Wikipedia:Barnstar and award proposals/Archive3

The Senior Guardian Barnstar / The RickK Award
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was rename the Anti-Vandalism Barnstar as the RickK Anti-Vandalism Barnstar''.

I know that we already have both a Defender of the Wiki and an Anti-Vandalism barnstar, but I would like to suggest an additional, senior award for those tireless, long-serving Wikipedians who have defended us for a long time, have withstood countless vandal attacks upon their own users pages for doing their jobs, and who neverless continue to persevere.

Optionally, (and no doubt controversially), I would also like to suggest that it be named in RickK's honor.

As a senior award, I would like to further suggest that the Wikipedians who award it might want to consider the following criterion:


 * A potential candidate for the award should already have received The Defender of the Wiki Barnstar or the The Anti-Vandalism Barnstar.
 * A potential candidate for the award should be a regular and consistent RC patroller.
 * A potential candidate for the award should have a certain minimum number of edits (1000? 2000?) and/or have been here a certain minimum amount of time (6 months? A year?).

Other criteria might be considered as well: for instance, I have no idea how long CryptoDerk has been here, how many edits he has made or whether or not he is on rc patrol alot, but having created CDVF would certainly make him a Senior Guardian. :)

func (talk) 02:17, 10 July 2005 (UTC)
 * My suggestion is to award multiple of each Barnstar. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 02:40, 10 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I appreciate your intention, but as far as wiki-awards are concerned, several criteria for awarding it become rather difficult, if not impossible, to enforce. In fact, there is no actual way to police or enforce the awarding of Barnstars and other awards.  If someone were to receive the award without having received one of the previous awards, of with less than the minimum number of edits set, what could anyone do about it?  We can't just go to people's talk/user pages and remove awards that others have bestowed upon them.  Even the existing awards, which are guided only by their scopes, get awarded "off topic", so to speak, every now and then.  I see no practical way to make this work, but your idea certainly is admirable.  I would have no objection to naming it after RickK, he sure does a lot of work for the project.  Regards, Redux 15:16, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I like the idea of naming a barnstar after RickK. Since he used to deal with tonnes of vandalism, how about we re-name the Anti-Vandalism Barnstar, or something similar, as the RickK Barnstar? There are some, however, who didn't like RickK, and would probably object to getting a barnstar that is so named. --Deathphoenix 15:46, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Fine, lets rename it. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 16:39, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Sounds good to me. In time, if the award takes, the fact that it was named after a user who did a lot of work to fight vandalism will become a topic for one of those "Did you know" sections.  Not something that would work against the award, misathinks.  Redux 17:16, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * But we must talk to RickK beforehand though. Find out if he would like, or at least not mind, our doing that.  Without his say-so, we cannot proceed.  Redux 17:19, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Oops, sorry. I had forgotten that Rick left the project.  We can go ahead then. Redux 20:30, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Done. --Deathphoenix 22:02, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Tony Sidaway renamed it to The RickK Anti-Vandalism Barnstar which is even better (nd it brings out what he did even more). I have since modified the image description and &#123;{barnstars}} template to reflect the same. --Deathphoenix 16:07, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

Scientific Oceanographic article Cooperation Award The Starfish Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was proposal rejected''.

I think it would be a good idea to honor editors who helped a lot in creating scientific oceanographic articles, many of them have a degree.

Uwe Kils 20:48, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)


 * There's already an official barnstar that covers the sciences (and mathematics). It's a category star called The E=MC2 Barnstar, "awarded to an editor who makes particularly fine contributions regarding science or mathematics-related topics". However, you can still bestow others the Silver Herring Award as you like. Sango  123  20:58, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * I do not mind with this one. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 1 July 2005 20:32 (UTC)


 * It will be better if it is a "fish barnstar". Deryck C. 03:02, 14 July 2005 (UTC)


 * 'Fish barnstar'? But oceanography involves far more than just fish. Sango  123  03:06, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * but all oceanography evolves arround fish, because fisheries are the only major revenue source, and fish ist often used in teaching binding it all together. The used Atlantic herring is the most abundant fish of the planet. To make another award for benthic articles (which urgently needs development) with a starfish is a great idea. If you do not find a good images from the top I will look in my collection. For the whole field of oceanography the fish is the most covering symbol Uwe Kils  (Professor for Oceanography)14:46, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * At least not a fish swimming around. Ah, good idea - the starfish barnstar!!! Deryck C. 03:19, 14 July 2005 (UTC)


 * It doesn't quite look like a Barnstar yet, so as of now, I'm against having 'Barnstar' in its name. However, since you proposed the 'Starfish Barnstar' (great idea!), I'm thinking of creating a new image of a starfish with the contours of the original Barnstar, which works quite well since the two are very similarly shaped. What do you think? Sango  123  03:29, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * Yup, we can actually work together about the starfish. Deryck C. 03:32, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

