User talk:SpeedReader/Archive 7

Archive 1

←

Archive 5

Archive 6

Archive 7

Archive 8

Archive 9

Archive 10

This week's article for improvement (week 44, 2014)

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the world's first national park Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: National park Previous selections: Ice hotel • Central America Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:04, 27 October 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 29 October 2014

• Featured content: Go West, young man
  

By the way, there is a monster at the end of this article

• In the media: Wikipedia a trusted source on Ebola; Wikipedia study labeled government waste; football biography goes viral
  

Noam Cohen reports in The New York Times (October 26) that Wikipedia's "Ebola Virus Disease article has had 17 million page views in the last month," an indication of the public's reliance on the online encyclopedia.

• Maps tagathon: Find 10,000 digitised maps this weekend
  

Rather than the usual WikiProject Report, this week our guest author Jheald is telling us about a campaign to identify thousands of old maps which have been digitised, to make them available for georeferencing and upload

• Traffic report: Ebola, Ultron, and Creepy Articles
  

Ebola virus disease leads the Report for the fourth straight week. The rest of the list is primarily a mix of pop culture topics, including movie Avengers: Age of Ultron (#4) whose trailer was leaked early, and the death of Oscar de la Renta (#7). A BuzzFeed article on creepy Wikipedia articles, no doubt well-timed with Halloween (#9) around the corner, was responsible for three articles in the Top 25, including June and Jennifer Gibbons (#10), Taman Shud Case (#17), Joyce Vincent (#25). And the internet-run-amok controversy of Gamergate cracked the Top 25 for the first time at #19.

• Recent research: Informed consent and privacy; newsmaking on Wikipedia; Wikipedia and organizational theories
  

In new research conducted in light of proposed changes to data protection legislation in the European Union (EU), authors Bart Custers, Simone van der Hof, and Bart Schermer conducted a comparative analysis of social media and user-generated content websites’ privacy policies along with a user survey (N=8,621 in 26 countries) and interviews in 13 different EU countries on awareness, values, and attitudes toward privacy online.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 16:29, 31 October 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 45, 2014)

A pizza is an oven-baked flat bread typically topped with tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Pizza Previous selections: National park • Ice hotel Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:23, 3 November 2014 (UTC) •

WikiCup 2014: The results

The 2014 WikiCup champion is Godot13 (submissions), who flew the flag of the Smithsonian Institution. This was Godot13's first WikiCup competition and, over the 10 months of the competition, he has produced (among other contributions) two featured lists and an incredible 292 featured pictures, including architectural photographs and scans of historical documents. Cwmhiraeth (submissions), 2012 and 2013 WikiCup champion, came in second, having written a large number of biology-related articles. Casliber (submissions), WikiCup finalist every year since 2010, finished in third.

A full list of our prize-winners follows:

• Godot13 (submissions) wins the prize for first place and the FP prize for 181 featured pictures in the final round.
• Cwmhiraeth (submissions) wins the prize for second place and the DYK prize for 65 did you knows in the final round.
• Casliber (submissions) wins the prize for third place and the FA prize for four featured articles in the final round.
• Czar (submissions) wins the prize for fourth place
• Sturmvogel 66 (submissions) wins a final 8 prize.
• Bloom6132 (submissions) wins a final 8 prize.
• 12george1 (submissions) wins a final 8 prize.
• ChrisGualtieri (submissions) wins the GA prize for 27 good articles in round 2 and the review prize for 28 good article reviews in round 1.
• Caponer (submissions) wins the FL prize for three featured lists in round 2.
• Sven Manguard (submissions) wins the FPo prize his work on featured portals.
• Figureskatingfan (submissions) wins the topic prize for a nine-article featured topic in round 3.
• ThaddeusB (submissions) wins the news prize for 28 in the news articles in round 3.

