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WikiProject Tree of Life Newsletter Issue 26

January and February 2024—Issue 026

Tree of Life

Welcome to the Tree of Life newsletter!

Newly recognized content

Alpine ibex by LittleJerry Markham's storm petrel by FunkMonk, Jens Lallensack, and Therapyisgood List of primates by PresN List of birds of Alberta by grungaloo Rice by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by RecycledPixels Barley by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Bruxton Chicken by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by DocZach Cereal by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Bruxton Ant mimicry by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by AryKun Anopheles by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by AryKun Mosquito by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by 20 upper Cherry blossom by Reconrabbit, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Sei whale by 20 upper, reviewed by grungaloo Megaherbivore by 20 upper, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Brown bear by 20 upper, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Indian rhinoceros by 20 upper, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Hypericum hircinum by Fritzmann2002, reviewed by grungaloo Hypericum foliosum by Fritzmann2002, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Hypericum grandifolium by Fritzmann2002, reviewed by Esculenta Boquila by Etriusus, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Aptostichus barackobamai by Etriusus, reviewed by Esculenta Crassispira incrassata by Etriusus, reviewed by 20 upper Punctelia by Esculenta, reviewed by Ealdgyth Chrysothrix chlorina by Esculenta, reviewed by Ealdgyth Chrysothrix chlorina by Esculenta, reviewed by Ealdgyth Ramalina peruviana by Esculenta, reviewed by Ealdgyth Menemerus animatus by simongraham, reviewed by Esculenta Afraflacilla braunsi by simongraham, reviewed by grungaloo Nasutoceratops by FunkMonk, reviewed by Jens Lallensack Pseudastacus by Olmagon, reviewed by FunkMonk Angustidontus by Super Dromaeosaurus and Ichthyovenator, reviewed by Amitchell125 Pruemopterus by Super Dromaeosaurus and Ichthyovenator, reviewed by Etriusus Black-billed magpie by grungaloo, reviewed by Jens Lallensack Black-capped chickadee by grungaloo, reviewed by Jens Lallensack Horned sungem by Jens Lallensack, reviewed by grungaloo Flaco (owl) by Rhododendrites, reviewed by Etriusus Telonemia by Snotoleks, reviewed by Esculenta "Pliosaurus" andrewsi by Amirani1746, reviewed by grungaloo Beaver drop by Lightburst, reviewed by Chiswick Chap

Newly nominated content

Horned sungem by Jens Lallensack Tufted jay by grungaloo Nasutoceratops by FunkMonk Maize by Chiswick Chap Cattle by Chiswick Chap Pig by Chiswick Chap Domestic duck by Chiswick Chap Eusociality by Chiswick Chap Fish by Chiswick Chap Barnacle by Chiswick Chap Ochrophyte by Snotoleks Parvilucifera by Snotoleks Thalattoarchon by Amirani1746 Hydropunctaria amphibia by Esculenta Melanohalea by Esculenta Spot test (lichen) by Esculenta Lecideaceae by Esculenta Hypericum × inodorum by Fritzmann2002 Hypericum sect. Androsaemum by Fritzmann2002 Olga Hartman by Viriditas Mixtotherium by PrimalMustelid Enhydriodon by PrimalMustelid Lentinus brumalis by Зэгс ус

News at a glance

• Our first double issue in almost four years, although we will try to return to a monthly schedule henceforth (incidentally, the last double issue saw Markham's storm petrel at GAN, and this one sees it finally pass FAC).
• A highly competitive first round of the WikiCup sees four Tree of Life editors advance to the second round: MtBotany, Fritzmann2002, Ealdgyth, and AryKun
• The March 2024 GAN Backlog Drive starts today; everyone is welcome to participate and help reduce the backlog of GANs.
• The January edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by Quetzal1964 with 100 points from 40 articles, mainly related to various species of marine fish. simongraham was second with 80 points from 14 articles on jumping spiders.
• The February edition saw Quetzal1964 win for the second time in a row, with 114 points from 43 articles. In second place was Snoteleks, with 21 points from 7 seven articles on various unicellular eukaryotes, including the GA Telonemia.

