Wikipedia talk:Did you know/Halloween 2008

Halloween .. we're breaking the rules!!

 * Copied from here. -- Suntag  ☼  16:29, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

- There is an article about a pumpkin race that should have gone to the main page today. I (with Lar's support have delayed this in the hope that it gets out on 31st Oct. It could do with expanding and some mates. Its marked with a vampire. Victuallers (talk) 17:11, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I think we should start creating hooks for Halloween. The problem is that spooky topics tend to get a lot of attention from casual editors, it is hard to find stubs that can be expanded. Good suggestions, anyone? --BorgQueen (talk) 19:00, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Seems to me that certain regular DYKers have themes. So if your theme is (say) "Delaware" then try searching your usual places for Delaware and Vampire or Pumpkin or Witch or Salem or Dracula or Karloff. Hopefully that may reveal some new approach that as BQ says hasn't already been done. Other ideas are finding existing lists and putting 1500 characters in front. Hope that helps etc Oh and we should have a prize. BQ I hereby elect you Queen judge if you're willing. You decide the "best" one. You can decide your own arbitrary rules. OK? ... Victuallers (talk) 19:09, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Soul cake, perhaps? If you want to stick to pumpkins, maybe there's enough around for David Bowman, the most industrious pumpkin farmer in Europe (grows two million pumpkins a year), or the Spalding festival which grew up around his industry. Others might include the Vampire moth, or the vampire snail. I fear that the Vampire watermelon and the Vampire finch are too well developed for DYK, though. :) GeeJo (t)⁄(c) &bull; 19:13, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Is the Queen judge required to drink blood or something? :-D What is the prize, by the way? A customized barnstar? --BorgQueen (talk) 19:16, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Some stubs people may want to expand: User:How do you turn this on/Desk. I'm working on Bobbing for apples - don't know if I'll have enough info, but it's worth a try. Best wishes, -- How do you turn this on (talk) 19:17, 19 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm thinking about doing Ghosts of the American Civil War.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 20:13, 19 October 2008 (UTC)

I'll get Cerberus to 4810 characters. ~ User:Ameliorate!  (with the !) (talk) 02:38, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I can help c/e something if you guys want, but I can't add content...stuck in the maritime history world right now. :) &mdash; Ed 17   for President  Vote for Ed  02:52, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * If we create the Halloween article before October 26th, will DYK wave the 5 day rule? -- Suntag  ☼  06:54, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * If we can bend the rules for the April fools day, I don't see why we can't do the same for Halloween. Besides, we have the conveniences of WP:IAR. :-D --BorgQueen (talk) 07:01, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * We can ignore the 5 day restriction, but it should be new expansions or articles starting from now to keep with the spirit of DYK. ;) - Mailer Diablo 16:11, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, that's exactly what I was saying. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:13, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Some suggestions - expand an article in Category:Halloween, expand an article from What Links Here Halloween, write an article about a notable book having Halloween in the title, write a spin off article Halloween in the West of Scotland during the 19th Century from this 1879 book beginning at page 175. Actually, the text is so old that it is free use. Perhaps it only needs to be Wikified to have an instant article. -- Suntag  ☼  07:07, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Sorry, copy-and-paste job is still off limits, no matter the text is free or not. --BorgQueen (talk) 08:11, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Rewording it would be easy enought. I thought that they copied the 1911 encyclopedia into Wikipedia? -- Suntag  ☼  08:28, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, but we are talking about DYK, not Wikipedia in general. --BorgQueen (talk) 08:30, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * I quite like Victuallers' idea that most DYKers have a certain area of interest they write about, so if you take that area of interest and slant it towards Halloweenesque topics it's easy. After I expand Cerberus, I think I might move onto Church Grim and I could probably do Freybug. I would like to expand Black Dog (ghost) but it's a little longer already than I would like. ~ User:Ameliorate!  (with the !) (talk) 07:44, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Suggestion: While trying to find anniversaries to put on Portal:Schools, I remembered "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF". It's briefly mentioned at Unicef and Halloween, but it could use its own page. Official sites include: UNICEF profile, 2006 UNICEF News 2006 UNICEF News 2 UNICEF USA page, and a google news search turns up 3,840 articles. Someone also just created Trick-or-treat for unicef on October 13 with a single unsourced and not quite accurate line. We could move it to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and greatly expand it --Jh12 (talk) 07:42, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I went ahead an moved/expanded Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Text only should be around 2,354 characters. I added a DYK to Template_talk:Did_you_know; it could be switched out with a sentence about how it began with five kids in Philadelphia. --Jh12 (talk) 23:47, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Suggestion: How about creating a section under Expiring noms just for those intended for Halloween?-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 08:31, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Sounds fine to me. --BorgQueen (talk) 08:32, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Sounds good. That would bring it into the regular DYK review process. -- Suntag  ☼  08:34, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I was bold and did it, plus moved the earlier article there.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 08:49, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Maybe we can use an image from Category:Halloween on the main page (assuming we can write an article to include one of the images). -- Suntag  ☼  08:34, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