Congratulations to everyone who has been successful in this year's WikiCup, whether you made it to the final rounds or not, and a particular congratulations to the newcomers to the WikiCup who have participated this year. We warmly invite all of you to sign up for next year's competition. Discussions and polls concerning potential rules changes are also open, and all are welcome to participate. The WikiCup judges will be back in touch over the coming months, and we hope to see you all in the 2014 competition. Until then, it only remains to once again congratulate our worthy winners, and thank all participants for their involvement! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk · contribs) The ed17 (talk · contribs) and Miyagawa (talk · contribs) 22:52, 4 November 2014 (UTC)

The Signpost: 05 November 2014

• In the media: Predicting the flu, MH17 conspiracy theories
  

"Rachel Feltman, in The Washington Post (November 4), examined research in which a team, mostly from Los Alamos National Laboratory, headed by Kyle Hickman developed a model that enabled them "to successfully predict the 2013-2014 flu season in real time" by employing "an algorithm to link flu-related Wikipedia searches with CDC data from the same time." Apparently when individuals search for information about the flu and its symptoms in Wikipedia when they feel ill, this generates data useful in forecasting the the flu season."

• Traffic report: Sweet dreams on Halloween
  

"It is, perhaps, ironic that humanity chose the week of Halloween to finally put its fears to bed. Let's face it: 2014 has been a year of tragedies, conflicts, plagues and pain, and eventually something had to break... Whether we at last came to terms with our limited ability to affect events, shoved those events under the carpet, or just decided to let go and move on, we turned our eye to more positive things, such as sports heroes, hotly anticipated movies, and lifelong learning; two Google doodles appeared in the top 25 for the first time since the beginning of August."

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 22:01, 6 November 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 46, 2014)

Sleeping is part of everyday life Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Everyday life Previous selections: Pizza • National park Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:16, 10 November 2014 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 47, 2014)

Military aviation and missile guidance are examples of modern military technology. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Military technology Previous selections: Everyday life • Pizza Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:18, 17 November 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 12 November 2014

• In the media: Amazon Echo; EU freedom of panorama; Bluebeard's Castle
  

"Technology media outlets are abuzz after the November 6 unveiling of the Amazon Echo, an Internet-connected voice command device"; "The EUobserver talks (November 4) with Dimitar Dimitrov (User:Dimi z) about the lack of freedom of panorama in some European Union countries and its implications for Wikimedia projects"; "Scott Cantrell, classical music critic for the Dallas Morning News, recounts efforts to verify an uncited claim in the Wikipedia article for the Béla Bartók opera Bluebeard's Castle."

• Traffic report: Holidays, anyone?
  

This was very much a week dominated by holidays and pop culture over current events, with new film Interstellar taking the top spot followed by holidays Day of the Dead (#2), Guy Fawkes and his Night (#4 and #5), and Halloween (#8, and its third week on the list). And a foursome of television shows, all return visitors, appear to setting up residence on the greater Top 25: The Walking Dead (#11), American Horror Story: Freak Show (#14), Gotham (#16), and The Flash (#18).

• Featured content: Wikipedia goes to church in Lithuania
  

Nine articles, two lists, and 55 featured pictures were promoted during the week of 26 October.

• WikiProject report: Talking hospitals
  

We return to our interview format this week, speaking with the participants of WikiProject Hospitals. This project, formed in 2010, has no Featured content and only three Good articles, yet aided by around 30 hard-working Wikipedians covers a topic that is essential to life.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 02:45, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 48, 2014)

A beach on the island of San Andrés, a tourist destination in the Caribbean Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Tourism in the Caribbean Previous selections: Military technology • Everyday life Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:38, 24 November 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 26 November 2014

• Featured content: Orbital Science: Now you're thinking with explosions
  

Four articles, four lists, eleven pictures, and one topic were promoted.

• In the media: A Russian alternative Wikipedia; Who's your grandfather?; ArtAndFeminism
  

Numerous media outlets are reporting on a November 14 statement on the website of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library announcing the formation of a Russian "alternative" to Wikipedia, a "regional electronic encyclopedia" dedicated to "Russian regions and the life of the country".

