so I totally missed the several dozen unhelpful edits that now decorate the page history. I'm sure it's frustrating to see your work disrespected by miscreants and know-nothings. I hope you know that the rest of us (and we hopefully assume countless unknown readers) appreciate your work here. I'm sure I watchlisted this page to keep up with some long-gone talk thread, but I've stayed because I enjoy taking a read through whatever project you're wrapping up – it's needed remedial schooling for a topic I seem to have learned nothing about in school.
 * Anyway, over my time here I've come to the quiet opinion that the main page and its associated processes are more trouble than they're worth. Or at least they don't bring me joy/satisfaction for my time. I hope you're able to find the elements of working here that bring you joy, and strip away the elements that suck time and give frustration in return. If there's any way I can help with your projects, cleaning up messes, or keeping an eye on articles that are about to hit the lime light, just let me know. Otherwise, I wish you all the best. Ajpolino (talk) 15:54, 7 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Ajpolino - Thanks for the kind words. I'm feeling a bit better in RL in several ways, and my general outlook on things has improved as a result. So while this is still busy time with work, once things calm down, I'll be back :) And avoiding WP altogether whenever something of "mine" is selected by the TFA coords to be on the main page Hog Farm Talk 02:22, 10 July 2023 (UTC)

USS Marmora (1862) scheduled for TFA
This is to let you know that the above article has been scheduled as today's featured article for 28 August 2023. Please check that the article needs no amendments. Feel free to amend the draft blurb, which can be found at Today's featured article/August 28, 2023, or to make comments on other matters concerning the scheduling of this article at Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/August 2023. I suggest that you watchlist Main Page/Errors from the day before this appears on Main Page. Thanks and congratulations on your work. Gog the Mild (talk) 21:34, 8 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Thank for the heads up. I also intend on applying semi-protection to the article beforehand - they can haul me to AN/I for that for all I care. Hog Farm Talk 23:23, 9 July 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of John Bullock Clark
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article John Bullock Clark 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Steelkamp -- Steelkamp (talk) 04:03, 9 July 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of John Bullock Clark
The article John Bullock Clark 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 needing to be addressed. If these are fixed within 7 days, the article will pass; otherwise it may fail. See Talk:John Bullock Clark and Talk:John Bullock Clark/GA1 for issues which need to be addressed. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Steelkamp -- Steelkamp (talk) 06:01, 9 July 2023 (UTC)

The Bugle: Issue 207, July 2023
The Bugle is published by the Military history WikiProject. To receive it on your talk page, please join the project or sign up here. If you are a project member who does not want delivery, please remove your name from this page. Your editors, Ian Rose (talk) and Nick-D (talk) 19:58, 10 July 2023 (UTC)

Galaxy
I feel like the article has a lot of issues since (maybe) 2021 and probably needs to be sent on FAR. Greenish Pickle!  (🔔) 11:44, 14 July 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of 1st Iowa Infantry Regiment
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article 1st Iowa Infantry Regiment 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 16:44, 17 July 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of John Bullock Clark
The article John Bullock Clark you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:John Bullock Clark for comments about the article, and Talk:John Bullock Clark/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has not already appeared on the main page as a "Did you know" item, or as a bold link under "In the News" or in the "On This Day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear in DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On This Day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Steelkamp -- Steelkamp (talk) 04:03, 23 July 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of 1st Iowa Infantry Regiment
The article 1st Iowa Infantry Regiment you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:1st Iowa Infantry Regiment for comments about the article, and Talk:1st Iowa Infantry Regiment/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has not already appeared on the main page as a "Did you know" item, or as a bold link under "In the News" or in the "On This Day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear in DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On This Day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 12:42, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

Marmaduke–Walker duel
This is to let you know that the above article has been scheduled as today's featured article for 6 September 2023. Please check that the article needs no amendments. Feel free to amend the draft blurb, which can be found at Today's featured article/September 2023, or to make comments on other matters concerning the scheduling of this article at Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/September 2023. I suggest that you watchlist Main Page/Errors from two days before it appears on the Main Page. Thanks and congratulations on your work!—Wehwalt (talk) 18:21, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

The Bugle: Issue 208, August 2023
The Bugle is published by the Military history WikiProject. To receive it on your talk page, please join the project or sign up here. If you are a project member who does not want delivery, please remove your name from this page. Your editors, Ian Rose (talk) and Nick-D (talk) 11:29, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – August 2023
News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2023).



