User talk:Rodw/Archive 2

Archive 1 of discussions Oct 2004- Sept 2006

Kennet and Avon Canal
Yeah I'd be happy to look at the list, however can't promise much! Shall we discuss it on the article's talk page so that any comments are in the relevent place? Suicidalhamster 21:24, 16 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Of course you're fine to use the image - thanks for asking. I don't think I can help much with the project, however, as I've so few pics or details on the K & A, despite having navigated several parts of it, including during deep winter. Funny coincidence, your message and articles, as I was only thinking this weekend, that one day I should do an article on Tyle Mill! - Ballista 03:54, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Dundas Aqueduct
Hi Rod! The new pic is there but I thought your pic was good too so I've left it alone (except to say in the caption which bit is actually the aqueduct). I've extended the captions because I believe a good caption can add a lot to the article. Best - Adrian - Adrian Pingstone 08:13, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

re: ? map for K&A Canal
Hi Rod. Shouldn't be any bother. I will have a look at the situation on Saturday and get back to you with a rough outline of what the map will contain. SFC9394 16:35, 21 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Just a quick update - I have a decent amount of it done, hopefully have something for viewing through this week at some point. SFC9394 21:53, 24 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Further quick update, just to let you know that I hadn't forgotten about the map! Been snowed under with work for the last week - Saturday should hopefully be nice and free to get the rest of the map finished up! SFC9394 21:40, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

I have uploaded a general outline of the area and route (1/4 resolution). I will add markers and text for Bristol, Bath, Newbury and Reading & canal/rivers. Are there other things that need marked/changed? SFC9394 17:22, 7 October 2006 (UTC) I have uploaded the update (full res this time, so you can have a closer look at the details) with quite a few of the bits and pieces on. Still to be done are the hill labelling, canal label, key and border. If there is anything else that would look good on there then let me know. A fully numbered separate "Locks Map" is do’ able if you want it as a separate piece to go on the Locks page. I have all the locks geodata inputted now, so it is just a case of plotting them by number 1-107 - it looks a bit cluttered if they are all on the main map, but as a dedicated map with a number key it would work quite well. SFC9394 22:18, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

New update posted above. Suggestions for any other labels welcomed (I think I covered most). Removed unrelated rivers that I had added (I was just sketching over the topo features, not thinking that some of them wouldn't be flowing into a sealed canal!). I have split the route up into the river/canal components. A key is still to be produced (but I will leave that to the end in case there are any other markings). Any other suggestions just let me know, SFC9394 20:48, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Potential final candidate displayed above. Hopefully I have covered all the bases. If there any alterations then just let me know - otherwise I will upload a correctly named final version. SFC9394 10:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Final map uploaded. I will have a play about with the locks map and see if I can render something useful. SFC9394 10:50, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I have uploaded a test of the locks map. Any suggestions welcomed - it is difficult to get 107 labels, spanning 80 miles, all on one image and keep things easy to see. SFC9394 12:04, 14 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the compliments, will you link them from the article pages? not sure what you mean! - I have uploaded the final versions of both maps, so the image names used above are the final ones. Not sure how detailed you want the SCC map - I can crop the main map and add extra details as you require, but I don't really know how much (or little) detail you require. SFC9394 13:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Requested changes made (browser cache may need cleared for you to see them). Confusion with the aqueducts was probably due to me presuming they were in the same place (or adjoined) as they have the same grid reference!  I am stitching together the maps for the SCC ATM. SFC9394 19:02, 14 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Updated river sources - I added in the full run for the Kennet as well and put a black border round the canal section as it was starting to get lost in the mix. SFC9394 20:58, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
 * This is a bit picky, sorry. On the high-resolution version here you've got the Avoncliff and Dundas aqueducts marked, but the canal stays on the south-wast side of the Avon. It's right on a river bend and would be hard to show, given the width assigned to the canal on the map to make it stand out. This is pointed out with deep apologies because, as you may remember, I can't draw at all! ATB. ––Moonraker88 21:24, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Minor correction to Avon river course fixed. SCC coming along, wip map to the right. Is there anything else needed besides settlement markers, river/canal labels? What should be done with the southern extension, which I traced over in 1890 as a railway line rather than a canal? SFC9394 18:17, 21 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I will try and get the K&A map problem sorted out - I have posted over on the commons about it - what should happen is that the mediawiki software takes the hi-res one and creates the scaled one from it. In this case it seems to be taking one of the old versions instead of the most recent one. SFC9394 19:06, 21 October 2006 (UTC)


