User talk:Newyorkbrad/Archive/2017/Sep

A citation and a question

See Judge Posner's dissenting opinion in this case, page 19. This is a criminal fraud case. Note Posner's citation in the opinion to our article Bernard Madoff#size of loss to investors.

Posner writes that allowing the prosecutor to compare the defendant in this case to Madoff "was like comparing Judge Pratt to Pontius Pilate." Question for TPWs: Who the heck was Judge Pratt? Thanks, Newyorkbrad (talk) 18:58, 30 August 2017 (UTC)

The first page of the above PDF mentions a “Tanya Walton Pratt, Judge”. I’m not familiar with the format of such documents, but I guess she presided over the original case, thus was also the referent of “the judge” elsewhere in the dissenting opinion.—Odysseus1479 19:50, 30 August 2017 (UTC)

@Odysseus1479: Yes, that's clearly the explanation and I shouldn't have missed it. Substantively, it's rather a surprising content, but I'll save the reference for a footnote in the article I'm working on about Judge Posner's new book. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 00:08, 31 August 2017 (UTC)

FYI to anyone who cares, Posner announced today that he is retiring. I don't think it was because of this thread. End of an era, for certain. Newyorkbrad (talk) 21:22, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

September 27: WikiWednesday Salon / Wikimedia NYC Annual Meeting

Wednesday September 27, 7pm: WikiWednesday Salon / Wikimedia NYC Annual Meeting

You are invited to join the Wikimedia NYC community for our monthly "WikiWednesday" evening salon (7-9pm) and knowledge-sharing workshop at Babycastles gallery by 14th Street / Union Square in Manhattan. This month will also feature on our agenda, upcoming editathons, the organization's Annual Meeting, and Chapter board elections. We will include a look at the organization and planning for our chapter, and expanding volunteer roles for both regular Wikipedia editors and new participants. We will also follow up on plans for recent and upcoming edit-a-thons, museum and library projects, education initiatives, and other outreach activities. We welcome the participation of our friends from the Free Culture movement and from all educational and cultural institutions interested in developing free knowledge projects. After the main meeting, pizza/chicken/vegetables and refreshments and video games in the gallery! Wednesday September 27 WikiWednesday Salon / Wikimedia NYC Annual Meeting (RSVP on-wiki or at meetup.com). 7:00pm - 9:00 pm at Babycastles gallery, 145 West 14th Street (note the new address, a couple of doors down from the former Babycastles location) We especially encourage folks to add your 5-minute lightning talks to our roster, and otherwise join in the "open space" experience! Newcomers are very welcome! Bring your friends and colleagues! --Pharos (talk) 00:42, 13 September 2017 (UTC)

• P.S. On the weekend before the annual meeting, you can join: Action=History @ Ace Hotel (Sunday, September 24, 2017)

(You can subscribe/unsubscribe from future notifications for NYC-area events by adding or removing your name from this list.)

Invitation to Admin confidence survey

Hello,

Beginning in September 2017, the Wikimedia Foundation Anti-harassment tool team will be conducting a survey to gauge how well tools, training, and information exists to assist English Wikipedia administrators in recognizing and mitigating things like sockpuppetry, vandalism, and harassment.

The survey should only take 5 minutes, and your individual response will not be made public. This survey will be integral for our team to determine how to better support administrators.

To take the survey sign up here and we will send you a link to the form.

We really appreciate your input!

Please let us know if you wish to opt-out of all massmessage mailings from the Anti-harassment tools team.

For the Anti-harassment tools team, SPoore (WMF), Community Advocate, Community health initiative (talk) 20:56, 14 September 2017 (UTC)

Photo request

Hello Newyorkbrad. I am having trouble finding a picture of the Good Defeats Evil statue that can be used in Wikipedia. Is it perhaps possible that you could take some pictures of this and upload them to Commons, or maybe know someone who can? Thanks for considering this request, and for the many things you do for the betterment of our project.--John Cline (talk) 11:14, 31 August 2017 (UTC)

@John Cline: I have no photographic abilities, but I'll mention your request at our next New York chapter meet-up, and I expect that someone will be able to help out. @Pharos and Becksguy: any suggestions who might be able to help with this? Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 21:21, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

Jim.henderson is certainly our go-to photographer, but Commons I'm afraid isn't friendly to 1990 works of art, and unfortunately freedom of panorama doesn't even exist for sculptures in the United States. We could take and use a photo under fair use, if it was for an article directly about the artwork.--Pharos (talk) 21:42, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

(edit conflict) (talk page stalker) I don’t think such a photo would be eligible for upload to Commons, as it would be a derivative of copyrighted artwork. Since the USA doesn’t have freedom of panorama for sculptures (only for buildings AFAIK), likewise Russia (in case that’s relevant), it would have to be uploaded locally under a WP:FUR.—Odysseus1479 21:49, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

• Thank you Odysseus1479 and Pharos. Regarding freedom of panorama, I am curious that this exception would not allow for the photographic reproduction and display of the Good Defeats Evil statue?--John Cline (talk) 04:34, 14 September 2017 (UTC)

@John Cline: that page is about the UK; most Commonwealth countries, among others, have similar exceptions for public sculpture. But these are far from universal; see the Freedom of Panorama page on Commons, which includes notes on FoP laws by country, a couple of maps, and a summary table of what exceptions are made where.—Odysseus1479 23:13, 17 September 2017 (UTC)

Nothing

• Nothing can replace Brad. EEng 19:16, 18 September 2017 (UTC) I stole this from Atsme.

RfC notices

Do reply to my comments so that I know that I can go ahead and keep advertising the RfC (or a new one) at WikiProjects and will not be blocked for it by you. Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 02:52, 19 September 2017 (UTC) Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 03:01, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

Today's Wikipedian 10 years ago

Awesome

Ten years!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:36, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

Proposed addition to WP:BLP

Hi. I'd like to add a subsection to the WP:BLP page, and would like to solicit the opinions of editors who have been involved with it. Can you offer your thoughts here? Thanks. Nightscream (talk) 15:45, 24 September 2017 (UTC)

@Nightscream: I agree with the thrust of your comments and it looks like some others do as well. Please let me know if the discussion resumes and I'll try to comment there. Thank you, Newyorkbrad (talk) 13:25, 29 September 2017 (UTC)

Dubious image?

A relatively new editor has been adding a number of photos of living celebrities to WP as "own work", but I think he may believe that if he uploads something, it is his own work. What do you think of this, for example? -- Ssilvers (talk) 08:43, 29 September 2017 (UTC)

(talk page stalker) Ssilvers, the editor in your diff was not the uploader. This is the uploader. You're right about the dubious image, though. It's a clear copyright violation, as are all the images uploaded by that person. I have nominated them all for speedy deletion on Commons. Voceditenore (talk) 10:44, 29 September 2017 (UTC)

Voceditenore| seems to have this covered. Thank you. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 13:24, 29 September 2017 (UTC)

Thank you both, although I would be surprised if the editor in my diff were not the same person as the uploader. -- Ssilvers (talk) 16:12, 29 September 2017 (UTC)