Administrator changes
 * Gnome-colors-list-add.svg Firefangledfeathers
 * Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg AlisonW · Amberrock · Closedmouth · Scottywong

Interface administrator changes
 * Gnome-colors-list-add.svg Novem Linguae

Technical news
 * The tag filter on Special:NewPages and revision history pages can now be inverted. This allows hiding edits made by automated tools.
 * Special:BlockedExternalDomains is a new tool that allows easier blocking of plain domains (and their subdomains). This is more easily searchable and is faster for the software to use than the existing MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. It does not support regex (for complex cases), URL path-matching, or the MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist.

Arbitration
 * The arbitration cases named Scottywong and AlisonW closed 10 July and 16 July respectively.
 * The SmallCat dispute arbitration case is in the workshop phase.

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Archive Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:54, 8 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of First Battle of Springfield
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article First Battle of Springfield 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 10:03, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

TFA
Hi there. Second Battle of Independence is probably going to run as a TFA in October. Would you care to have a go at the blurb, or prefer me to? Cheers. Gog the Mild (talk) 16:27, 16 August 2023 (UTC)
 * I'll try to write one up this weekend. Hog Farm Talk 05:16, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

A Barnstar for you!

 * Thank you! Hog Farm Talk 03:05, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Beaufort
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article CSS Beaufort 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Premeditated Chaos -- Premeditated Chaos (talk) 00:01, 21 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Winslow
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article CSS Winslow 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 15:41, 21 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of First Battle of Springfield
The article First Battle of Springfield you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:First Battle of Springfield for comments about the article, and Talk:First Battle of Springfield/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has never appeared on the Main Page as a "Did you know" item, and has not appeared within the last year either as "Today's featured article", or as a bold link under "In the news" or in the "On this day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear at DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On this day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 15:43, 21 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Beaufort
The article CSS Beaufort you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:CSS Beaufort for comments about the article, and Talk:CSS Beaufort/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has never appeared on the Main Page as a "Did you know" item, and has not appeared within the last year either as "Today's featured article", or as a bold link under "In the news" or in the "On this day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear at DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On this day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Premeditated Chaos -- Premeditated Chaos (talk) 09:20, 23 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:Epsom riot has an RFC
Talk:Epsom riot has an RFC for possible consensus. A discussion is taking place. If you would like to participate in the discussion, you are invited to add your comments on the |discussion page. Thank you. Polyamorph (talk) 13:13, 24 August 2023 (UTC)

uss marmora
Hog Farm, i had a quick question regarding this article and the associated blurb. the blurb mentions that marmora "saw action on the White and Little Red Rivers" in august, but i am having trouble verifying this in the article body.the "Late 1863" section mentions that marmora was at the mouth of the little red river at one point, and was at the junction of the white and little red rivers (which, i assume, is the same location) sometime later. however, the section does not appear to explicitly state that it spent any time on the little red river itself. also, according to that section, the most action marmora saw on the white river that month appears to be towing barges and burning a military warehouse, which i admittedly wouldn't consider "seeing action" in a war context. am i missing something here? the article lead uses the phrasing "participated in some activities", which seems more appropriate, but as it is rather lengthy, i think "was active" would be better suited for the blurb if you think "saw action" should be replaced. dying (talk) 05:57, 26 August 2023 (UTC)
 * - good catch! I agree it didn't really do much of anything on the Little Red and have removed that bit from the led. I think "seeing action" for the White River is fine; for the tinclads that was pretty much the sort of military action they were expected to do. But if you feel strongly, I'm open to rewording the blurb. Hog Farm Talk 02:15, 27 August 2023 (UTC)
 * oh, "saw action" is fine if the description is apt when considering what tinclads generally did during a war. at the time, i wasn't sure if that was the case, because marmora actually does take part in combat elsewhere during the war, so i suggested the replacement just in case you felt that "saw action" was inappropriate.  basically, i just wanted to confirm with you that you were okay with this apparent discrepancy between the blurb and the article lead, since i don't know if you were involved with the blurb's drafting.  as you are fine with the phrasing, there's no need to change it.  thanks, Hog Farm!  dying (talk) 02:45, 27 August 2023 (UTC)