 * As a temporary measure you can "trick" mediawiki into creating an up to date thumb - just use a width dimension that hasn't previously been used (as I have done above) - that forces the software to generate a new scaled version and so thus update the map with the most recent changes! SFC9394 19:15, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

New WIP uploaded. To be added: border and key. Any other useful things that should go on? I can roughly draw in all the other water courses just from the topo paths, but I would be tempted to not label them - the more cluttered the map is the less clear it will be unless viewed at full res. SFC9394 21:27, 28 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Paulton added and map generally brought up to a polished grade. This should just about be a final version.  Any other things that need changed/added before I upload a correct filename version? SFC9394 10:45, 29 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Final map now uploaded - hopefully the post upload corrections will be minimal! Regards, SFC9394 11:02, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Here's one, sorry: spelling of Salisbury Plain. Brilliant artwork – adds a lot to the article. ––Moonraker88 12:09, 29 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Sp. fixed (on full res. at least - this thumbnailing bug doesn't seem to go away) - I guess it is the way it is said! SFC9394 12:52, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

My Bot
thanks for letting me know that there might have been a bug in my bot. But there was no mistake the Bot removed Category:Rivers of Somerset as it does not exist, the category you pointed out was Category:Rivers in Somerset note the slight differance in the names the one the bot removed had of while the proper category was in. the bot removed a nonexistant category that was a typo of a proper category. Betacommand (talk • contribs • Bot) 12:26, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

British nurses
Hi, Rodw, great work on all the new British nurses articles. Do you have the references for the articles? These would be helpful.

Also, just so you know, "British nurses" is a subcategory of "Nurses" so new articles need only be categorized into the former.

Thanks for all of your contributions!

-THB 18:37, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

K&A Canal
Thanks for the heads-up. My, that article has come a long way! I've made a couple of minor tweaks about the stretch I know best (I was born & bred in Bath, and went to school in Monkton Combe). mfc 08:30, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

UK geography COTM
The WP:UK geo collaboration of the month for October 2006 is Rutland. 80N 21:05, 1 October 2006 (UTC) (P.S., if you don't want to continue getting COTM updates, just change your settings at WP:UK geo.)

dynamic maps
First of all, I've never heard of Placeopedia before now, so that's just a coincidence.

The advantages of the dynamic maps are manifold. They are SVGs, meaning they can be scaled arbitrarily without any loss of quality. (This isn't terribly important, however, as the dotty maps are of print resolution anyway.) They save bandwidth, as web browsers can cache two images for all the location maps, rather than one for each. They are more accurate: frequently I encounter multiple places sharing one dotty map, when the dots should actually be miles apart.

To calculate the X and Y co-ordinates, you can use the Perl script at User:Wereon/gbthumb.pl. I am going to put up a table of latitudes to Y-coordinates too; the Xs can be found from longitudes by a linear formula. &mdash; Wereon 21:06, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

Caisson Locks
Those arn't by any chance the ones where the boat was placed in a sort of watertight container then pulled down under water? If they are I could probably create a digram of how they worked.Geni 14:41, 7 October 2006 (UTC)


 * due to the text the diagram doesn't scale too well.But if you think you can work around that then no problem.Geni 16:27, 7 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I wont know untill I've seen it but I have no real problems with changes being made.Geni 11:33, 28 October 2006 (UTC)
 * O.K. I'll give it a try. I'm not too confident about my text scaling, either! Moonraker88 12:09, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Inclined planes on Somerset Coal Canal
Hi. About 35 years ago I did a university dissertation on the Somerset Coal Canal, mostly by studying the newspaper reports from about 1790 to 1810 in Bath library and the Somerset Record Office at Taunton (and the GWR records as the company took over ownership of the canal). I don't have any of the notes or the dissertation now, but my recollection is that the inclined planes were only "temporary" because they didn't work: the canal company engaged Benjamin Outram of the Peak Forest Canal (where inclined planes can still be seen) and fully intended to use them as the permanent solution after the failure of the caisson. But they couldn't be got to work properly, Outram disappeared (possibly died) and the locks "in the shape of a bull-nose" at Combe Hay were reluctantly substituted. I also have a (very vague) recollection that when the Prince Regent was shown the caisson the mechanism jammed with the boat including the royal party inside the tank and that some people drowned. There was a David & Charles book on the canal published in the early 1970s that covered some of this: I have a copy... somewhere. BTW, when the canal was built and in the official documents of the time, it was always called the "Somersetshire Coal Canal". Johnlp 20:55, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Talk:List of RSPB reserves
Hi - could I point you towards this page as you have contributed to this list (& still are active). I think it could be improved but would rather have a wider range of views. If you are not interested sorry to bother you. Regards -- Herby talk to me 10:21, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

Nursing Portal & wikiproject
Thank you for informing me, I'll try my best to input to the project, however I'm still a nursing student. Thanks :)ShaunES 10:28, 14 October 2006 (UTC).