January DYKs

• ... that Dacrytherium, literally meaning 'tear beast', was named after its "tear-pit"? (3 January)
• ... that misidentifications of the crested cuckoo-dove have led to claims that the extinct Choiseul pigeon is still around? (4 January)
• ... that the wood-pasture hypothesis posits that semi-open wood pastures and not primeval forests are the natural vegetation of temperate Europe? (5 January)
• ... that until April 2023, when the genus Triassosculda was discovered, the mantis shrimp fossil record contained a gap of more than a hundred million years? (5 January)
• ... that although Olga Hartman believed that her basic research on marine worms had no practical value, it was applied to experimental studies of oysters? (6 January)
• ... that Oxford ivy grows towards the light to bloom and then towards the darkness when going to seed? (17 January)
• ... that S. F. Light (pictured) disliked using his full name? (20 January)
• ... that the fossil turtle Acherontemys was named for a "river of the fabled lower world"? (26 January)
• ... that a species of spider is named after Barack Obama? (27 January)
• ... that Boquila trifoliolata is the only known plant capable of simultaneously mimicking multiple species? (27 January)
• ... that Harpegnathos alperti worker ants have black heads and chocolate-colored mandibles? (28 January)
• ... that all known populations of Epipterygium opararense (example pictured) live within a 5-metre (16 ft) radius in New Zealand? (28 January)
• ... that female swamp guppies (pictured) show no preference for orange or red coloration during courtship? (29 January)

• 
  S. F. Light examining termites
• 
  Epipterygium opararense
• 
  Gold-morph swamp guppies

February DYKs

• ... that black-billed magpies are known to eat ticks off deer and other large mammals (example pictured)? (1 February)
• ... that scientist Adelaida K. Semesi was known as "mama mangroves" due to her specialist knowledge of their ecology? (2 February)
• ... that for the southern molly, sexual selection favors smaller males because they copulate by sneaking up to females? (2 February)
• ... that eyelash seaweed may have been made extinct by a single 2016 earthquake? (4 February)
• ... that conservation in Indonesia had little local support after independence because it was associated with the Dutch colonial period? (5 February)
• ... that the artiodactyl Ephelcomenus is thought to have been capable of burrowing? (6 February)
• ... that male mangrove mollies mate sneakily? (14 February)
• ... that barley was once used as a form of money? (14 February)
• ... it has been suggested that Crassispira incrassata may be a southern variation of Crassispira bottae and not its own species? (15 February)
• ... that the shining St John's wort owes its bright colors partly to carotenoid compounds? (18 February)
• ... that having lived in Central Park for more than a year after becoming homeless, Flaco (pictured) has been accused of being a peeping tom? (19 February)
• ... that the horned sungem (example pictured) is sometimes a nectar robber? (24 February)
• ... that the sea slug Bosellia mimetica benefits from photosynthesis? (25 February)
• ... that almost all members of a flock of tufted jays work together to build a nest? (28 February)
• ... that the hippocampus of the black-capped chickadee grows in the fall and shrinks in the spring? (29 February)
• ... that an Indian rhinoceros, sent as a gift to Pope Leo X in 1515, was immortalised as Dürer's Rhinoceros after dying in a shipwreck? (29 February)

• 
  Black-billed magpie eating ticks off the back of a cow
• 
  Flaco peeping through a window
• 
  Horned sungem robbing a flower

Discuss this issue

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The Signpost: 2 March 2024

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Potential sock?

Hey there, Donald. I'm not sure about this, but can you check to see if the user User:GymratW is a sock of User:Becausewhynothuh?? This user certainly might be having a WP:COI with the city articles and is changing the images. If you don't have time, then I'll ask another checkuser. Thanks. NoobThreePointOh (talk) 13:08, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

I've set up a SPI on Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Becausewhynothuh?. NoobThreePointOh (talk) 13:19, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

@NoobThreePointOh: Sorry, I am not a checkuser. Donald Albury 15:38, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

@Donald Albury Oh, I was looking at your user groups and saw the checkuser permission in there. Ok. Thanks for letting me know. NoobThreePointOh (talk) 15:52, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Where did you see that? It isn't here. I had checkuser while I was on ArbCom, but I never learned how to use it, and it was removed when I resigned. If something is showing me with CU, I need to get it changed. Donald Albury 16:02, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

@Donald Albury Well, it was showing in your user group page. I was a little confused, since it still showed you as a checkuser. Yeah, you might want to remove the checkuser permission from that page. NoobThreePointOh (talk) 16:18, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

