User talk:Zozo2kx/2012

Welcome to the 2012 WikiCup
Hello, and welcome to the 2012 WikiCup! The competition officially began at the start of 2012 (UTC), and so you are free to claim any content from after that time. Your submission page, where you must note any content for which you wish to claim points, can be found here, and formatting instructions can be found in hidden comments on the page. A bot will then update the main table, which can be seen on the WikiCup page. The full rules for what will and will not be awarded points can be found at WikiCup/Scoring. There's also a section on that page listing the changes that have been made to the rules this year, so that experienced participants can get up-to-date in a few seconds. One point of which we must remind everyone; you may only claim points for content upon which you have done significant work, and which you have nominated, in 2012. For instance, articles written or good article reviews started in 2011 are not eligible for points.

This round will last until late February, and signups will remain open until the middle of February. If you know of anyone who may like to take part, please let them know about the comeptition; the more the merrier! At the end of this round, the top 64 scorers will progress to the next round, where their scores will reset, and they will be split into pools. Note that, by default, you have been added to our newsletter list; we will be in contact at the end of every month with news. You're welcome to remove yourself from this list if you do not wish to hear from us. Conversely, those interested in following the competition are more than welcome to add themselves to the list. Please direct any questions towards the judges, or on the WikiCup talk page. Good luck! J Milburn (talk) and The ed17 (talk) 13:51, 2 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I've created your submissions page now. Should be good to go! J Milburn (talk) 14:27, 3 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Yazan (talk) 15:19, 3 January 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 02 January 2012

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Afif al-Bizri
Thanks for starting this article Yazan. I had it on my to-do list for while, but was too lazy to put in work. Hope everything is ok with you akhi, keep in touch. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:48, 4 January 2012 (UTC)
 * No prob yakhi and I'll try to add to them if I have time. I'm delighted that you're back starting articles again, WP Syria has been almost frozen without you ;) Btw, could you add the Arabic to Husayn Pasha? --Al Ameer son (talk) 01:28, 6 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Done. You never fail to impress Yazan ;) I posted two book sources to Talk:Sabri al-Asali that you can use if interested. I'll add some info from them when I have time. --Al Ameer son (talk) 00:53, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Abdullah Atfeh
Hello! Your submission of Abdullah Atfeh at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. I suspect the issues are minor and can be easily addressed. 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! Rlendog (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

Talkback
Guerillero &#124; My Talk  05:10, 8 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Ping --Guerillero &#124; My Talk  20:13, 8 January 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 09 January 2012

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DYK for Muhsin al-Barazi
The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 11 January 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Abdullah Atfeh
Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:04, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Afif al-Bizri
Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:04, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

Hello
Sent you a mail. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 04:37, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 16 January 2012

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Disambiguation link notification
Hi. When you recently edited Amrit, you added links pointing to the disambiguation pages Settlement, Tyre and Phoenician (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ* Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

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Amrit
Done. Just so you know, normally somebody should have taken off the semi-protection by now, as it's not meant to be permanent; it's not necessarily an individual editor's responsibility to personally keep monitoring each article they've protected, but rather there's a dedicated project that's supposed to look after that stuff on Wikipedia's behalf — but thanks for bringing it to my attention anyway. Bearcat (talk) 16:38, 22 January 2012 (UTC)
 * You handled it fine. It's perfectly acceptable to contact the person who originally protected the page; the only thing that wouldn't have been okay would be taking an accusatory "why haven't you already unprotected this, you irresponsible cow?!?" sort of tone (which some people do, but you didn't.) It's all good, at any rate. Bearcat (talk) 17:11, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Re:Copyedits and more
Salam Yazan! I moved the page and did some copyediting for the 1936 strike and Amrit (interesting articles by the way.) The following line and another one like it could use attribution though: The funeral art found in some tombs with pyramidal-or cube-shaped towers, is considered some of "the most notable grave-monuments of the Phoenician world." Who or what considers it as such? On a separate note, I'm going to start an article on Tankiz soon and it could probably use some input from yourself when I move it to mainspace. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:35, 23 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Ahlan Yazan! Once again I got sidetracked from Tankiz. Instead, I've been working on Al-Ashraf Musa, the last Ayyubid of Homs and was hoping you could add the Arabic there. Thanks by the way for adding it to Ahmed Majdalani and other articles recently started. Will get to Tankiz soon though. Cheers! --Al Ameer son (talk) 21:51, 31 January 2012 (UTC)
 * P.S. Thanks for including me as a co-nom for Sabri al-Asali. You didn't have to. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:14, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 23 January 2012

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DYK for Sabri al-Asali
The DYK project (nominate) 08:02, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

Shibal Ibrahim
I made a stub for new prisoner of conscience Shibal Ibrahim today, but it's pretty bare; no references out there yet but Amnesty International, so he may even be a borderline case for notability. Take a look if you're interested--if you could even just add the Arabic spelling of his name, it'd be a big help. Enjoy the day! -- Khazar (talk) 13:45, 28 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks! -- Khazar (talk) 13:50, 28 January 2012 (UTC)
 * You're welcome. I'll try to add some info from Arabic sources (like this) later. Cheers! Yazan (talk) 13:51, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Amrit
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 30 January 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 30 January 2012

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WikiCup 2012 January newsletter
WikiCup 2012 is off to a flying start. At the time of writing, we have 112 contestants; comparable to last year, but slightly fewer than 2010. Signups will remain open for another week, after which time they will be closed for this year. Our currrent far-away leader is, due mostly to his work on a slew of good articles about The X-Files; there remain many such articles waiting to be reviewed at good article candidates. Second place is currently held by, whose points come mostly from good articles about television episodes, although good article reviews, did you knows and an article about a baroness round out the score. In third place is, who has scored 200 points for his work on a single featured article, as well as points for work on others, mostly in the area of pop music. In all, nine users have 100 or more points. However, at the other end of the scale, there are still dozens of participants who are yet to score. Please remember to update your submission pages promptly!

The 64 highest scoring participants will advance to round 2 in a month's time. There, they will be split into eight random groups of eight. The score needed to reach the next round is not at all clear; last year, 8 points guaranteed a place. The year before, 20.

A few participants and their work warrant a mention for achieving "firsts" in this competition.
 * was the first to score, with his good article review of Illinois v. McArthur.
 * was also the first to score points for an article, thanks to his work on Hurricane Debby (1982)- now a good article. Tropical storms have featured heavily in the Cup, and good articles currently have a relatively fast turnaround time for reviews.
 * was the first to score points for a did you know, with Russian submarine K-114 Tula. Military history is another subject which has seen a lot of Cup activity.
 * is also the first person to successfully claim bonus points. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is now a good article, and was eligible for bonus points because the subject was covered on more than 20 other Wikipedias at the start of the competition. It is fantastic to see bonus points being claimed so early!
 * was the first to score points for an In the News entry, with Paedophryne amauensis. The lead image from the article was also used on the main page for a time, and it's certainly eye-catching!
 * was the first to score points for a featured article, and is, at the moment, the only competitor to claim for one. The article, "Halo" (Beyoncé Knowles song), was also worth double points because of its wide coverage. While this is an article that Jivesh and others have worked on for some time, it is undeniable that he has put considerable work into it this year, pushing it over the edge.