Canal map
Rod, I very much like the map of the Kennet and Avon Canal that has been added to the article. However there are 2 oddities on it. First, the Somerset Coal Canal is shown as though it exists along its full length (I know you know it doesn't!). I assume the explanation is that light purple means old canals: if so the Legend doesn't tell me that. Secondly, the Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts are shown as though they are in the same place! Again I know you know that Avoncliff is just on the Bath side of Bradford on Avon. Best Wishes - Adrian Pingstone 16:49, 14 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Please see here for my comments on the changes to the Aqueduct labels and the SCC colouring - Adrian Pingstone 20:16, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Bristol edits
Rodw, you earlier edited several Bristol pages and removed a lot of internal wiki links between pages. I cant see any helpful purpose for doing this; please explain why you have done that. Fig 21:55, 24 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your answer - I see what you are trying to do now. Perhaps a slightly fuller note would be useful in the edit, because simply looking at the "difference" page (as most people do) makes some of your changes look inconsistent. E.g. in a paragraph you have removed linking from Lib Dems but left it for Labour - this turned out to be because Lib Dems were linked earlier in another paragrph, but it wasnt imediately obvious. Cheers... Fig 09:01, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Semington thanks
Great updates to the new village article. I see from your contributions that your are as woefully addicted to Wikipedia as I am, and as soon as I created Category:Kennet and Avon Canal you populated it! --Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 15:57, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Hope you are happy with the changes I made? I would suggest leaving the village & locks articles as seperate.&mdash; Rod talk 15:59, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Sure I'm happy. Listed buildings are great!
 * Semington Locks is a very short article, and it seems useful to incorporate all of that material in Semington, which I did. There is a great deal more than locks to be said about the K&A at Semington, as you pointed out by adding the first of the 2 aqueducts.  Please think again about a possible merge, in a few weeks time (after Semington gets cleaned up and expanded some more, of course.)
 * This phrase doesn't sound right: "and this stretch of the river is ... known as the Kennet Navigation.". Is it right? --Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 16:52, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi there

I just wanted to thank you for the great job you did on the Semington article. I am living in Semington for 2 years now and it's really a beautiful and peaceful little spot. I have informed the village and hopefully we 'll try to add a bit more information in the article. Thanks again. unsigned message by User:Dimitris1974 19:17, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

K&A Canal category
Hi. Just thought I'd suggest that a comment on the category page to explain why things like Newton St Loe SSSI are valid inclusions in the category might be an idea? I was puzzled when I noticed that edit, although reading the article it makes sense! SP-KP 22:50, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks
Thank you for letting me know about the nursing portal and project. I'm headed there now to take a look. :) MagnoliaSouth (talk) 00:33, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Nightingale's mother
Apparently mistake on my part. Sorry about that - Skysmith 08:15, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi thanks for the reply and sorry for not signing my message, I am still very new in wikipedia. Have you got any idea how to promote the Semington entry in a google search for Semington? For example if you type Semington now you only get the Semington Locks article. It would be useful to know. Thanks. Dimitris1974 08:17, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Nursing COM
That's why I had originally made it "Collaboration of the Quarter". However, it worked well. I find it a lot easier to contribute when others are as well. I don't care which article is next, maybe a stub. -THB 19:30, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

How about something a bit more essential to nursing, like International Nurses Day or Nursing assessment? Something we could use as a feature article on the portal. -THB 19:54, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Nursing article template
Sorry about that. The edit link was showing up incorrectly and I was trying to fix that. Thank goodness someone knows something about this! -THB 20:18, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I changed it back, you can see what I'm talking about if you look at the COTM on the portal. -THB 20:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

The problem may be related to the space between the words in the title. The title last month was one word. Part of what I did was put in an underline _ instead of a space. -THB 20:35, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

It's probably better not to have a direct link to an open edit page anyway. Before one edits, one should read the article! It surprised me the first time I clicked on it and BAM! there was an open edit page. -THB

John Allen
Hi,

John Allenwas born in Westbury and went to live in London and played baser guitar with Dominic Masters (also from Westbury) in The Others before meeting with, performing with and writing several of the songs for the Libertines. After an argument he went on to form hos own band Gollum who are currently in the process of signing for a major record label.