That shows that I had check user in November 2022 when I removed autopatrolled from my rights. I cannot add or remove checkuser from my own rights, and check user, as well as oversight, were removed 1 January 2023, as recorded here. Donald Albury 16:50, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Ah. Ok. All right then. Thanks for letting me know. NoobThreePointOh (talk) 17:13, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

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Flatworms

Regarding the article about flatworms. The taxobox for Acoelomorpha clearly says it is a subphylum in the phylum Xenacoelomorpha. And in the article for Xenacoelomorpha, the article says "The clade (groupings of organisms based on their most recent shared/common ancestors) Xenacoelomorpha groups the Acoelomorpha and the genus Xenoturbella, due to molecular studies". So it is really mentioned in the Xenacoelomorpha article. 178.232.173.10 (talk) 03:42, 6 April 2024 (UTC)

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Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 16:47, 1 April 2024 (UTC)

COI declaration

Thank you for this detailed declaration, but in the final entry you note "I was stationed there 1978–1969" - I think you might have either a transposition or typo. Thryduulf (talk) 22:19, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

Oops, Donald Albury 22:54, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

Cape Romano revert

Hi there. In regards to the revert of my edits to Cape Romano, what makes a local news source unreliable? I have seen many instances of Wikipedia routinely drawing from them for information. The source in question had direct photographs of the info. Also, was a full revert entirely necessary, as opposed to a corrective edit? The picture of the pyramid house, for instance, met the requirements. SavagePanda845 (talk) 09:16, 25 April 2024 (UTC)

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Greetings Fellow Miamian

Thanks for correctly ordering and simplifying my homestead edit. I read your page and noticed your also a native Miamian, you have inspired me to also start contributing to the WikiProject Florida as well. Thank you for all your contributions and sharing your knowledge and history of south florida! Origenous (talk) 01:33, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

Liberia local name

Hi, regarding the Liberia article, I only added a local name of the country. You can find this at: https://st.unicode.org/cldr-apps/v#/nqo/T_Africa/ Oreen.yousuf (talk) 00:49, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – May 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2024).

Administrator changes

Nyttend

• JohnOwens
• Killiondude
• MelanieN
• Nihonjoe

Bureaucrat changes

Nihonjoe

CheckUser changes

Joe Roe

Oversight changes

GeneralNotability

Guideline and policy news

• Phase I of the 2024 requests for adminship review has concluded. Several proposals have passed outright and will proceed to implementation, including creating a discussion-only period (3b) and administrator elections (13) on a trial basis. Other successful proposals, such as creating a reminder of civility norms (2), will undergo further refinement in Phase II. Proposals passed on a trial basis will be discussed in Phase II, after their trials conclude. Further details on specific proposals can be found in the full report.

Technical news

• Partial action blocks are now in effect on the English Wikipedia. This means that administrators have the ability to restrict users from certain actions, including uploading files, moving pages and files, creating new pages, and sending thanks. T280531

Arbitration

• The arbitration case Conflict of interest management has been closed.

Miscellaneous

• This may be a good time to reach out to potential nominees to ask if they would consider an RfA.
• A New Pages Patrol backlog drive is happening in May 2024 to reduce the number of unreviewed articles in the new pages feed. Currently, there is a backlog of over 15,000 articles awaiting review. Sign up here to participate!
• Voting for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) election is open until 9 May 2024. Read the voting page on Meta-Wiki and cast your vote here!

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Reminder to vote now to select members of the first U4C

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You are receiving this message because you previously participated in the UCoC process.

This is a reminder that the voting period for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee (U4C) ends on May 9, 2024. Read the information on the voting page on Meta-wiki to learn more about voting and voter eligibility.

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WikiProject Tree of Life Newsletter Issue 27

March and April 2024—Issue 027

Tree of Life

Welcome to the Tree of Life newsletter!