• Recent research: Gender gap and skills gap; academic citations on the rise; European food cultures
  

The monthly roundup of research related to Wikimedia.

• WikiProject report: Back with the military historians
  

It's time for this year's edition of the Report looking at possibly our largest wikiproject: Military history. Since our last interview in June 2013, the project has had no break in its huge quest to document everything in their scope, that is, militaries and conflicts of the past. As usual, its participants were eager to answer the questions posed by The Signpost and update us on how they are doing.

• Traffic report: Big in Japan
  

Often times in popular culture, a subject will be quite popular among a distinct niche of people or region of the world, but little-known elsewhere -- like a musical artist that is boasted to be "big in Japan". The Traffic Report provides a bevy of examples this week.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 21:22, 28 November 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 49, 2014)

The Mexico–United States border spans six Mexican states and four U.S. states, with a total length of 3,145 km (1,954 mi). Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Mexico–United States border Previous selections: Tourism in the Caribbean • Military technology Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:36, 1 December 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 03 December 2014

• Op-ed: Who edits health-related content on Wikipedia and why?
  

.

• In the media: Embroidery and cheese
  

.

• Featured content: ABCD: Any Body Can Dance!
  

.

• Traffic report: Turkey and a movie
  

.

• WikiProject report: Today on the island
  

.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 21:30, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

WikiCup 2015 is just around the corner...

Hello everyone, and may we wish you all a happy holiday season. As you will probably already know, the 2015 WikiCup begins in the new year; there is still time to sign up. We have a few important announcements concerning the future of the WikiCup.

• We would like to announce that Josh (J Milburn) and Ed (The ed17), who have been WikiCup judges since 2009 and 2010 respectively, are stepping down. This decision has been made for a number of reasons, but the main one is time. Both Josh and Ed have found that, over the previous year, they have been unable to devote the time necessary to the WikiCup, and it is not likely that they will be able to do this in the near future. Furthermore, new people at the helm can only help to invigorate the WikiCup and keep it dynamic. Josh and Ed will still be around, and will likely be participating in the Cup this following year as competitors, which is where both started out.
• In a similar vein, we hope you will all join us in welcoming Jason (Sturmvogel 66) and Christine (Figureskatingfan), who are joining Brian (Miyagawa) to form the 2015 WikiCup judging team. Jason is a WikiCup veteran, having won in 2010 and finishing in fifth this year. Christine has participated in two WikiCups, reaching the semi-finals in both, and is responsible for the GA Cup, which she now co-runs.
• The discussions/polls concerning the next competition's rules will be closed soon, and rules changes will be made clear on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring and talk pages. While it may be impossible to please everyone, the judges will make every effort to ensure that the new rules are both fair and in the best interests of the competition, which is, first and foremost, about improving Wikipedia.

If you have any questions or concerns, the judges can be reached on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, on their talk pages, or by email. We hope you will all join us in trying to make the 2015 WikiCup the most productive and enjoyable yet. You are receiving this message because you are listed on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk), The ed17 (talk), Miyagawa (talk), Sturmvogel 66 (talk) and Figureskatingfan (talk) 18:54, 7 December 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 50, 2014)

Game design is the art of creating rules and mechanics to facilitate interactions between players in a game. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Game design Previous selections: Mexico–United States border • Tourism in the Caribbean Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 10 December 2014

• Op-ed: It's GLAM up North!
  

.

• In the media: Wikipedia is "a rancorous, sexist, elitist, stupidly bureaucratic mess"
  

.

• Traffic report: Dead Black Men and Science Fiction
  

.

• Featured content: Honour him, love and obey? Good idea with military leaders.
  

.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 04:50, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 51, 2014)

A plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Spaghetti Previous selections: Game design • Mexico–United States border Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:22, 15 December 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 17 December 2014

• Arbitration report: Arbitration Committee election results
  

.

