Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Author/Go Phightins!
Articles by: Go Phightins![edit]
News and notes Surge in RFA promotions—a sign of lasting change?
2017-01-17
A close look at the history of approving administrators on English Wikipedia, and a roundup of news
News and notes Strategic planning update; English Wikipedia ArbCom election results
2016-12-22
Strategic planning update; English ArbCom election results: WMF reflects, to some degree, on its past approaches to strategic planning
News and notes Challenges for WMF fundraising; Indian flora windfall for Commons
2016-10-14
Fundraising, flora and fauna: Wikimedia Foundation reports on fundraising challenges and new initiatives; Indian botanists rally to build Wikimedia Commons' photo collection
News and notes Foundation presents results of harassment research, plans for automated identification; Wikiconference submissions open
2016-08-04
WMF and Alphabet are developing an algorithm designed to detect personal attacks
News and notes WMF Board dismisses community-elected trustee
2015-12-30
In a monumental move, the Board ousted one of its own
News and notes Wikimedia Foundation fundraising report, Montreal to host 2017 Wikimania
2015-09-30
A year of fundraising and a controversial decision.
News and notes BARC de-adminship proposal; Wikimania recordings debate
2015-07-29
An RFC proposes to create a "Bureaucrats' Admin Review Committee" (BARC) composed of bureaucrats empowered to remove adminship rights.
News and notes Wikimanía 2015 in the books; Lightbreather ArbCom case
2015-07-22
Wikimanía 2016; Lightbreather ArbCom case: Wikimania features remarks from some leading players from the Wikimedia Foundation as well as the free knowledge movement.
From the editor Change the world
2015-07-22
We want to take a moment to ask you to consider contributing to the Signpost.
WikiProject report Cell-ebrating molecular biology
2015-05-20
Cell-ebrating Molecular Biology: This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing WikiProject Molecular and Cellular Biology, which has come a long way since our last interview in 2008. Like most projects, it has a long member list, but only a small subset of that group regularly contributes. With 28 featured articles and 58 top-importance start class ones, the project has clearly had some success, but has a ways to go. We talked to three regular project contributors.
From the editor Your voice is needed: strategic voting in the WMF election
2015-05-20
The Wikimedia Foundation's bi-annual Board of Trustees election is open for voting. Of the ten seats on the board, three are elected representatives of the global Wikimedia community—you.
Featured content Puppets, fungi, and waterfalls
2015-05-20
Three articles, seven lists, and seven pictures were featured on the English Wikipedia.
Wikimania Choice of small village for Wikimania 2016 ruffles feathers
2015-04-29
Esino Lario is set to host Wikimania 2016, but volunteers and others have raised a host of concerns that raise serious questions about the town's suitability for hosting such a large conference.
News and notes Erik Möller leaving Foundation; annual plan grants under community review
2015-04-15
The Wikimedia Foundation's vice president for engineering, Erik Möller, will leave the WMF on April 30.
WikiProject report WikiProject Christianity
2015-04-08
With Holy Week having recently drawn to a close, it is an apt time to examine , which was created in 2006, and boasts over 200 active members.
Arbitration report New Functionary appointments
2015-04-08
New Functionary appointments: The Committee has voted on the 2015 appointments to the Functionary team.
In focus WMF's latest strategy document shows successes, vagueness, and the need for better data
2015-04-01
The Wikimedia Foundation this week released a State of the WMF report, a 38-page "snapshot" of where it is and where it wants to go in the future.
From the editor A salute to Pine
2015-03-18
We announce with sadness and gratitude that Signpost publication and newsroom manager Pine will be stepping back to focus on other Wikipedia and Wikimedia-related endeavors.
In focus WMF to NSA: "stop spying on Wikipedia users"
2015-03-11
In an effort to protect and maintain the privacy of Wikipedia's thousands of editors, the Wikimedia Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the United States' National Security Agency, Department of Justice, and the Attorney General.
News and notes Questions raised over WMF partnership with research firm
2015-02-25
A report from the external research firm Lafayette Practice has declared that the Wikimedia Foundation is the "largest known participatory grantmaking fund." Several concerns have been raised with the report, the phrase being used (participatory grantmaking), the now-former Wikipedia article on that phrase, and an alleged conflict of interest by WMF staff members.
Editorial Recent retirements typify problem of admin attrition
2015-02-18
Go Phightins! shares his thoughts on admin attrition and the size of the administrative backlog.
News and notes One editor faces likely ban for work on Wikipedia; another awarded $1 million
2015-02-11
One editor faces likely ban for work on Wikipedia; Jimmy Wales awarded $1 million: Also: GLAM-Wiki Conference; Ombudsman Commission announced; Slovak Wikipedia now has 200,000 articles
News and notes No men beyond this point: the proposal to create a no-men space on Wikipedia
2015-02-04
The Signpost talks with the creator of a grant proposal to create an on-wiki exclusive space for women to discuss issues.
In focus Thirteen editors sanctioned in mammoth GamerGate arbitration case
2015-01-28
The English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee has closed the colossal GamerGate arbitration case, whose size—involving 27 named parties—recalls large and complex cases of the past.
From the editor An editorial board that includes you
2015-01-28
The editorial board is not complete without you. We are looking for Wikipedians with all kinds of experience levels.