Newly recognized content

Horned sungem by Jens Lallensack Tufted jay by grungaloo Pseudastacus by Olmagon List of erinaceids by PresN Primates by PresN Hypericum sect. Androsaemum by Fritzmann2002 Thalattoarchon by Amirani1746, reviewed by Esculenta Lentinus brumalis by Зэгс ус, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Hypericum sect. Androsaemum by Fritzmann2002, reviewed by Maxim Masiutin Hypericum × inodorum by Fritzmann2002, reviewed by AryKun Barnacle by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Lightburst Maize by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by AryKun Pig by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Wolverine XI Orange (fruit) by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by 750h+ Fish by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Reconrabbit Organism by Chiswick Chap, reviewed by Esculenta Hydropunctaria amphibia by Esculenta, reviewed by AryKun Melanohalea by Esculenta, reviewed by AryKun Lecideaceae by Esculenta, reviewed by Wolverine XI Xylopsora canopeorum by Esculenta, reviewed by AryKun Spot test (lichen) by Esculenta, reviewed by AryKun Gustaf Einar Du Rietz by Esculenta, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Allocalicium by Esculenta, reviewed by Simongraham Multiclavula mucida by Esculenta, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Aphaena submaculata by Etriusus, reviewed by Wolverine XI White-tailed jay by Grungaloo, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Fork-tailed drongo by The Blue Rider, reviewed by Chiswick Chap Northern green anaconda by Chaotic Enby, reviewed by Geardona Heptamegacanthus by Mattximus, reviewed by Esculenta Mixtotherium by PrimalMustelid, reviewed by FunkMonk Diplobune by PrimalMustelid, reviewed by Wolverine XI Ochrophyte by Snoteleks, reviewed by Ealdgyth Parvilucifera by Snoteleks, reviewed by Fritzmann2002 Urceolus by Snoteleks, reviewed by Fritzmann2002 Plexippoides regius by Simongraham, reviewed by Grungaloo Olga Hartman by Viriditas, reviewed by Lightburst Giant panda by Wolverine XI, reviewed by Thebiguglyalien Enchylium conglomeratum by Xkalponik, reviewed by Wolverine XI

Newly nominated content

Great cuckoo-dove by AryKun Heptamegacanthus by Mattximus List of talpids by PresN List of birds of New Brunswick by B3251 List of forest-inventory conifers in Canada by Dank Dissoderma odoratum by NotAGenious Xiphodon by PrimalMustelid Banana by Chiswick Chap Phintella parva by Simongraham Evarcha maculata by Simongraham Asian elephant by Wolverine XI Megafauna by Wolverine XI Fishing cat by Wolverine XI Thistle tortoise beetle by Justinxuje Enchylium limosum by Xkalponik Enchylium polycarpon by Xkalponik Skeleton panda sea squirt by Chaotic Enby Hypericum aciferum by Fritzmann2002 Hypericum russeggeri by Fritzmann2002 Hypericum minutum by Fritzmann2002 Chrompodellid by Snoteleks Aquilegia sibirica by Pbritti Carabus japonicus by NHanselman Charles De Geer by Yakikaki Cheetah reintroduction in India by Magentic Manifestations

News at a glance

• The newsletter will not be returning to a monthly format (mainly because the author is busy failing every exam imaginable) and is on a bimonthly schedule for the foreseeable future.
• The second round of the WikiCup was very competitive, requiring the highest points total to advance since 2014. Two TOL editors, AryKun and Fritzmann2002, advanced to the third round.
• The March edition of our monthly rolling contest was won by simongraham, who amassed 118 points from 21 articles on various species of jumping spider; in second place was Quetzal1964 with 109 points from 53 articles on marine ray-finned fish.
• Quetzal1964 and simongraham were also the top two in the April edition, although Quetzal was ahead this time, with 68 points to simongraham's 48. In the annual leaderboard, Quetzal and simongraham are in first and second place respectively, with 291 and 246 points; in third place is Snotoleks, with 76 points.