• Featured content: Tripping hither, tripping thither, Nobody knows why or whither; We must dance and we must sing, Round about our fairy ring!
  

.

• In the media: Wikipedia's year in review video; Checking in with Wikipedia's founders
  

.

• Traffic report: A December Lull
  

.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 10:07, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 52, 2014)

An aurora is a natural phenomenon. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Natural phenomenon Previous selections: Spaghetti • Game design Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:08, 22 December 2014 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 24 December 2014

• From the editor: Looking for new editors-in-chief
  

.

• In the media: Wales on GamerGate
  

.

• Featured content: Still quoting Iolanthe, apparently.
  

.

• WikiProject report: Microsoft does The Signpost
  

.

• Traffic report: North Korea is not pleased
  

.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 02:25, 25 December 2014 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 1, 2015)

The skyline of Frankfurt, Germany Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Skyline Previous selections: Natural phenomenon • Spaghetti Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:18, 29 December 2014 (UTC) •

WikiCup 2015 launch newsletter

Round one of the 2015 WikiCup has begun! So far we've had around 80 signups, which close on February 5. If you have not already signed up and want to do so, then you can add your name here. There have been changes to to several of the points scores for various categories, and the addition of Peer Reviews for the first time. These will work in the same manner as Good Article Reviews, and all of the changes are summarised here.

Remember that only the top 64 scoring competitors will make it through to the second round, and one of the new changes this year is that all scores must be claimed within two weeks of an article's promotion or appearance, so don't forget to add them to your submissions pages! If you are concerned that your nomination will not receive the necessary reviews, and you hope to get it promoted before the end of the round, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. However, please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAN, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs which could otherwise be caused by the Cup. As ever, questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup and the judges are reachable on their talk pages. Good luck! Figureskatingfan (talk · contribs), Miyagawa (talk · contribs) and Sturmvogel 66 (talk · contribs)
If you wish to opt-out of future mailings, please remove yourself from the mailing list or alternatively to opt-out of all massmessage mailings, you may add Category:Opted-out of message delivery to your user talk page. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 20:51, 2 January 2015 (UTC)

The Signpost: 31 December 2014

• News and notes: The next big step for Wikidata—forming a hub for researchers
  

Wikidata, Wikimedia's free linked database that supplies Wikipedia and its sister projects, is gearing up to submit a grant application to the EU that would expand Wikidata's scope by developing it as a science hub. The proposal, supported by more than 25 volunteers and half a dozen European institutions as project partners, aims to create a virtual research environment (VRE) that will enhance the project's capacity for freely sharing scientific data.

• In the media: Study tour controversy; class tackles the gender gap
  

A "study tour" by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation for the purpose of researching development projects has been the subject of much controversy and criticism in the Indian press... The Indian Express described a government report about the trip as having copied extensively from the Wikipedia articles for Port Blair and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

• Traffic report: Surfin' the Yuletide
  

Unlike last year, Wikipedia viewers seem to have embraced the Christmas spirit, with three topics in the top 10 (and eight in the top 25) focused on the holiday season.

• Op-ed: My issues with the Wiki Education Foundation
  

Chris Troutman has been a campus ambassador for six classes in the Los Angeles area over the past four consecutive semesters. He is currently a Wikipedia Visiting Scholar at University of California, Riverside.

• Featured content: A bit fruity
  

Three articles, three lists, fifteen pictures, and one topic were promoted.

