This is an archive of past discussions with User:Shyamal. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.
... that butterflies of the genus Anaea(example pictured) are said to have "commanded the admiration of even the most gold-mad conquistadores"? (April 16)
... that despite being described in 1840, the chestnut-backed buttonquail was only confirmed in Queensland in 2020? (April 21)
... that a species in the genus of sponges Pseudoceratina produces a chemical that can help prevent migration of metastatic breast cancer cells? (April 22)
... that Ulmus chuchuanus had to be renamed due to another fossil already having its original name? (April 26)
At the time of the last newsletter (No.26, September 2021), the backlog was 'only' just over 6,000 articles. In the past six months, the backlog has reached nearly 16,000, a staggering level not seen in several years. A very small number of users had been doing the vast majority of the reviews. Due to "burn-out", we have recently lost most of this effort. Furthermore, several reviewers have been stripped of the user right for abuse of privilege and the articles they patrolled were put back in the queue.
Several discussions on the state of the process have taken place on the talk page, but there has been no action to make any changes. The project also lacks coordination since the "position" is vacant.
In the last 30 days, only 100 reviewers have made more than 8 patrols and only 50 have averaged one review a day. There are currently 813 New Page Reviewers, but about a third have not had any activity in the past month. All 847 administrators have this permission, but only about a dozen significantly contribute to NPP.
This means we have an active pool of about 450 to address the backlog. We cannot rely on a few to do most of the work as that inevitably leads to burnout. A fairly experienced reviewer can usually do a review in a few minutes. If every active reviewer would patrol just one article per day, the backlog would very quickly disappear.
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I take on only gnomish tasks. Will leave that issue to someone who deals with disputes of that kind. Shyamal (talk) 05:24, 4 June 2022 (UTC)
Potentially functionless protection
Hey! You seem to have recently move protected the Soma_(drink) page. However, you have set the protection level to "autoconfirmed". By default, pages can not be moved by an account not autoconfirmed, making this protection level non-functional. Did you perhaps implement the wrong protection level? Aidan9382(talk)11:01, 28 July 2022 (UTC)
@Foiled circuitous wanderer: Genera are always italicized. Also that is not the only "African" (ie Afrotropical realm) genus within the Pterophoridae (which is a really large family). I am not sure you are looking for me to produce references to show more Pterophoridae from the region? (see for example) (PS: "The African genus Hellinsia ...." is certainly not wrong grammatically!) Shyamal (talk) 15:14, 10 November 2022 (UTC)
I'd like to extend a cordial invitation to you to join the Twenty Year Society, an informal group for editors who've been participating in the Wikipedia project for twenty years or more.
Thanks! I added a userbox (temporary) and fixed the SVG logo of the Society - I am a bit like that Marx chap who does not value membership to clubs that would want him as a member! Shyamal (talk) 23:00, 27 November 2022 (UTC)
Invisible Barnstar
The Invisible Barnstar
It's amazing how many times I look at the history of a well-written article or a nice image, and find out that you are behind it. When historians talk about Wikipedia a hundred years from now, you will be among the editors mentioned. Hope you continue to contribute for many years to come. utcursch | talk15:41, 15 December 2022 (UTC)
Rather more praise than I can handle and an example of sampling bias! Time, certainly, we could all do with more! Thank you. Shyamal (talk) 01:59, 16 December 2022 (UTC)
@Utcursch: I see that you have an interest in pre-modern astronomy from India - this really is not my area of interest, but was creating stubs as these are included in the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography and were missing on en.wiki. There are still several India-related entries that need to be created and these might be of interest to you - Haridatta II - Makaranda - Mathurānātha Śarman - and - Nāgeśa. Shyamal (talk) 08:37, 16 December 2022 (UTC)
Hi thanks for creating this article. When we translate or borrow from other language wikis it’s a requirement to acknowledge the source. The best way to do this is to include it in your edit summary (e.g. “translated from ru.wiki”) and there’s also a translation template you can add to the talk page. I’ve added it for you. Happy editing Mccapra (talk) 07:26, 24 March 2023 (UTC)
Actually I treat the ru.wiki as an unreliable source and go with translations of other sources including those listed in their article as references. Unfortunately I hit a save before I could put in all the references used. Shyamal (talk) 08:30, 24 March 2023 (UTC)
PS: I see that the list of the first employees appears as if it were translated from the Russian wikipedia entry, but in fact we are both using the list from a common source... check the polarpost forum link I included in the article. Shyamal (talk) 09:36, 24 March 2023 (UTC)
Credit line Photo Ramanada Chatterjee
Hello Shyamal, I would like to use the following photo of Ramananda Chatterjee as an illustration for a book publication:
The photo is in the public domain in India, but can I also use this photo for a book that will be published in Britain (hard-copy and electronic version)? And how should an appropriate credit line look like?