How's this image? Sango 123  14:57, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * Hallo Sango123 - your design is great, it would make a fine award for benthic articles. We are planning to make some for planktology, physical oceanography (maybe a wave), chemical oceanography and marine geology - all these fields are very underrepresented in Wikipedia (our article on Antarctic krill will be on the main page in Danmark next Saturday, and we want to make a whole lecture using content we all make in Wikipedia (draft here: http://kils.pageout.net - all help is appreciated - best regards  Uwe Kils  15:46, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * Great - even better if the award is not restricted to "things on the seafloor" but anything inside the ocean. Deryck C. 15:52, 14 July 2005 (UTC)


 * How about 'fine contributions' instead of 'fine cooperation'? Sango  123  16:01, July 14, 2005 (UTC)
 * whatever you think - its your creation Uwe Kils  16:16, July 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * "Awarded to anybody who helped improving ocean-related Wikipedia articles." Deryck C. 03:32, 15 July 2005 (UTC)


 * There is The Barnstar of Life, too. EnSamulili 13:40, 20 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Oceanography covers also Physical O. Chemical O. Uwe Kils  [[Image:heringmini.jpg]] 14:26, July 20, 2005 (UTC)


 * Most things in the ocean doesn't relate to our life. Therefore the Barnstar of Life is not quite appropriate for oceanographic awards. Deryck C. 03:52, 21 July 2005 (UTC)


 * So any concensus concerning this issue? If no disagreements I'll take it as a concensus of approval. Deryck C. 04:10, 25 July 2005 (UTC)


 * I oppose this one; I've thought about it, and there's already the The E=MC2 Barnstar for science and mathematics. This is a Category Barnstar, one of those that were created solely for the purpose of preventing excessive proliferation of Barnstars. A Barnstar (even multiple Barnstars, as suggested) for oceanography seems unfair, as there is no specific Barnstar for biology or any other individual science fields. Anyone is welcome to give out awards to acknowledge excellent contributions, but they don't necessarily have to be official Barnstars, which are generally very broad in scope. Those are just my thoughts. Sango  123  01:46, July 26, 2005 (UTC)


 * Another discussion about the Starfish Barnstar has been carried out below. De ryc  k C.  03:36, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

The Natural Science Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was reject proposal''.

After my 3-week experience in barnstar-awarding, I find that there is quite a need to divide the awarding area for the E=MC2 barnstar into 2: natural (hard) science and theoretical/microscopic (soft) science. Therefore, I propose the use of another new barnstar for natural science. If my proposal is supported, the designs for the new Barnstar will be posted up shortly. Deryck C. 11:53, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
 * It seems that only three people have been awarded the E=MC2 Barnstar thus far. You mean that maybe the award, or rather, the two new awards you propose to create, would be more popular?  I don't know, my experience is that, the more we narrow down the scope of a Barnstar, the less it actually gets awarded.  But if you have ideas for those two new awards, you could display them here, so a broader appreciation may be obtained.  For the uninitiated, the distinction you made between the two may not be that easy to visualize, so perhaps you could lie them down in a more explicit way.  Also, if you have graphic design expertise, you can also propose the appearances you would like the awards to have.  If you don't, I'm sure some of the people who contribute here would help you out in that (I lack the skills and the software, sorry), but you might have to contact them directly, since we all contribute in so many fronts and it gets difficult to be on top of every discussion going on in this forum.  Regards, Redux 15:05, 24 July 2005 (UTC)
 * In fact, as the "starfish barnstar" is gonna be turned down, I think the current E=MC2 barnstar will serve as the theoretical science (chemistry, physics etc.) and the starfish barnstar for natural sciences (geography, geology, biology etc.)  De ryc  k C.  03:35, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

Proposal for the new science barnstars
De ryc k C.  03:41, 27 July 2005 (UTC)