Thank you today for the article, introduced: "If this nomination passes, I believe it will be the first tinclad warship to be a featured article. The best documented of the whole lot, Marmora is probably best known for being present when the ironclad Cairo sent itself to the bottom of the Yazoo River by steaming over a couple naval mines, and then torching a couple settlements in Arkansas in the next year."! - Do you think my latest GA, Berit Lindholm, had a chance for FA. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 10:33, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Squib
Hi there, I'm pleased to inform you that I've begun reviewing the article CSS Squib 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 ChristieBot, on behalf of Sturmvogel 66 -- Sturmvogel 66 (talk) 00:42, 27 August 2023 (UTC)
 * Holcomb, in his book on the Confederate Navy, says that Squib's iron plates protected her steam machinery and forward hatch and that the engine had two cylinders on p. 62. Would you like for me to add the bibliographic information to the article while you can fiddle with wording?--Sturmvogel 66 (talk) 02:18, 27 August 2023 (UTC)
 * - yes, please add the bibliographic information. Hog Farm Talk 02:40, 27 August 2023 (UTC)

DYK for CSS Beaufort
theleekycauldron (talk • contribs) (she/her) 12:02, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Squib
The article CSS Squib 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 needing to be addressed. If these are fixed within 7 days, the article will pass; otherwise it may fail. See Talk:CSS Squib and Talk:CSS Squib/GA1 for issues which need to be addressed. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Sturmvogel 66 -- Sturmvogel 66 (talk) 20:00, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Squib
The article CSS Squib you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:CSS Squib for comments about the article, and Talk:CSS Squib/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has never appeared on the Main Page as a "Did you know" item, and has not appeared within the last year either as "Today's featured article", or as a bold link under "In the news" or in the "On this day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear at DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On this day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Sturmvogel 66 -- Sturmvogel 66 (talk) 02:02, 30 August 2023 (UTC)

Contest Article Carryover
If you have a few spare minutes, you might want to look at the entry that I just made at the contest. In the situation where the article is improved in a month - but not yet reassessed in that month (and with request for assessment made a few days before the end of the month), I think this could be a proper listing. This is the edit summary that I used for the entry: "Blakely rife article improvement completed, B assessment requested, not yet reviewed; listed on August 31 in accordance with co-ordinator instruction step 2: "Where an article has not been re-assessed in the scoring period, it should simply be moved to the next month's subpage with an appropriate edit summary." In this type of case, recognition and presumably points are not lost. I don't expect to ever lead in a month, much less in a year. I only wish to contribute improved articles and have them reassessed. And maybe add a little to my credibility as a checker. Perhaps this is a novel listing, but it seems to be within the guidelines. Any thoughts or instructions will be appreciated. Donner60 (talk) 07:30, 31 August 2023 (UTC)
 * I have deleted the contest entry because it has been reassessed today at the same level, start. Of course, you can look in the history if you are interested in seeing how I had posted the entry as a more general way of handling a lack of assessment in the same month as the improvements were made and comment if you wish.I might be able to find sources to make the suggested improvements for reassessment later. That might not be enough for a contest entry but a higher rating may still be possible. Again, please ignore this if you are busy. Donner60 (talk) 08:40, 1 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I tried to delete this as a waste of your time at this point but I should have realized that a user can't delete a post, even his own, on another user's talk page. Oh well. Some days. Donner60 (talk) 08:43, 1 September 2023 (UTC)
 * - sorry for the delayed reply. I had to work late a bunch this week, but hopefully the factors that have been causing that so often the last few months are dissipating. I'll try to take a look this weekend and get you a proper B-class review on this one, the changes would then make it eligible for reporting in September. Among other things, I have a copy of Warren Ripley's Artillery and Ammunition of the American Civil War around somewhere and that should have some more good information I can add to the article as well. Hog Farm Talk 01:52, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks. No rush, of course. I would appreciate if you could find something in Ripley that would be helpful in meeting the deficiencies cited in the review. That is a source I saw in Hazlet's book but I do not have. I did find a way to source the Widow Blakely gun being cut down to a mortar at Vicksburg by citing a National Park Service historical marker at the Vicksburg Battlefield Park. The text of the marker is available online. So I just made that change and rearranged the further use section to better highlight the various uses in fortifications, at sea and in land battles. Donner60 (talk) 06:05, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * - do you think it would be worthwhile to try to write a separate article on the Widow Blakely cannon, like what I did with Whistling Dick (cannon) earlier this year? I had ordered for 3 or 4 bucks from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History a copy of an article Ed Bearss wrote back in the 1950s where he demonstrated that the piece identified at West Point as "Whistling Dick" was really "Widow Blakely", and I still have that on my bookshelf. Between Bearss, Ripley, and the source you have there should be enough for the bones of a decent article. That way we could include coverage of the Widow Blakely without giving it disproportionate weight at the article for the Blakely rifle itself. Hog Farm Talk 14:55, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I will write a "Widow Blakely" article draft as promptly as I can and we can see how it looks. I will work on it in User:Donner60/sandbox 6. I saw mention of the Bearss identification in at least one of the references. I will try to find it quickly. Of course, there may be more in the Bearss article that could be used in the "Widow Blakely" article. I may be able to get some more specifications for the size of "Widow Blakely", but I need to check. Hazlett, for one, is sparse on details for most sizes of Blakelys. Another source for more details may be needed. Donner60 (talk) 03:44, 3 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I found the Ripley book at a reasonable price on Amazon so I ordered it. Ten days estimated delivery time. I looked a day or two ago and saw none reasonably priced. I have added more to the article tonight/this morning. Plenty of time for this month. Donner60 (talk) 09:07, 3 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I have also now ordered the Olmstead book, companion to Hazlett, also coming in about ten days. That should give me enough references, in addition to what I have or otherwise can find, to work on Civil War artillery articles needing expansion. That will probably be after working on some higher priorities. Donner60 (talk) 22:22, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023
News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2023).