In the media Reliable or not, doctors use Wikipedia
2014-06-04
The month of May saw significant coverage concerning the reliability of Wikipedia's medical articles.
In the media Google and the flu; Adrianne
2014-05-07
Boston Children's Hospital postdoctoral fellow David McIver and a team have determined that using page view statistics from Wikipedia, they can track flu progression better than the Center for Disease Control can using Google searches.
In the media WikiVIP; Art Feminism; Medical articles; PR manipulation; Azerbaijani Wikipedia
2014-02-12
As reported in various media outlets this week, including The Next Web and The Daily Dot, this past week, Wikimedia Commons and various language Wikipedias are working together to encourage subjects of Wikipedia articles to record a 10-second clip of their voice to be appended to their Wikipedia article.
In the media Wikipedia for robots; Wikipedia—a temperamental teenager
2014-01-22
An article in USA Today announced that a European-funded project called RoboEarth that is designed to give robots a mechanism by which to access information to dispense.
In the media Edward Snowden a "hero"; German Wikipedia court ruling
2013-12-11
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales caught headlines last week when he referred to former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden ... Loek Essers of the International Data Group, (IDG) News Service is reporting that a German court has held Wikipedia liable for its content, but still does not have to fact check the information in advance.
In the media Rand Paul plagiarizes Wikipedia?
2013-10-30
While giving a speech on behalf of a gubernatorial candidate, Paul advocated his pro-life position, and compared allowing unrestricted abortions to the film Gattaca. He went on to use strikingly similar language and phraseology in his speech to what the Wikipedia page reads. The Washington Post{{'}}s article conceded that Wikipedia is a widely used source for trivial information, but mocked the fact that a politician would view it as a reliable source.
In the media The decline of Wikipedia; Sue Gardner releases statement on Wiki-PR; Australian minister relies on Wikipedia
2013-10-23
MIT Technology Review published a long article on what it called "The decline of Wikipedia". Editor involvement has decreased since 2007; according to the article, this has had an adverse qualitative effect on content, particularly on issues pertinent to non-British and American male geeks.
In the media College credit for editing Wikipedia
2013-10-09
The University of California, San Francisco attracted substantial media attention over its new course offering that will give credit to fourth year medical students for editing Wikipedia articles about medicine.
In the media Fox News: Wikipedia abandons efforts to purge porn from online encyclopedia
2013-09-25
Fox News writer Perry Chiaramonte published an article detailing Wikipedia's alleged abandonment of its fight to remove pornography.
In the media Lawyer goes to court to discover Wikipedian's identity; Storming Wikipedia; Wikimedia UK Secretary in conflict-of-interest controversy; Does Wikipedia need a "right to reply" box?
2013-09-11
'The National Law Journal reported on September 9 that lawyer Susan L. Burke has been taking legal steps to discover the identity of Wikipedia editor . Zujua had edited her biography, allegedly adding misleading content about various lawsuits in the process
In the media Daily Dot on Commons and porn; Jimmy Wales accused of breaking Wikipedia rules in hunt for Snowden
2013-06-26
The Daily Dot has examined the perennial controversy over explicit or pornographic media on Commons. This latest salvo was touched off when Russavia uploaded a portrait of Jimmy Wales made by the artist Pricasso, who paints with his genitalia.
In the media South African learners want Wikipedia; Editing of Israel topics
2013-06-19
Memeburn.com published an article on the yearning of students in South Africa for free knowledge through Wikipedia Zero.
In the media VisualEditor will "change world history"
2013-06-12
In an article published by the Huffington Post{{'}}s United Kingdom edition, writer Thomas Church asserts that the new VisualEditor will change history, literally. It says that Wikipedia's mark-up language has been to its advantage, as most people didn't bother trying to learn it
In the media China blocks secure version of Wikipedia
2013-06-05
An article on TheNextWeb.com says that the Chinese Government has effectively blocked Wikipedia by cutting off access to the HTTP Secure (https) "workaround", almost completely cutting off access to those in China.
In the media Pagans complain about Qworty's anti-Pagan editing
2013-05-27
In the continuing saga of User:Qworty's outing as author Robert Clark Young, several blogs and websites covered the now-banned user's anti-Pagan editing. In an article published on 22 May 2013, TechEye described Qworty's edits as a "reign of terror" and were pleased to find that he had not succeeded in removing several prominent Pagan biographies from the encyclopedia.
In the media Qworty incident continues
2013-05-20
Salon.com published another article detailing ongoing incidents with Wikipedia user Qworty and his role in the controversy involving Amanda Filipacchi's op-ed, including a series of revenge edits against Filipacchi in the days after she released it.
In the media PR firm accused of editing Wikipedia for government clients; can Wikipedia predict the stock market?
2013-05-13
An article published on May 10 on Odwyerpr.com written by Greg Hazley documented a "spar" between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and public relations firm Qorvis partner Matt Lauer, who disputes Wikipedia's guideline discouraging public relations firms from editing articles on their clients.
In the media Wikipedia's sexism; Yuri Gadyukin hoax
2013-04-29
On 24 April 2013, novelist Amanda Filipacchi published what turned out to be an influential op-ed in the New York Times; illuminating the unusual background of the Yuri Gadyukin hoax.