 * If you proceed with this plan, please use the term "sea star," which is considered more scientifically correct by most marine biologists. Better yet, I suggest that you simply remove the creature's name from the award.  (Use the designations "Theoretical Science Barnstar" and "Natural Science Barnstar.")  &mdash;Lifeisunfair 04:39, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The E=MC2 Barnstar will have its original name kept (it's currently on WP:BS), while the Starfish Barnstar will be renamed "Natural Science Barnstar". De ryc  k C.  16:57, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Your proposal seems sound. But consider what I said: narrowing down the scope of an award may end up weakining it (in this case, it would mean that both Barnstars would be less likely to be awarded, I believe).  As for changing the name of the E=MC2 award, it was agreed upon in a vote.  It actually took us forever to finally agree on an image and a name for the award.  In light of that, changing it would require consensus, maybe another vote.  Also another detail: generally, the term "Barnstar" is used when the award features a Barnstar in it, even if it's somewhat modified; the "Natural Science Barnstar" doesn't actually feature a Barnstar, although it's pretty close in terms of general appearance.  You might consider some alternative appearances, in case this one gets objected, and/or alternative names, as another way of getting around this if necessary.  Regards, Redux 06:14, 29 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Look closely into the Natural Science Barnstar. It's a barnstar. It features the image of a starfish skillfully fused into the image of the original barnstar by Sango123. De ryc  k C.  11:40, 31 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I wanna see more inputs into this proposal. If no replies are seen, I'll put the current design onto the main Barnstar page. De ryc  k C.  15:06, 2 August 2005 (UTC)
 * It is customary on these pages to institute a "Vote or Die" session before adding barnstars to the main WP:STAR page. I also believe there has not been enough discussion on this matter involving multiple editors, thus the consensus on the Natural Science star is a little iffy. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 17:50, August 2, 2005 (UTC)

Nice to have you back Bratsche. About the Barnstar image: you're right Deryck, it is a Barnstar. My bad. As for the creation of the new award and the new scope for the E=MC one, Bratsche is right. We need more input from various users before going ahead with it. I, for one, am not entirely convinced that breaking the present award in two would be the best move, for the reason I've stated above. At this point, we don't even have enough discussion going on to start a vote. It would be best not to promote any changes in the Barnstar page for now. Sometimes it takes us a little while to get some things done here, but this is the only way to ensure that the awards will not get disputed once they get instated. Regards, Redux 18:08, 2 August 2005 (UTC)
 * If there is a big demand for the Natural Science barnstar, then we can create it. However, at my last count, 6 people got the e=mc2 barnstar. Plus, if this was for natural science articles, then say so when presenting this award. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 21:56, 2 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Say so when presenting this award? How? De ryc  k C.  01:38, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * When putting the image on the person's talk page, you can say "Because of your work on X article(s), I present you with Y award." Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:47, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Zscout370 brought up a detail that I feel is key here: Deryck, do you believe that there's going to be a considerable, or a reasonable at least, demand for a Natural Science-specific award?  It's true that the present E=MC award's appearance evokes primarily theoretical science, but the idea was to create an award for work on scientific topics in general.  There doesn't seem to be much of a demand for the existing award as it is.  Do you believe that there's going to be one for both the awards?  Regards, Redux 17:54, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * What do you think? De ryc  k C.  07:07, 6 August 2005 (UTC)
 * In my humble opinion, we'd be safer with just one award for science-related efforts. Perhaps we could discuss a new image for it though, one that would be more "neutral" in terms of theoretical science and natural science.  Unless you (or anyone) would make the point that the two topics, although being generally about science, are distant from each other, and that awarding them both with the same Barnstar would be unseemly.  If that were to be the case, then it wouldn't be about demand anyways, and the two should definitely be split.  This is not my field of expertise, so I could be generalizing &mdash; to be honest, when we were discussing the original award, it never even cross my mind the distinction between theoretical science and natural science, which is entirely valid (I'm just not certain if it would be one to warrant two separate science Barnstars).  Regards, Redux 05:08, 7 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Then I think I should retract the proposal for a while (until the number of recipients of the current barnstar go large.) De ryc  k C.  09:40, 7 August 2005 (UTC)

The Space Exploration Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was reject proposal''.

How about a barnstar awarding a user for contributing a lot to Space Exploration related articles?--Exir KamalabadiCriticism is welcomed! 13:43, August 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * Or space articles in general. I like the idea. -- Riffsyphon1024 15:44, August 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * Doesn't space articles fall under the science category banrstar? Zscout370 (Sound Off) 23:02, 6 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, I believe it does. With that said, I recommend against creating a "spacey" barnstar. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 03:09, August 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * Just like with the above barnstar for oceanography articles, let's just use the science barnstar. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:13, 8 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree with Bratsche and Zscout370, the proposed scope is already covered by the science Barnstar. Redux 04:03, 8 August 2005 (UTC)
 * There's not even a need to have a separate Natural science barnstar, ditto Space Exploration. De ryc  k C.  08:53, 8 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well even if not a barnstar, what about just an award? -- Riffsyphon1024 14:25, August 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * Nay, to prevent people getting an extra award when they contribute to Space articles compared to other scientific stuff. De ryc  k C.  03:16, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Nah, if we're getting down to the level of topical or category awards, I think we're approaching the level of "personal awards". General, topical, and category barnstars are fine. I think we only need general awards, not topical or category awards. --Deathphoenix 04:54, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Wait if there's any concensus. De ryc  k C.  05:32, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * From what I see right now, the consensus is to not create this award officially. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 05:33, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Then shall we reject the proposal, well, now? De ryc  k C.  05:38, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

Bot Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was not to create the Barnstar Robot - inconclusive about the Binary Barnstar''.

