User talk:Newyorkbrad/Archive/2021/Feb

What's related to Ira Matetsky: a new occasional feature

My attention was focused recently, I believe through comments by Iridescent, on the fact that whenever an article is viewed in mobile view, an algorithm automatically selects three "related articles" to display at the bottom of the page. While I see the value of this feature, it was noted that BLP-like problems can easily arise if unsuitable articles are auto-selected.

For better or worse, I remain a BLP subject myself, so I will research this issue using an unscientific sample size of one. As of today, the three "related articles" linked to Ira Brad Matetsky are:

• Rex Stout bibliography. This is a completely suitable choice. I've done extensive research and writing about Stout and I'm cited three times on that page.
• Gregory D'Auria, a justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. I'm sure he is a fine person and judge, but I've never had any connection with him or heard of him. He's no better or worse a "related article" for me than any other judge in the whole country outside New York.
• Tom Asimou, "an American lawyer based in Phoenix, Arizona who specializes in cases involving missing persons." The two of us have in common being lawyers, but that's not my location, not my practice area, and I'm not sure why the program thinks he's more "related" to me than any of the thousands of other American lawyers with articles.

So, on this round, one good hit, nothing overtly objectionable, but two befuddlements. I'll update this section occasionally when the related articles change. Newyorkbrad (talk) 00:24, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

From my mobile view, I was offered the first two, however top billing went to a senior partner at GSLZ. –xeno^talk 01:46, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Who even reads down there to find these things? I got Mark Z along with Stout and D’Auria. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:07, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Not sure what percentage of people scroll down that far ... but it's just something that I noticed when it was pointed out as a feature of mobile view. It's not a huge deal, but it's not nothing, either. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 02:12, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Worth watching for example of BLP problem, but it could take eons to come across one. Have fun with that ;) SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:15, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Right, hopefully it's never an issue. I just checked a few other pages and the links looked mostly sane, so fingers crossed. Newyorkbrad (talk) 02:25, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Whatamidoing (WMF) may be just the person to provide some input about how those random links are chosen, and what can be done should they become BLP-problematic. Well, at least I can pester with a ping, anyway :) SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:41, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

The Related Articles feature is just pre-loaded search results. The actual search results can be overridden for any article through the addition of a magic word whose name escapes me at the moment. @Redrose64, can you find the code? Template:Related pages is a redirect to the main Navbox template, and Template:Related articles is a redirect to the See also template, and I can't find anything in the Help: namespace. Whatamidoing (WMF) (talk) 19:06, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

Here's a curious one: I checked the links for the last mainspace article I wrote from scratch, which was Thomas McDade. One of the three links is to the novel The Doorbell Rang. That's a great link, as there is a wonderful anecdote about McDade and The Doorbell Rang. Except that ... McDade isn't mentioned in The Doorbell Rang article, The Doorbell Rang isn't mentioned in McDade's article, and beyond that, there doesn't seem to be a single page on the whole Internet that connects the two of them or even mentions them both. The surface connection between the two articles, which the algorithm must have picked up on, is a superficial one. Maybe the AI goes deeper than we think.... Newyorkbrad (talk) 03:04, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

Curses for having me hunting and pecking from a mobile device. Even checking my most interesting articles and BLPs, I have come up with nothing unusual yet ... but this will de fun entertainment for long car trips. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 03:15, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

With no technical knowledge of this feature but based on knowing how WMF devs's minds work, my guess for how it made the Thomas McDade connection is that it uses Special:WhatLinksHere/Thomas M. McDade to find other pages that have similar incoming links but that aren't currently linked to each other, on the grounds that this will potentially be something in which you're interested which you wouldn't have heard about otherwise. Per my comments in the thread NYB alludes to above (which is now a bit confusing as somebody took it on themselves to unilaterally split it up and archive the sections separately so it now begins mid-conversation), you don't have to look too far to find inappropriate suggestions. The inappropriate suggestions aren't restricted to obscure new pages where the software hasn't enough information to work on, either; as I write this Stupidity is suggesting Deaf-mute. ‑ Iridescent 06:24, 4 February 2021 (UTC)

@Iridescent: Thanks for the link to the thread. I had misremembered it as being on your talkpage. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 21:32, 4 February 2021 (UTC)

I realise you didn't invite us to post all the interesting examples we found (and it is a fun game, per SandyGeorgia). Still, I didn't expect the three algorithmic suggestions from the article on Death to be Bhagavata Purana, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and List of numbers in Hindu scriptures ... ---Sluzzelin talk 18:39, 8 February 2021 (UTC)