Pleased to see the interest. Well done all. You were obviously hanging from the rafters awaiting the call to duty. BQ ... can you work up a barnstar... or some similar valueless item that we all irrationally crave? Your evil logo looks like a good start. Victuallers (talk) 08:43, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * You're suggestion raised a lot of positive interest. Well done. Should we move this discussion somewhere so we don't fill up the DYK talk page? Perhaps someplace on Wikipedia: namespace. -- Suntag  ☼  08:47, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I suggest Wikipedia talk:Did you know/Halloween.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 08:56, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Have the evil face imposed on the middle of a regular barnstar, I say.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 08:49, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Would that be a barn'o'lantern?--otherlleft (talk) 22:11, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * We don't seem to have an article on David J. Skal, perhaps the most important contemporary historian of the horror genre. (Well, we did, but it was speedied in 2007. The guy is pretty clearly notable, though.) Here are some of his books. I can get going on that article sometime soon, if people think it would fit the theme. Zagalejo^^^ 20:24, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * See if an admin will bring the article back, or at least let you have a look at it.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 22:38, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * There isn't much there; "David J. Skal (born 1952, Garfield Heights, Ohio) is a writer." ~ User:Ameliorate!  (with the !) (talk) 02:53, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

Notifications
I invited WikiProject Food and drink to participate in this effort. If you know of other WikiProjects that would have an interest in creating/improving Halloween topic articles, please invite them as well. Thanks. -- Suntag  ☼  16:35, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Sure I'm in. I call Caramel Apple Pops! :) A list of possible candy DYKs can be found at Category:Confectionery or its subcategories, BTW. As for other Wikiprojects, you could always try WikiProject Paranormal or WikiProject Holidays! Cheers, Intothewoods29 (talk) 18:27, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Oh and I thought some might enjoy this? Victuallers (talk) 19:11, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * One of the photos fit here. Perhaps there is an article topic that can be written to include one of the photos for use on the Main Page DYK? -- Suntag  ☼  19:59, 20 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Question: expanding a stub 5x would make it 1130 characters. Is that good enough, or do I still need to get it to 1500? :) Intothewoods29 (talk) 20:05, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
 * It needs 1500. A new article or fivefold expansion is one rule, and 1500 minimum is another. Art LaPella (talk) 20:26, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

As a coordinator of the Military History WP, I'll say something over there.-- Gen. Bedford his Forest 22:16, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

Wikiproject Halloween
See I knew there was a place to find support for a Halloween Wikiproject, and this may be it! I don't have any experience with getting a DYK running, but I'm willing to learn!--otherlleft (talk) 00:10, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
 * DYK's Halloween efforts will end after Halloween 2008. To get a DYK running, you need only write or expande an article. See Did you know/Halloween 2008. As for Wikiproject Halloween, I'm sure you can get WikiProject Holidays to make Halloween a task force. Just post a note on WikiProject Holidays talk. -- Suntag  ☼  03:17, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

Full day?
I added another couple of entries. There's almost 15 now, which should be enough for two updates of 7-8 items. If we get to 20-25 items, however, that would be enough for three 8-hour updates, which would cover the whole day. Should be doable in another week? Lampman (talk) 11:01, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm going to try to expand Elting Memorial Library - presently it's 665 characters so I will need to get it to 3325 I believe. Fun little ghost story.--otherlleft (talk) 11:37, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I was thinking updates on 0:00, 6:00, 12:00 and 18:00, at 8 hooks per update is 32. Think we can do it? The real problem will probably be getting the update on time. ~ User:Ameliorate!  (with the !) (talk) 12:18, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Well, we'd better get to work then! Lampman (talk) 16:47, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * How many are there currently? And are there admins available at each of those times? – How do you turn this on (talk) 16:50, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * There are 17, but they haven't all been vetted yet; we're probably not even halfway to 32. I say if we don't make it to 32 then three updates is an acceptable solution; 6 hours is after all just a minimum. Lampman (talk) 18:56, 24 October 2008 (UTC)