Two suggestions
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was '''no follow up on proposal. Abandoned'.

Hi all - back after a gap (forgot to update my watch list when this page was spun off, so forgot what was going on here)... I have three thoughts for you, two possible barnstars and (IMHO) a great name for one of them. I've been working quite a bit around the tfd, cfd, and vfd pages (and hopefully will be around sfd if that ever takes off), and that's prompted a couple of thoughts. What I suggest are:
 * 1) A barnstar for people who repeatedly and effectively save articles from vfd by rewriting hopeless articles that are nominated up to a standard where no-one would think of deleting them; and
 * 2) A barnstar for tireless work cleaning out the messes which end up at tfd and cfd (there are a lot of chore activities involved in both). This one, I would suggest calling "Barnstar of the Knights Template" :)

Any takers? Grutness...  wha?  13:43, 17 May 2005 (UTC)
 * I like that take on Knight's Templar. -- Riffsyphon1024 17:19, May 17, 2005 (UTC)

Interlingual-Interwiki barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was discussion abandoned without conclusion''.

Humanitarian Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was proposal rejected''.

I propose a barnstar for those who make outstanding contributions to Humanitarian and Human rights articles, as well as other areas that promote peace and social development. Solar 14:38, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Damn, I was hoping to use the Vetruvian man in some other way for one of the other categories. That's what I get for taking too long. :-P In any case, let me give you some feedback based on my own thoughts about using the Vetruvian man for a barnstar: The way he spreads his arms is like a star by itself. Perhaps you don't need to force the man into the star, but instead, highlight the sketch itself to point out the star shape. --Deathphoenix 15:41, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Sounds like a possibility I'll work on some other versions and post them when I get chance, if anyone else has any variations that would be a great help. Solar 15:56, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Oppose. This is far too specific.  Why do people contributing to that narrow range of articles get a special barnstar?  They should get a general one.  There is nothing special about contributing to those articles.  &mdash; Chameleon 23:24, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * There is a society category barnstar being debated and I believe those articles can fall into that category. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 01:40, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Dammit you beat me to Vitruvian Man. Only reason I didn't get something out is because of my crappy software. -- Riffsyphon1024 02:53, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)
 * My thoughts exactly, except replace "crappy software" with "abject laziness". --Deathphoenix 14:33, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Aye, but I actually tried making this and everytime the arms wouldnt line up or the quality of the image got reduced when I downsized it. Let's not argue and appreciate what someone actually pulled off. -- Riffsyphon1024 16:09, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm glad people like the idea of using the Vetruvian man, but can I take any of these comments as a support vote? - Solar 18:40, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, I support it. -- Riffsyphon1024 July 7, 2005 19:07 (UTC)

Award Removal Proposal
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was proposal rejected''.

I propose that we remove two awards from the official award page. The Surreal Barnstar has only been awarded to three eight people since its introduction on August 14, 2005 2004, and doesn't seem to have a specific criterium or purpose for one to award it. The Cool as a Cucumber Award has only been awarded to two people since September 15, 2005 2004. While these awards could still be used as personal user awards, along the same lines as the Star Trek Barnstar, General Haig Medal, etc, I think to avoid "barnstar creep," these should be removed. Your thoughts, please. Bratsche talk 5 pillars 20:27, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC)
 * Weren't they introduced in 2004? Based on its description, I think The Cool as a Cucumber Award could be awarded to more than just two people and should be kept, but I'm in favor of removing The Surreal Barnstar. Sango  123  20:57, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC)
 * Whoops, my mistake. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 13:54, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * We could do that, but we could have a page of user/old awards. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 22:58, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I know I'm a little late in this discussion, but I'd like, if I might, to take the opportunity to make a suggestion: I rather like the Cool as a Cocumber award, but the fact that there are gender variations is perhaps not ideal, since we aren't always sure of the gender of a user. A screen name isn't always &mdash; in fact, it's hardly ever &mdash; revealing in that aspect. Having one general award would make awarding it much more simple. Regards, Redux 15:44, 24 July 2005 (UTC)


 * The surreal barnstar is currently being awarded to 8 persons, not 3 as stated above. De ryc  k C.  03:31, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * It was three at the time of the original posting, but yes, eight editors now posess the award. What should we do with this? Now that more people have the award, it doesn't seem appropriate to de-list it, but maybe the description should be clarified or changed a bit. "Special flavor" doesn't seem deserving of a whole barnstar. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 03:05, August 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * I think we should wait on this issue until we are sure what is going on with this award, or any award for that manner. Plus, even if we "de-list" an award, as long as an image remains on the server, it can be given out, so the whole process can become moot. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:47, 7 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Not only that, but the Surreal Barnstar's been around for a while. I don't think there's any harm in keeping it. --Deathphoenix 04:30, 7 August 2005 (UTC)

Silver Herring Award
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was user's concerns were addressed''.