Administrator changes
 * Gnome-colors-list-add.svg Pppery · Theleekycauldron
 * Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg Dwheeler · G.A.S · Royalbroil · Ssd



CheckUser changes
 * Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg Bradv

Oversighter changes
 * Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg Bradv

Guideline and policy news
 * Following an RfC, TFAs will be automatically semi-protected the day before it is on the main page and through the day after.
 * A discussion at WP:VPP about revision deletion and oversight for dead names found that [s]ysops can choose to use revdel if, in their view, it's the right tool for this situation, and they need not default to oversight. But oversight could well be right where there's a particularly high risk to the person. Use your judgment.

Technical news
 * Special:Contributions now shows the user's local edit count and the account's creation date.

Arbitration
 * The SmallCat dispute case has closed. As part of the final decision, editors participating in XfD have been reminded to be careful about forming local consensus which may or may not reflect the broader community consensus. Regular closers of XfD forums were also encouraged to note when broader community discussion, or changes to policies and guidelines, would be helpful.

Miscellaneous
 * Tech tip: The "Browse history interactively" banner shown at the top of Special:Diff can be used to easily look through a history, assemble composite diffs, or find out what archive something wound up in.

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Archive Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 09:22, 1 September 2023 (UTC)

Wikiproject Military history coordinator election nominations open
Nominations for the upcoming project coordinator election have opened. A team of up to ten coordinators will be elected for the next coordination year. The project coordinators are the designated points of contact for issues concerning the project, and are responsible for maintaining our internal structure and processes. They do not, however, have any authority over article content or editor conduct, or any other special powers. More information on being a coordinator is available here. If you are interested in running, please sign up here by 23:59 UTC on 14 September! Voting will commence on 15 September. If you have any questions, you can contact any member of the current coord team. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 02:05, 2 September 2023 (UTC)

Good luck!
Hello, Hog Farm,

I'm sorry to see you turn in your toolkit but if you are burned out in your job, it's the right decision to make. It was pleasant working with you when we happened to cross paths. I hope should the urge return to work on the project, you feel free to come back. You'll always be welcome! Take care. Liz Read! Talk! 02:16, 5 September 2023 (UTC)