Admittedly naive
I expanded Elting Memorial Library and think it is eligible, but I have no clue what to do next. Even worse, I won't have computer access again (unless I can steal away at lunch) for twelve to twenty-four hours. Is anyone willing to look at this page, see if it is really eligible, and take the next steps?--otherlleft (talk) 13:43, 24 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Just add the suggested hook on Template talk:Did you know, at the bottom of the Halloween section. Follow the format of the hooks there already, it's quite simple. – How do you turn this on (talk) 13:49, 24 October 2008 (UTC)

Suggestion
Here's one suggestion to how the articles could be spread out over the day. This is just one possibility, please make suggestions to changes concerning picture use, wording etc. Note that not all entries have been vetted yet. Also, the DR 6 nebula still needs to be expanded a bit, but I think we should try to get this in because of the awesome graphics. It's now of right size. PS: It's important that someone doesn't go ahead and make a regular update at 23:30 on 30 October, that would screw things up a bit. PPS: There's still room for more! Lampman (talk) 18:06, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

The current time is June 29, 2024 By way of comparison, the time in the Western United States is June 29, 2024 {| {| {|
 * 00:00, 31 October 2008 (UTC)
 * ... that the DR 6 nebula (pictured) has been nicknamed the "Galactic Ghoul" because of its resemblance to a human face?
 * ... that The Witchery of Archery, written by Maurice Thompson in 1878, was the first book to be published about bowhunting?
 * ... that Harold Owen claimed the ghost of his brother, the poet Wilfred Owen, appeared to him on board HMS Astraea a week after Wilfred's death?
 * ... that Halloween in the Castro, San Francisco's gay village, started as a children's costume contest in 1948 and was attended by 500,000 people in 2002?
 * ... that the future King George V was among 13 people aboard HMS Bacchante who saw the ghost ship the Flying Dutchman off South Africa in 1881?
 * ... that Phasmophobia is a fear of ghosts?
 * ... that in classical mythology, Cerberus is a monstrous dog with multiple heads that guards the gates to the underworld?
 * 08:00, 31 October 2008 (UTC)
 * ... that sightings of a ghostly figure in the Culbertson Mansion (pictured) is one of Indiana's many ghost legends?
 * ... that the theme of poison dress can be found in Greek mythology, Mughal Indian folklore, and American urban legends?
 * ... that the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta is a race featuring large hollowed out pumpkins in which contestants paddle a half mile course across a lake?
 * ... that some types of Vampire Moth can bite and drink human blood?
 * ... that the wife of sawmill owner Julius Nicolai Jacobsen was said to haunt their house in Fredrikstad, Norway after she died?
 * ... that millions of children participate in Halloween-related fund-raising events for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, a program that has raised over US$188 million worldwide?
 * ... that Catherine Hicks was Tucker's Witch thirteen years before she entered 7th Heaven as the pastor's wife?
 * 16:00, 31 October 2008 (UTC)
 * ... that the Mother Shipton Moth (pictured) is named after the likeness of a legendary witch on its wings?
 * ... that among the ghost sightings involving the American Civil War are a ghost reenacting one of his defeats in a battle that took place 415 mi away?
 * ... that the Halloween Pennant is so named because of its orange and black appearance, associated with jack-o'-lanterns?
 * ... that the Dictum of Kenilworth, issued by Henry III of England to end the Barons' War, was made public "on the day before the kalends of November" in 1266?
 * ... that when New Paltz's Elting Memorial Library caught an alleged ghost on its security camera, the YouTube video received more views than the village has residents?
 * ... that the slasher film Cold Prey 2 had the best opening weekend of any Norwegian film in history?
 * ... that David J. Skal and Elias Savada wrote the first book-length biography of Tod Browning, who directed the films Dracula and Freaks?

Dispatch
Is anyone interested in writing a Signpost Dispatch, per this suggestion? Samples at. If so, time is of the essence: please weigh in at WT:FCDW. Sandy Georgia (Talk) 16:35, 2 November 2008 (UTC)