User:Edison
I am an administrator on the English-language Wikipedia, since September 2007.
I think that Edison, New Jersey, one of the fastest growing towns in New Jersey, is an an all-around great place.
I am interested in the history of science, particularly electrical and electronic technology, radio, and television. I believe in in giving appropriate recognition to scientists and inventors whose contributions may have been obscured by the more famous or financially successful persons who used earlier work without crediting the person who developed the device or process.
At the same time, I wish to refute invalid claims that someone who tinkered with a device was the "true inventor" when their work did not verifiably influence the course of development of the device. Success has a thousand fathers. After someone developed the first usable and practical version of a device in the 19th century, it was common for competitors seeking to invalidate the patent to bring forth fraudulent claimants, complete with post-dated documents, lying witnesses, and prototypes supposedly decades old but in fact newly made. A thousand unreferenced websites validate a claim less than a public demonstration, a publication with details of the invention or discovery, or a patent application.
- Edit count as of June, 2010, (per "My preferences"): 34,104
- I have worked to establish guidelines for the notability of churches, synagogues, mosques, etc at WP:CONG and have worked to establish guidelines for the notability of shopping malls at WP:MALL, both of which were ultimately rejected by the community. I created a proposed guideline Wikipedia:News articles for the notability of the subjects of news stories, noting that not everything which makes it into the news is encyclopedic. It too failed to gain consensus, but is sometimes cited as an essay in AFD discussions.
- Politically, I am of the philosophy that the government which governs best is the one which best keeps its feet at all times off my neck.
- Member of BLP Patrol:
- I contribute to the Reference Desk for Science, Humanities, and Miscellaneous.
- I watch recent changes, revert vandalism, warn vandals and welcome newcomers. I also check random articles and tag those needing help, or I find references to improve them.
- I do Wikignome activities, and avoid drama as much as possible.
- I will spend unlimited time looking up references online, or via a research library.
- My philosophy is "encyclopedist" rather than "inclusionist" or "deletionist."