 * I was worried to see the rights changes come up on my watchlist, but it's bittersweet to know it's a voluntary resignation in a busy life. I hope to see you again soon, HF. Vaticidalprophet 02:24, 5 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Good luck Hog! Your presence will be greatly missed. If you need someone to take over a review or something you're working on, ping me. Hawkeye7   (discuss)  19:55, 5 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Hope to see you around in the future, good luck and best wishes for things going forward! Eddie891 Talk Work 15:17, 6 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Hey Hog Farm, I'm sad to see you decrease your activity but you've left an excellent body of work and have helped a ton in a bunch of different areas. And I'm glad to see that this is a mostly voluntary thing after some mostly good news IRL. Good luck to whatever you do in the future and hit me up for whatever reason you want. Moneytrees🏝️(Talk) 03:18, 10 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Second the above - hadn't realized you were stepping back so much...flip. Hog you have been a great presence here; calming, quietly authoritative, and hugely productive. You will be missed :( Ceoil (talk) 03:42, 10 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Guess I'm late to the party here (been busy IRL myself and stepped back from MilHist) but also wanted to note my thanks. Whatever your future here is, know that you have been a great asset to the project. Ceoil summarized it better than I could have: "calming, quietly authoritative, and hugely productive". If I had to trust a single person to be sincere, committed, and persistent on anything ACW-related on Wikipedia, it would be you. I'll also note your efforts at GAn and FAC. Best of luck to you. -Indy beetle (talk) 09:21, 1 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Wow, I didn't see that one coming. Thank you for all of your service and enjoy your real life. C LYDE TALK TO ME/STUFF DONE 16:58, 4 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Full salute to a top-flight content creator and reviewer. Thank you for your contributions and looking forward to seeing you back someday! czar  22:38, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

August 2023 Military History Writing Contest
Thank you today for Marmaduke–Walker duel, introduced: "Two Confederate generals begin to dislike each other after the botched attacks at Helena, Arkansas. Things boil over during the Union advance on Little Rock, and the two eventually decide to hold an illegal duel. Both show up despite being ordered to stay in camp, and Walker is mortally wounded. Marmaduke is briefly arrested, but is released and suffers no long-term consequences, becoming Governor of Missouri after the war."! - We'll miss you presence, - please come over - reading! - whenever you can. Best wishes! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:00, 6 September 2023 (UTC)

Things to finish up
So as most have probably already seen, I'm intending to take an indefinite step away with the hope of sorting some stuff out IRL and then (eventually) returning in some form. I still intend to finish up the following low-level things:
 * Review Featured article candidates/Yugoslav torpedo boat T2/archive1 for
 * See Talk:CSS Winslow/GA1 through to its completion
 * Review for Featured article review/Minneapolis/archive1 for
 * See Featured article candidates/Battle of Grand Gulf/archive1 through to the bitter end

I'll check back in to make sure the FAs and GAs I'm primarily responsible for don't go to pieces (Marmaduke-Walker duel is TFA tomorrow, and I think there will be another one in October), and will try to respond to any pings when I do stop on, but I won't be consistently active at all. Hog Farm Talk 23:28, 5 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Hey mate, it has been good working with you over the past few years. All the best and hope we will see you back here sooner rather than later. Cheers, Zawed (talk) 08:33, 6 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Hog Farm, enjoy some time for yourself. Your comments are an unusual treasure around here and I hope to meet up again. -SusanLesch (talk) 15:16, 6 September 2023 (UTC)
 * The long version from me, as it often is. In most respects I was quite surprised to see you stepping away. You have been one of the best and most prolific contributors to this project that I have ever encountered. Your energy, writing skills, demeanor, intelligence are obvious. You have good instincts and good advice. I could go on. But I am glad you are stepping back (and away to the extent you need to). Why? Because you are a young man and need to concentrate on your career, family and real life in general. You don't need to get burned out and disrupt your life by trying to keep up your vigorous and time-consuming pace here. I know even more that I did when I decided to concentrate more on content about a year ago that there is a lot to be done here. But some people will continue to try to improve this important project. Real life and health permitting, I will plug along at such pace as I am able to maintain despite roadblocks and problems that can be discouraging. Contribute if you can to whatever extent time permits. You have set a great example and made those of us who work in the areas that you work on aware of subjects to concentrate on. Sorry to be taking your time blabbering on but I want you to know how much I appreciate your work here and collaborations with me. Best of luck, best wishes and I hope to see you around occasionally. 10:04, 16 September 2023 (UTC) I suppose I could remember to sign the post even if this was a surprise. Donner60 (talk) 10:14, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I definitely agree with Donner: "You have been one of the best and most prolific contributors...." Not only your articles, but your reviews. You've even reviewed some of my non-military things such as Swains Lock. I hope you can relax and devote time to your career and family. Remember that Wikipedia is a hobby and should not be an obsession. I'm sure that I can speak for anyone that knows you that we all hope you sort things out, get your life on track, and then maybe return to a slower–paced Wikipedia life. TwoScars (talk) 17:27, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

I'm late to the game and only found this after seeing you relinquish your admin privileges. I'm sorry to see you put down the mop and reduce your time on WP, and hope you will find your way back at some point. It's been great working with you and your many contributions are much appreciated.  Ergo Sum  15:02, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