We are yet to see any featured lists, featured topics or good topics, but this is unsurprising; firstly, the nomination processes with each of these can take some time, and, secondly, it can take a considerable amount of time to work content to this level. In a similar vein, we have seen only one featured article. The requirement that content must have been worked on this year to be eligible means that we did not expect to see these at the start of the competition. No points have been claimed for featured portals or pictures, but these are not content types which are often claimed; the former has never made a big impact on the WikiCup, while the latter has not done so since 2009's competition.

A quick rules clarification before the regular notices: If you are concerned that another user is claiming points inappropriately, please contact a judge to take a look at the article. Competitors policing one another can create a bad atmosphere, and may lead to inconsistencies and mistakes. Rest assured that we, the judges, are making an effort to check submissions, but it is possible that we will miss something. On a loosely related note: If you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. However, please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAC, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs which could otherwise be caused by the Cup. As ever, 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 receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn and The ed17 00:23, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

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DYK for Lutfi al-Haffar
Thanks from me and the wiki Victuallers (talk) 16:02, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

DYK for 1936 Syrian general strike
Thanks from me and the wiki Victuallers (talk) 16:02, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Ibiranu
Hello! Your submission of Ibiranu at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that 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! I've made a suggestion for an Alt hook; please review and comment. Thank you. --Rosiestep (talk) 03:36, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Ibiranu
Casliber (talk · contribs) 16:05, 3 February 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Communist Labour Party (Syria)
The DYK project (nominate) 00:03, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

The Signpost: 06 February 2012

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Kafr Batna
Ahlan Yazan! I just started Kafr Batna and was wondering if you knew the population and coordinates? I want to start working (albeit slowly) on the Syrian town/village articles on wiki. As you know already know, they're in inexcusably bad shape. Since we're starting to hear more about these places because of the current revolution it would be good to provide as much information on them as possible. Salam y'akhi, --Al Ameer son (talk) 22:32, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

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WikiCup 2012 February newsletter
Round 1 is already over! The 64 highest scorers have progressed to round 2. Our highest scorer was, again thanks mostly to a swathe of good articles on The X-Files. In second place was, thanks an impressive list of did you knows about racehorses. Both scored over 400 points. Following behind with over 300 points were, , and. February also saw the competition's first featured list: List of colleges and universities in North Dakota, from. At the other end of the scale, 11 points was enough to secure a place in this round, and some contestants with 10 points made it into the round on a tiebreaker. This is higher than the 8 points that were needed last year, but lower than the 20 points required the year before. The number of points required to progress to round 3 will be significantly higher.

The remaining contestants have been split into 8 pools of 8, named A through H. Round two will finish in two months time on 28 April, when the two highest scorers in each pool, as well as the next 16 highest scorers, will progress to round 3. The pools were entirely random, so while some pools may end up being more competitive than others, this is by chance rather than design.

The judges would like to point out two quick rules reminders. First, any content promoted during the interim period (that is, on or after 27 February) is eligible for points in round 2. Second, any content worked on significantly this year is eligible for points if promoted in this round. On a related note, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. However, please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAC, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs which would otherwise be caused by the Cup. As ever, 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 receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk &bull; email) and The ed17 (talk &bull; email) 00:13, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

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WikiCup 2012 March newsletter
We are over half way through the second round of this year's WikiCup and things are going well! , of Pool B, is our highest overall scorer thanks to his prolific writings on television and film. In second place is Pool H's, thanks primarily to work on biological articles, especially in marine biology and herpetology. Third place goes to Pool E's, who also writes primarily on biology (including ornithology and botany) and has already submitted two featured articles this round. Of the 63 contestants remaining, 15 (just under a quarter) have over 100 points this round. However, 25 are yet to score. Please remember to update your submission pages promptly. 32 contestants, the top two from each pool and the 16 next-highest scorers, will advance to round 3.

Congratulations to, whose impressive File:Wacht am Rhein map (Opaque).svg became the competition's first featured picture. Also, congratulations to, who claimed good topic points, our first contestant this year to do so, for his work on Featured topics/1982 Atlantic hurricane season. This leaves featured topics and featured portals as the only sources of points not yet utilised. However, as recent statistics from show, no source has yet been utilised this competition to the same extent it has been previously!

It has been observed that the backlogs at good article candidates are building up again. While the points for good article reviews will be remaining constant, any help that can be offered keeping the backlog down would be appreciated. On a related note, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. As ever, 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 receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk &bull; email) and The ed17 (talk &bull; email) 23:32, 31 March 2012 (UTC)

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The Signpost: 23 April 2012
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WikiCup 2012 April newsletter
Round 2 of this year's WikiCup is over, and so we are down to our final 32, in what could be called our quarter-finals. The two highest scorers from each pool, as well as the next 16 highest scorers overall, have entered round 3, while 30 participants have been eliminated. Pool B's remains our top scorer with over 700 points; he continues to gain high numbers of points for his good articles on The X-Files, but also Millennium and other subjects. He has also gained points for a good topic, a featured list, multiple good article reviews and several did you knows. Pool E's was second, thanks primarily to his biology articles, with Pool H's  coming in third, with an impressive 46 did you knows, mostly on the subject of baseball. Casliber and Cwmhiraeth both scored over 600 points. Pools E and H proved our most successful, with each seeing 5 members qualify for round 3, while Pools C and D were the least, with each seeing only 3 reach round 3. However, it was Pool G which saw the lowest scoring, with a little under 400 points combined; Pool H, the highest scoring group, saw over triple that score.

65 points was the lowest qualifying score for round 3; significantly higher than the 11 required to enter round 2, and also higher than the 41 required to reach round 3 last year. However, in 2010, 100 points were needed to secure a place in round 3. 16 will progress to round 4. In round 3, 150 points was the 16th highest score, though, statistically, people tend to up their game a little in later rounds. Last year, 76 points secured a place, while in 2010, a massive 250 points were needed. Guessing how many points will be required is not easy. We still have not seen any featured portals or topics this year, but, on the subject of less common content types, a small correction needs to be made to the previous newsletter: File:Wacht am Rhein map (Opaque).svg, our first featured picture, was the work of both and, the latter of whom has also gone on to score with File:Map of the Battle of Guam, 1944.svg. Bonus points also continue to roll in; this round, earned triple points for her good articles on William the Conqueror and the Middle Ages, Casliber and Cwmhiraeth both earned triple points for their work on Western Jackdaw, now a good article,  earned triple points for her work on lettuce and work by  to ready antimony for good article status earned him triple points. managed to expand Vitus Bering far enough for a did you know, which was also worth triple points. All of these highly important topics featured on 50 or more Wikipedias at the start of the year.