Why did you let the Silver Herring Award die? There was no clear vote against it. It was a nice creation for oceanography only. Why not have both? Uwe Kils 16:31, August 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * I was not involved in the discussions concerning this award. But usually the community "lets an idea die" when discussions lead nowhere, or express agreement is reached, indicating that the idea will not work.  In this case, it seems to me that a wikiaward just for Oceanography is far too specific for it to be a wikiaward.  We prefer the awards have a broader scope, so as to make them awardable to a larger number of people, for work in a larger spectrum of articles.  Notice that this is not to say that an award as you suggest could not be created, just maybe not a wikiaward, or a Barnstar, that would be added to the Barnstars on Wikipedia page.  It is, however, completely doable to create an "internal award" for the community of contributors for Oceonagraphy-related articles.  Regards, Redux 17:54, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * No replies were made to Sango123's idea against the Silver Herring Award after 1 week of its posting. Therefore it's reasonable to assume there's no disagreements against Sango123's words. De ryc  k C.  05:25, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, with BAP being a small group, I think we should let discussions linger for a bit longer. Plus, the award was moved to Personal_user_awards. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 05:43, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * One problem this wiki has is that so much creativity is killed by noname people who have not the sligtest idea of what they talk about - create something new, don't erase something of others! Maybe that is one of the reasons so few used the mc award, and no scientists - Professor Dr. habil. Uwe Kils  [[Image:heringmini.jpg]] 22:58, August 6, 2005 (UTC)

First, notice that about 80% of the existing awards, which are numerous, are scarcely awarded, if ever. There are just a handful of awards that become more popular. Unchecked proliferation of Barnstars (and other awards) only aggravates this scenario. Not long ago, people used to create and instate awards as they pleased. That allowed for awards that were given out two or three times and then completely forgotten, not to mention awards with unclear, or even unsuited, themes. We started this discussion section, and subjected the creation of new awards to a previous discussion and approval by the community, as a means to deal with those problems. Please notice that no one here is looking to undermine, or "kill", anyone's ideas, but we do have a process by which people contribute to improve the general quality of wiki awards. We have discussions, we take votes, it doesn't get more democratic than this. Finally, it is key to notice that all this I've just said applies only to wiki awards. As I had mentioned, internal (in this case, Oceanography-specific) awards are left to each user's or segments of the community's discretion. We only work on wiki awards, for the Barnstars on Wikipedia (which also includes other community awards) project page, here. It is possible, however, that in this particular case we pulled the plug on this award too soon. I don't know, I wasn't there. The process certainly isn't perfect, but we are here to strive towards that, or as close as possible, anyways. Regards, Redux 04:53, 7 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well said, Redux. To clarify, there is no animosity against the actual award (it's listed at WP:PUA), but since we already have a science category barnstar, and to prevent "barnstar creep", the award is not needed as an "official: award. For the same reasons, some are against the Natural Science Barnstar, not because it's a bad award, but because there needs to be a set number of barnstars instead of a whole mess of awards. It would be a shame now if we all went back to awarding the Hero of the Soviet medal instead of the more Wikipedia-like barnstar. On the same note, I found this page from the Meatball Wiki useful to shed some light on why we actually use the barnstar in the first place; it has great significance in community building. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 03:08, August 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * I suggest to move this award to the Personal User Awards. De ryc  k C.  08:55, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
 * this award has been awarded already four times for people, some scientist, who produced featured articles for frontpages in three countries. Just stick to narrow minded arguments (is any of you a scientist? you don't even work with a name with us), you are not doing a favor for Wikipedia (what "vote" do you refer to?) at personal award I do not want it, will never award it, maybe invite the editors to our campus instead Uwe Kils  [[Image:heringmini.jpg]] 10:44, August 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree with Redux and Bratsche. Absolutely no offense meant, but whether or not we are scientists is not relevant in this issue. The issue is if this should be accepted as a general Wikipedia award, not something only an exclusive group of people would understand and use. I don't see why the E=MC2 Barnstar would not be sufficient, as it includes all the sciences. (For examples of "voting", please see this example.) Sango  123  16:17, August 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * To Kils: what campus? De ryc  k C.  10:07, 10 August 2005 (UTC)
 * To Deryck! Thank you for your long interest - Copenhagen, New York, St. Croix or Kiel, or on one of our research vessels. But we will award only science contributors who have a face and a name, that is just normal in "SCIENCE" - we have other means to give oceanograph awards, just study the media in Germany and New York - speed up with your fine work - Professor Dr. Dr.  Uwe Kils  [[Image:heringmini.jpg]] 15:17, August 10, 2005 (UTC)
 * Wish you every success. De ryc  k C.  05:27, 11 August 2005 (UTC)

Undiscussed awards?
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was move the Abusive Admin Barnstar to PUA''.