The Bugle: Issue 209, September 2023
The Bugle is published by the Military history WikiProject. To receive it on your talk page, please join the project or sign up here. If you are a project member who does not want delivery, please remove your name from this page. Your editors, Ian Rose (talk) and Nick-D (talk) 21:37, 7 September 2023 (UTC)

FAR
Thank you for the Doolittle review at FAR. I understand you are time bound re wiki these days, but asking you could cast an eye over Sex Pistols, which is also at FAR. I understand the time this would take, and esp given this weeks review no probs if too busy...no harm in asking :) Best as always. Ceoil (talk) 23:29, 7 September 2023 (UTC)
 * - I'll see when I can get to it, but I'm traveling a lot for work for the rest of the month so I don't know when. As I've noted above in the other talk page discussions, I'm going to be mostly off-wiki indefinitely but will try to get a review for this one in as thanks for all the hard work you've put into to save articles at FAR. Hog Farm Talk 14:05, 8 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Understand and to say again I appreciate the leeway and time allowed during FARs. Reviewers like you are like hens teeth. Ceoil (talk) 23:51, 9 September 2023 (UTC)

Your GA nomination of CSS Winslow
The article CSS Winslow you nominated as a good article has passed ; see Talk:CSS Winslow for comments about the article, and Talk:CSS Winslow/GA1 for the nomination. Well done! If the article has never appeared on the Main Page as a "Did you know" item, and has not appeared within the last year either as "Today's featured article", or as a bold link under "In the news" or in the "On this day" prose section, you can nominate it within the next seven days to appear at DYK. Bolded names with dates listed at the bottom of the "On this day" column do not affect DYK eligibility. Message delivered by ChristieBot, on behalf of Pickersgill-Cunliffe -- Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 16:03, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

Fleetwood Park Racetrack?
Hi. You mentioned at WP:Mentoring for FAC that you were interested in United States historic sites. Could I interest you in reviewing Fleetwood Park Racetrack? It's my first FAC and the nomination seems to have stalled after two supports. RoySmith (talk) 19:19, 3 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Hog Farm has taken steps back from wikipedia editing at the moment. I am a poor substitute, but would be happy to take a look, if you're interested. Eddie891 Talk Work 19:29, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
 * @Eddie891 I would indeed be happy to have you take a look. Thanks! RoySmith (talk) 19:31, 3 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Roy, I'm sorry, but like Eddie noted above I just don't have the time to look to edit much at all right now due to RL factors. Hog Farm Talk 03:30, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
 * No problem. I just saw your request to give up the mop due to burnout.  I totally get it.  Taking care of yourself comes first, always.  Enjoy the time off. RoySmith (talk) 14:50, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – September 2023
News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2023).

Administrator changes
 * Gnome-colors-list-add.svg Hey man im josh
 * Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg Alex Bakharev · CorbieVreccan · Cyphoidbomb · Davodd · Hog Farm · JamesR · KnightLago · Mark Ironie · Nosebagbear (deceased) · Rschen7754 · Tamzin · TonyBallioni



CheckUser changes
 * Gnome-colors-list-add.svg DatGuy
 * Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg Ferret · RickinBaltimore
 * Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg TonyBallioni · Worm That Turned

Oversighter changes
 * Gnome-colors-view-refresh.svg RickinBaltimore
 * Gnome-colors-list-remove.svg TonyBallioni · Worm That Turned

Guideline and policy news
 * An RfC is open regarding amending the paid-contribution disclosure policy to add the following text: Any administrator soliciting clients for paid Wikipedia-related consulting or advising services not covered by other paid-contribution rules must disclose all clients on their userpage.

Technical news
 * Administrators can now choose to add the user's user page to their watchlist when changing the usergroups for a user. This works both via Special:UserRights and via the API.

Arbitration
 * Remedy 9 ("MarioProtIV topic ban") of the WikiProject Tropical Cyclones case has been rescinded.

Miscellaneous
 * The 2023 CheckUser and Oversight appointments process has concluded with the appointment of one new CheckUser.
 * Self-nominations for the electoral commission for the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections opens on 2 October and closes on 8 October.