An article on the WikiCup in the Wikimedia Blog, "Improving Wikipedia with friendly competition", was posted at the end of April. This may be of interest to those who are signed up to this newsletter, as well as serving as another way to draw attention to our project. Also, we would again like to thank and, for continued help behind the scenes. As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on WikiCup/Reviews. 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 receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk &bull; email) and The ed17 (talk &bull; email) 23:26, 30 April 2012 (UTC)

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WikiCup 2012 May newsletter
We're halfway through round 3 (or the quarter finals, if you prefer) and things are running smoothly. We're seeing very high scoring; as of the time of writing, the top 16 all have over 90 points. This has already proved to be more competative than this time last year- in 2011, 76 points secured a place, while in 2010, a massive 250 was the lowest qualifying score. People have also upped their game slightly from last round, which is to be expected as we approach the end of the competition. Leading Pool A is, whose points have mostly come from a large number of did you knows on marine biology. Pool B's leader,, is for the first time not our highest scorer at the time of newsletter publication, but his good articles on The X-Files and Millenium keep him in second place overall. leads Pool C, our quietest pool, with content in a variety of areas on a variety of topics. Pool D is led by, our current overall leader. Nearly half of Casliber's points come from his triple-scored Western Jackdaw, which is now a featured article.

This round has seen an unusually high number of featured lists, with nearly one in five remaining participants claiming one, and one user,, claiming two. Miyagawa's featured list, 1936 Summer Olympics medal table, was even awarded double points. By comparison, good article reviews seem to be playing a smaller part, and featured topics portals remain two content-types still unutilised in this competition. Other than that, there isn't much to say! Things are coming along smoothly. As ever, 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. 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) 23:51, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

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سلام
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته أخي يزن. أنا محرّر من ويكيبيديا العربية، لستُ نشيطاً كثيراً هنا، لكني أكتب دائماً في ويكيبيديا العربية (وللمناسبة، أنا سوري أيضاً :) ). أخشى من مطالعة مساهماتك أنك لم تعد نشطاً كثيراً هذه الأيام، لكني رأيتُ بعضاً من مساهماتك الرائعة هنا، وودتُ أن أدعوك إلى أن تأتي وتساهم معنا في ويكيبيديتنا الأم (ويكيبيديا العربية)، حيث أننا لا زلنا بحاجة إلى الكثير من المساعدة هناك، ولا زال أمامنا شوط طويل لقطعه مع الأسف، على عكس الحال هنا. أتمنّى، إن كان عندك وقت، أن تساهم معنا في ويكيبيديا العربية، وأحبّ أن أعمل معك يوماً على مقالة لجعلها مختارة أو جيدة، ربما عن مدينة سورية مثلاً :) --aad_Dira (talk) 08:50, 27 June 2012 (UTC).

WikiCup 2012 June newsletter
Apologies for the lateness of this letter; our usual bot wasn't working. We are now entering round 4, our semi-finals, and have our final 16. A score of 243 was required to reach this round; significantly more than 2011's 76 points, and only a little behind 2010's 250 points. By comparison, last year, 150 points in round 4 secured a place in the final; in 2010, 430 were needed. Commiserations to Pool A's, who scored 242 points, missing out on a place in the round by a whisker. However, congratulations to Pool B's, whose television articles have brought him another round victory. Pool A's came second overall, with an impressive list of biological did you knows, good articles and featured articles. Third overall was Pool D's, with a long list of contibutions, mostly relating to baseball. Of course, with the points resetting every round, the playing field has been levelled. The most successful Pool was Pool D, which saw seven into the final round. Pool B saw four, C saw three and Pool A saw only the two round leaders.

A quick note about other competitions taking place on Wikipedia which may be of interest. There are 13 days remaining in the June-July GAN backlog elimination drive, but it is not too late to take part. August will also see the return of The Core Contest- a one month long competition first run in 2007. While the WikiCup awards points for audited content on any subject, The Core Contest about is raw article improvement, focussing heavily on the most important articles on Wikipedia. As ever, 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. 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) 11:18, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

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Hey
Inshallah inta bi kheir ... Suriya is in our thoughts always.  T i a m u t talk 13:53, 21 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Ditto. Y'akhi, you are very missed. I would love if we could collaborate again soon. And despite the carnage bil watan, I hope you are well and that all your loved ones are safe. Salaamat. --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:28, 21 July 2012 (UTC)
 * And ditto. It is absolutely heartbreaking to think that the beautifull Damascus and Aleppo I visited in 2001, (when everyone were still so optimistic), are now battlefields. The best of wishes for you and all your loved ones, Regards, Huldra (talk) 19:47, 21 July 2012 (UTC)

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WikiCup 2012 July newsletter
We're approaching the beginning of 2012's final round. Pool A sees as the leader, with 300 points being awarded for the featured article Bivalvia, and Pool B sees  in the lead, with 10 good articles, and over 35 articles eligible for good topic points. Pool A sees in second place with a number of articles relating to baseball, while Pool B's  follows Grapple X, with a variety of contributions including the high-scoring, high-importance featured article on the 2010 film Pride & Prejudice. Ruby2010, like Grapple X, also claimed a number of good topic points; despite this, not a single point has been claimed for featured topics in the contest so far. The same is true for featured portals.

Currently, the eighth-place competitor (and so the lowest scorer who would reach the final round right now) has scored 332, more than double the 150 needed to reach the final round last year. In 2010, however, 430 was the lowest qualifying score. In this competition, we have generally seen scores closer to those in 2010 than those in 2011. Let's see what kind of benchmark we can set for future competitions! As ever, 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. 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) 22:38, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Hafez al-Assad
Hi!

I'm trying to promote the Hafez al-Assad article. But in order to do so, I need the Arabic pronunciation of his name, IPA-ar. Sorry for bothering you, but if you could do this it would be great. -- Wustenfuchs  01:07, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Hi, I tried my best with my limited knowledge of IPA to represent the correct pronunciation. Do check with some experts though when you have time. Yazan (talk) 01:43, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Zozo, thx. I appriciate it. -- Wustenfuchs  01:47, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

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Orwa Nyrabia
IMDB is used in this article. However, bear in mind that it is an unreliable source as a user-submitted website. Maybe you can find another source that is not user-submitted. --George Ho (talk) 03:08, 30 August 2012 (UTC)

WikiCup 2012 August newsletter
The final is upon us! We are down to our final 8. A massive 573 was our lowest qualifying score; this is higher than the 150 points needed last year and the 430 needed in 2010. Even in 2009, when points were acquired for mainspace edit count in addition to audited content, 417 points secured a place. That leaves this year's WikiCup, by one measure at least, our most competitive ever. Our finalists, ordered by round 4 score, are:
 * 1) once again finishes the round in first place, leading Pool B. Grapple X writes articles about television, and especially The X-Files and Millenium, with good articles making up the bulk of the score.
 * 2) led Pool A this round. Fourth-place finalist last year, Miyagawa writes on a variety of topics, and has reached the final primarily off the back of his massive number of did you knows.
 * 3) was second in Pool B. Ruby2010 writes primarily on television and film, and scores primarily from good articles.
 * 4) finished third in Pool B. Casliber is something of a WikiCup veteran, having finished sixth in 2011 and fourth in 2010. Casliber writes on the natural sciences, including ornithology, botany and astronomy. Over half of Casliber's points this round were bonus points from the high-importance articles he has worked on.
 * 5) came second in Pool A. Also writing on biology, especially marine biology, Cwmhiraeth received 390 points for one featured article (Bivalvia) and one good article (pelican), topping up with a large number of did you knows.
 * 6) was third in Pool A. Muboshgu writes primarily on baseball, and this round saw Muboshgu's first featured article, Derek Jeter, promoted on its fourth attempt at FAC.
 * 7) was fourth in Pool A. She writes on a variety of topics, including horses, but this round also saw the high-importance lettuce reach featured article status.
 * 8) is another WikiCup veteran, having been a finalist in 2009 and 2010. He writes mostly on mycology.