February 17: ONLINE WikiWednesday Salon NYC

February 17, 7pm: ONLINE WikiWednesday Salon NYC

Welcome to Wikimedia New York City! You are invited to join the Wikimedia NYC community for our monthly "WikiWednesday" evening salon (7-8pm) and knowledge-sharing workshop. To join the meeting from your computer or smartphone, just visit this link. More information about how to connect is available on the meetup page. We look forward to seeing local Wikimedians, but would also like to invite folks from the greater New York metropolitan area (and beyond!) who might not typically be able to join us in person! This month will include a discussion of Black WikiHistory Month in February, plans for WikiWomen's History Month in March, and of course the great work that is being done in these topical areas throughout the year. We will also have a relevant demonstration of the Wikipedia:Did you know process. If there's a project you'd like to share or a question you'd like answered, just let us know by adding it to the agenda or responding to this message. Wednesday February 17 WikiWednesday Salon and Skill-Share NYC (optional RSVP on-wiki). 7:00pm - 8:00 pm online via Zoom (optional breakout rooms from 8:00-8:30)

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

--Wikimedia New York City Team 01:20, 16 February 2021 (UTC)

Thursday Feb 25: ONLINE Black Wiki History Month at the Schomburg Center

Feb 25, 1:30-5pm: Black Wiki History Month at the Schomburg Center

You are invited to join the AfroCROWD and Wikimedia NYC communities for the 7th year of this edit-a-thon, this time being held in a virtual format. More information about how to connect is available on the meetup page, and register on the form to get the Zoom link. We look forward to seeing local Wikimedians, but would also like to invite folks from the greater New York metropolitan area (and beyond!) who might not typically be able to join us in person! Thursday Feb 25 Black Wiki History Month at the Schomburg Center (optional RSVP on-wiki). 1:30pm - 5:30 pm online, register on the form to get the Zoom link

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--Wikimedia New York City Team 07:21, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

Happy Adminship Anniversary!

@CAPTAIN RAJU: Belated thanks for this. I find the rapid passage of time since I was a fresh-faced newbie admin to be mind-boggling. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 02:28, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

New York Courts

Brad, you are the only New York lawyer I know, and I want to be sure I’m clear that the “Supreme Court” in New York is the trial court, not an appellate body. The reason I’m asking is that I’m looking into the career of James Gerard, and there are a lot of secondary sources that called him a “justice on the Supreme Court,“ but I think the writers are confused. Based on my understanding (and New_York_Supreme_Court#History) the trial courts were called “Supreme” courts even circa 1900-1915– so he was a trial court-level judge, correct? Had he ever served as an appellate judge, we would say that he was on the Court of Appeals, yes? (By the way, how come you New Yorkers have to do everything different than all the rest of us? LOL ) Montanabw^(talk) 23:52, 22 February 2021 (UTC)

@Montanabw: Sorry about the delay in responding. Your understanding is exactly correct. A "Justice of the Supreme Court" in New York is a trial court judge (albeit a judge of the highest trial court; there are other trial courts with lesser jurisdiction). An appellate judge might be on the Appellate Division (the intermediate court) or the Court of Appeals (the highest court). Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 02:27, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks. But you call them a “justice” and not simply a “judge?” Any reason for that? (What then are the appellate judges called? Wecall ours justices) Anyway, your Supreme Courts do take original jurisdiction cases, correct? Akin to, say what we call a district court in Montana, or like a Federal District Court — ,yes? Montanabw^(talk) 05:57, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

@Montanabw: Yes, judges of the Supreme Court (highest trial court) are called "Justice." So are the judges of the Appellate Division, which in some ways is a branch of the Supreme Court. Judges of the highest court, the Court of Appeals, are called "Judge." Most lower-court judges (including those of the Civil Court and Criminal Court of the City of New York; the county courts, city courts, and district courts outside New York City; the Family Court; and the Court of Claims) are called "Judge." Paradoxically, though, the judges of the lowest-ranking courts of all, the town and village courts outside New York City, are called "Justice" again (in fact, their courts are sometimes called "Justice Courts"). We won't even get into situations where a judge of one court is sitting as an acting judge of another court—for example, if I appear in the Supreme Court, New York County, the person I'll be in front of will be referred to as a Supreme Court Justice although his or her election to the Bench might have originally been to a different court.

As for the reason for all this, "historical happenstance" is the best I can do unless you want me to write another six paragraphs about all this. Regards, Newyorkbrad (talk) 03:07, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

I’m enough of a geek that I’m tempted to say “yes.” However, if there a good six or more paragraphs out there that explain it, I’m actually interested because I have to clarify this (briefly) in something I’m writing that will mention James Gerard. (Long story, but short version is that all his papers are at the University of Montana) . In any other state (I think? ), “justice of the Supreme Court” means an appellate judge at the highest appeals court in the state... so need to explain why youse guyz are so weird 😉. Montanabw^(talk) 05:06, 28 February 2021 (UTC)