User:Kyle Barbour/About
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[edit] Who the hell am I? Why am I here? What do I do here?
I'm a humble San Franciscan editor by the name of Kyle Barbour, and as of May 4, 2006, administrator #901, having been here since May 25, 2004. Please feel free to ask me for help: that's one of the things I'm here for. I used to be known as Snoutwood and Blackcap: if you like one of those better you're certainly welcome to call me that, instead.
I'm here because I like to be of service to things that I use. (Also because of this phenomenon.) Apart from that, I genuinely like Wikipedia. I enjoy editing here, and I'm modestly proud of having contributed to a project which is used and is helpful to a massive number of people.
I spend a lot of my time at Wikipedia:Repair shop and Wikipedia:Requested moves. If you have any move-related issues, please don't hesitate to contact me about them, as I suppose that that is my area of Wikipedia expertise. I've done a fair amount of maintenance work, and I'm currently enjoying writing more in the main articlespace, something that I haven't done as much of. If you'd like to see some of the things I've done, you can take a gander at this page, or peruse my contribs.
I am open to recall. This is a delicate topic, which requires thought and consideration, and I intend to give my more complete thoughts in User:Kyle Barbour/Adminship when I complete that page. In short, I believe that the community should and does have the right to elect determine whether or not a user should be an administrator even after they have granted that user that privilege. However, I do very much understand the concerns raised on all sides about the downsides of recall, and so haven't added myself into that category both out of respect for that and due to my belief that the community's right to determine who shall hold administrative privileges should be an obvious thing, and not something requiring a list of those who will abide by community opinion.
[edit] Who the hell am I, really?
Well, that's hard to say. Here are some of the hats I've worn:
- A child, a teenager, a man.
- A student, a learner, and a teacher.
- A player of rugby, of soccer, of football, of hurling.
- A backpacker, a climber, a hiker, an outdoorsman.
- A musician, a composer, a singer, a guitarist.
- A crooner to women.
- A Potentate of the Rose.
- A volunteer, a relief worker, a helper, a healer.
- A construction worker, a forester, a logger, a gardener, a housepainter, a grunt.
With luck, that answers your question. Hope to hear from you...
[edit] Wikipinions
I find it euphemistic and thus frustrating when people say "didn't reach consensus" or something similar, when in fact what they mean is "my proposal/nomination/article/thing I liked or supported failed/was voted down/was ignored." "No consensus" means one thing and one thing only: that there is a split of opinion, the sides of which are mutually exclusive, and that the conflict hasn't or can't be resolved. Don't use it for anything else.
Euphemisms are lies. Don't use them, ever. That goes for articles too, by the way. The most offensive phrase in an encyclopedia (or any other source of information or knowledge) isn't the vulgar one, it's the one that blushes.
I'm a fan of discussion on RfAs (and elsewhere, generally). Voting is not always evil, but we haven't yet reached that point on RfA, I think. Discussion about supports and opposes do nothing but help others decide much of the time; and I feel that if you're that threatened by someone questioning your vote then you shouldn't've cast it in the first place.
Defend each other from personal attacks. Let them go for yourself. This is a Good Thing. Once upon a time this community was small and we took care of each other. I'd like to see that here again. As Kyorosuke says in his wisdom: Attention! We need more happiness around here. If you can make someone laugh, even a little, you've improved the Wikipedia community. Don't just be civil, be forward. Congratulate people when they do a good job, no matter what it is. Too many people have left Wikipedia. Let's not let the rest go, too. To put it another way: Wikipedia should be fun. Help keep it that way by being kind, helpful, and protective of your fellow encyclopedia-writing comrades.
And, as always, bring back the classic skin!
[edit] A question, for anyone who can tackle it
A few years ago, my uncle mentioned to me a science fiction short story/novel he had read when he was younger about a world where time has become money. A worker's wages are in hours added to his life, he buys his groceries with minutes removed, and beggars beg for just "one minute, a few seconds." Upon using all of one's time, a man is then killed. He couldn't remember the name of the book or the author, however. I thought I had it when I found Repent, Harlequin! said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison, but was mistaken. I'd love it if anyone knows the book and could tell me something about it, just e-mail me or drop me a line on my talk page and I would be very grateful.
Update: It's been found! The short story is called, sensibly, Time is Money, and was written by Lee Falk of Phantom fame. The story was printed in the December 1975 issue of Playboy magazine, and may be found here.
[edit] And, a command
Go read A Short History of Nearly Everything. I mean it. Stop what you're doing, quit reading anything else, and begin. You won't regret it. That and The Revenge of the Lawn, and you'll be O.K.
[edit] Worthy of note to those of a logical/scientific/debating bent
- Scientific method: Critical to any search for reality.
- Logical fallacies: Learn them and avoid them.
- Double-blind test: The best way to test anything accurately.
- Occam's Razor: Important to stave off pseudoscience, the New Age, and all other silliness.
- Cherry picking: Always put forth the opposing view: you never know, it may be right.
- Godwin's Law: A good and humourous rule of thumb for debaters.
- Sturgeon's Law: Another bit of humor for those who get too serious.
[edit] Other Wikimedia projects
I have a test account here on en:, which is User:Snout, and I used to be known as User:Snoutwood, User:Blackcap, and User:Esquire (the latter, far before anyone had any idea who I was). Note that the log for Snoutwood has some relevant material in it, including my +sysop flag.
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