However, we must also say goodbye to the eight who did not make the final, having fallen at the last hurdle:, , , , , , and. We hope to see you all next year.

On the subject of next year, a discussion has been opened here. Come and have your say about the competition, and how you'd like it to run in the future. This brainstorming will go on for some time before more focused discussions/polls are opened. As ever, 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. 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) 00:28, 1 September 2012 (UTC)

--Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 17:13, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Talkback
Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 17:29, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Talkback
Don't forget to add resolved tag Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 16:12, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Orwa Nyrabia
Orlady (talk) 00:02, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

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Syrian journalists
Zozo2kx,

Thank you for the welcoming and I'll pass that on to my students, too. I have a number of students who have volunteered to concentrate on Syrian journalists this semester and work from the List of journalists killed during the Syrian civil war. Many of the foreign journalists receive attention immediately upon their death, but native/local journalists receive very little attention in Wikipedia. Hopefully, we'll shine more light on journalists. If not the individual, due to notability requirements, perhaps the phenomenon. We may have some questions along the way and none of us are Arabic speakers. What would you suggest we do in these situations? Thank you, Crtew (talk) 22:34, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Tafas
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:03, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Anwar Bannud
Hello! Your submission of Anwar Bannud at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that 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! Brown HairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 13:12, 10 September 2012 (UTC)

Deprodded The Day After: Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria
I have removed the prod tag from The Day After: Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria, which you proposed for deletion. I'm leaving this message here to notify you about it. If you still think the article should be deleted, please don't add the prod template back to the article. Instead, feel free to list it at Articles for deletion. Thanks! I've worked on cleaning up the copyvio stuff, but that meant removing a lot of info. Do you think the article should just be moved to "The Day After project?" Altamel (talk) 02:58, 11 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Jindires
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 12 September 2012 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for September 12
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DYK for Muzayrib
PanydThe muffin is not subtle 16:02, 12 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Tell Aran
Hello! Your submission of Tell Aran at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that 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! Antidiskriminator (talk) 20:23, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Saqba
Hey Yazan, could you find the population for Saqba? I couldn't find it in the Kafr Batna nahiya. Also, if you have any info on it please expand. --Al Ameer son (talk) 18:51, 14 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Will do. In the meantime, could you check Assal al-Ward, it could use a bit more expansion. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 19:05, 14 September 2012 (UTC)
 * I added a bit to Assal al-Ward, but I can't find much about the violence the town has seen since the uprising. I remember reading a couple of articles that talked about Assal al-Ward some months ago. Also, I intend to start an article on Taftanaz, but all I have is information about its involvement in the uprising and nothing on its actual history. --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:03, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * I added some info on Assal al-Ward about the revolution (I think it's big enough for DYK now, but we should be able to expand further). Taftanaz has been on my todo-list for a while, thanks for starting it. The town seems to have a long history, we should be able to find some stuff, I'll have to look more tomorrow. Btw, you added a section about the Syrian uprising to Saqba and forgot to add anything, just a reminder! Cheers. Yazan (talk) 18:28, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Nice, go ahead and nominate it. I'll get to the uprising info for Saqba and Taftanaz (both quite extensive) tomorrow or the day after. --Al Ameer son (talk) 18:51, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * I expanded Khan Danoun slightly, perhaps you can nom for DYK now. (btw, why did you choose to call it Danoun, rather than the more standard transliteration we've been using, "Danun")? Yazan (talk) 06:26, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Also take a look at Darkush and al-Fu'ah, they could use some c/e or expansion. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 08:26, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks for finding more specific info on the article. I changed it to "Danoun" because none of the sources used "Danun," but some used the former. I think for English speakers, the end of Danun sounds like "none" instead of "noon." Anyway, what do you think renaming it to "Khan Dannun"? Many of the sources used this spelling and I don't think it would go against the standard suffix we've been applying. I'll take a look at Darkush and Fuah as well, nice job on both ;) --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:51, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * "Khan Dannun" works for me, especially that a quick look up on google reveal it has by far the most results, and several sources mentions it, so there must be a Shadda on the "n". There should be more sources on Fu'ah, as it's an old town, but I couldn't find much, perhaps you'll have a better luck. Also, Fu'ah, being a large Shiite village with mostly loyalists, in the middle of Idlib, has had significant coverage during the uprising. Again, no luck with me! :(. Will look some more tomorrow. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 18:42, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Moved. I found some info on al-Fu'ah's experience during the uprising. Again, the problem with Arabic villages the world over is that they have so many different English spellings. I'll try to find some more on the pre-modern history though. --Al Ameer son (talk) 20:34, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Great, thanks a lot for the Fu'ah additions. On an unrelated note, could you move Solhi Al-Wadi to Solhi al-Wadi per Arabic MoS.
 * Ameer, don't forget to nom Khan Dannun for DYK. (you can use some of my surplus QPQ from here :)). I want to re-work the Portal:Syria and nominate it for Featured Portal, so we need as much DYK/GA/FA material we can get. Yazan (talk) 15:09, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the reminder (and the QPQ), I also nominated Hit, Syria a couple hours late. Good luck with the Syria portal. I want to start al-Dana, Ghabaghib and al-Qurayya in the coming days. All appear to be major towns, historically speaking. Could you locate the population of Qurayya for me though? Also if you have any other information just add it to Qurayya draft and Ghabaghib draft.

One more thing, this source has tons of historic information on Syria's towns and villages Josias Porter. You may have come across it already. Most of the info for Syria starts in the upper 400s pages. --Al Ameer son (talk) 03:48, 20 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Hey, thanks for the link, downloaded the book; there's a wealth of information there! Great work on Maarrat Misrin, I think it could be nom'ed as a double DYK with al-Fu'ah (perhaps we use the fact that they rebelled against the crusaders). Yazan (talk) 05:04, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
 * No prob I used it a long time ago for the desert towns of Qaryatayn and Huwwarin and it contains tons of info for the Jabal al-Arab villages. There's a bit more about al-Fu'ah in the Houtsma source which I'll add in a little bit and I just realized I missed the DYK deadline for the initial topic of this thread, Saqba. Can't make the same mistake with Ma'arrat Misrin. Thanks for all the help with that. The Gibbs source, with support from other sources, might actually allow us to create sections on Demographics, Economy and Geography. I recommend you nominate both articles as a double nom since I'll probably procrastinate as always ;) Cheers --Al Ameer son (talk) 05:39, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
 * I nominated the double hook (Do check it here and change as you see fit). Sorry about Saqba, but speaking of forgetting, don't forget to nominate Taftanaz and Tell Sultan. ;) Also take a look at the Portal:Syria (the selected article section/DYK section now rotate the material we have + added a wikinews section. Need to add a selected photo). Yazan (talk) 14:20, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