• Recent research: Wikipedia in higher education; gender-driven talk page conflicts; disease forecasting
  

A paper titled "Factors that influence the teaching use of Wikipedia in Higher Education" uses the technology acceptance model to shed light on faculty's (of Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) views of Wikipedia as a teaching tool.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 22:10, 2 January 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 2, 2015)

Dishwashing liquid is a detergent used in dishwashing Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Dishwashing liquid Previous selections: Skyline • Natural phenomenon Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:18, 5 January 2015 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 07 January 2015

• In the media: ISIL propaganda video; AirAsia complaints
  

ISIL hostage quotes Wikipedia in propaganda video; AirAsia articles draw complaints regarding Flight 8501; Article errors reveal US political approaches to Wikipedia editing; Rhode Island Governor numbering debate

• Interview: Interview with Jakob, one of Wikipedia's more prolific waterway contributors
  

User:Jakec has been a Wikipedia editor for over two years and has been a writer of many recent Did you know articles on Wikipedia, including multiple articles on rivers and streams in the state of Pennsylvania.

• Featured content: Kock up
  

Two lists and twelve pictures were promoted.

• Traffic report: Auld Lang Syne
  

We end 2014 and and start 2015 with the normal array of year-end activities, including movie watching with Bollywood film PK (#1) topping the list, followed by The Interview (#2), 2014 in film (#10), and five other films in the rest of the Top 25, plus a number of articles about the subjects of these films. We celebrated the New Year by singing "Auld Lang Syne" (#11), or perhaps watching Adam Lambert (#9) perform with Queen. But we could not avoid a final tragedy with the crash of Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 (#4) on December 28.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 20:39, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 3, 2015)

The history of Mongolia includes the foundation, expansion, and fragmentation of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: History of Mongolia Previous selections: Dishwashing liquid • Skyline Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:09, 12 January 2015 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 14 January 2015

• Op-ed: Articles for creation needs you
  

Ever since the Wikipedia Seigenthaler biography incident in 2005 triggered the restriction against un-registered editors creating new pages, WikiProject Articles for creation (AfC) has stood in the breach. The WikiProject's purpose is to review draft submissions from IPs (and frequently new registered editors) to sort the wheat from the chaff.

• WikiProject report: Articles for creation: the inside story
  

This anniversary issue, the WikiProject report is returning to WikiProject Articles for creation for one of our largest interviews ever. Last looked at in 2011, AfC is the method used by unregistered or new users to create articles, and provides an effective filtering system to remove all unsuitable or unsourced submissions to save them needing to be found and deleted later.

• News and notes: Erasmus Prize recognizes the global Wikipedia community
  

On the fourteenth anniversary of the founding of the English Wikipedia, the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation has announced that its prestigious annual Erasmus Prize will be awarded to the worldwide community that has built Wikipedia.

• In the media: Wikipedia's birthday brings tributes, app, award; Castro death rumors
  

Wikipedia turned 14 on January 15. A few media outlets took note of the anniversary.

• Featured content: Citations are needed
  

Six featured articles, five featured lists, and sixteen featured pictures were promoted this week.

• Traffic report: Wikipédia sommes Charlie
  

It's a grim certainty what topic most interested Wikipedia viewers this week. The horrific attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine have drawn anger and resolve from around the world, and also the attention of an English-speaking world that had previously never heard of it.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 19:27, 16 January 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 4, 2015)

An example of prose, a type of writing that simulates the natural flow of language Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Prose Previous selections: History of Mongolia • Dishwashing liquid Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:22, 19 January 2015 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 21 January 2015

• From the editor: Introducing your new editors-in-chief
  

A letter from departing Signpost editor-in-chief The ed17.

• Anniversary: A decade of the Signpost
  

Celebrating and remembering ten years of community journalism.

• Interview: WWII veteran honors shipmates through Wikipedia editing
  

Over seventy years ago, the US destroyer Mahan was patrolling off Ponson Island in the Philippines when eleven Japanese kamikaze aircraft appeared over the horizon and attacked. George Pendergast, who edits Wikipedia with the username Pendright, was eighteen years old when he joined Mahan '​s crew in April 1944.

• News and notes: Annual report released; Wikimania; steward elections
  

The municipality of Esino Lario in Italy will host Wikimania 2016.