Recent edit to History of Somerset
Hello. Thank you for your recent edit to History of Somerset. Your edit included one or more links to the page Roman, which is a disambiguation page. This type of page is intended to direct users to more specific topics. Ordinarily we try to avoid creating links to disambiguation pages, since it is preferable to link directly to the specific topic relevant to the context. You can help Wikipedia by revising the links you added to History of Somerset to refer directly to the most relevant topic. (This message was generated by an automatic process; if you believe it to be in error, please accept our apologies and report the error to help us improve this feature.) --Russ (talk) 16:06, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Newbie questions re your comments on my Shipham submission
Rod, this is the first time I have used Wikipedia, and the first time I have attempted to "reply" (if that's what I'm doing) to an "editor" (if that's who I'm writing too!)

With regard to the piece I put in about stock-car racing near Shipham: I see that you would prefer to see formal description rather than journalism --- and I recognize the principle of fitting in with encyclopedia style.

Can you tell me if you are a Wikipedia editor, or whether Wikipedia is totally user-controlled? I imagine you are free to edit what I submitted -- or am I wrong?

Likewise, I imagine I could go in and rewrite my stuff.

Re: The particulars you mention; stock cars eveolved as closed-course close-contact vehicles, totally unlike the "normal" sports and racing cars that evolved on conventional road circuits. As with m'cycle Speedway racing, the arena settings inside towns and cities, and often side-by-side with soccer grounds, meant that stock-car racing's audience was from the start a working-class one: very distinct from the middle and upper-class world of Goodwood and Silverstone.

Question: on the Shiphanm Wikipedia page I have only just now noticed links that you or someone supplied, to Mendip Raceway and to Stock-car Racing; I am fascinated by this --- presumably Wikipedia users can add links anywhere when they see an article about which they know something?

Anyway, please enlighten this newbie, rookie, first-timer!! Cheers. from BC Canada

Local Images
Hi Rod. please have a look here - Adrian Pingstone 16:40, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Years in architecture
Hi - I've categorised most of your articles. The year to use is the year the building was completed; the dates any major reconstruction or additions were completed can also be added. If the year isn't known (or for any building completed before 1700) then use the most likely decade. For older buildings where the decade is unknown (or for any building completed before 1000), you can use the century. Warofdreams talk 23:21, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Re: "Romans in the Mendips"
Rod, just wanted to let you know I hadn't ignored your request. I haven't had time yet to look over the changes (or that PDF), but I'll to cover it in the next week or so. If you're looking for other Roman-knowledgable types, try Category:Wikipedians interested in ancient Rome. &mdash;Ryan McDaniel 23:50, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

CVL - Ramsar status?
Hi. Do you have a source for Chew having Ramsar status. Last time I checked (admittedly a few years ago now) it wasn't on the list, although it did meet the qualifying criteria. SP-KP 21:58, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Hi again. Here is a copy of what I believe to be the "official" list - date 16 Nov 2006, and Chew isn't on there, which leads me to believe the B&NES source is probably incorrect. What do you think? SP-KP 17:44, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

Hi. Re: your query on UK Ramsar sites, my views are that a series of "list of Ramsar sites in country X" pages, all linked from the master list page, would be the most sensible solution, otherwise the master list will get very big. I also think that any site that is a Ramsar site should have this mentioned on its article page, and be categorised as such. Cheers SP-KP 20:27, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Whitchurch, Bristol
Hello Rodw! As I'm doing some disambiguation on links to St. Augustine could you help my with the information to whom the church in Whitchurch is dedicated: Augustine of Hypo or Augustine of Canterbury? Thank you in advance. --VirtualDelight 23:16, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

GA on hold
Your GA nom is on hold for 7 days (K&A Canal). It needs another para in the lead to better summarize the article. Other than that, fine job. Rlevse 14:14, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

COTM Nsg
Hey, yeah probably should change it, apparently no one is much interested in the November one. It's better now, anyhow. The article on the portal needs to be changed out as well. Do you have suggestions for that? The article needs to be of good quality. -THB 08:27, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Hi, Rod, I just removed the para & refs for counterfeit meds as it distracts from the topic, the link is there if more info is wanted. -THB 22:39, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

You Message
Hi Rod,

Apologies. Our site holds a number of regional websites all under the Town & Country banner. We are a community based website supporting local businesses just like www.thebestof.co.uk

The only difference is that we have members rather than just randon people accessing the information. Thought I would clear that up, don't want any confusion.