RE: Thanks
Thanks, its nice to be back. --TIAYN (talk) 06:44, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Administrators' Noticeboard/Incidents


There is a discussion here that involves you. --<font face="Old English Text MT"><font size="3" color="Black">Wüstenfuchs 19:51, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Tell Sukas
Yngvadottir (talk) 00:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Tell Shihab
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Jayrud
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

 * Thank you Doc., you're too kind! :) Yazan (talk) 09:52, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Annie Lowrie Alexander DYK
Just wondering why you approved the hook at Template:Did you know nominations/Annie Lowrie Alexander when part of the hook (the she could be described by the very obscure nickname of a Tar Heel) was not even present in the article? Kevin McE (talk) 12:44, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Well I googled it and the very first result was a lengthy article about it on Wikipedia; which meant, for me, that the term is in wide-spread use for it to be notable enough for such an article. Yazan (talk) 13:19, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * The term is not in anything that can even vaguely be referred to as widespread use, and the phrase was not linked. Nicknames as informal demonyms are not proper formal encyclopaedic tone, and DYK's rules require the hook to be cited in the article: this phrase was not in the article.  Kevin McE (talk) 16:40, 16 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Point taken. Will try to be more attentive next time. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 16:48, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Tell Aran
The DYK project (nominate) 16:06, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Mazraa
The DYK project (nominate) 16:02, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Al-Mushannaf
Hello! Your submission of Al-Mushannaf at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that 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! Secretlondon (talk) 09:10, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

WP:REX
Hi! I will help you to get this article next days. So long, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 20:34, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I'd be very grateful! Yazan (talk) 07:51, 20 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Assal al-Ward
The DYK project (nominate) 16:03, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Czech presidential election, 2013 DYK
Thanks for checking the Czech presidential election, 2013 article for DYK. I hadn't realized it was lacking size and bolding when I nominated it, but both should now be rectified. If you have a minute, give it another look over for the nomination. Thanks again!-- Patrick, o Ѻ ∞ 23:12, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Mushannaf
Yngvadottir (talk) 08:04, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for September 22
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DYK for Khan Dannun
The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Shaykh Saad
Yngvadottir (talk) 21:20, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Darkush
Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:02, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

File:Al-raqqah-map.png missing description details
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DYK for Muhammad al-Khuli
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:04, 26 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Nasuhi al-Bukhari
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:02, 26 September 2012 (UTC)

Precious

 * Thank you so much Gerda! You're too kind! :) Likewise, I've enjoyed your beautiful articles on Bach. In fact, I've made it a habit of listening to each of the cantatas that I read about it! Very beautiful. Yazan (talk) 11:28, 26 September 2012 (UTC)


 * A year ago, you were the 255th recipient of my PumpkinSky Prize, - see my user page for the greatest Bach music, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 05:40, 27 September 2013 (UTC)

Barnstar

 * Thank you :) Yazan (talk) 09:57, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Anwar Bannud
Casliber (talk · contribs) 16:03, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Re: Maryana Marrash
Hi Yazan! Thank you so much for your kind message about the articles, I am very glad that you have enjoyed them.

With the information you gave me, I have been able to find this edition of the Encyclopedia (is it the source you had found?). I'll try to contact one of the libraries that have the 1893 edition of Bint fikr to ask them if they can show us the title page. In the meantime perhaps we could add a short footnote linked to her name, explaining what her name implies according to the "rules of the Arabic name", and that Khayr al-Din al-Zirakli says her great-grandfather was named Butrus; I think this would be the least risky way to present "the problem" until we have a confirmation about a primary source such as the 1893 edition of Bint fikr. What do you think? It seems al-Zirakli wrote his Encyclopedia in 1927, some 8 years after her death. And considering he was quite young when she died, and that he seems to be the only biographer to have mentioned Butrus to be her great-grandfather (and perhaps those who have filled the info on Google Books and the following biographies have referred to his biography), I wonder how he would have known Butrus was her great-grandfather, if not, for example, by having read it on the title page, or by having had an older contemporary of Maryana tell him. But it may also have been a mistake, the same way the biographer Brockelmann had said Maryana was the daughter of Francis&mdash;although I would trust a native speaker of Arabic like al-Zirakli much more than a European biographer of those days. If al-Zirakli mentions him several times, then maybe he knew much more about him than we would ever be able to know...

But anyway, it is a detail after all. Thank you so much for having helped! The article about Francis is currently under review for FA assessement, if you know anyone who would be interested in reviewing it. Have a nice day! Bryan P. C. C. (talk) 15:56, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Tell Sabi Abyad
If you want to publish this article from your sandbox. I'll get working and fix it up. I can take the text and publish it myself if you like, but you really should get the creator rights. I could fix it up in your sandbox first I suppose, but again thought I would ask permission. Might help pay back all the help you've been giving my articles lately. Thanks. Paul Bedson ❉ talk ❉ 00:21, 4 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Thank you Paul, it's very kind of you to ask first. Feel free to use the draft in anyway you deem helpful; you can work on it in the sandbox, and then move it to main space, or simply start it from scratch. I've been occupied by other stuff lately, and won't be able to work on it further; so it would be great if you start it. It's a fascinating site! Cheers Yazan (talk) 02:36, 4 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Oh boy, this is a big site. It still needs lots more work, but some of the basics are there and it's ready to be published if you like. Paul Bedson  ❉ talk ❉ 00:59, 6 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks for writing up on it, it's been on my todo list for a year. It is a very important site, indeed. I've moved it to main space, and I think you should consider nominating for DYK. Cheers Yazan (talk) 14:53, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Fu'ah
Casliber (talk) 00:04, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Maarrat Misrin
Casliber (talk) 00:05, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Taftanaz
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 08:36, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Investiture of Zimrilim
Hello! Your submission of Investiture of Zimrilim at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that 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! Prioryman (talk) 00:50, 8 October 2012 (UTC)


 * Hello! I was very interested to read about this mural!  I have responded on the talk page of the article itself.Thank you for asking me!   Amandajm (talk) 11:43, 10 October 2012 (UTC)


 * I have improved the diagram. Amandajm (talk) 09:23, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Shibtu
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 9 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Yarim-Lim I
The DYK project (nominate) 16:02, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Abd al-Karim al-Jundi
The DYK project (nominate) 08:02, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

SAbi Abyad
It's good to see you back as well, with everything that is going on Syria right now. I will see what I can do about Sabi Abyad (I am sure I can get a few more refs in), but right now I am limiting myself to some small stuff (and I put my long term projects of rewriting History of Mesopotamia and getting Euphrates to GA on hold) as I am very busy in RL and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Did you put Sabi Abyad up for DYK? Let me know, because in that case I'll see if I can upload a picture of the site.--Zoeperkoe (talk) 14:44, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Articles requested per fair use
Ugarits at the Louvre: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TdFhBWUhUb3JMa0U

Ugarit: 6000 years of history: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TdVdJT2lfam9sUU0

Votive inscriptions: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TZVZZclZrMGNkNmc

Ugarid grid: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TTkktMmpxYmFfZ1U

Canaanite Ugarid: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TbjN1eEgxYVZNXzA

Please let me know when you are done.