March DYKs

• ... that an Indian rhinoceros, sent as a gift to Pope Leo X in 1515, was immortalised as Dürer's Rhinoceros after dying in a shipwreck? (1 March)
• ... that due to a misunderstanding, Catodontherium was moved from its original genus name? (3 March)
• ... that a malaria-control program in rural Brazil attracted droves of annoying, colorful bees that collect pesticide (example pictured) into homes? (4 March)
• ... that popular garden plants like malfurada often escape from cultivation and become invasive? (5 March)
• ... that the cherry blossom was used symbolically in Japanese World War II propaganda, with falling petals representing "young soldiers' sacrifice for the emperor"? (8 March)
• ... that off-roading at Muriwai Beach in New Zealand may be damaging the habitat of the newly described korowai gecko (example pictured)? (9 March)
• ... that Will Smith took part in the expedition that discovered the northern green anaconda? (13 March)
• ... that the Kīlauea lava cricket disappears from a lava field as soon as any plants start to grow there? (13 March)
• ... that Julian Assange's lawyer argued that the rules set by the Ecuadorian embassy requiring Assange to take care of his pet cat Michi were "denigrating"? (13 March)
• ... that mule deer sometimes prefer the flavor of one Rocky Mountain juniper tree, like "ice cream", over another? (21 March)
• ... that the skeleton panda sea squirt was known on the Internet for its skeleton-like appearance years before its formal description? (26 March)
• ... that only one fruit but several thousand seeds were known when Allenbya collinsonae was named? (26 March)
• ... that while named for alliums, the fossil Paleoallium (pictured) was not necessarily directly related to any allium species? (27 March)
• ... that the extinct genus Mixtotherium, meaning 'mixed beast', has traits of both extinct primates and hyraxes? (28 March)
• ... that the fossil fern Dickwhitea was described from a single block of chert? (28 March)
• ... that Scytalopus krabbei is named after Niels Krabbe, who discovered seven other species in its genus? (29 March)
• ... that Institutiones rei herbariae, published in 1700, sought to give a unique name to every plant based on their "essence"? (29 March)
• ... that in some rare cases, large Siberian tigers prey on adult brown bears? (30 March)
• ... that only six years after its 2016 discovery, the Meratus blue flycatcher (pictured) was found being sold in Indonesian songbird markets? (30 March)
• ... that the spirit liverwort is called such because of its proximity to the Māori afterlife? (31 March)
• ... that cultures of the fungus Lentinus brumalis have been flown on three different satellites? (31 March)
• ... that the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper claimed that eating alkanet leaves would make a person's spit deadly to serpents? (31 March)

• 
  Eufriesea purpurata
• 
  Korowai gecko
• 
  Paleoallium billgenseli fossil
• 
  Male Meratus blue flycatcher

April DYKs

• ... that despite its name meaning 'unscented', Hypericum × inodorum can smell strongly of goat? (1 April)
• ... that color-changing cats (artist's impression pictured) could help us communicate with the future? (2 April)
• ... that Pep the dog was falsely accused of murdering a cat and sent to Eastern State Penitentiary? (2 April)
• ... that an extinct French scarab beetle was discovered in a Prague factory? (3 April)
• ... that the white-tailed jay (example pictured) found in Ecuador and Peru was once thought to have been brought to Mexico by pre-Columbian trade? (5 April)
• ... that saving the Guadalupe cypress included the help of 40 Judas goats? (5 April)
• ... that the fork-tailed drongo gives genuine alarm calls but will sometimes lie to steal food from other animals? (5 April)
• ... that Bangiales, an order of red algae, contains both the oldest-known sexually reproducing organism and the seaweed used to make sushi wrappers? (7 April)
• ... that beavers, mules, and dogs have been parachuted from airplanes? (8 April)
• ... that Aphaena submaculata (pictured) uses specialized mouthparts to suck the sap of trees? (8 April)
• ... that female Eriopis connexa beetles prevent sibling cannibalism by laying unfertilized eggs? (9 April)
• ... that Androsaemum androsaemum is botanically unacceptable, but Aniculus aniculus is perfectly valid? (9 April)
• ... that there is one male for every 31 females in an E. interjectus colony, and each female can start its own colony? (10 April)
• ... that the first extant deer discovered in the 21st century is only 38 centimetres (15 in) tall? (10 April)
• ... that Buellia aethalea, a species of fungus, is also known as the "darkened button lichen" due to the small black spots on its crusty grey surface? (14 April)
• ... that despite commonly being caught with a hook and line, the holotype of the Rapa Nui lizardfish was instead collected with a spear? (14 April)
• ... that ochrophyte algae have twice as many membranes around their chloroplasts as plants? (16 April)
• ... that while the lichen species Enchylium conglomeratum is considered secure globally, it has been designated as extinct in the UK and regionally extinct in Switzerland? (18 April)
• ... that Cladonota's extravagant dorsal structures have been called both "grotesque" and "particularly charismatic"? (19 April)
• ... that the damselfly-relative Okanagrion is suggested to have eight species due to both alpha and beta diversity drivers? (21 April)
• ... that trees of the extinct genus Calamophyton (example pictured) formed the earliest known forest? (22 April)
• ... that the color of a black-headed tailorbird's throat was thought to depend on sex, but later turned out to depend on age? (23 April)
• ... that Biodiversity Impact Credits seek to stop species extinction? (30 April)