@Poldertales: - I am fairly certain that you would have little to fear of any punitive legal action. I think you should however let your publisher do the research and decide. The author to cite would probably be the publishers of the Modern Review but you can also merely mention the source. The photographer is clearly unknown in this case but if the photographer can be identified (or steps forward after reading your book!), it may or may not be in public domain depending on whether 7060 (Indian Copyright Act 1957) years have passed since the death of the photographer. Shyamal (talk) 09:55, 5 May 2023 (UTC)
Sorry @Poldertales:! I have just re-examined the source (added a link as well), I think there is actually a problem, the author appears to be this writer - Banarsidas Chaturvedi who died in 1985 - which actually means the photo does not meet the PD-India criteria (I will leave it to the Commons Admins to deal with this). So I am afraid you would have to find other ways of reusing it - under "fair use" or by trying to contact the estate of Banarsidas Chaturvedi. Shyamal (talk) 10:09, 5 May 2023 (UTC)
@Paradise Chronicle: Thank you for the article. Except for the research methodology (which allows a larger number of ants to be tracked than say traditional paint dots to identify ants), this phenomenon of age-based labour specialization is fairly well-known and already included in the article and we also have a separate entry at Polyethism. Similarly information flow in the colony is understood in its generics, but not really well understood except for obvious cases like the spread of alarm or food discovery information, and the journalistic comparison with Twitter is perhaps not scientific enough for inclusion. I have however taken your suggestion and added a link and introduction to age polyethism and noted the case of suicidal workers in Forelius. Shyamal (talk) 13:59, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
This marking and tracking methodology using QR codes and computer vision should probably go somewhere and I am fairly sure that some student of User:Agelaia will get to it sooner or later. Shyamal (talk) 14:13, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
Glad to hear, would be great to have a picture from the family album that can be free licensed by the heirs. Shyamal (talk) 02:23, 5 August 2023 (UTC)
Sure, happy to help. I've got a lot of the family photos via my dad/grandparents; I'll check this weekend for a good headshot-style photo. 73.9.140.171 (talk) 19:27, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
Hmmm, upon further reading, I think you may be right. There's multiple references in that source to "Charles Johnston" (with a "t"). RoySmith(talk)18:23, 11 August 2023 (UTC)
@Fabian Roudra Baroi: - Black drongo is a Good Article and it is a common bird with of photos available on Wikimedia Commons. Not every picture can be added to the English wikipedia article given the space available. If it is documenting some article text and adding encyclopaedic value, it also needs to be precise and truthful. We do have some very rare and questioned records of black drongo fishing etc. They more frequently will dip in water but a photograph is not easy to discover or document behaviour - a full video or a series of photos would help (in which one can determine whether it is fishing, merely dipping, picking food, or just flying low...). You noted in your caption "A black drongo hunting[sic] in a pond" - now if it is really fishing (hunting is a vague term), then it would be publishing worthy but you need to go the whole way and document the behaviour, identify the prey species, examine the scientific literature on the topic etc. Hope that clarifies the action. Shyamal (talk) 02:46, 17 August 2023 (UTC)
Thanks for clearing it up. As I love to take photographs beside ponds or rivers, I used to see them regularly hovering on the water. I wish I could make a video or a photo series, but I have some limitations because of the gears I use. This is the closest picture I managed to get. Hopefully, in the future, if I manage to get good gear, I'll definitely keep it in mind. Fabian Roudra Baroi (talk) 03:04, 17 August 2023 (UTC)
@Fabian Roudra Baroi: - just to confirm, it is not about the gear. There are zillions of photographers out there. What matters is care of observation and knowledge of the subject being documented. Shyamal (talk) 03:12, 19 August 2023 (UTC)
WikiProject Articles for creation is holding a month long Backlog Drive!
The goal of this drive is to reduce the backlog of unreviewed drafts to less than 2 months outstanding reviews from the current 4+ months. Bonus points will be given for reviewing drafts that have been waiting more than 30 days. The drive is running from 1 November 2023 through 30 November 2023.
The second edition of our monthly contest was even better than the last month, with 80 articles improved spanning the entire tree of life. The winner this month was Quetzal1964, who contributed to 47 articles, mainly relating to marine fish, and racked up 81 points in the process. In second place was simongraham, who got 60 points from 14 articles on various species of jumping spiders. simongraham is still at the top of our overall standings, with 130 points, and Quetzal1964's close behind on 108. The November edition of the contest is now open: feel free to drop by and participate if you work on any TOL-related articles this month.
October DYKs
Illustration of swordtail mollies
Lycorma meliae
Illustrations of the front foot (A) and hind foot (B) of Diplobune quercyi
... that the swordtail molly(examples pictured) and the Petén molly have been named and renamed so often, one even ending up with the other's name at one point, that the swordtail molly's current scientific name means 'confusion'? (October 8)
... that the early big cat Pachypanthera may have weighed as much as 142 kilograms (313 lb) and had teeth similar to a hyena's? (October 9)
... that ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon thought the alopekis was part dog, part fox? (October 11)
... that the wings of Lycorma meliae(example pictured) undergo multiple color changes throughout their lives? (October 16)
... that the three-toed species of Diplobune(fossils pictured) were mammals of the order of "even-toed ungulates"? (October 17)
... that although fossils of the extinct mammal Asiavorator were first found in 1922, the genus was not named until 73 years later, in 1995? (October 18)
... that in aquariums, the humpbacked limia is known to cannibalise the young? (October 21)
Following a motion, the contentious topic designation of Prem Rawat has been struck. Actions previously taken using this contentious topic designation are still in force.