Churn and change (talk) 15:31, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Tell Sabi Abyad
Yngvadottir (talk) 16:03, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

WP:REX
Hi! I've got the wanted pages for you. Please send a wikimail, that I know, where to send the file to. Greetings, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 18:52, 15 October 2012 (UTC)
 * I sent it, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 14:02, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

GibraltarPediA Options followup
You participated earlier in Wikipedia talk:Did you know/GibraltarPediA Options, in which a proposed moratorium on Gibraltar-related DYKs was rejected and a set of options was agreed. There is currently a suggestion from editors who did not participate in that discussion that a moratorium should be imposed, overturning the earlier agreement. If you have any views on this, please feel free to comment at Wikipedia talk:Did you know. Prioryman (talk) 21:07, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Statue of Ebih-Il
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Royal Palace of Ugarit
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:01, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

theory of reverse roles
النظرية تبدأ من شخص واحد وتنتشر ويتكون حولها نقاش و ينشأ لها معارضين ومؤيدين  ثم تحصل على القبول مع استمرار المعارضين لذا يجب ان تبقى ليحصل حولها نقاش ولا توجد نظرية من اللحظة الاولى في مصادر مختلفة فإذا بقيت محصورة في الشخص الذي اوجدها فإنك ستدفنها معه فإذا نقلها غيره وادخلها في كتبه و اشار لها سوف تنتشر وتفيد الناس الا يجب عليك يا صديقي المساعدة في تحريرها ودعم صاحبها والمساعدة في نشرها

ربما يجب شطبها اذا ادعى احد نظرية لها مصادر وليست له اما هذه فهي جديدة

واقبلوا الاحترام — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.249.65.141 (talk) 15:27, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

شكرا
شكرا لحضرتكم على الرد السريع اتمنى ان تبقى المقالة تحت عنوان ان مصادرها قليلة حتى يتم تعزيزها بمصادر تحقق الملحوظة او ان تدمج مع مقالة السيد عماد في باب جديد

شكرا للطفك واهتمامك انت مثال السوري الأصيل

السلام عليكم — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.249.65.141 (talk) 15:46, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Barad, Syria
The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

ANI notice
Hello. There is currently a discussion at Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. Thank you. (It's the Fjozk discussion). Automatic Strikeout  16:05, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Investiture of Zimrilim
Yngvadottir (talk) 00:01, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

FP advice
Hi Yazan! Nice to talk to you again. I'll give you my honest opinion (which may come over as slightly harsh, because I'm putting on my "critic's cap"); you can choose what you want to do from their. It clearly meets most of the criteria, but ultimately I believe that a potential nomination would receive some support but ultimately not gain enough consensus to pass. The image has good encyclopedic value, but for some reason, I prefer an alternative angle that shows the pose of the statue much more clearly than the image being considered. In addition, while the image quality is good, I do believe the image is a tad soft (lacking in sharpness in certain areas), and the lighting is a little disappointing after seeing the other image (but not enough for me to personally oppose). If I saw the nomination and had to vote, I'd probably vote a "weak oppose" based on the softness of the image (the other perspective and the lighting don't concern me as much and I'd probably "weak support" if those were the only issues). The image, otherwise, has nice resolution and is definitely an asset to Wikipedia. TL;DR: Quality is good enough for me not to oppose right away (like some of the other images nominated at FPC), but some more subtle issues per se would have me vote "weak oppose" in a potential FPC nomination.

If you're interested in a second opinion but without nominating the image to FPC, you can try Wikipedia talk:Featured picture candidates.

Happy editing,  Spencer T♦ C 04:30, 25 October 2012 (UTC)


 * Note also that for the other pictures of the statue, the encyclopedic value would be lower since it doesn't show the whole statue. Focusing on detail is cool, but it does lower the value when you have a decent full-sized image.
 * And I've been so bad about keeping up with WP:Syria! I'm so sorry! If there's anything you guys have over there that needs copyediting/polishing for a good article candidate or whatnot, just send me a message.  Spencer T♦ C 06:28, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Dana, Syria
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:04, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, wow that's the first compliment received on it! Keep up the terrific work on Syria!♦ Dr. ☠ Blofeld  11:12, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Baal with Thunderbolt
Hello! Your submission of Baal with Thunderbolt 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! Doug Coldwell talk 22:08, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Article is over 2500 characters and the hook is 180 characters (under the required 200) and the hook can be verified in reference. Article moved to Mainspace Nov 2, 2012. Good to go!! Misread that it went to Mainspace Nov 2. You have a tick!--Doug Coldwell talk 22:53, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Aleppine People
Hello, can I understand why did you delete the page Aleppine People without ending the talk ?Latristelagrima (talk) 11:43, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Ghabaghib
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 16:03, 4 November 2012 (UTC)

Hanna Batatu: Syria's Peasantry - WP:RX Request
Hello there. I was browsing through old entries on the Resource Request page and noticed your request, which has gone unanswered. My university library happens to have the book you are looking for; if you are still interested in getting the table you asked for, please send me an email (here is a link for your convenience), and I will be happy to send it to you. If you no longer need it, sorry to have bothered you. Good day, Robert Skyhawk (T C) 03:27, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Baal with Thunderbolt
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
 * and it lost out the picture slot to my St Luke's Church, Chelsea! Oh, well, keep up the good work anyway! Johnbod (talk) 18:13, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Not my day, I guess. ;) Now, if only I could find those damn photos I have from Apamea... Yazan (talk) 18:44, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Al-Qurayya
Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:03, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

Baal au Foudre
Right. I've changed that. The phenician adjective was inacurrate but coming from fr:Baal. Do you think I have to change that too ? Thanks again. Like tears in rain (talk) 14:07, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Done. Like tears in rain (talk) 14:57, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Roman Theatre at Apamea
Hello! Your submission of Roman Theatre at Apamea 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! Peter I. Vardy (talk) 17:55, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Roman Theatre at Apamea
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 12:21, 8 November 2012 (UTC) 00:02, 9 November 2012 (UTC)

Articles you requested per fair use
2: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Brinner.PDF

3: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Sirriya.PDF

4: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Walker.PDF

5: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Retzleff.PDF

6: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Small.PDF

Please do sign your posts to make it easier to respond to you.

Let me know when you are done. Churn and change (talk) 02:04, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Roman Theatre at Palmyra
Hello! Your submission of Roman Theatre at Palmyra 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! Antidiskriminator (talk) 23:19, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

Cavea
Glad I could help... Nice work on cavea, and the image is indeed more illustrative than the one in the Italian article. GregorB (talk) 13:59, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Articles you requested per fair use
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Ochsenschlager.PDF

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Parker.PDF

Please let me know when you are done. Churn and change (talk) 02:58, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

A beer for you!

