User talk:Shannoncothran

Welcome!
Hello, Shannoncothran, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on talk pages using four tildes ( ~ ); this will automatically insert your username and the date. If you need help, check out Questions, ask me on my talk page, or ask your question on this page and then place  before the question. Again, welcome! Sleddog116 (talk) 20:54, 16 April 2012 (UTC)
 * The five pillars of Wikipedia
 * Tutorial
 * How to edit a page and How to develop articles
 * How to create your first article (using the Article Wizard if you wish)
 * Manual of Style

William S. Patout III
Hello, Shannoncothran - I noticed that you have created an article about William S. Patout III. You have also undoubtedly noticed the cleanup tags I have placed on the article. I noticed that you are new to Wikipedia, so I thought I would introduce myself. The tags that I added are things I see that need to be done to improve the article; I put them there as much for your benefit as anyone else's. You removed the tags and replaced them with the "newpage" template. I understand why you did this, but for reasons of complying with Wikipedia's policy, I have removed the template and replaced the original cleanup tags. The newpage template should not be used on biographies of living persons, so it cannot be used on that page. As to the other cleanup tags on the article, they are there so that you can see the problems with the article and correct them. As you can see, I have already gone in and fixed the headings in the article. If you don't understand one of the tags on the article (or if you think one of them should not be there), please say so here (or on the article's talk page). I'd be happy to discuss them with you. If you have a question about anything else, please feel free to ask me on my talk page. Cheers. Sleddog116 (talk) 21:01, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Hi Sleddog116 Yes, please help me. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing as far as getting this up on Wikipedia correctly. I don't know html and the whole thing is completely overwhelming. So I really appreciate your formatting it correctly. I worked on it for an hour and got tired and decided to come back to it. However, I do know what I'm doing when it comes to writing this article about Mr. Patout. I'm a journalist and this guy is one of the last living sugar barons in the U.S. He deserves a mention on Wikipedia. I don't agree with two of the tags: the article does not contain any paraphrasing; I wrote every word unless they're in quotations. It also does not contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted material. Everything I quote from a source has quotations around it. I read this guy's biography and interviewed him personally as well as used his own C.V. and a speech another man gave about him at an award's ceremony to write this piece and another that I'm writing for Sugar Journal (but it won't be published for a while). What other sources can I possibly list? There's not much about him on the Internet. What should I do now? Thanks thanks thanks, ShannoncothranShannoncothran Shannoncothran (talk) 21:22, 16 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Glad to help. Wiki markup has a significant learning curve, and to someone who doesn't know it, it can be a little intimidating.  Anything we include here on Wikipedia has to be verifiable from reliable sources.  If he "deserves a mention on Wikipedia," then other sources will have information about him.  They can be print sources; you don't have to get all of your information from the Internet.  If you can't find it in any outside sources, it can't be included; that falls under Wikipedia's policy on original research.  I would highly recommend that you read this article; it kind of explains that having an article on Wikipedia isn't necessarily a good thing - it can draw the wrong kind of attention to the subject.  Remember, articles have to be written from a neutral point of view - that is, we don't write articles to praise the subjects of the articles.  Any verifiable information - good or bad - can be included in an article as long as it's relevant.  Also, when you use something from an outside source, you should give an inline citation.  I've found that the easiest way to do this is through the editing toolbar (which you can enable in your preferences under the "editing" tab).  I'd also recommend that you read this article, as well; it explains how to add internal links to the article (links to other Wiki articles).  Let me know if you need any more help. Sleddog116 (talk) 14:46, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Proposed deletion of William S. Patout III


The article William S. Patout III has been proposed for deletion because it appears to have no references. Under Wikipedia policy, all newly created biographies of living persons must have at least one reference to a reliable source that directly supports material in the article.

If you created the article, please don't be offended. Instead, consider improving the article. For help on inserting references, see Referencing for beginners, or ask at the help desk. Once you have provided at least one reliable source, you may remove the prod blp tag. Please do not remove the tag unless the article is sourced. If you cannot provide such a source within ten days, the article may be deleted, but you can when you are ready to add one. Dori ☾Talk ⁘ Contribs☽ 02:52, 18 April 2012 (UTC)