I've noticed two newly added awards (The Abusive Admin Barnstar and The Oldest Cricket Bat) to Wikipedia:Barnstars on Wikipedia. Have they been discussed and voted through, and if not, could we move them to WP:PUA or open them to discussion on this page? Sango 123  14:23, August 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * Move. De ryc  k C.  15:40, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Move to personal awards. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 17:35, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Maybe the cricket Wikiproject discussed the award, so what we could do is move it to personal awards and link to the dicussion of the award. While the other one...it came from a joke on Wikipedia's IRC channel. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 17:37, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Move. Obviously.  As a matter of fact, the "Abusive Admin Barnstar" had been added to the template only.  I removed it, due to lack of previous discussion and the fact that it wasn't even listed on Barnstars on Wikipedia.  In the case of this particular award, a name like this would never have made it through a discussion.  It is controversial at best, and it has the potential to cause trouble.  That's the exact sort of unilateral creation that this entire forum was created to put an end to.  It may be that in my edit summary, I slipped on the BEANS when I said something about listing it on the Barnstars page.  Should have stuck to the "discuss first" part. :P  Regards, Redux 21:19, 20 August 2005 (UTC)

Thanks - I've moved both to WP:PUA and added The Oldest Cricket Bat to Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Cricket. It turns out they even have their own Barnstar! Sango 123  22:00, August 20, 2005 (UTC)

Stargate Barnstar
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was add Stargate Barnstar to PUA''.

I propose this award for good work in adding Stargate article summaries, etc. --Zxcvbnm 23:27, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your suggestion. The scope you propose, however, seems far too specific for a wiki award, which needs to be awardable to a broader variety of contributions/contributors.  It may be worth adding it to the Personal User Awards page, which is a list of awards created by users or groups of users for more specific, or directed, purposes.  Regards, Redux 02:06, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * What is stargate? De ryc  k C.  12:28, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Originally, a movie from the 1990s. Later, it spawned an expanded universe, with sequels and tv shows based loosely on the movie's premise (a "gate" built by aliens that can open portals that allow instant interstellar travel &mdash; wormholes).  It's a sci-fi thing.  Regards, Redux 12:41, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * My concern is, so, what will we do to this proposal? De ryc  k C.  16:14, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * The proposal seems to be unsuitable for a wiki award. Zxcvbnm can choose between letting it die altogether or moving it to the Personal User Awards page, as I suggested.  This discussion will later be archived.  Regards, Redux 04:10, 26 August 2005 (UTC)
 * It seems to be similiar to the Star Trek Award on WP:PUA. Karmafist 18:59, 26 August 2005 (UTC)
 * We can have a startrek award ver.2 ^_^ De ryc  k C.  14:16, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

The Barnstar Eaten By A Bear
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was add The Barnstar Eaten By A Bear to PUA''.

I got the idea from The Talk Page of Daislite, apparently his welcome message was "Eaten by a Bear", to which I laughed about for several days.

I propose this award for any Wikipedian who says something very humorous and or random, thus cheering up fellow Wikipedians who read it. It's my first Barnstar proposal, let me know what you think. Karmafist 06:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * The idea is good, but I believe that this scope is already covered by the Barnstar of Good Humor. Regards, Redux 12:19, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * This also would be a good WP:PUA candidate. I think I'll move it. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 16:21, August 23, 2005 (UTC)
 * Sounds good. You think I should make a template? Karmafist 22:08, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

If you don't mind, I'd like to resubmit this with another slant. Call it selfish, but i'd really like to make this into something more than a user award. It's not a big deal though. Karmafist 22:52, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I must insist that the scope is already covered by The Barnstar of Good Humor. This award would be redundant, that is why it has been rejected.  I don't see how there could be a different outcome, since you have not altered your original proposal.  Regards, Redux 04:14, 26 August 2005 (UTC)
 * No, that's just it, the award wouldn't be about humor anymore, but I suppose I squandered my chance. It's not a big deal. Karmafist 18:57, 26 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Will putting it on PUA work? De ryc  k C.  13:39, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

From the 7 July 2005 London bombings
''The following is the archive of an ended discussion. Please don't edit the contents. The result of the discussion was create the Current Events Barnstar''.