• 
  Artist's impression of a ray cat
• 
  White-tailed jay
• 
  Aphaena submaculata
• 
  Calamophyton tree

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The Signpost: 16 May 2024

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Elephant

Any ideas? Can't we prune, not wholesale revert? Zenon.Lach (talk) 19:41, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Image galleries

Could you please comment on User_talk:4throck#Image_galleries about the reverts to Lunar Prospector and Diogo Cão ? Cheers, 4throck (talk) 08:19, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Fair Assessment

Donald, would you take a look at this draft and see if it's ready to publish. Just need a fair assessment and I've seen you an the River Wikiproject. --ARoseWolf 13:56, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

@ARoseWolf: Well, I certainly have published articles about rivers that were shorter and less well sourced (several were sourced to a single book). I will recommend putting the second source in {{Cite web}}, but that's a gnomish thing. I appreciate how hard it can be to find reliable sources about lesser-known rivers, and have often relied on government reports. So, yeah, I'll say it is ready. Donald Albury 16:29, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for the assessment. It was very hard for this one in particular. I know so much personally about the river, I'll leave it at that, but I had to suppress what I know about it and only summarize what could be found in the sources. I truly am mesmerized by the editors that create GA's and FA's. Such hard work and dedication should be admired. --ARoseWolf 16:51, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

Keeping personal knowledge out of articles can be hard. I have slipped up a few times, although, I hope, not recently. I have occasionally though about trying to take an article to FA, but my attention span on a particular article falters after a week or two, and there are always so many other topics that need attention. Donald Albury 17:14, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

I believe I modified the source right. If you are busy you don't have to look. I appreciate your perspective on it. I have made countless mistakes in editing. My attention span is very short. It's funny because when I do a task around the house I get super focused and can complete it but there is so much eye candy on Wikipedia. I swear I look a child on its first birthday sinking teeth into icing covered cake. We all have seen those videos. lol Thanks again, and anytime you need help or some encouragement to get that FA off the ground I think I give great pep talks. :) --ARoseWolf 17:26, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

It looks fine to me. Donald Albury 17:55, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you, now I'm off to finish Haines State Forest and The Mescalero Sands of New Mexico which I promised to get done years ago. I hate research. lol <<Deep Breath>> Wish me luck. --ARoseWolf 18:00, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

Good luck! Donald Albury 18:18, 30 May 2024 (UTC)

Coosa Chiefdom Rewrite

@Donald Albury: Given the general structural and citation issues in the article for the Coosa chiefdom, I have been working on a rewrite. At this point, I don't think its complete, but I wanted to ask you to take a look. Thank you for your time. --KiwiNova (talk) 19:41, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

I think that looks pretty good. An article with a topic adjacent to yours that I worked on is Apalachicola Province. I think there is a lot of room in WP for improvements to coverage of the proto-historical/early historic period in the southeastern U.S. I previously kept myself busy sticking mainly to topics related to Florida, but that area spills over into the wider souteast. I have been disappointed in how limited much coverage of Native Americans in the southeastern U.S. is in WP. Something I don't see much coverage is how Mississippian chiefdoms evolved into local confederacies, and then merged into the Muscogee Confederacy. Oh, yeah, take a look at Tribal town if you haven't seen it. Donald Albury 23:00, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – June 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (May 2024).

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• The arbitration case Venezuelan politics has been closed.
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Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 16:44, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

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Robinson Springs

A Robinson Springs is noted in historical sources four miles northwest of Marianna "florida"&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBi6Gf-sqGAxXifDABHXUqD4MQ6AF6BAgLEAM per here but I can't find any trace of what became of it? It is noted here also. FloridaArmy (talk) 02:47, 8 June 2024 (UTC)

@FloridaArmy: Sorry, I don't see anything. There may be something in a local source that hasn't been uploaded to the net, but, aside from an historical society in Jackson County, I don't know where to look. Donald Albury 20:50, 9 June 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for checking for me. Much appreciated. FloridaArmy (talk) 22:26, 9 June 2024 (UTC)

Robert (doll) Edit Assist/Advice

Hi Donald,

No need to introduce myself as you have recently blocked my profile from editing Robert (doll). Robert's page is still outdated with information that is not totally accurate.