 * Many thanks 7&6. Editors who are swift in moving beyond drama deserve my utmost respect! :) Will be looking forward to see that grand hook on the main page! Yazan (talk) 02:41, 14 November 2012 (UTC)
 * How's everyone doing, Zozo? I raise my glass to you, your family, your people, and your country, in that order I suppose. All the best. Drmies (talk) 02:13, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Thank you Drmies. All is well, considering. It's a slow Sunday here, care for some Chimay blue? Yazan (talk) 10:49, 18 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Ah, more wiki-love? Thank you Huldra! "Pomegranate" reminds me of a verse from this 1950s pop oldie. "Love comes in three colors, like pomegranate; sweet, sour and somewhere between." :) Ahhh, good times! Yazan (talk) 16:12, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * With all those singalong songs, I guess you had to be there. I'm glad you translated. ;) It's hard to imagine pomegranates combined with that mustache. As it happens, I cracked one open yesterday; my kids love them. Where was this recorded, a variety radio show? Ha, my three-month old boy seems to like the tune: he's not crying anymore. Drmies (talk) 18:25, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * OK Zozo, you got work to do: Dina Haroun. Come on now: she's a honey, and she has no article? She appears to have a lot of male companionship and I hate them all. Drmies (talk) 18:27, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes, it was a radio and later popular TV show in the 1950s/60s... reruns are still shown. If your boy is anything like his father, then he'll love this one as well (it's like it's written for WP's AN/I), "Take a cigarette, and sit down so we can talk. It's not nice to be fighting in front of everyone. My son hit your son, so fucking what? you want us to quarrel like them 2 year olds?"
 * Funny you should find Dina Haroun of all people. The Harouns happen to be our neighbors when I was a kid (it's a very small country, I tell you). Anyway, I'll get to it right away! Yazan (talk) 05:00, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
 * You lived next to her? What did you do wrong? Drmies (talk) 16:53, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
 * They're just on the wrong side of history, I'm afraid. On the right side of pretty, though! That's granted! ;)

DYK for Roman Theatre at Palmyra
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 08:02, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Al-Muwaffaq
Hello Yazan! Could you please tell me what exactly "al-Muwaffaq" means? I found a web translation as "the Successful", but I'd prefer it from someone who knows better ;) Constantine  ✍  09:04, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Localities work
Marhaba Yazan, just want to ask you for a favor whenever you could make time. Could you fill in Template:Hama Governorate so we could start creating some of the articles for that area. I'm planning on starting Ziyarah, Syria, Latamneh and Qalaat al-Madiq soon. --Al Ameer son (talk) 22:46, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Sure, will try to do it later today. Yazan (talk) 02:46, 20 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Started here. Still needs much work, though. Yazan (talk) 04:34, 20 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks. By the way for future reference we could use this |map to identify places that are not marked on the google maps. I found it very helpful. --Al Ameer son (talk) 19:29, 20 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Should be done. Some town may need tweaking their names, but we'll do that as we go along! Many thanks for the map, there's plenty of places there that are not listed in other places! Yazan (talk) 16:34, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

generous request
Hello, I read your comment on the talk page for flag of Syria and I replied there, could you please help find the source so we can update that section on the main article? thanks Moester101 (talk) 22:17, 20 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I've replied and amended the paragraph to include that information, with more detail. I hope this is acceptable to you now! Cheers. Yazan (talk) 02:49, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

I read your comment on my talk, I'm happy that you offered, but I can only edit on topics which I feel good at. I'm not too good with small towns, or Syria's old history. Nevertheless I made a promise to myself long ago that I will strike any blatant bias that I see on WP if I am able to. So no worries, even if I'm not on WP all the time I still keep my eyes out for any inaccuracies. Salamat habeeb. Moester101 (talk) 07:31, 22 November 2012 (UTC)

Syria
You think my last comment at the Syria's talk page? It means that DIREKTOR wrote nothing wrong... what he wrote is what happened. Ponsot issued a decree in which Syrian flag was described, right? If I'm wrong, please tell me so I don't embarasse myself :) --<font face="Old English Text MT"><font size="3" color="Black">Wüstenfuchs 03:36, 21 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Ok... lack of knowledge about the Syrian flag... I'm out of the discussion. Good point there. This part of the article should remain as it is. --<font face="Old English Text MT"><font size="3" color="Black">Wüstenfuchs 03:39, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

Jesus Christ... I wrongly read your message at my talk page... It means Fennec fox, it's German... It's 4:42 AM here, so... you understand lol. --<font face="Old English Text MT"><font size="3" color="Black">Wüstenfuchs 03:42, 21 November 2012 (UTC)
 * haha. Cool, thanks for sharing. We've agreed on two things today. It's a good day for wiki ;) Cheers Yazan (talk) 03:55, 21 November 2012 (UTC)
 * But, honestly, I hate this whole new flag/old flag storm in a teacup. Regardless of my strong POV on the revolution, they are both flags I care about and feel strongly about but ultimately they're just bloody flags and both the systems they represented were popular t times but more often than not they were broken and oppressive. Now, if only the edit warriors from both sides could just let history be history, I'd be happy not to edit that again. ;)Yazan (talk) 04:08, 21 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I haven't knew it's from Arabic... Etimology can be so interesting. It could be translated as fox (فنك) fox then :D --<font face="Old English Text MT"><font size="3" color="Black">Wüstenfuchs 04:46, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

RE: baklava
I somehow missed you're post.... THanks for the baklava :) Since I'm rather new to the Syrian field of history and politics (began reading about it at the beginning of 2012), its nice that someone appreciates it. In either case, I'm still not finished with the article (it needs some further expansion), and sooner or later I will find the time to "fix" the Hafez al-Assad article (which is full of inaccuracies). Again, thanks. --TIAYN (talk) 13:22, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Camp of Diocletian
The DYK project (nominate) 00:02, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

John Harvard statue
I don't know anything about the DYK process so I'm not sure who to contact about this -- I see you're involved somehow. Please take a look at. Thanks. EEng (talk) 21:13, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Harbaqa Dam
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 08:03, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Thank you so much for your Barnstar, & Im so glad to know people like you. best wishes.. Muhends (talk) 14:29, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

How did you approve that?
Template:Did you know nominations/List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Alt 1. I think that I can guess what it is meant to say, but it is not English. Is this the degree of scrutiny that hooks receive before being given a prestigious place on the main page of one of the most read sites on the internet? If you do not even take the time to read hooks, please don't approve them. Kevin McE (talk) 09:53, 25 November 2012 (UTC)
 * You know what, some things are bound to fall through the cracks when there's only so many people reviewing there. I take full responsibility for that; the wording could've been better by a mile. Here's a thought though; go review a hook and help bring the standard up, instead of sitting on the side and waiting for whatever goes wrong to beat up on it. There are 24 hooks needed everyday, that's 24 articles to review (not counting multis), we could use any help we can get. Have a good day. Yazan (talk) 10:11, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

Talkback
Hello Mr Yazan, Have made the necessary changes Please have a look. Shrikanthv (talk) 07:35, 26 November 2012 (UTC) Shrikanthv (talk) 07:35, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

updated plz check Shrikanthv (talk) 10:40, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Bab al-Faraj (Damascus)
Hello! Your submission of Bab al-Faraj (Damascus) 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!  Mehra j Mir '(Talk) 15:45, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Great Colonnade at Palmyra
The DYK project (nominate) 16:02, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Bab al-Faraj (Damascus)
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:04, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

