User talk:Matthew Withey

December 2017
Hello, I'm Drchriswilliams. I noticed that you made a change to an article, Highland Folk Museum, but you didn't provide a reliable source. It's been removed and archived in the page history for now, but if you'd like to include a citation and re-add it, please do so! If you need guidance on referencing, please see the referencing for beginners tutorial, or if you think I made a mistake, you can leave me a message on my talk page. Thank you. Drchriswilliams (talk) 12:58, 24 December 2017 (UTC)


 * Chris - I am Curatorial Manager at the Highland Folk Museum, and the reference I cited was penned by Dr. Isabel F. Grant - the founder of the Highland Folk Museum - and other experts on the subject. You deleted an article that was ludidly written and factual, and replaced it with the old article that was there before - sparse, vague and wildly inaccurate in places. In doing so, you ruined two hours' work and cost my organisation money that it can ill afford to waste. I am very open to discussion, advice and judicious editing, but hatcheting other people's work in this way seems to me to go against the spirit of collaboration and sustained development that Wikipedia is seeking to promote. Please could you explain your status, and what right this gives you to wander through Wikipedia, behaving in this high-handed manner? Matthew Withey (talk) 10:51, 5 January 2018 (UTC)
 * To answer your question Matthew, you have a clear COI and you have attempted to remove all the previous sources that were unconnected with the museum that your organisation owns; you have attempted to replace the existing content with promotional material. Wikipedia is not here for you to use as promotion. Please also see my reply in the section below. Drchriswilliams (talk) 20:27, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Chris - if you'd read the sources I provided, you'd have seen that they were published by National Museums Scotland, MacLehose Printers and Birlinn Limited. Not by the Highland Folk Museum. Nothing I put down was 'promotional'. It was all historic and factual. Dr. Isabel Grant was the founder of the museum. She wrote extensively about founding and gradually developing the museum. There is nobody better to cite on these facts, and saying we shouldn't cite her is nonsensical and actually pretty ignorant. She gave up ownership of the museum in 1954 and died in 1983. How on earth can citing her activities between the 1930s and the 1950s be regarded as 'promotional'? I've asked you to explain your status and your interest in the Highland Folk Museum. Please could you do that right now?
 * Matthew, please slow down and read the various bits of guidance about COI that I have directed you towards here. I edit a range of articles on Wikipedia and my interest is in having an articles that provide a neutral perspective. Drchriswilliams (talk) 11:25, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Replying to your email
Hi Matthew. The Highland Folk Museum article wasn't in good shape before but I think you need to understand there are multiple problems with the material that you added.

You sent me an email earlier today and I think it better to respond to some of the content of your email on your talk page. Are you ok with me posting parts of your email and my replies here? Drchriswilliams (talk) 21:42, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

Chris - I will try to reply here, but I would prefer to conduct this conversation by email or on the phone. Please could you list here the multiple problems you identified with the material I submitted Matthew Withey (talk) 10:31, 5 January 2018 (UTC)


 * Matthew I have again reverted the edits you made today in their entirety, for the same reasons as before. I refer to your email.


 * You wrote: "You've deleted the article I supplied for the Highland Folk Museum, saying that I didn't cite reliable sources. I am the Curatorial Manager at the Highland Folk Museum". You should therefore familiarise yourself with WP:PAYDISCLOSE and WP:COI.


 * You also wrote: "the sources I cited were published by the Highland Folk Museum and written by Dr. Isabel Grant herself." It would be better to start by making use of sources that are independent of Dr Grant and the musuem, such as the academic journal article and newspaper article that I added. You can find more information at WP:CONTEXTMATTERS and WP:RSSELF.


 * You ask "So please will you go ahead and reinstate my article again". No, for the reasons given above. Drchriswilliams (talk) 19:51, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Edit summaries
Hello. Thank you for your contributions to Wikipedia.

Please be sure to provide a summary of every edit you make, even if you write only the briefest of summaries. The summaries are very helpful to people browsing an article's history.

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Please use the edit summary to explain your reasoning for the edit, or a summary of what the edit changes. You can give yourself a reminder to add an edit summary by setting. Thanks! Drchriswilliams (talk) 20:16, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

January 2018
Please do not add promotional material to Wikipedia, as you did to Highland Folk Museum. While objective prose about beliefs, organisations, people, products or services is acceptable, Wikipedia is not intended to be a vehicle for soapboxing, advertising or promotion. Thank you. Drchriswilliams (talk) 20:46, 5 January 2018 (UTC)