I'd like to update his page still but cannot risk being blocked again.

As an Admin, can you please inform me as to what was the issue with my most recent update to his page?

I'd like to come to a solution so Robert's page can be updated accordingly.

Thanks~~~ Gabriellemcnell (talk) 20:09, 10 June 2024 (UTC)

@Gabriellemcnell: I recommend that you propose any changes to the article on its talk page, and see what other editors say about your proposals. Donald Albury 20:27, 10 June 2024 (UTC)

Belle Glade, Florida

Hello Donald! I saw your comment on my talk page about reverting the changes I made to the Belle Glade page. Wikipedia's general guideline on reliable sources suggests that publications from reputable organizations, which would include government agencies are considered reliable resources. I cited the Belle Glades Gov website which should be considered a reliable source. I want to hear you out, but I think we can revert the changes I made with some exceptions. Let's talk before I undo your changes. MoisesM12 (talk) 00:04, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

@Moises M12: Reliability of sources is contingent on what the source is being used for. A local government source is generally considered reliable for content about that government. Not so much so for the history of the area before that government existed. Archaeological and historical sources published by academic presses and journals trump histories published on the web by local governments, chambers of commerce, and similar sources. Note that our article on Calusa states, At the time of European contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, the historic Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture. They developed a complex culture based on estuarine fisheries rather than agriculture. Calusa territory reached from Charlotte Harbor to Cape Sable, all of present-day Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, and may have included the Florida Keys at times. There is no indication in currently accepted scholarly treatment of the Calusa that they were ever resident in Palm Beach County. The people living around Lake Okeechobee when the Spanish arrived in Florida were likely the Mayaimi. A century ago many sources stated that the Calusa extended over musch of southern Florida, but more recent scholarship has restricted their culture to southwest Florida, although their political influence may have extended further. Donald Albury 00:26, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

@MoisesM12: Repining with correct name. - Donald Albury 00:49, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

Political views Kenneth Griffin

Hi Donald. I noticed your participation in Wikipedia:WikiProject Miami and was hoping that you would be interested in taking a look at an edit request I recently posted at Talk:Kenneth C. Griffin#Additions to Political views. I would be grateful if you were able to implement those edits. Thanks, Cduffymul (talk) 23:22, 24 June 2024 (UTC)

Since you're already involved in the discussion...

Could you please weigh in on whether or not this is an appropriate action given the stated intent of the nomination? Note that the nom is the author of the article, intends to create 20k articles of that type, has consistently expressed opposition and hostility to attempts at restricting mass-creation of such articles, and given their extensive involvement in the topic and what has already been stated about these AfD outcomes in the thread, should know exactly how their AfD is going to turn out (so it's disingenuous to frame it as a "test case" that's supposed to influence the current discussion as if they're agnostic and as if they genuinely believe the article should be deleted). JoelleJay (talk) 19:02, 26 June 2024 (UTC)

Florida resource

I have noticed and enjoyed your contributions on Florida historical topics (such as fishing ranchos) so just wanted to flag this 1860 Florida map image I recently uploaded from NARA. No idea if it's of any value but just wanted to put it on your radar.

File:Map_of_Florida_Representing_the_Several_Land_Districts,_from_the_Surveyor_General's_Report_1860_NAID_26465548.jpg

Cheers and keep up the good work! jengod (talk) 04:00, 28 June 2024 (UTC)

There are a number of good sources for old maps of Florida. I have used several from Florida Memory Maps for articles in Wikipedia. Other sources include UF Map & Imagery Library Collections and Exploring Florida Maps from USF. Donald Albury 11:55, 28 June 2024 (UTC)

Micronation | better sourcing

Hi, I'm fairly new to wikipedia and you critiqued my sourcing I was planning on editing/correcting them but before I do so I wanted to ask your advise on better citation, most relevantly on the Micronation page; I was hoping you could mentor me on this since my official Wikipedia mentor appears to be absent or inactive. For a few citation errors I can see I made for myself such as the wrong placement for the reference to the fictional country of Ruritania(I placed the reference next to the wrong Ruritania tag), but others are less clear such as Aynvaul being *listed* as attending MicroCon in 2017 where I cited a list of attending members. I see the issue with springer were it mentions them and their location as being a minute mention, but this one I feel would warrant just a mention if it is an attendance list? (correct me if I am wrong). As for the others you mentioned (full citation needed) that they need a more specific citation, these other ones are interviews by Vice and PBS(?) I imagine timestamped links instead of links to the interviews? Furthermore how would I be more specific for references that would satisfy the full citation for website references? -Thank you for your time! ScholarGray13 (talk) 16:39, 30 June 2024 (UTC)