• Op-ed: Let's make WikiProjects better
  

Our contributor opines that WikiProjects are failing to live up to their potential. WikiProject X is a new project funded by a Wikimedia Foundation Individual Engagement Grant that focuses on figuring out what makes some WikiProjects work and not others.

• In the media: Johann Hari; bandishes and delicate flowers
  

Quotes from Jimbo on Wikipedia in education; net neutrality; preserving musical heritage; Wikipedia in audio; a cheerful vandal credits high school with papal visitations.

• Featured content: Yachts, marmots, boat races, and a rocket engineer who attempted to birth a goddess
  

Nine articles, one list, and ten pictures were promoted.

• Arbitration report: As one door closes, a (Gamer)Gate opens
  

ArbCom's three open cases are GamerGate, Wifione, and Christianity and sexuality.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 10:13, 22 January 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 5, 2015)

The opening of the Beethoven Symphony No. 5, a famous symphony. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Symphony Previous selections: Prose • History of Mongolia Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:33, 26 January 2015 (UTC) •

The Signpost: 28 January 2015

• From the editor: An editorial board that includes you
  

The editorial board is not complete without you. We are looking for Wikipedians with all kinds of experience levels.

• In focus: Thirteen editors sanctioned in mammoth GamerGate arbitration case
  

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.

• In the media: A murderous week for Wikipedia
  

A murder suspect edits Wikipedia, Russia is kidding when it says it wants to censor Wikipedia.

• Forum: Evaluating the Arbitration Committee's handling of GamerGate
  

Does the committee facilitate stability... or is it a circus. Two users, two perspectives.

• Traffic report: A sea of faces
  

It is pretty clear what the theme is this week: people.

• Recent research: Bot writes about theatre plays; "Renaissance editors" create better content
  

A paper presented at the International Conference on Pattern Recognition last year presents an automated method to improve Wikipedia's coverage of theatre plays.

• Special report: Traffic in the fog—most-viewed articles of 2014 include death, Facebook, and Ebola
  

As with last year, music stars were the majority of celebrities on the list, as their frequent concerts and media appearances keep their flames alight longer than others of their stripe.

• Featured content: Like Jack Kerouac's On The Road, this week's issue was written on amphetamines
  

Ten featured articles, three featured lists, and 22 featured images were promoted this week.

• Read this Signpost in full
• Single-page
• Unsubscribe
• MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 23:14, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 6, 2015)

Freeze dried coffee, an example of the application of food science Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Food science Previous selections: Symphony • Prose Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:29, 2 February 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 7, 2015)

Empire Field, stadium made with temporary structures, cheaper than permanent. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Stadium Previous selections: Food science • Symphony Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:16, 9 February 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 8, 2015)

A Sicilian ice cream parlour Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Ice cream parlour Previous selections: Stadium • Food science Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:27, 16 February 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 9, 2015)

Trailer Trash is a US derogatory term for poor people living in trailers or caravans. It appears that these trailer trash happen to live on a trailer park. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Trailer Trash Previous selections: Ice cream parlour • Stadium Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:55, 23 February 2015 (UTC) •

WikiCup 2015 March newsletter

One of several of Godot13's quality submissions during round 1

That's it, the first round is done, sign-ups are closed and we're into round 2. 64 competitors made it into this round, and are now broken into eight groups of eight. The top two of each group will go through to round 3, and then the top scoring 16 "wildcards" across all groups. Round 1 saw some interesting work on some very important articles, with the round leader Freikorp (submissions) owing most of his 622 points scored to a Featured Article on the 2001 film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within which qualified for a times-two multiplier. This is a higher score than in previous years, as Godot13 (submissions) had 500 points in 2014 at the end of round 1, and our very own judge, Sturmvogel_66 (submissions) led round 1 with 601 points in 2013.