From the 7 July 2005 London bombings "Well done Our coverage is running well ahead of the BBC website. Another triumph for the webosphere. Adam 7 July 2005 10:46 (UTC)

We're also producing erroneous reports- only 6 explosions have been confirmed according to BBC News, but the site has stated 10. Confirm your sources, guys. --Psyk0 7 July 2005 10:48 (UTC) please someone fix the duplicate sections -- user:miguel

They have been fixed. Y'know what would make a nice gesture? A new form of barnstar or other form of WikiThanks, either for help on this particular incident or on this and other similar ones in the future (*shudder*). -- Kizor 7 July 2005 11:14 (UTC)"

Want to take up the challenge to create a Wikinews award? Zscout370 (Sound Off) 7 July 2005 17:56 (UTC) Like this? (See right.) Sango  123  July 7, 2005 21:29 (UTC)
 * I support the measure to create a Wikinews award or barnstar. -- Riffsyphon1024 July 7, 2005 19:05 (UTC)
 * My idea: we can super-impose the Wikinews globe (which is used in their logo) over a Barnstar. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 7 July 2005 20:17 (UTC)
 * Yes! Thanks. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 8 July 2005 23:10 (UTC)
 * This looks good to me, and I rather obviously support the measure. We need a clear idea of the purposes and criteria of the award, though. Calling it the Wikinews barnstar sounds pretty weird since Wikinews is a separate project, but that might be just me. Perhaps a... "Current Events Barnstar"? The logo would still do fine. As for criteria, they could be awarded for substantial work on any article that's classified as a current event, or on such an article that's crowded (London bombings), controversial (Terri Schiavo) or otherwise difficult, or as a "Cataclysm Barnstar" for helping information get through when it's most important. Or I might be wrong entirely.-- Kizor 7 July 2005 22:21 (UTC)


 * I like where your idea is going. The Current Events Barnstar sounds like a promising name, though we'll have a Vote or Die session to determine it. The criteria is nicely outlined; so this Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make particularly fine contributions to articles that are crowded, controversial, or categorized under current events, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed. How does that sound? (By the way, what exactly does " an article that's crowded" mean?) Sango  123  July 7, 2005 23:14 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much. By "crowded", I meant swamped. The frenzy of edits made to the London bombing article made it very difficult for editors to get through and created a rather absurd scene as work was repeatedly inserted and overwritten, and the article got duplicated once every few minutes. How does it sound? Since you asked, nice but somewhat cluttered. I'd suggest: This Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make substantial contributions to current events, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed. "Particularily fine" doesn't really work here, since - for instance - Evercat's many-hour vigil against duplication was a very substantial help but had little to do with finesse. -- Kizor 8 July 2005 12:35 (UTC)


 * The first definition of 'fine' at Dictionary.com was 'Of superior quality, skill, or appearance'. And the category barnstars use the word 'fine' to define contributions; e.g., The Epic Barnstar may be awarded to an editor who makes particularly fine History-related contributions. But I suppose one word isn't that important. :)


 * So on the final proposal, it should read: The Current Events Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make substantial contributions to current events, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed. Agreed? Sango  123  July 8, 2005 15:05 (UTC)
 * Agreed. --Kizor 8 July 2005 19:05 (UTC)

I wholeheartedly endorse this proposal, and I've created an image candidate. It's a slightly different implementation of Zscout370's idea (derived from the Original Barnstar and the Wikinews logo). It's very similar to Sango123's version, but with even centering and greater color contrast between the two elements. I incorporated the same (or nearly the same) 90&#176; drop shadow.

I haven't uploaded the image to this site yet, because the Wikinews logo is copyrighted. I usually release image files into the public domain (as Sango123 did in this case), but that doesn't appear to be legally appropriate. (I'm no expert, however.) &mdash;Lifeisunfair 8 July 2005 17:09 (UTC)


 * Thanks, your design looks really nice! (I did the one above in a hurry.) I'm no expert either, but the Wikipedia globe is copyrighted, and Image:Interbarn.png, Image:Interbarn2.png, Image:Interbarn3.png, and Image:Interbarn4.png were also released under the GFDL license, although that could be inappropriate. Sango  123  July 8, 2005 17:34 (UTC)
 * Is it just my computer or do those links leading to blank image pages? I don't see anything. -- Riffsyphon1024 July 8, 2005 20:46 (UTC)
 * Whoops... fixed the links. :) Sango  123  July 8, 2005 21:25 (UTC)