@ScholarGray13: I am copying this over to Talk:Micronation, where other editors who contribute to the article can see it and comment, if they wish. Let us carry on the conversation there. - Donald Albury 19:05, 30 June 2024 (UTC)

The Signpost: 4 July 2024

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Administrators' newsletter – July 2024

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Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 07:58, 6 July 2024 (UTC)

Senior Wikipedians

WikiProject Wikipedians aged 70 and older has been inactive for some time. The following three proposals may help invigorate this project.

1. Change the name of this project to WikiProject Senior Wikipedians.
2. Open membership in this project to users who are at least 60 years of age and have made at least 50 edits in the past year.
3. Open supporting membership in this project to users who are less than 60 years old but have made at least 50 edits in the past year and support the goals of this project.

Suggested goals for this project:

1. To support collaboration and communication among members for the advancement and improvement of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement.
2. To encourage older people, retired people, and soon-to-be-retired people to participate in Wikipedia both for the advancement of the encyclopedia and for their own personal enjoyment.
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4. To encourage older users to use their experience and expertise to help younger and less experienced users.
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6. To sponsor Wikipedia meetings and classes at places where older people gather.
7. To advocate for the elimination of ageism and sexism in Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement.

Notes

Please add your suggestions for this project at Senior Wikipedians. Thank you,  Buaidh  talk e-mail 01:15, 10 July 2024 (UTC)

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The Signpost: 22 July 2024

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Comment from 69.159.70.172

Donald Albury -

Sir - Why do none of you supposed ' administrators ' ever do any proper checking yourself - ??? -

If you had a ctually read KARL WALLENDA page down to bottom you would see references to what you say is missing - ?!?!?-

Please try to do some work yourself and not always relay on all of the additions from people who only enter proper / right / correct data - US - !!! -

You must be well aware at you advanced senior age ( we appear to be older than you are from your bad photo ) where there are many areas where no ' reference ' is now available this many years after the fact or can be attested to / found anymore -

It is only in recent years where Wikipedia has ' demanded ' this which is downright dumb / stupid / wrong to expect people to provide -

More than 70 % of what appears on most Wikipedia pages show no reference - !!! -

However, what you seek is right in front of you on KARL WALLENDA page at end - ???-

We knew him having worked with RBB&B Circus over time and guarantee all which was added is absolutely correct -

Therefore, please now restore our addition as entered -

Thank You Very Much -

- 69.159.70.172 - 69.159.70.172 (talk) 15:58, 29 July 2024 (UTC) -

Responded on IPs talk page. - Donald Albury 17:03, 29 July 2024 (UTC)

Douglass

Thank you for the correction. Shipsview (talk) 20:22, 2 August 2024 (UTC)

Precious anniversary

Precious

Three years!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:14, 3 August 2024 (UTC)

Administrators' newsletter – August 2024

News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2024).

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Arbitration

• The Arbitration Committee appointed the following administrators to the conflict of interest volunteer response team: Bilby, Extraordinary Writ

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Sent by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 15:59, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

List of fossil sites up for deletion

I would like to see your thoughts on the deletion proposal for this list: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/List of fossil sites.

Also, if you know how to find the archive of the responses to the previous deletion proposal (circa 2017?), I would appreciate any help locating it. Elriana (talk) 06:41, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

@Elriana: I see two old proposals to merge this into other articles, in 2008, and in 2010. I do not see any prior page for an AfD for this article, nor any notice of an AfD in 2017 in the page histories of the article page or this talk page. A search for "Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/List of fossil sites" finds only the current AfD, so it does not look like any formal AfD has been previously proposed for this article. - Donald Albury 13:22, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

Thanks. That’s really weird. I can see where I might have mistaken the merge discussion for a deletion discussion, since I was mostly reading them to find previous criticisms. But I really thought one of the discussions was more recent than that. Elriana (talk) 05:45, 8 August 2024 (UTC)