Greg L

Welcome to Wikinews

Getting started as a contributor How to write an article Pick something current? Use two independent sources? Read your sources before writing the story in your own words?. Do choose a unique title? before you start. Follow Wikinews' structure? for articles, answering as many of who what when where why and how? as you can; summarised in a short, two- or three-sentence opening paragraph. Once complete, your article must be three or more paragraphs. If you need help, you can add {{helpme}} to your talkpage, along with a question, or alternatively, just ask? Use this tab to enter your title and get a basic article template. [RECOMMENDED. Starts your article through the semi-automated {{develop}}—>{{review}}—>{{publish}} collaboration process.]

Welcome! Thank you for joining Wikinews; we'd love for you to stick around and get more involved. To help you get started we have an essay that will guide you through the process of writing your first full article. There are many other things you can do on the project, but its lifeblood is new, current, stories written neutrally. As you get more involved, you will need to look into key project policies and other discussions you can participate in; so, keep this message on this page and refer to the other links in it when you want to learn more, or have any problems. Wikipedia's puzzle-globe logo, © Wikimedia Foundation   Used to contributing to Wikipedia? See here.

All Wikimedia projects have rules. Here are ours. Listed here are the official policies of the project, you may be referred to some of them if your early attempts at writing articles don't follow them. Don't let this discourage you, we all had to start somewhere. The rules and guides laid out here are intended to keep content to high standards and meet certain rules the Wikimedia Foundation applies to all projects. It may seem like a lot to read, but you do not have to go through it all in one sitting, or know them all before you can start contributing. Remember, you should enjoy contributing to the project. If you're really stuck come chat with the regulars. There's usually someone in chat who will be happy to help, but they may not respond instantly.

The core policies Neutral point of view Cite sources Writing an article Content guide Style guide Reviewing articles

Places to go, people to meet Wiki projects work because a sense of community forms around the project. Although writing news is far more individualistic than contributing to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, people often need minor help with things like spelling and copyediting. If a story isn't too old you might be able to expand it, or if it is disputed you may be able to find some more sources and rescue it before it is listed for deletion. There are always discussions going on about how the site could be improved, and your input is of value. Check the links here to see where you can give input to the running of the Wikinews project.

Find help and get involved The Water Cooler The Latest News The Newsroom Articles for deletion Audio Wikinews Recent Changes

Write your first article for Wikinews! Use the following box to help you create your first article. Simply type in a title to your story and press "Create page". Then start typing text to your story into the new box that will come up. When you're done, press "save page". That's all there is to it! It is recommended you read the article guide before starting. Also make sure to check the list of recently created articles to see if your story hasn't already been reported upon.

Notification

Hi! I just wanted to make sure you were aware that I have requested a CU of your account, as you've raised, for me, concerns of cross-wiki puppetry of one form or another, which was an element of a previous en.WP MoS campaign on other wikis. - Amgine | ^t 16:25, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

• Knock yourself out. I could not possibly care less. You’ve only proven how A) you view Wikinews as a personal club in which you would like to control its membership, and B) you are far too easily threatened, and C) you have too much time on your hands. Greg L (talk) 17:17, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

I am on the road in Chicago at a B&B using their WiFi. Greg L (talk) 18:04, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

you're blocked for being a troll, not for being an open proxy. Bawolff ☺☻ 18:06, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

“Trolling”. Ha! Such silliness. And very unwise. You’ll see. Well, your behavior has just validated that this is just a silly club run by losers. Goodbye. Greg L (talk) 18:08, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

Note, that my refusal to unblock you was based on the reason for your request (open proxy). Well I personally feel that you should be blocked for trolling, thats more controversial, and my refusal to unblock you should not be taken as a general refusal to unblock for trolling as discussion is ongoing about that. Bawolff ☺☻ 18:13, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

• I have unblocked without prejudice; Amgine feels the blocks were not proper and I certainly see where xe was coming from. In any event, even if they were proper, someone else should have done the blocking. Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 18:14, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

Conversations...