This one shouldn't be a problem, though we could expand on it. Sango 123  July 9, 2005 14:05 (UTC)

So... what happens now? --Kizor 10:33, 11 July 2005 (UTC)


 * I like Sango123's new image, but it conveys more of a "world" connotation than a "current events" connotation. I don't know if Zscout370's idea is legally feasible, but I think that we should pursue it further.  Does anyone know whom we could ask about receiving permission to use the Wikinews logo?  It's a sister project, so I wouldn't think that it would be a major problem.  &mdash;Lifeisunfair 11:03, 11 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I've asked Eloquence. He says the following. --Kizor 03:44, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

"I can't grant you permission since I'm not the copyright holder. If you want to be on the safe side, e-mail board AT wikimedia DOT org. But I think it should be fine as long as you use commons:Template:Copyright by Wikimedia on the image description page, and use it only within Wikimedia projects.--Eloquence* 03:12, July 12, 2005 (UTC)"
 * I hope this goes well, but I think there should not be a problem. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 05:36, 12 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Looks like there is no problems, we should vote on this one. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 21:53, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

Is there going to be a vote, or has this proposal been dropped? If that's the case, we can archive it. Regards, Redux 20:13, 21 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, I sure hope it's not dropped. This is one barnstar that I want to see passed. Re the copyright issue, you know what they say: silence implies consent. I think it's safe to go ahead with a Vote or Die!, though if someone else objects, I won't implement it. Bratsche talk  5 pillars 16:00, August 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * No problem I see, but it seems that if the vote is started now, you and I might be the only ones voting (Sango and Zscout would likely participate too though). I see that most of the people who participated in the discussions about this award are not "regulars" on this forum, and given the extraordinary period of time elapsed, it would appear that the interest (and people's attention) will have gone a little cold by now.  But it's not just here, it seems that the entire forum is going through another "dry spell".  Maybe another call to action is in order?  Regards, Redux 05:01, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Personally I've been trying to look for a tutorial or a guide or any sort of indication of what I or someone else should do next to get this passed. Can I ask those who know to take those steps? Thanks. -- Kizor 09:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

I've gone through the discussion, and there may not be a need for a vote, since there appears to have been agreement on the outline of the award, it would seem to be the following:



The Current Events Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make substantial contributions to current events, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed.

This barnstar was introduced by Kizor on July 7 2005 and designed by Zscout370 and Sango123.

And we'd have to remember to use the template in the award's page. Does everybody agrees with this format above? Regards, Redux 12:37, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I propose the following minor changes:



The Current Events Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make substantial contributions to current events articles, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed.

This barnstar was introduced by Kizor on July 7 2005 and designed by Zscout370 and Lifeisunfair.


 * &mdash;Lifeisunfair 13:24, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Sango123: Shouldn't Zach be credited in some manner? You and I each assembled graphics, but these are straightforward, copy-and-paste implementations of his idea.  I certainly don't feel comfortable taking sole credit for my image candidate.  &mdash;Lifeisunfair 14:33, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * You're absolutely right. I'll add that to the other proposal as well. Sango  123  14:43, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

From the original discussion, it seems that Sango deserves the credit as well. It appears that she was the first person to come up with the actual design for the Barnstar with the Wikinews logo superposed. Quite simple: let's just have the final sentence read: (...)designed by Sango123, Zscout370 and Lifeisunfair. Splitting the credit three ways seems to be the right thing to do here. Sorry for overlooking this in my original suggestion for the template format. Regards, Redux 22:42, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * A three-way credit is fine by me, provided that Zscout370 is listed first (because the image was his idea). &mdash;Lifeisunfair 23:01, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Ok, but that won't matter much once this discussion is over and archived and the award is added to the project page. No one will check this discussion, and they won't pay much attention to or derive any conclusions from the order in which the names are listed in the template at the project page.  If you would like to make absolute sure that due credit is given to each contributor, it would be far more effective to introduce a History section with the details of creation in the award's image page (once the award is officially introduced).  Regards, Redux 23:17, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Well, it appears that the final draft for this award would be:



The Current Events Barnstar may be awarded to editors who make substantial contributions to current events articles, helping accurate information get through when it is most needed.

This barnstar was introduced by Kizor on July 7 2005 and designed by Zscout370, Lifeisunfair and Sango123.

Can everybody agree to this? This discussion has been dragging for almost two months now. I'd like to see if we could wrap this over this upcoming weekend. Regards, Redux 04:21, 26 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Looks great! Zscout370 (Sound Off) 22:41, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Agree. De ryc  k C.  13:36, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
 * The award has been instated. This discussion will be archived shortly.  Regards, Redux 22:45, 31 August 2005 (UTC)