Following several motions, multiple topic areas are no longer designated as a contentious topic. These contentious topic designations were from the Editor conduct in e-cigs articles, Liancourt Rocks, Longevity, Medicine, September 11 conspiracy theories, and Shakespeare authorship question cases.
Following a motion, remedies 3.1 (All related articles under 1RR whenever the dispute over naming is concerned), 6 (Stalemate resolution) and 30 (Administrative supervision) of the Macedonia 2 case have been rescinded.
Following a motion, remedy 6 (One-revert rule) of the The Troubles case has been amended.
An arbitration case named Industrial agriculture has been opened. Evidence submissions in this case close 8 November.
Miscellaneous
The Articles for Creation backlog drive is happening in November 2023, with 700+ drafts pending reviews for in the last 4 months or so. In addition to the AfC participants, all administrators and New Page Patrollers can conduct reviews using the helper script, Yet Another AFC Helper Script, which can be enabled in the Gadgets settings. Sign up here to participate!
Hey, I assume you found this article via my mention of it on WP:RX. I thought it was implicit that I was in the middle of a major edit, which will obviously conflict with yours. Much of what you said is already encompassed by my edits, including the sources. Can I have your consent to overwrite them? Anonymous23:38, 25 November 2023 (UTC)
Hello! Voting in the 2023 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 (UTC) on Monday, 11 December 2023. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once.
The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail.
As you say, it is a draft website. It would be good if you would just click a photo of the said board, and place it as an image in the article. Also, you may want to see COI. Thanks, User4edits (talk) 09:08, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Thank you for the suggestions, I am ok if someone finds the sources in the future. I am hardly interested in any form of promotion of that entry or related entries - despite a mild COI which I am aware of and declare on User:Shyamal/rambles - It is at about the same level of COI I have with science, so I am always happy if someone finds better or contrary claims or sources. Shyamal (talk) 09:28, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
And so ends the fourth edition of the monthly rolling contest, as well as the 2023 Tree of Life Contest as a whole. This month saw simongraham win with a very impressive 120 points from 27 articles. Quetzal1964 was second with 74 points from 37 articles. The annual contest was a close race between simongraham and Quetzal1964; simongraham won first place with 256 points from 64 articles, and Quetzal1964 was second with 250 points from 146 articles. Snoteleks was third with 79 points from 33 articles. Congratulations to everyone who won this year and my gratitude to everyone else who helped raise the quality of articles in our little corner of Wikipedia this year. Additionally, a very Happy New Year to everyone in the project and here's looking forward to continuing our good work in 2024!
... that the green colour of bofedales(examples pictured) stands out in the yellow surrounding landscape? (December 6)
... that Desulfovibrio vulgaris can remove toxic heavy metals from the environment? (December 8)
... that Varroa destructor(example pictured), the Varroa mite, is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees and is one of the most harmful honey-bee pests in the world? (December 11)
... that the Antarctic lichen Buellia frigida has been to outer space? (December 22)
... that the closest modern fern relatives to Dennstaedtia christophelii(fossil pictured) of the Pacific Northwest are tropical species from South America? (December 24)
... that in Icelandic folklore, the Yule cat eats people who do not receive new clothing for Christmas? (December 25)
Let me know what the best option for now would be. I assumed that iNaturalist having pushed it and the fact that it was a 3 year old paper without any published responses made it a legit change. Shyamal (talk) 02:18, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
I don't know. My inclination is to revert to lanata and explain the situation by citing the Code, but that probably runs afoul of the "no original research" prohibition. I've actually consulted with the Commission about this case; it is not unanimous agreement as to whether an application MUST be submitted, but there is no dispute that the Code says in the meantime, the junior homonym is to be maintained if it is in prevailing use. Prior to 2020, albiflos had not been used as a valid name since 1906, so lanata most definitely was in prevailing usage. It's a shame that iNat uncritically accepted the change in designation, as it makes it harder to prevent people from using albiflos. The last point is that with the next Code edition, the process of protecting primary junior homonyms will not require an application, and will allow for the resurrection of names incorrectly replaced - meaning that the name WILL become lanata again once the next Code edition comes out, and the more the name albiflos is promoted, the harder that transition back to lanata is going to be. But, WP is not a crystal ball. So, it's a quandary. Revert, or just leave an explanation on the talk page? Dyanega (talk) 18:14, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
The article will be discussed at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/V. B. Banjkowski until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. The nomination will explain the policies and guidelines which are of concern. The discussion focuses on high-quality evidence and our policies and guidelines.
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