I'm in IRC, and Blood Red Sandman invited me to take a stab at replying to your comment on his talk page.

While I certainly can sympathise with your position regarding disruption, on this project (in part due to the very small contributor pool) excessive wikilawyering and policy wonking is occasionally considered community disruption. I'm sure you can imagine situations in which a small number of people manage to get a large percentage of the people working on a subject to, instead, discuss the coffee pot or how often the office floors should be vacuumed.

I believe Brian McNeil has 5 years involvement with WN:SG; I may have slightly longer. Neither Tony1 nor yourself have any. I, at least, certainly respect both the investment and the experience you both have at the WP MoS. I have not, however, noticed a reciprocal element of respect on either of your parts. I do not intend any insult, but the projects are quite different in focus, and in community, so just as I would be completely at sea poking into the en.WP MoS despite my years of publications and the university English background I would expect someone without my history here to have a less-nuanced grasp of, for example, spelling discussions on en.WN.

None of this in any way excuses Brian McNeil's behaviours, and it's not my place to do so, any more than it's my place to chide Tony1's instant assumption of bad faith on the part of contributors here simply because the community here is different than that prevailing at en.WP. I'm not even an admin at the moment. But I do have a wealth of experience on this project. My suggestion is expect to be challenged regularly and often; do not expect extensive politeness or 'levels' of responses; do contribute original research and brag about doing so. I would generally avoid doing anything on a policy page. If you want to bring about a change, usually best to discuss it on the WC even though it may seem to be ignored there. - Amgine | ^t 22:19, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

• Do tell, what the heck are you talking about with “excessive wikilawyering”. The sum total of my participation was these three posts at this thread. If you think that’s wikilawyering, I’ve got news for you. Please get your facts and terminology straight before typing here again. I don’t give a rip about how long you’ve been an editor here; bowing to kiss your ring seems to be the actual motivating factor underlying both your and Brian’s behavior; you’ll get none of that from me. I respond only to logic and it’s time to see some of that out of you. Save it for the Style Guide please. Outsiders with oodles of professional technical writing experience have come to weigh in. Don’t let that threaten you. Greg L (talk) 22:31, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

  P.S. Oh, and by “outsiders”, I mean “people who used to be outsiders.” Once I, or Tony and I, or anyone else weighs in, we become “insiders.” That’s the way it works for all these sort of venues—even if Jimbo didn’t found it. Resent it if you will, but please don’t presume to impugn someone’s posts with some garbage about how they hadn’t yet earned the right to be considered a “valued contributor” through a long series of mainspace edits. Tony, who has extensive MOS and MOSNUM experience and is a professional writer apparently first elected to get the Style Guide in order before making mainspace edits; that is his prerogative. I elected to come to his defense because what presses my hot-button is when I see the weak being thumped on by what I perceive to be corrupt authority; that really gets my goat. Greg L (talk) 22:45, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

• <giggles> Oh, I certainly shan't. And, clearly, I cannot possibly threaten you (however amusing the very thought of wanting to might be.) But, please, with your (pl) "oodles" of professional technical writing experience, do not hurt the locals. They're all people I consider friends. I will try never to "type here again" on your talk page. - Amgine | ^t 22:47, 25 September 2010 (UTC)

• Very well. Peace (with you anyway). I’ll let Tony get back in the saddle and intend to stay out of it if I possibly can. I hope you all afford some courtesy and respect to his views without besmirching him as Brian had been doing (not giving him the “time of day”until he proves himself, yadda yadda); that was exceedingly poor form. Wikinews appears to be far too small of a place to merit even the notion of starting an ANI over his conduct. There are better ways to reign in that sort of behavior: publicly exposing poor form for what it truly is. Unless Brian is a sucker for humiliation, he best start getting with the game plan and stop acting like he owns the place. Greg L (talk) 22:58, 25 September 2010 (UTC)