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Archive Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 14:41, 4 October 2023 (UTC)


 * I’m very sorry to read that life is a struggle at the moment. I hope that things will improve. With regards to autopatrolled, I’ve added that flag. With 190 GAs or better to your credits, it’s safe to assume that your new articles don’t require review by others. All the best!  Schwede 66  17:15, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

 * Sad to see the notice, but work-life balance is definitely important. Wishing you the best and will be glad to have you back whenever and in whatever capacity you return! &#123;{u&#124; Sdkb  }&#125;  talk 20:07, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I also am looking forward to your return. If not in this season of your life, then hopefully the next. -- In actu (Guerillero)  Parlez Moi 09:15, 6 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I second this as well. Thank you for everything you've done for the project, Hog Farm. It is very greatly appreciated and will be missed, but I also simultaneously understand how "real life" takes precedence and is paramount. I wish you the best and hope to see you around. The SandDoctor  Talk 16:27, 27 October 2023 (UTC)

The Bugle: Issue 210, October 2023
The Bugle is published by the Military history WikiProject. To receive it on your talk page, please join the project or sign up here. If you are a project member who does not want delivery, please remove your name from this page. Your editors, Ian Rose (talk) and Nick-D (talk) 19:26, 6 October 2023 (UTC)

TFA
Thank you today for Second Battle of Independence, introduced (in 2021): "This is presumably around the time that Sterling Price realized his 1864 Missouri Raid was in big trouble, as the Union managed to get sizable bodies of troops to the east and west of the Confederates, with a river to the north. Second Independence represents the Confederates' attempt to hold a rear guard long enough for the main body of the army fought a way across Byram's Ford."! - And for all the quality content you gave us, some seen above. Best wishes for what you do now! -- Gerda Arendt (talk) 18:31, 22 October 2023 (UTC)

Omaha Beach
Hi Hog, thanks very much for all your hard and good work. On a FAR for Omaha you wrote, "some of it seems plain wrong; "By the end of the day, two small isolated footholds had been won."" Please may you explain why it's wrong and potentially tag other issues? It would seriously benefit from your expertise. I've started listening to the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk, all about WWII, and recommend it! Tom B (talk) 15:26, 24 October 2023 (UTC)
 * - the specific comment about the content being plain wrong was from . I'm much more familiar with the American Civil War than WWII myself, while Gog has at least one FAC related to the operations on Crete.  or  would also be able to better advise specifically on this topic than me. Hog Farm Talk 18:13, 24 October 2023 (UTC)
 * apologies, thank you Tom B (talk) 09:53, 25 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Hi Tom B, I have three WWII FAs (Eg Battle of Heraklion, a cracking read in my not very humble opinion ) and in draft have been fiddling around with the "missing" US battles in the Cotentin for a while; Battle of Montebourg is due to be next up. So while I am perfectly capable of being wrong, I possess some sources and some background knowledge on the Normandy campaign. I have just checked in seven sources, and they are consistent. Taking three that happen to have good maps - Atkinson (map on p 67), Ambrose (464-5), Wilmot (fp 241) - I note for the first time that the first two both have a completely different scale on their otherwise near identical maps, and it is wrong! This may or may not have contributed to the confusion. Any hoo, they show that by the end of the day the Americans were solidly ashore in a joined up lodgement 8 miles wide and 2-3 miles deep in the east and centre and more than a mile deep in the west. Reinforcements and supplies were pouring ashore and the German defences had been thoroughly fragmented. The Germans had taken 20% losses and the divisional commander was telling his bosses that unless heavily reinforced within 36 hours his formation would collapse. It wasn't and did, which is why by the 10th the advance from Omaha was deeper than in front of any of the other beaches.
 * I note that a vast amount of the sourcing is dated to 1945. I have only (just) skimmed the article but see little hope of "tagging other issues"; IMHO the large majority of it is not salvageable, or even written using an acceptable approach. I have no idea how this ever got to FA, I would have thought it a quick fail at GAN. It needs restarting with a blank sheet of paper. If I had realised that it had been demoted I would have had a crack at rewriting it for FAC myself, but I assume that is what you are about. Best of luck. Gog the Mild (talk) 20:27, 24 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Hi Gog, thanks very much, this got to FA in 2007 when the standards were lower. No, I was not intending to rewrite it, that is why I am getting in touch with the experts! I don't have any WWII books yet and may never get to this level of detail. The article would definitely benefit from your expertise so please put this on your list and/or get other editors involved? thanks again, Tom B (talk) 10:29, 25 October 2023 (UTC)