Your question
Hi there. I saw you reverted your own question about if I was breaching WP:POLEMIC - I'm perfectly willing to answer it, if you're still interested, or did you revert because you'd changed your mind about how the policy applies? You were very polite in your question, so if you were worried that your question seemed hostile or anything like that, I assure you that that wasn't the case. :) — <u style="color:#000000;">Francophonie&#38;Androphilie (<u style="color:#000000;">Je vous invite à me parler ) 18:04, 27 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your gracious reply F&A. It's just that my grandmother used to always repeat this old Arab proverb, "he who goes between the onion and its skin, will only get the smell." She was a very wise woman, and I make it a point to listen to her when I remember :)
 * Seriously though, I was only there to follow up on the Boudin thread, and I thought you'd see the message anyway. I had no interest in the matter beyond trying to inform you about the policy (in case you weren't aware of it). Might I suggest adding a note explaining the context/purpose of the page. It would certainly save you some messages from random pedantic strangers like myself. ;) Cheers! Yazan (talk) 18:40, 27 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Haha good point. It's a complicated situation, since I don't think WP:POLEMIC ever considered a case where a user is going on occasional campaigns of major vandalism; Jason's left Wikipedia several times before, and I'd like to be ready for him the next time he comes back.  I'd also hazard that I provide enough documentation of pure destructive editing that it negates any claim he could make as a true member of the community.  But, as you said, these are all points that I should be making in a nice little hatnote, which I indeed will.  Thanks :)  Just curious, though - you chose to comment on that potential policy violation, and not the block of non-English text you'd come to the page to look at? ;)  I was flipping through user warnings on Twinkle the other day, and when I got to uw-notenglish I thought "shit, oops." — <u style="color:#000000;">Francophonie&#38;Androphilie  (<u style="color:#000000;">Je vous invite à me parler ) 00:13, 28 November 2012 (UTC)

Malas & The Dream @ DYK
Hi Zozo2kx Yazan, I've just reviewed your nomination of Mohammad Malas and The Dream. Thank you for your work on these articles! The hook is fundamentally sound but there are a few issues to address before this runs on the main page. I think running this hook on 11/29/12 is a possibility but not a guarantee. Peace, groupuscule (talk) 21:39, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Mohammad Malas
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 07:43, 29 November 2012 (UTC) 08:02, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for The Dream (1987 film)
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 07:43, 29 November 2012 (UTC) 08:02, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Great Colonnade at Apamea
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 16:02, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

Sayf al-Dawla
Hello again! Continuing on our discussion, I'd like to know if you could help me with expanding the "Cultural activities"section of his article. I am not too familiar with Arab culture of the time, and this is the one portion of the article that I feel to be rather weak. And, of course, any other help you might want to give on the article would be more than welcome! Constantine  ✍  11:22, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Would love to; I'm just finishing up an article and will look into Sayf al-Dawla after. I'll be rather busy these next couple of days, but will do what I can! Cheers! Yazan (talk) 11:26, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * I've added a couple of sentences, will go back to this. However, I think you're missing a major aspect of his legacy. Sayf al-Dawla was the first (and probably last) major Shia emir of Aleppo. He left a lasting legacy in that regard (you can explore his patronship of early Alawite scholars). Yasser Tabba's Constructions of Power and Piety in Medieval Aleppo, may be helpful in this regard. Yazan (talk) 12:30, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Great, thanks a lot! Just don't forget to add the works cited to the sources section! On Shiism, I added a reference in the Assessment section. I will however look through the source you recommend. BTW, it also strikes me that we could write a section on his building activities as well. There are a few interspersed references in the text already, but if you have any more details on his buildings, especially in Aleppo, it would be great!Constantine  ✍  13:32, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Added the biblios and added some stuff to the Shiite legacy. I suggest merging the "Cultural" and "Assesment" sections in one large "Legacy" section. It can then be subsectioned into several sections, relating to his political/military legacy, cultural one (including his building activity; of note would be: his palace), and Shiite legacy (which probably could and should be expanded further). Yazan (talk) 14:17, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Hmmm, that is a good idea, however I fear that including his patronage of poets, Shi'ism, etc in the "Assessment" section might be seen as devaluing it. In other words, this part is equally important to his military-political activities, and deserves a special section in the article. I would suggest trimming the "Assessment" section down to the assessments themselves about Sayf as a ruler, removing the Shiism part to an enlarged "cultural activities"section (a rename might be in order there). I am still undecided on this, though. Give me a few days to think it over and tamper with it... Other than that, how do you regard the article? In particular, how does the level of detail seem to you as one who knows the period? I don't know if I should go into more detail on his life or not. I can easily add stuff on his wars with Byzantium, but not so much on the other aspects of his life. In particular, I'd like to explore more his relations with his chief subordinates (viziers, ghilman, etc) and the Arab tribes, but lack the sources to do so. I'd really like it to become a FA, Sayf al-Dawla has been wedged in my mind since I read about him in Norwich ;). Cheers, Constantine  ✍  14:41, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * You might have a point there. Perhaps a subsection, "Cultural legacy", and one "Political legacy". (I still think that legacy is the more standard term on WP for biographies, rather than assessment). The former would cover the court and shiism, in subsections (Patronage, Religious legacy).
 * The article reads very well. There's one part that could use some expansion, which is the sacking of Aleppo by the Byzantines. As far as I can tell, this seems to have been an important turning point, from which he never recovered. The Arab sources might have more detailed accounts of his personal relations; I'll try to look into them and will report back.
 * I think this is well on its way to FA. With slight expansions and reorganization, it should be there! This is fantastic work you're doing Constantine! Sayf al-Dawla's legacy for Syrians, is comparable to that of Harun al-Rashid in the larger Arab sense. His is the last major kingdom that was based in Syria (if you discount Saladin's double kingdom in Cairo and Damascus), and he's probably the last great "Arab" king. Yazan (talk) 15:32, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Happy new year, my friend, to you and your loved ones! I was re-reading our discussion above and wondered if there is a source we might use to add stuff on Sayf al-Dawla's perception by modern Arabs in general and Syrians in particular? Cheers, Constantine  ✍  19:28, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

DYK for Zardana
— Crisco 1492 (talk) 08:03, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Hurrian foundation pegs
Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:01, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Statue of Iddi-Ilum
Mifter (talk) 16:03, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

Please comment on Talk:Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive
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WP:ERA
Hello. Please don't change the established era style in articles as you did in Harbaqa Dam. Cf. WP:ERA. Gun Powder Ma (talk) 21:40, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

User page reversion
Hi Yazan,

I noticed that you reverted my user page to a version from two years ago. I have restored the more current version. What was your reasoning behind your edit of my user page?

Neelix (talk) 02:46, 16 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Hi Yazan,


 * I'm glad it was just a mistake; from the quality of your other edits, I didn't think that you were breaking out into vandalism. Thanks for clearing up the confusion.


 * Neelix (talk) 17:43, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Please comment on Talk:United States
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Walak shukran
For the QPQ. Appreciate it y'akhi ;) --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:11, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

DYK nomination of Maskanah
Hello! Your submission of Maskanah 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! Rosiestep (talk) 17:11, 30 December 2012 (UTC)