Regards

Giles Morgan CEO Town & Country Club

Blocked
Dear Rod,

I have just noticed that my URLs which I have spent time putting onto Wikipedia yesterday and today have been blocked. I am concerned as I have spent alot of time doing this which has now been wasted.

I am not listing our URLs on Wikipedia from a commercial perspective. I am not looking to get advertising. I am simply providing it as a source of information for people looking for information on a regional basis across the UK.

I have been a journalist and publisher for over 15 years and I am concerned by all this.

We are no different than another website called www.thebestof.co.uk which is a commercial website also. Of which you have 26 listed occurences of them on Wikipedia.

You also have ICSurrey online which is another commercial website.

I apologise if i "packaged" the URl in a commercial way rather than based on editorial or information however I would appreciate if you could unblock all of our listings as we have spent enormous money building our brand to bring a worthwhile community service to the market which you are currently stopping.

I appreciate your help in all this

regards

Giles Morgan 'gilesmorgan' CEO Town & Country Club www.townandcountryclub.net

Blocked Response
Hi Rodw,

I apologise as I am new to all this. We did not mean to offend or break the rules, we just wanted to make sure that all of our regions were listed so users can find local info through us. We have 39 regions hence why I was trying to cover all of them with external links.

I would appreciate it if you could advise on how I can proceed in doing it properly.

Thanks in advance

Giles

re: ? another map - Somerset Coalfield
Hi Rod - I will have a look at it at the weekend and see what is possible. SFC9394 00:22, 12 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I had a look at the situation, and plotting the pits should be no trouble, as I just have to transpose the grid ref's. The roads, rail & Tramways are a bit more involved as I will have to overlay the old mapping to trace through.  I will run with a few things but it may be delayed due to the festive season!  Regards, SFC9394 13:32, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

13 digits
Hi Rod, yes in principle it can do it. I'm only 90% sure it's a good idea. If you have some articles suitable for testing the principle it would be a good pace to start. Rich Farmbrough, 21:47 21 December 2006 (GMT).
 * Well the start date was 1/1/2005 and an awful lot don't seem to have done it yet, with 9 days to go. We could do with a proper survey.  I quote myself...


 * ''It seems most European libraries are not accepting 13 digits yet. Compare:


 * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=0385504209
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=978-0-385-50420-1


 * ''Looking at the Karlsruhe the first returns many hists, the second hardly any


 * http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=9780385504201


 * does a little better. Rich Farmbrough, 11:31 18 December 2006 (GMT).
 * Regards, Rich Farmbrough, 09:19 22 December 2006 (GMT).
 * Well, that's a good sign anyway. I did have a scheme that would have swapped over at midnight - see auto isbn. Rich Farmbrough, 10:14 22  December 2006 (GMT).

Amazon.com are now showing 13 digit ISBNs, which is persuading me that it might be worth making the change. I've done a test run on a few articles, seems good. Any you'd like me to try out? Rich Farmbrough, 10:51 23 December 2006 (GMT).
 * Yes, you're right, all the Amazon's fail, Barnes and Noble, Alibris and Abebooks all work. It's very patchy, and many people seem to be waiting to the last minute. (It's also hard to find a good ISBN for testing - anything popular enough to be world-wide seems to be publishe in many languages/fromats.)  I've emailed Amazon.  It may be possible (but silly in a way) to re-write book sources to coerce 13 digit ISBNs back to 10, if the right parser functions have been introduced. Anyway, I have done a few hundred articles to seed the collective conciousness, I may just let it trickle away (there are 84,000 ISBNy articles). Rich Farmbrough, 13:47 23  December 2006 (GMT).
 * OK, I've done Chew Valley. Rich Farmbrough, 13:50 23 December 2006 (GMT).
 * The 10 digit one doesn't work on B&N either... The last digit changed from X in this case. About 9% will be unchanged.  Thanks for looking at this. Rich Farmbrough, 16:57 23  December 2006 (GMT).