In addition to Freikorp's work, some other important articles and pictures were improved during round one, here's a snapshot of a few of them:

• Cwmhiraeth (submissions) took Bumblebee, a level-4 vital article, to Good Article;
• AHeneen (submissions) worked-up the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 article, also to Good Article status;
• Rodw (submissions) developed an extremely timely article to Good Article, taking Magna Carta there some 800 years after it was first sealed;
• And last but not least, Godot13 (submissions) (FP bonus points) worked up a number of Featured Pictures during round 1, including the 1948 one Deutsche Mark (pictured right), receiving the maximum bonus due to the number of Wikis that the related article appears in.

You may also wish to know that The Core Contest is running through the month of March. Head there for further details - they even have actual prizes!

If you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. Figureskatingfan (talk · contribs · email), Miyagawa (talk · contribs · email) and Sturmvogel 66 (talk · contribs · email)

Thanks for your assistance! Miyagawa (talk) on behalf of Wikipedia:WikiCup.

(Opt-out Instructions) This message was send by Jim Carter through MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 04:55, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 10, 2015)

There are many backup dancers accompanying the dances of the main dancer. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Backup dancer Previous selections: Trailer Trash • Ice cream parlour Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:58, 2 March 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 11, 2015)

Turkish cuisine Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Cuisine Previous selections: Backup dancer • Trailer Trash Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:26, 9 March 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 12, 2015)

An Afghan dinner Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Dinner Previous selections: Cuisine • Backup dancer Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 03:26, 16 March 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 13, 2015)

A antagonist is a character, group of characters, institution, or concept that stands in, or represents, opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Antagonist Previous selections: Dinner • Cuisine Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:06, 23 March 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 14, 2015)

A man garbage picking through a skip (dumpster) Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Garbage picking Previous selections: Antagonist • Dinner Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:08, 30 March 2015 (UTC) •

Today's articles for improvement

• Hello SpeedReader:

This week's voting for TAFI's upcoming weekly collaboration has begun at Week 18 of 2015. Thanks for participating!

Sent by User:Northamerica1000 using MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 04:26, 5 April 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 15, 2015)

The wheel is one of the most famous and useful inventions in the history of technology Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: History of technology Previous selections: Garbage picking • Antagonist Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:14, 6 April 2015 (UTC) •

Today's articles for improvement

• Hello SpeedReader:

This week's voting for TAFI's upcoming weekly collaboration has begun at Week 19 of 2015. Thanks for participating!

Sent by User:Northamerica1000 on 12:00, 12 April 2015 (UTC) using Mass message sender.

This week's article for improvement (week 16, 2015)

A saxophone is an example of an aerophone. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Aerophone Previous selections: History of technology • Garbage picking Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 01:25, 13 April 2015 (UTC) •

This week's article for improvement (week 17, 2015)

A satellite image demonstrating the Geography of Niger Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Geography of Niger Previous selections: Aerophone • History of technology Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:08, 20 April 2015 (UTC) •

Today's articles for improvement

• Hello SpeedReader:

This week's voting for TAFI's upcoming weekly collaboration has begun at Week 21 of 2015. Thanks for participating!

Sent by Northamerica1000 using mass messaging on 00:43, 26 April 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 18, 2015)

Hydroelectric dams use hydropower to generate electricity Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Hydropower Previous selections: Geography of Niger • Aerophone Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Posted by: MediaWiki message delivery (talk) on behalf of EuroCarGT (talk) 00:08, 27 April 2015 (UTC) •

Today's articles for improvement

• Hello SpeedReader:

This week's voting for TAFI's upcoming weekly collaboration has begun at Week 22 of 2015. Thanks for participating!

Sent by Northamerica1000 using mass messaging on 05:12, 3 May 2015 (UTC)

This week's article for improvement (week 31, 2025)

An example of home appliances is this washing machine and clothes dryer combination. Hello, SpeedReader. The following is WikiProject Today's articles for improvement's weekly selection: Home appliance Previous selections: Hydropower • Geography of Niger Get involved with the TAFI project! You can... Nominate an article Review nominations Have your say in future selections Sent by Northamerica1000 using mass messaging on 00:33, 4 May 2015 (UTC) •